BAFTA Must Reconsider Their “Most Influential Game of All Time” List
BAFTA Must Reconsider Their “Most Influential Game of All Time” List
The Issue
BAFTA’s recent audience-voted list of the “Most Influential Game of All Time” is an embarrassment to gaming history.
While fan engagement is important, this list lacks any sense of historical perspective, ignores foundational titles that shaped the medium, and includes games with no proven legacy.
Worse still, entire genres have been excluded. There’s not a single racing game, no Gran Turismo, no Mario Kart, no Need for Speed, despite their undeniable influence on design, culture, and multiplayer experiences. The absence of arcade icons, competitive trailblazers, and genre-defining classics like Pac-Man, Street Fighter II, Counter-Strike, and Space Invaders further calls the list’s credibility into question.
Just take a look at the list yourself. This is BAFTA’s official ranking of the “Most Influential Games of All Time”:
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 III (2001)
20. Skyrim (2011)
21. Grand Theft Auto (1997)
Now ask yourself: where is Gran Turismo? Pac-Man? Counter-Strike? Street Fighter II? The omissions are staggering and Shenmu in number one?! Come on!!
We’re calling on BAFTA to:
1. Remove the list from the internet to prevent the spread of a deeply misleading portrayal of gaming history.
2. Commission a proper list curated by historians, critics, and developers with a deep understanding of industry impact.
3. Issue a public statement acknowledging the flaws in how this list was conceived and presented.
BAFTA’s role in shaping cultural memory around games is too important to be left to recency bias and online voting without context. This moment deserves correction.
Sign this petition to ask BAFTA to treat gaming history with the respect and accuracy it deserves.
2
The Issue
BAFTA’s recent audience-voted list of the “Most Influential Game of All Time” is an embarrassment to gaming history.
While fan engagement is important, this list lacks any sense of historical perspective, ignores foundational titles that shaped the medium, and includes games with no proven legacy.
Worse still, entire genres have been excluded. There’s not a single racing game, no Gran Turismo, no Mario Kart, no Need for Speed, despite their undeniable influence on design, culture, and multiplayer experiences. The absence of arcade icons, competitive trailblazers, and genre-defining classics like Pac-Man, Street Fighter II, Counter-Strike, and Space Invaders further calls the list’s credibility into question.
Just take a look at the list yourself. This is BAFTA’s official ranking of the “Most Influential Games of All Time”:
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 III (2001)
20. Skyrim (2011)
21. Grand Theft Auto (1997)
Now ask yourself: where is Gran Turismo? Pac-Man? Counter-Strike? Street Fighter II? The omissions are staggering and Shenmu in number one?! Come on!!
We’re calling on BAFTA to:
1. Remove the list from the internet to prevent the spread of a deeply misleading portrayal of gaming history.
2. Commission a proper list curated by historians, critics, and developers with a deep understanding of industry impact.
3. Issue a public statement acknowledging the flaws in how this list was conceived and presented.
BAFTA’s role in shaping cultural memory around games is too important to be left to recency bias and online voting without context. This moment deserves correction.
Sign this petition to ask BAFTA to treat gaming history with the respect and accuracy it deserves.
2
The Decision Makers
Petition created on 7 April 2025