Appendix F: Game References Index

An index of every game substantively referenced in this book, with developer, year, platform at release, and chapter references.

A few things to know. First, "platform" lists the original release platforms, not every subsequent port — most of these games have been re-released on multiple modern systems. Second, "year" is first commercial release. Third, I have focused annotations on the most-referenced games; shorter entries are still in the book but used as single examples.

Entries are alphabetized by title. Articles ("The," "A") are ignored for sorting.

Alien Isolation (Creative Assembly, 2014, PC/PS3/PS4/X360/XB1) — Stealth horror. Dynamic alien AI that learns the player's patterns. Chapters: 14, 27, 30.

Among Us (Innersloth, 2018, PC/Mobile/Switch) — Social deduction game that became a 2020 phenomenon two years late. Case study in discoverability. Chapters: 28, 35, 38.

Angband (Various, 1990, PC) — Roguelike descendant of Moria. Chapters: 35, 36.

Animal Crossing (Nintendo EAD, 2001, N64/GameCube) — Life sim, asynchronous social play. Chapters: 12, 35.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo EAD, 2020, Switch) — Pandemic-era breakout. Gave designers a language for "cozy games." Chapters: 12, 24, 35.

Anthem (BioWare, 2019, PC/PS4/XB1) — Case study in a live service that failed at launch and was abandoned. Chapters: 34, 37, 39.

Apex Legends (Respawn, 2019, PC/PS4/XB1) — Battle royale with hero abilities. Shadow-dropped; taught marketing lessons. Chapters: 28, 35, 38.

Assassin's Creed (series) (Ubisoft, 2007–present, multi-platform) — Long-running open-world series. Brief case of genre-bloat and live-service drift. Chapters: 19, 34, 35.

Baba Is You (Hempuli, 2019, multi-platform) — Two-verb puzzle game where the rules themselves are pushable tiles. Argument for rules-as-mechanics. Chapters: 5, 9, 35.

Balatro (LocalThunk, 2024, multi-platform) — Poker-roguelike. Case study in one-person development and viral word-of-mouth. Chapters: 25, 35, 38.

Baldur's Gate 3 (Larian Studios, 2023, PC/PS5/XSX) — Turn-based CRPG that shipped a true AAA tabletop experience. Proof that deep RPGs still have an audience. Chapters: 10, 20, 21, 27, 35.

Bastion (Supergiant Games, 2011, multi-platform) — Action-RPG with dynamic narration. Established Supergiant's craft identity. Chapters: 20, 30, 35.

Battlegrounds / PUBG (PUBG Corp., 2017, PC/Console) — Battle royale template-setter. Chapters: 28, 35, 36.

Beat Saber (Beat Games, 2018, VR) — VR rhythm. Most-bought VR game of its era. Chapters: 30, 35.

Beyond Good and Evil (Ubisoft Montpellier, 2003, PS2/GC/Xbox/PC) — Cult adventure. Example of critically loved, commercially undersold. Chapters: 20, 35.

BioShock (2K Boston, 2007, PC/X360/PS3) — Immersive sim with narrative-as-mechanic. "Would you kindly." Chapters: 15, 20, 22, 35.

BioShock Infinite (Irrational Games, 2013, PC/PS3/X360) — Ambitious, contentious. A production-nightmare that shipped anyway. Chapters: 20, 34, 35.

The Binding of Isaac (Edmund McMillen/Florian Himsl, 2011, PC) — Twin-stick roguelike. Popularized the roguelite boom of the 2010s. Chapters: 10, 25, 35, 36.

Bloodborne (FromSoftware, 2015, PS4) — Aggressive Souls-like. Chapters: 13, 26, 35.

Borderlands (series) (Gearbox, 2009–present, multi-platform) — Looter-shooter. Variable-rarity loot as progression. Chapters: 24, 25, 26, 35.

Braid (Number None, 2008, X360/PC) — Time-manipulation puzzle-platformer. Landmark indie that helped define the 2008–2012 indie boom. Chapters: 5, 9, 35, 36.

Breath of the Wild (Nintendo EPD, 2017, Switch/Wii U) — Open-air Zelda. Anchor example throughout. Systems-driven physics, emergence, "chemistry engine." Chapters: 1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 14, 17, 19, 22, 27, 35, 36, 40. (Primary anchor)

Bully (Rockstar Vancouver, 2006, PS2) — Rockstar's prep-school open world. Chapters: 19, 35.

