BAFTA has chosen the most influential game in history, but it’s not Doom or Half-Life — the winner will surprise you

BAFTA announced the 21 most influential games of all time — the results were unexpected, as classics like Doom did not top the list.

The survey was conducted among the British public, which is logical, since BAFTA is the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Doom, Super Mario Bros. and Half-Life were left behind, but Grand Theft Auto was in the last position of the rating.

Who actually topped the list? Shenmue received the highest number of votes for «detailed open world» because it «truly captures the essence of 80s Yokosuka».

For those who are new to Shenmue — it is an adventure game from creator Yu Suzuki that was released in 1999 on the Dreamcast. It featured an open world, realistic NPCs with daytime schedules, real-time weather changes, and a QTE system that later became the standard for many action games.

Creator Sam Yu Suzuki expresses his gratitude to fans around the world. According to him, the «story is not over yet, there are more»s to come.

What other games were included in the rating?

Doom (1993) took second place as one of the most innovative first-person shooters. The third place went to Super Mario Bros. (1985), which set the standard for platformers. Interestingly, GTA 3 (2001) was only in 19th place, and the first installment of the Grand Theft Auto series (1997) was in the last place, 21st.

Here is the full list of the most influential games of all time according to BAFTA:

1. Shenmue (1999)
2. Doom (1993)
3. Super Mario Bros. (1985)
4. Half-Life (1998)
5. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)
6. Minecraft (2011)
7. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (2025)
8. Super Mario 64 (1996)
9. Half-Life 2 (2004)
10. The Sims (2000)
11. Tetris (1984)
12. Tomb Raider (1996)
13. Pong (1972)
14. Metal Gear Solid (1998)
15. World of Warcraft (2004)
16. Baldur’s Gate 3 (2023)
17. Final Fantasy VII (1997)
18. Dark Souls (2011)
19. Grand Theft Auto 3 (2001)
20. Skyrim (2011)
21. Grand Theft Auto (1997)

Next up is the BAFTA Game Awards 2025 ceremony, which will take place on April 8. Among the main contenders for the awards are Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, Astro Bot, and Still Wakes the Deep. Previously, Hellblade 2 received the most nominations, but not the main one. Let us remind you that Baldur’s Gate 3 became the main game of the year, receiving five awards, and also noted Alan Wake 2, Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Viewfinder.

Source: IGN