1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Released in 2011, Skyrim was a role-playing game set in a fully realised world. The Nordic province of Skyrim was not only being besieged by dragons, but also torn apart by a civil war between the Empire and the Nords. And this was a stirring backdrop for the game, an open-world RPG which offered countless quests, most of them incidental to the main quest. The player could of course deal with the dragon threat, become a legendary hero and “finish” the game.

But there was so much more to the game than that. You could simply wonder around Skyrim’s lush forests or snowy hills, enjoying the beautiful landscapes, or deal with a bandit leader that was pestering the locals. Or you could join the battle-hardened Companions, a group of warriors in the city of Whiterun, and battle for the greater good. But just as rewarding was bargaining with the cat-like Khajit merchants for better equipment and hearing their stories about their home province of Elsweyr. This is a game that offered hundreds of hours of gameplay, and unlike more recent games such as Dragon Age: Inquisition, there was no filler or grinding and all the activities were just fun.

And despite being released in 2011, the game is still being played to this day, mainly thanks to the bustling PC modding community. Plenty of user mods have been released that add new quests, characters, make the game prettier, or are just plain crazy. And given Skyrim’s dedicated fan base and longevity it is not surprising that many consider it the best role-playing game ever.