Candy Crush Saga (King, 2012, Mobile) — Defined mobile F2P match-3. Dark-pattern reference throughout Ch. 33. Chapters: 10, 24, 33, 35, 38.

Celeste (Maddy Makes Games, 2018, multi-platform) — Precision platformer about climbing a mountain / managing depression. Primary anchor across the book. Flow, assist mode, accessibility, game feel, narrative-through-mechanics. Chapters: 1, 2, 8, 11, 13, 17, 29, 32, 33, 36, 37, 40. (Primary anchor)

Civilization (MicroProse, 1991, PC) — Turn-based 4X template. Chapters: 5, 10, 35, 36.

Civilization VI (Firaxis, 2016, multi-platform) — Current mainline entry. Chapters: 10, 32, 35.

Clash of Clans (Supercell, 2012, Mobile) — Free-to-play mobile strategy. Waiting timers, clans, whale monetization. Chapters: 24, 33, 35, 38.

Clash Royale (Supercell, 2016, Mobile) — Real-time card-strategy. Chapters: 24, 33, 35.

Counter-Strike (Valve/Hidden Path, 1999–2023, PC) — Competitive 5v5 shooter. Benchmark for balance and competitive integrity. Chapters: 26, 28, 32, 35, 36.

Crypt of the NecroDancer (Brace Yourself Games, 2015, multi-platform) — Rhythm-roguelike. Chapters: 10, 30, 35.

Cuphead (Studio MDHR, 2017, multi-platform) — Run-and-gun with hand-drawn animation. Art-direction / production cautionary tale. Chapters: 8, 26, 34, 37.

Cyberpunk 2077 (CD Projekt Red, 2020, multi-platform) — AAA launch disaster. Recovered over three years. Case of scope/crunch/PR failure. Chapters: 34, 37, 38, 39.

Dark Souls (FromSoftware, 2011, PS3/X360/PC) — Third-person action-RPG. Anchor example throughout. Difficulty, world interconnection, environmental storytelling, "hard but fair," death-as-learning. Chapters: 1, 7, 11, 13, 15, 22, 26, 35, 36, 40. (Primary anchor)

Dark Souls Remastered (FromSoftware/QLOC, 2018, multi-platform) — The version to play today. Chapters: 13, 26.

DCSS (Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup) (DCSS Team, 2006–present, PC) — The roguelike most roguelike-designers actually play. Chapters: 35, 36.

Dead Cells (Motion Twin, 2018, multi-platform) — Roguelite metroidvania. Long-running Early Access success. Chapters: 25, 35, 39.

Dead Space (EA Redwood Shores, 2008, PS3/X360/PC) — Sci-fi horror, diegetic UI. Chapters: 8, 22, 29, 35.

Death Stranding (Kojima Productions, 2019, PS4/PC) — Traversal/delivery game. Generates real debate about what "game" means. Chapters: 1, 15, 35.

Demon's Souls (FromSoftware, 2009 / Bluepoint Remake 2020, PS3/PS5) — Souls progenitor. Chapters: 26, 35, 36.

Destiny 2 (Bungie, 2017, multi-platform) — Live service looter-shooter. Seasons, battle passes, expansions. Chapters: 24, 25, 33, 39.

Detroit: Become Human (Quantic Dream, 2018, PS4/PC) — Branching interactive drama. Chapters: 20, 23, 35.

Deus Ex (Ion Storm Austin, 2000, PC) — Immersive sim with multiple solutions to every problem. The template referenced in Ch. 14. Chapters: 5, 9, 14, 35, 36.

Diablo II (Blizzard North, 2000, PC) — ARPG loot-loop template. Item affix system still widely copied. Chapters: 24, 25, 35, 36.

Diablo III (Blizzard, 2012, multi-platform) — Launched with a real-money auction house, then recanted. Case study in monetization ethics. Chapters: 24, 33, 35.

Diablo IV (Blizzard, 2023, multi-platform) — Mainline return. Live service model. Chapters: 24, 25, 33, 39.

Diablo Immortal (NetEase/Blizzard, 2022, Mobile/PC) — Infamous mobile-style monetization. Chapters: 24, 33.

