(Pacer Story by Brandon Mochrie/Pacer Graphic by Miranda Conrad)

This year, everyone has said that 2026 is the new 2016. In honor of this notion, here are some of the top games from 2016 that left a decade long impression on gamers.

Overwatch

Blizzard was a pioneer of the FPS, class-based genre that we still see in gaming today. Overwatch emphasized different rechargeable abilities and fast-paced action, whereas games like Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege were a bit slower and more strategic. Today, its sequel, dubbed Overwatch 2, shifted from to a free-to-play format, but mostly kept the same art style and gameplay that made it so popular to begin with.

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

Released by developer Naughty Dog, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End won the award for Best Narrative in 2016. This stunning conclusion to the story of Nathan Drake was a hit and gave us some insight into his early life and relationship with his brother. Fans got to see him reprise his role as the gun-slinging hero one last time, a character they had come to love since the first Uncharted released way back in 2007. While other games have come out in the franchise after this one, none of them have been as good or beloved as this landmark entry.

Pokémon Go

Graced with the award for Best Mobile Game, developer Niantic’s Pokémon Go took 2016 by storm as a first of its kind game that had players explore the world around them in the ultimate quest to catch them all. Since its release, the game has expanded its roster to include hundreds of pocket monsters from all of the regions introduced in the Pokémon games that shaped generations. This includes ours with the continued play and popularity of Pokémon Go.

Stardew Valley

Although ConcernedApe’s Stardew Valley did not win any awards in 2016, it’s still popular today. This cozy farming simulator is a game I, along with many others, still play. Its fanbase enjoys it not only for its calming aesthetics, but also for its great use as a game to play with that someone special. Updated as recently as 2024, Stardew Valley still offers plenty of fun tasks and mysteries to solve.

Civilization VI

This installment of Sid Meier’s Civilization series brought turn-based strategy fans new civilizations, leaders and wonders. It added a new style of strategy to this franchise and earned the best strategy game award. While the nature of Firaxis Games’ iconic, longstanding franchise is to adapt and change to offer players new challenges and opportunities, some of the changes made with the recent 2025 installment, Civilization VII, have caused discontent among fans of the series that is now over 35 years old.

Doom

Doom by id Software did a great job at reviving the series that had people surrounding their computers and consoles way back when in 1993. This first-person shooter gave the series new graphics to rip and tear demons while it still kept its roots at heart and provided retro bonus levels to be found. This winner of Best Action Game has multiple sequels that continue to be successful and bring this classic shoot-em-up to a new generation of fans and consoles.