What Elements Make a Game Iconic

We all know an iconic game when we play it. It’s one of those titles where everything seems to come together perfectly, from the storyline to the mechanics. Games like this are hard to put down because they’re totally engrossing, and it’s hard to pull ourselves away from the all-encompassing game world. That doesn’t mean that only modern games can be iconic; nothing’s further from the truth. Games created centuries ago are still played today and are considered timeless. When they were made, they were groundbreaking and set benchmarks in gameplay, inspiring future titles and fans across generations. In this article, we look at the elements that make a game iconic.

Memorable Gameplay

Games that are memorable stay with us a long time after we’ve played them. They don’t have to be epic adventure games that take months to complete; they can be games with easy-to-learn mechanics like those found in casinos. Most people spend at least some of their time playing titles online. As this trend has gained steam, online casinos have become a common destination for gamers. These digital platforms offer various titles, including table games like roulette. While roulette is known for its simplicity — players place bets on where they think the ball will land on the spinning wheel — the gameplay is fun and memorable.

Outside of the casino world, Tetris is another game that has gained iconic status. Like roulette, the gameplay is simple, yet Tetris draws gamers in as it challenges them to arrange falling blocks in complete lines. A simple concept that has stood the test of time. Super Mario Bros. is another example of a game that’s undeniably iconic. When it was released, gamers around the globe were in awe of its platforming mechanics with precise controls and the inventive level designs that set a new standard for the genre. All of these timeless games have controls that many would describe as intuitive and easy to learn, but mastering them can be tricky. And that’s a big part of the fun because almost all gamers enjoy a good challenge.

Timeless Visual Design

Among gamers, the very best video games are often considered works of art. It doesn’t matter if they have pixelated art like the original game in The Legend of Zelda series or if they use photorealism to create a game that feels like a movie and immerses players in lifelike worlds.

If you’ve played The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, you may have noticed how cel-shading is used to create an eye-catching, cartoon-like world that is still visually impressive years after the game was first released.  While nobody would argue that its graphics are anywhere close to being as good as what we see in today’s video games, they’re still impressive and have become synonymous with the title, making it stand out in a crowded market over two decades later.

Impactful Soundtrack

Music is often one of the last things we think about when talking about video games, but it’s often what leaves the biggest impression. Long after people have forgotten the details of a game’s story, they remember the tunes accompanying it. Anyone who’s played “Halo” can remember the eerie Gregorian chants that set the tone of the game. The same can be said of the scores from the Final Fantasy series. It would be hard to find anyone who’s played a game in this series who didn’t feel a range of emotions as they listened to the music that accompanied them during battles and the most important moments in the story. When a soundtrack is done well, it adds to the game, creating just the right mood and atmosphere. Some gaming soundtracks are so good that players listen to them again and again, even after they’ve completed the game.

What we’ve mentioned above are just a few of the elements that go into making a game iconic. In order to make a game that’s timeless, developers have to create a title with memorable gameplay, a unique visual design, a moving soundtrack, and replayability.