Dishonored (Arkane, 2012, PC/PS3/X360) — Immersive sim. Chapters: 9, 14, 22, 35.

Disco Elysium (ZA/UM, 2019, multi-platform) — Text-heavy narrative RPG. One of the strongest writing achievements in the medium. Chapters: 20, 21, 35.

Divinity: Original Sin 2 (Larian, 2017, multi-platform) — Turn-based CRPG that walked so Baldur's Gate 3 could run. Chapters: 10, 27, 35.

Donkey Kong (Nintendo, 1981, Arcade) — Miyamoto's first hit. Platformer origin. Chapters: 36.

DOOM (1993) (id Software, 1993, PC) — FPS-that-defined-FPS. Pacing, level design, modding culture. Chapters: 5, 8, 26, 35, 36.

DOOM Eternal (id Software, 2020, multi-platform) — Aggressive fast-combat revival. Reference for combat-as-dance. Chapters: 26, 35.

Dota 2 (Valve, 2013, PC) — MOBA. The IceFrog school of balance. Chapters: 28, 32, 35, 36.

Downwell (Moppin, 2015, PC/Mobile/Console) — Vertical roguelite. One-person-dev success. Chapters: 17, 35, 37.

Dragon Age (series) (BioWare, 2009–present, multi-platform) — BioWare fantasy RPG arc. Chapters: 20, 21, 35.

Duke Nukem Forever (3D Realms/Gearbox, 2011, PC/PS3/X360) — Fifteen-year development case study. Do not do this. Chapters: 34, 37.

Dwarf Fortress (Bay 12 Games, 2006, PC/Steam 2022) — Simulation of absurd depth. The story-generator archetype. Chapters: 9, 20, 27, 35.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (Atari/Howard Scott Warshaw, 1982, Atari 2600) — Five-week development, landfill legend. Cited in crunch/scope discussions. Chapters: 34, 37, 38, 39.

Elden Ring (FromSoftware, 2022, multi-platform) — Open-world Souls. Sold 25M+. Chapters: 7, 11, 13, 19, 22, 26, 35.

Everything (David OReilly, 2017, multi-platform) — Simulation toy. Generates "is-it-a-game" debate. Chapters: 1, 35.

EVE Online (CCP, 2003, PC) — Persistent sandbox MMO. Single-shard universe, real-economy experiments. Chapters: 24, 28, 36.

Fable (Lionhead, 2004, Xbox) — Molyneux ambition versus delivery. Chapters: 34, 38.

Fable III (Lionhead, 2010, X360/PC) — Franchise scope-drift example. Chapters: 34, 35.

Factorio (Wube, 2016/2020, PC) — Automation/logistics. Infinite-optimization genre. Chapters: 6, 9, 25, 35.

Fall Guys (Mediatonic, 2020, multi-platform) — Battle-royale party. Viral launch. Chapters: 28, 35, 38.

F1 (current) (Codemasters/EA, 2024, multi-platform) — Annual F1 sports cycle. Chapters: 35, 38.

FIFA / EA Sports FC (EA Sports, annual, multi-platform) — Annual football sim. Ultimate Team monetization discussed in Ch. 33. Chapters: 24, 33, 35.

Final Fantasy VII (Square, 1997, PS1/PC) — JRPG that brought the genre to the West at scale. Chapters: 20, 21, 35, 36.

Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix, 2010/2013 relaunch, multi-platform) — MMO. A Realm Reborn is the canonical recovery-from-disaster example. Chapters: 28, 34, 35, 39.

Firewatch (Campo Santo, 2016, multi-platform) — First-person walking sim. Tight dialogue. Chapters: 20, 21, 35.

Fortnite (Epic, 2017, multi-platform) — Battle royale that became a platform. Cultural phenomenon. Chapters: 24, 28, 33, 35, 38, 39.

Forza Horizon (series) (Playground Games, 2012–present, multi-platform) — Arcade-leaning open-world racing. Festival aesthetic. Chapters: 35, 38.

FTL: Faster Than Light (Subset Games, 2012, PC/Mobile) — Space roguelike. Kickstarter success. Chapters: 10, 27, 35.

Genshin Impact (HoYoverse, 2020, multi-platform) — Free-to-play open-world gacha. Massive revenue. Chapters: 19, 24, 33, 35.

Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy (Bennett Foddy, 2017, PC) — Difficulty-as-philosophy. Streaming-era phenomenon. Chapters: 1, 13, 35.

Gone Home (Fullbright, 2013, PC/Console) — First-person narrative / "walking simulator" exemplar. Chapters: 20, 22, 35.

Gran Turismo (series) (Polyphony Digital, 1997–present, PlayStation) — Simulation-leaning racing. Chapters: 35.

GTA V / Grand Theft Auto V (Rockstar North, 2013, multi-platform) — Commercial behemoth. GTA Online's live-service economy. Chapters: 19, 24, 34, 35, 39.

Guitar Hero (Harmonix, 2005, PS2) — Plastic-instrument rhythm boom and bust. Chapters: 5, 30, 35, 36.

Hades (Supergiant, 2020, multi-platform) — Roguelite that married run-structure to long narrative. Chapters: 10, 20, 25, 35, 36.

Half-Life (Valve, 1998, PC) — Scripted sequences, "show don't tell" FPS narrative. Chapters: 5, 20, 23, 35, 36.

Half-Life 2 (Valve, 2004, PC/Xbox) — Physics puzzles, environmental tutorial, gravity gun. Still taught in classes. Chapters: 5, 20, 23, 27, 29, 36.

Hearthstone (Blizzard, 2014, PC/Mobile) — Digital card game. Chapters: 10, 24, 25, 32, 35.

Heavy Rain (Quantic Dream, 2010, PS3) — QTE-heavy branching drama. Early "interactive movie." Chapters: 20, 23, 35.

Helldivers 2 (Arrowhead, 2024, PC/PS5) — Co-op live service breakout of 2024. Community-as-content. Chapters: 28, 35, 38, 39.

Her Story (Sam Barlow, 2015, PC/Mobile) — FMV mystery. Database as level. Chapters: 20, 35.

Hi-Fi Rush (Tango Gameworks, 2023, XSX/PC/PS5) — Rhythm-action shadow drop. Chapters: 26, 30, 38.

Hollow Knight (Team Cherry, 2017, multi-platform) — Metroidvania that became the metroidvania benchmark. Indie success via craft. Chapters: 1, 17, 22, 26, 35, 37, 40.

Honkai: Star Rail (HoYoverse, 2023, multi-platform) — Turn-based sister-game to Genshin. Chapters: 24, 33, 35.

Hunt: Showdown (Crytek, 2019, multi-platform) — Extraction shooter. Chapters: 26, 28, 35.

Hyper Light Drifter (Heart Machine, 2016, multi-platform) — Pixel-art action. Kickstarter arc. Chapters: 8, 22, 35.

Ico (Team Ico, 2001, PS2) — Companionship-as-mechanic. Chapters: 15, 22, 35.

Inscryption (Daniel Mullins, 2021, PC) — Genre-shifting card/horror/puzzle. Chapters: 10, 20, 35.

Into the Breach (Subset Games, 2018, multi-platform) — Perfect-information tactical puzzle. Chapters: 7, 11, 29, 35.

It Takes Two (Hazelight, 2021, multi-platform) — Two-player forced co-op. Chapters: 28, 35.

Journey (thatgamecompany, 2012, PS3/PS4/PC) — Wordless multiplayer. Emotional-design benchmark. Chapters: 15, 28, 30, 35.

Just Dance (Ubisoft, 2009–present, multi-platform) — Mass-market dance rhythm. Chapters: 30, 35.

Kingdom Hearts (Square/Disney, 2002–present, multi-platform) — Action-RPG crossover. Chapters: 26, 35.

League of Legends (Riot, 2009, PC) — MOBA at scale. Chapters: 28, 32, 35, 36, 39.

Left 4 Dead (Valve, 2008, PC/X360) — Co-op with AI Director. Chapters: 11, 27, 28, 35.

The Legend of Zelda (Nintendo, 1986, NES) — Original open-ish Zelda. Chapters: 14, 19, 35, 36.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo EAD, 1998, N64) — 3D template that defined a generation. Z-targeting. Chapters: 18, 26, 35, 36.

Magic: The Gathering Arena (Wizards of the Coast, 2019, PC/Mobile) — Digital TCG. Chapters: 10, 24, 25, 35.

