The Top 10 Games from 2014 That We’re Still Playing

There’s a seemingly endless stream of video games to keep up with these days. From mobile to VR, PlayStation to Xbox, and PC to handheld, this truth remains the same.

While it’s always worth keeping up with the latest in the world of video games, oftentimes it can be just as rewarding to revisit some old favorites. We’re all guilty of doing so, if you want to call it a guilty pleasure. There’s nothing really guilty about it, though: often, the old games still hold up.

With new consoles from PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo all newly released and old consoles from those same brands still seeing plenty of popularity in their own right, 2014 was a year full of endlessly replayable titles across consoles, mobile devices, and PCs alike.

We’ve put together a list of 10 of the most rewarding, enjoyable, and outright replayable video games from this particular year, complete with a ranking from best to even better. Take a look below to see if your favorites from 2014 made the list.

2014 in Gaming

While no new consoles were released in the year 2014, that doesn’t mean that the year in video games was uneventful by any means. With the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 nearing the end of their life cycles and the PS4 and Xbox One just beginning their own, the year saw great games hitting both generations of consoles at once. Plus, with Amazon taking ownership of Twitch and Facebook taking ownership of Oculus this same year, it was clear to see what the imminent future of gaming would soon bring: professional streaming and a focus on virtual reality.

Mobile games also saw serious success in 2014, with three of the top five highest-grossing games of the year all garnering huge profits from iOS and Android platforms. Puzzles & Dragons took the top spot with over $1.5 billion in revenue, followed by Candy Crush Saga in the third spot with $1.33 billion in gross. Clash of Clans took the fourth spot with around $1 billion. The only non-mobile games to break the top five were Crossfire at #2 and League of Legends at #5. (The success of these mobile games is due in part to the iPhone 6’s colossal sales figures in 2014).

Above all else, the year 2014 in gaming serves as a sort of middle ground between the world of video games before and the future of video games after. Video game sales — including mobile sales, digital console sales, and VR game sales — were all on the up and up, thanks in part to the endless replayability of these 2014 games.

All these years later, 2014 remains a truly excellent year for video games. With these factoids in mind, let’s take a more in-depth look at the top 10 games from 2014 that we’re still playing today.

Top 10 Games from 2014 That We’re Still Playing

Here are the top 10 games from 2014 with endless replay value. These are the titles we find ourselves returning to again and again, even with the sheer number of great games that have been released throughout the remainder of the ’10s and into the ’20s. From mobile apps to next-generation console remasters to new entries in long-running franchises and everything in between, we’re still playing these top 10 games from 2014.

10. emDragon Age: Inquisition/em

Dragon Age: Inquisition - Game of the Year Edition – PC Origin [Online Game Code]

$39.99

• Become the Inquisitor: Create your character and lead a team of unique heroes on a perilous journey through a beautiful, open world. Tough choices define your experience, and even one decision can...
• Jaws of Hakkon: Enter an overgrown wilderness filled with Avvar, fiercely independent hunters who settled in the southern mountains of Thedas. Uncover what happened to the last Inquisitor and the...
• The Descent: Descend into the Deep Roads to battle monstrous darkspawn, bloodthirsty creatures that dwell beneath the surface of Thedas. Explore cavernous dungeons to find the cause of worsening...
• Trespasser: After saving the world by closing the Breach, your next mission determines the future of the Inquisition itself. It's up to you to defeat a great evil that could devastate Thedas. Embark...
• Deluxe Upgrade, Spoils of the Avvar & Spoils of the Qunari: Customize your Inquisition with specialized gear, legendary weapons, diverse mounts, and unique Skyhold elements to personalize your home...

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08/29/2023 06:46 pm GMT

A follow-up to the hit action RPG Dragon Age II, emDragon Age: Inquisition/em introduced more open-world exploration to the Dragon Age franchise than ever seen before or since.

Still the most recent Dragon Age game (at least until the highly anticipated sequel is eventually released), Inquisition always seems to end up back in the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One whenever we’re looking to explore an open fantasy world and engage in some high-stakes combat with dragons and other magical creatures. It remains a good time, even after eight years.

