SimCity

SimCity, first released in 1989 and designed by Will Wright for Maxis, is one of the most important games ever made and effectively created the city-building genre. There's no way to win and no enemies to beat; instead you're handed an empty stretch of land and the tools to grow it into a thriving metropolis, zoning areas for residential, commercial and industrial use and watching citizens move in as your city takes shape.

The brilliance is in the simulation. Roads, power lines, taxes, crime, pollution and traffic all interact, and a decision that seems sensible in isolation can ripple outward in unexpected ways. You balance a budget, respond to the needs of your population, and occasionally weather disasters like fires, floods or the famous rampaging monster. The joy comes from tinkering, observing and gradually understanding the living system you're nurturing, an approach so novel in 1989 that publishers initially doubted a game without a win condition could sell.

It sold spectacularly, spawned a long and celebrated series, and reshaped what games could be about. Even in its original form the core loop is compelling and surprisingly relaxing, and its influence runs through countless management and sandbox games that followed. As both a piece of history and a game still worth playing, SimCity is a genuine landmark.