Marvel Snap (Second Dinner, 2022, Mobile/PC) — Three-minute card game. Mobile-first design. Chapters: 10, 25, 35.

Mario Party (series) (Hudson/NDcube, 1998–present, Nintendo) — Party-game design. Chapters: 28, 35.

Mass Effect (trilogy) (BioWare, 2007–2012, multi-platform) — Cinematic RPG with branching. Chapters: 20, 21, 23, 35.

Metal Gear Solid (Konami, 1998, PS1) — Stealth with cinematic ambition. Chapters: 20, 23, 35, 36.

Metro Exodus (4A Games, 2019, multi-platform) — Linear-to-open-world hybrid shooter. Chapters: 22, 35.

Metroid (Nintendo, 1986, NES) — Metroid's Metroid. Chapters: 19, 35, 36.

Microsoft Flight Simulator (Asobo, 2020, PC/XSX) — Simulation as spectacle. Chapters: 35.

Minecraft (Mojang, 2011 full release, PC/everywhere) — Sandbox that redefined sandbox. Anchor for Ch. 9 (emergence). Chapters: 1, 5, 9, 14, 19, 35, 36.

Monopoly GO! (Scopely, 2023, Mobile) — Mobile-gambling-adjacent board game. Dark-pattern case. Chapters: 24, 33, 38.

Ms. Pac-Man (GCC/Midway, 1981, Arcade) — Pac-Man done better, unofficially. Chapters: 36.

Myst (Cyan, 1993, Mac/PC) — Puzzle-adventure that defined CD-ROM. Chapters: 14, 22, 35, 36.

Myst IV: Revelation (Ubisoft Montreal, 2004, PC) — Later Myst entry used as historical example. Chapters: 36.

NBA 2K (current) (Visual Concepts, annual, multi-platform) — Annual basketball. MyCareer monetization criticized in Ch. 33. Chapters: 33, 35.

NetHack (NetHack DevTeam, 1987, PC) — ASCII roguelike whose systemic depth still sets the bar. Chapters: 9, 35, 36.

No Man's Sky (Hello Games, 2016, multi-platform) — Launch-disaster-to-redemption arc. Chapters: 34, 38, 39.

Nuclear Throne (Vlambeer, 2015, PC/Console) — Twin-stick roguelite. Chapters: 8, 35.

N++ (Metanet, 2015/2016, multi-platform) — Precision platformer distilled. Chapters: 17, 35.

Ori and the Blind Forest (Moon Studios, 2015, PC/XB1) — Pixel-perfect metroidvania. Chapters: 17, 35.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps (Moon Studios, 2020, PC/XB1/Switch) — Sequel. Chapters: 17, 35.

Outer Wilds (Mobius, 2019, multi-platform) — Knowledge-as-progression. Twenty-two-minute time loop. Chapters: 14, 19, 20, 35.

Overcooked (Ghost Town Games, 2016, multi-platform) — Shouting-at-friends co-op. Chapters: 28, 35.

Overwatch (Blizzard, 2016, multi-platform) — Team-hero FPS. Chapters: 26, 28, 32, 35.

Pac-Man (Namco, 1980, Arcade) — First pop-cultural video game. Chapters: 4, 35, 36.

Papers, Please (3909 LLC, 2013, PC/Mobile) — Mechanic-narrative unity. Bureaucracy as horror. Chapters: 15, 20, 33, 35.

Path of Exile (Grinding Gear Games, 2013, PC/Console) — ARPG with passive-skill sprawl. Chapters: 24, 25, 35.

The Pathless (Giant Squid, 2020, multi-platform) — Movement-focused open world. Chapters: 19, 35.

Persona 5 (Atlus, 2017, PS3/PS4/PC/Switch) — JRPG with distinctive UI. Chapters: 29, 35.

Pong (Atari, 1972, Arcade) — The industry's starting gun. Chapters: 36.

Portal (Valve, 2007, PC/X360/PS3) — Physics puzzle. The gold standard of environmental tutorial. Chapters: 5, 14, 23, 29, 35.

Portal 2 (Valve, 2011, multi-platform) — Sequel + co-op expansion. Chapters: 5, 23, 28, 29, 35.