Check it out on Amazon here.

9. emAlien: Isolation/em

Alien: Isolation (PS4)

$21.40

• Survival horror game set in a dreadful and perilous atmosphere
• Navigate a volatile world with a ruthless Alien
• Craft items, scavenge for supplies, and hack systems to survive
• Face off, evade, or distract your enemies
• Set in Sevastopol, an abandoned trading station

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08/29/2023 10:34 am GMT

Is there any blockbuster franchise better suited for the survival horror genre than the Alien films? Taking place 15 years after the end of Alien (1979), emAlien: Isolation/em focuses on Amanda — daughter of Sigourney Weaver’s iconic character Ripley — as she searches for her mother.

In her search, Amanda discovers the horrifying presence of a killer xenomorph. From its similar style to the first film to its exciting alien-hunting (or alien-avoiding) gameplay, emAlien: Isolation/em is still just as fun to play today as it was upon its 2014 release.

You can find it on Amazon right here.

8. emMiddle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor/em

Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor Game of the Year - PlayStation 4

$29.99

• Become the most feared force in Mordor in a new chronicle set before the events of the Lord of the Rings
• Exploit the individual fears, weakness and memories of your enemies as you dismantle Sauron's forces from within
• Harness the Spirit of vengeance to inflict brutal combos while mastering powerful new skills and weaponry

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08/30/2023 01:10 am GMT

If the Alien franchise makes for a great video game, then it’s only natural that the Lord of the Rings franchise would make for a great action-adventure game. This is emMiddle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor/em, one of the top 10 games from 2014 we’re still playing as well as one of the best Lord of the Rings games ever made.

With fantastic combat, beautiful open-world gameplay, and clever ties to both the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit films, emMiddle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor/em continues to be a game worth playing again and again.

You can find it on Amazon here.

7. emBayonetta 2/em

Choose Your Pick of Weapons

Bayonetta 2 (Nintendo Switch)

$56.49

• Includes Bayonetta 2 on a Nintendo Switch game card, a download code for Bayonetta
• Wield stylish moves and deadly weapons, like a poison bow and flamethrowers
• Team up with other players in the 2-player Tag Climax co-op mode via local wireless or online
• Compatible with the Nintendo Switch only

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08/29/2023 11:59 am GMT

While Bayonetta 3 was only just released in October of 2022, emBayonetta 2/em proves to be the entry we continually return to the most.

Originally released on the Wii U in 2014 before being remastered for the Nintendo Switch in 2018, emBayonetta 2/em is the kind of game you beat in one or two sittings and then keep replaying for years to come. Its combat sequences, its cinematic cutscenes, its profound depth… not only is it a true highlight of the much-maligned Wii U, but it’s also one of the top 10 games from 2014 we’ll keep playing forever.

Check it out on Amazon right here.

6. emDark Souls II/em

The Definitive Edition

Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin - PlayStation 4

$18.69

• Includes all 3 DLC packs, including Crown of the Sunken King, Crown of the Old Iron King, and Crown of the Ivory King
• Enhanced graphics and sound
• 60fps at 1080p
• New enemy placement and more bosses
• Up to 6 online players

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08/29/2023 12:44 pm GMT

The idea of returning to a game again and again suggests that the game is fun, right? Well, with emDark Souls II/em, its status as a top 10 game from 2014 with endless replay value is rooted in its challenging nature.

It’s so hard, which leads to some much-needed hiatuses from time to time. We’re constantly putting this game away in frustration only to come crawling back to it months (or even years) later to give it another go. It’s a real challenge, but a thrilling challenge nonetheless. The joy of beating a difficult challenger after hours of trying makes up for all the ragequits that came before it.

See if you’re up for the challenge of emDark Souls II/em on Amazon here.

5. emGoat Simulator/em

Goat Simulator 3 - PlayStation 5

$19.99

• You can be a goat
• No really, there are so many goats - If you want to be fancy you can wear the skins of tall goats, stripey goats, and many more
• Or dress up your goat in all kinds of nonsense, from rolls of toilet paper to tea trays - Put on a jetpack for all we care
• This time we actually hired ‘game designers’ and we’re told they’ve added ‘an ok amount of content’ - events, NPCs to mess with, physics, status effects, collectables, easter eggs, lies,...
• They’ve added mini-games too, lots of mini-games (seven is a lot, right?)

