Feel free to list a few video games from different genres. Best is definitely subjective and I’m sure there are many “Best” games for various categories.
Half Life: Alyx for example is widely considered the “Best” VR game. Many would agree it’s the best Action VR game, but it wouldn’t be the “Best” for puzzles.
To make it easier I’ll list the types of Genres for Video Games from Wikipedia. Please do give suggestions for some of the highest quality games you’ve played from various categories:
- Action: Platform games, shooter, fighting, survival, etc
- Action-Adventure: Survival horror
- Adventure: Interactive, real time, 3d, text adventures, etc
- Puzzle: Exploration, trial and error, breakout, logical games, etc
- Role-playing: Action RPG, MMORPG, tactical, sandbox, etc
- Simulation: Management, life simulation, vehicle simulation, etc
- Strategy: Real time, turn based, wargame, grand strategy, etc
- Sports: Racing, competitive, sports games, etc
- MMO: Massively multiplayer online game
- Openworld: Sandbox, creative, open world, etc
Note: Non-exhaustive category list. There are more such as card games, board games, etc. Please check the wiki link above for more categories to get ideas for the “best” games.
I personally would recommend Subnautica (Open World), Half Life: Alyx (VR Action-Adventure), The Witcher 3 (Role-playing), Black Mesa (Action), Titanfall 2 (Action), Portal 2 (Puzzle), Battlebit (MMO/Action), and Half Life 3 (Fictional Game).
Openworld\sandbox: Minecraft.
It didn’t invent things, but it made the most of it’s raw components like proc. generation, crafting, impacting world by just placing a block, implementing basic algorythms into the game by redstone and modblock (?). And it bssically created the indie market.
Old role-playing: BG \ NWN (IDK what defines RPGs now)
Adapted tapletop systems, created an environment for your own modules, a big inspiration in this genre.
Sports: Unreal Tournament \ Quake 3 \ Counter Strike 1.6
That’s when cybersports start to be known by masses and whole games begin to be made exclusively for it. Not ideal, but highly refined competitive games that made a huge impact on how games are made.