Prey (2017) (Arkane, 2017, PC/PS4/XB1) — Immersive sim. Chapters: 9, 14, 22, 35.

Pyre (Supergiant, 2017, PS4/PC) — Sports-and-ritual narrative hybrid. Chapters: 20, 35.

Quake (id Software, 1996, PC) — 3D fragging; modding culture. Chapters: 26, 36.

Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar, 2018, multi-platform) — Open-world Western with obsessive detail. Crunch case study. Chapters: 19, 20, 22, 34, 35.

Resident Evil 4 (2005) (Capcom, 2005, GC/PS2) — Over-the-shoulder combat template. Chapters: 26, 35, 36.

Resident Evil 4 (2023 Remake) (Capcom, 2023, multi-platform) — Remake that rebalanced the original. Chapters: 26, 35, 40.

Return of the Obra Dinn (Lucas Pope, 2018, multi-platform) — Deduction mystery in 1-bit art. Chapters: 20, 22, 35.

Rimworld (Ludeon, 2018, PC/Console) — Colony sim / story generator. Chapters: 9, 20, 27, 35.

Risk of Rain (Hopoo Games, 2013, multi-platform) — Roguelike. Chapters: 25, 35.

Riven (Cyan, 1997, PC) — Myst sequel. Peak pre-rendered puzzle. Chapters: 36.

Rocket League (Psyonix, 2015, multi-platform) — Car-soccer. Chapters: 28, 35.

Rogue (Toy/Wichman/Arnold, 1980, UNIX) — Name-giving roguelike. Chapters: 10, 35, 36.

Rogue Legacy (Cellar Door Games, 2013, PC/Console) — Persistence-between-runs roguelite. Chapters: 25, 35.

Sable (Shedworks, 2021, multi-platform) — Coming-of-age traversal game. Chapters: 14, 19, 35.

Satisfactory (Coffee Stain, 2019/2024, PC/Console) — First-person automation. Chapters: 9, 25, 35.

Sea of Thieves (Rare, 2018, multi-platform) — Live-service pirate sandbox. Recovery arc. Chapters: 28, 39.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (FromSoftware, 2019, multi-platform) — Parry-focused action. Chapters: 11, 13, 26, 35.

Shadow of the Colossus (Team Ico, 2005, PS2) — Sixteen bosses, no filler. Emotion as core loop. Chapters: 15, 22, 26, 35, 36.

Silent Hill 2 (Konami, 2001, PS2) — Psychological horror. Chapters: 15, 20, 22, 30, 35.

SimCity (Maxis, 1989, multi-platform) — Simulation classic. Chapters: 9, 35, 36.

The Sims (Maxis, 2000, PC) — Life sim that sold on expansions. Chapters: 24, 35, 36.

Slay the Spire (Mega Crit, 2019, multi-platform) — Deck-builder roguelite that created the subgenre. Chapters: 5, 10, 25, 35.

Space Invaders (Taito, 1978, Arcade) — Proto-shooter; caused a coin shortage in Japan. Chapters: 36.

Spacewar! (Russell et al., 1962, PDP-1) — The first video game of note. Chapters: 36.

Spelunky (Derek Yu, 2008/2012, multi-platform) — Platformer roguelike. Chapters: 9, 10, 25, 35, 36.

Spore (Maxis, 2008, PC) — Ambitious creation game. Disappointment-to-legacy arc. Chapters: 34, 35, 38.

Star Citizen (Cloud Imperium, 2012–present, PC) — Ongoing crowdfunding phenomenon / scope cautionary tale. Chapters: 34, 37, 38.

StarCraft (Blizzard, 1998, PC) — RTS at its sharpest. Chapters: 28, 32, 35, 36.

StarCraft II (Blizzard, 2010, PC) — Trilogy-as-expansions RTS. Chapters: 28, 32, 35.

Stardew Valley (ConcernedApe / Eric Barone, 2016, multi-platform) — One-person farm RPG. Sustainable design benchmark. Chapters: 2, 24, 25, 34, 37, 40.

Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo, 1985, NES) — The platformer. Still a teaching text. Chapters: 5, 17, 36.

Super Mario 64 (Nintendo EAD, 1996, N64) — 3D platforming template. Chapters: 18, 36.

Super Mario World (Nintendo, 1990/1991, SNES) — Best 2D Mario. Chapters: 17, 36.