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08/29/2023 08:30 pm GMT

Imagine you’re a goat. Imagine your task being to inflict the most damage as humanly possible. This is emGoat Simulator/em, a game that feels as fresh today as it did in 2014.

Initially conceived as a joke, emGoat Simulator/em‘s prototype hit the internet and instantly achieved iconic meme status. Somehow — be it the game’s simple but absurd premise, its hilariously buggy gameplay, or its interactive sandbox interface — it remains just as repayable after all these years. Its new sequel is sure to end up in the same boat.

Check it out on Amazon here.

4. Five Nights at Freddy’s

Speaking of iconic meme status: Five Nights at Freddy’s is another one of the top 10 games from 2014 we’re still playing today that remains relevant because of its online reputation.

Even with its string of sequels and its upcoming feature film adaptation, the original Five Nights at Freddy’s from 2014 is the one entry in the franchise we keep going back to. It’s the one that started it all, to be sure, but it’s also the best one of the bunch. There’s no doubt that even more will be returning to this one once the movie comes out in 2023 or ’24.

3. emDestiny/em

Unique FPS Modes

Destiny - Standard Edition - PlayStation 4

$19.95

• Online only and requires a PlayStation Plus membership.
• Exciting story set in a future where you are a Guardian of the last city on Earth
• Create your own character and upgrade your skills and abilities by defeating enemies
• FPS gameplay allows you to play on your own or online with friends
• Earn customizable weapons, gear, and vehicles as you progress through the game

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08/28/2023 08:26 pm GMT

Still considered one of the greatest video games ever made, even after more than eight years since its release, emDestiny/em also has the honor of being one of the top 10 games from 2014 we’re still going back to.

Rooted in a mythical sci-fi world and entirely reliant on its multiplayer mode, emDestiny/em pits players against their environment and each other as they protect Earth’s last remaining city from alien invaders. Earning $325 million in less than a week at launch, it remains a truly legendary game with infinite replay value.

You can find it on Amazon right here.

2. emMario Kart 8/em

Mario Kart 8 - Nintendo Wii U (Renewed)

$37.38

• This renewed game may come repackaged in a generic case. It has been cleaned, tested, and shows minimal wear.

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08/30/2023 12:14 am GMT

It’s hard to believe that emMario Kart 8/em came out all the way back in 2014.

Not to mention, it gets so much play on the Nintendo Switch that it’s even harder to believe it actually originated on the Wii U. Alas, this is the origin story of emMario Kart 8/em: one of the top 10 games from 2014 that will never stop being fun to play.

Plus, Nintendo has made this title even more fun to return to by adding new tracks periodically. Whether you’ve been playing it since its Wii U release or just got into it last week, emMario Kart 8/em remains one of the most repayable 2014 games of all time.

Check it out on Amazon right here.

1. emGrand Theft Auto V/em

Grand Theft Auto V - Xbox Series X

$19.93

• STUNNING VISUALS — Enhanced levels of fidelity and performance with new graphics modes featuring up to 4K resolution, up to 60 frames per second, HDR options, ray tracing, improved texture quality,...
• FASTER LOADING — Quicker access to the action as the world of Los Santos and Blaine County load in faster than ever before
• SPATIAL SOUND — Hear the sounds of the world with pinpoint precision: the throttle of a stolen supercar, the rattle of neighboring gunfire, the roar of a helicopter overhead, and more

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08/29/2023 09:05 pm GMT

Though technically a 2013 title initially released for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360, there’s no doubt that emGrand Theft Auto V/em owes much of its success to its 2014 release for the PS4 and the Xbox One.

As the best-selling media title of all time — more than any movie, video game, or otherwise — emGrand Theft Auto V/em is absolutely deserving of this number one spot on the list of the top 10 games from 2014 that we’re still playing. It’s never not fun, immersive, and full of new things to discover. It’s just the best, full stop.

Check it out on Amazon here.