Super Meat Boy (Team Meat, 2010, PC/X360) — Frustration-as-feature precision platformer. Chapters: 11, 13, 17, 35.

Super Metroid (Nintendo R&D1, 1994, SNES) — Metroidvania distilled. Chapters: 19, 35, 36.

Syberia (Microïds, 2002, PC) — Adventure game. Chapters: 36.

Tales from the Borderlands (Telltale, 2014, multi-platform) — Telltale at its peak. Chapters: 20, 35.

Tarkov / Escape from Tarkov (Battlestate, 2017, PC) — Hardcore extraction shooter. Chapters: 26, 28, 35.

Team Fortress 2 (Valve, 2007, PC/Console) — Class shooter; live-service pioneer. Chapters: 28, 32, 36.

Tennis for Two (William Higinbotham, 1958, Donner Analog Computer) — The actual first video game. Chapters: 36.

Terraria (Re-Logic, 2011, multi-platform) — 2D sandbox with progression spine. Chapters: 9, 25, 35.

Tetris (Alexey Pajitnov, 1984, various) — Rules-and-replayability from almost nothing. Chapters: 1, 4, 5, 6, 10, 36.

The Beginner's Guide (Everything Unlimited, 2015, PC) — Meta-narrative walking sim. Controversial, instructive. Chapters: 1, 20, 35.

The Division / Tom Clancy's The Division (Ubisoft Massive, 2016, multi-platform) — Online loot shooter. Chapters: 26, 35.

The Walking Dead (Telltale) (Telltale, 2012, multi-platform) — Choice-driven episodic drama. Peak Telltale. Chapters: 20, 23, 35.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (CD Projekt Red, 2015, multi-platform) — Open-world RPG with strong writing. Chapters: 19, 20, 21, 35.

The Witness (Thekla, 2016, multi-platform) — Puzzle island. Jonathan Blow's follow-up. Chapters: 14, 35.

Thumper (Drool, 2016, multi-platform) — Rhythm-violence. Chapters: 30, 35.

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands (Gearbox, 2022, multi-platform) — Looter-shooter spinoff. Chapters: 24, 35.

Transistor (Supergiant, 2014, PS4/PC) — Action-RPG with real-time/pause hybrid. Chapters: 20, 26, 35.

Tunic (Andrew Shouldice, 2022, multi-platform) — Zelda-shaped puzzle game. The in-manual reading is the real game. Chapters: 14, 20, 35.

Undertale (Toby Fox, 2015, PC/Console) — Subversion as craft. Chapters: 15, 20, 21, 23, 30, 35.

Valheim (Iron Gate, 2021, PC/Console) — Co-op survival. Chapters: 9, 28, 35.

Valorant (Riot, 2020, PC) — Competitive FPS with abilities. Chapters: 26, 28, 32, 35.

Vampire Survivors (poncle, 2022, multi-platform) — Bullet-heaven phenomenon. Chapters: 25, 35, 38.

Watch Dogs (series) (Ubisoft Montreal, 2014–present, multi-platform) — Open-world hacking. Chapters: 19, 35.

What Remains of Edith Finch (Giant Sparrow, 2017, multi-platform) — Anthology narrative game. Chapters: 20, 22, 35.

World of Warcraft (Blizzard, 2004, PC) — MMORPG that ate the world. Chapters: 24, 25, 28, 35, 36, 39.

XCOM 2 (Firaxis, 2016, multi-platform) — Turn-based tactics at its tightest. Chapters: 10, 27, 35.

Zork (Infocom, 1980, PC) — Text adventure canon. Chapters: 20, 36.

Games in Development / Notable Cancellations

Mentioned in the book as cautionary examples, context only:

• Anthem NEXT (BioWare, cancelled 2021) — Abandoned relaunch. Chapters: 34, 39.
• Scalebound (PlatinumGames/Microsoft, cancelled 2017) — Chapters: 34.

A Note on Completeness

This index does not list every game named in passing in the text. A game that appears once in a list of four titles to illustrate a genre, without its own discussion, is not indexed here. If you search for a game and it is not present, search the chapter text directly — it may still be mentioned. The goal of this index is to help you find the places where a game is genuinely analyzed, not the places where a game's name appears.