Gaming

The closest is Ghost Trick I guess? But frankly while being another masterpiece, it didn't stick THAT much more than the others, after a month or two even the 10/10 games come to mind only if I think of a related topic.

The most influencial would be Etrian Odyssey IV since it got me into giving JRPGs another go, after years of not being impressed by any of the classics (Final Fantasy 4-5, 6 kept my attention until the endgame, Golden Sun...), and now I basically beat them (mostly Atlus' so far) on a bimonthly basis. I guess EO in general sticks the best, but it's hard to label one game since I quickly went and started playing all of them.

Believe it or not, it was a flash game. You can't play it online anymore, though you can find it for download somewhere I'm sure.

It was called "Obliterate Everything 2" - it was just a small game about space battles, with fairly simple mechanics. But the amount of depth it got from that was so absurd. The difficulty curve was a bit wacky, and I remember talking at length to my friends about the various game design principles I'd learned from observing and judging it.

To be honest, for me it's got to be the ending to Nier Automata. That was...intense, thankfully I wasn't spoiled even after playing it so late.

For me it's still Anarchy Online after almost a decade since I played it last. The atmosphere in the game and community was amazing. After that I would say mass effect, rdr2 and the elder scrolls series

The Sims 2 & Animal Crossing: Wild World.
Both of them definitely have a heavy nostalgia filter on top of them but I loved playing Sims 2 and creating all different kinds of stories and lives. 3 & 4 didn't feel that same way. AC:WW was a cozy pocket to hide away in and just be happy. Chatting up some neighbors, decorating your house. I was always eager to see what would be in the shops the next day.
For more modern games, I would say A Short Hike. Cozy and short but sweet story. It's a great pick-me-up if you ever need one.

The Last of Us (both parts). Just started a new play through of Part I. It truly is a masterpiece in storytelling

Ports of Call on the Commodore 64. One of the first video games I ever played. Set up a shipping company, buy a ship, buy low and sell high and get better ships. Occasionally you have to take control of the ship (incredibly rudimentary, but it was 1986, give them a break) to dock or leave port, avoid a collision or avoid reefs, but for whatever reason I keep coming back to it.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1085260/Ports_of_Call_Classic/

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. When I finished it I couldn't stop thinking about it for a couple of days. It was quite the experience, hearing the voices and learning to trust them. Factorio. The factory must grow.

Thief. The first three, at least. (*)

Splinter Cell as well.

Basically, Splinter Cell got me into what became my favorite genre: stealth.

Then I went and played Thief because stealth, and just everything about those games furthered my love for not only stealth, but it was my gateway to immersive sims as well.

Also, the level "Robbing the Cradle" in Deadly Shadows will always stick with me. As someone who hates survival horror, that level was both fucking incredible and also a nightmare that I had to use a walkthrough to get through quickly.

KOTOR got me into RPGs, and New Vegas came around and has stuck with me ever since.

And Skyrim I guess, since I've played it way too many times.

Should probably add Prey (2017) as well. Incredible game. For that matter, Dishonored. Both have a permanent place in my mind. And when I say Dishonored, I mean the first two, although I also enjoyed Death of the Outsider.

(*) I actually enjoyed Thief 2014 for what it was. Not nearly on the level as the originals, but it was still okay, if a sadly forgettable entry which kind of put the nail in the coffin for future releases.

Interstate '76. I love the whole vibe of it.

Oblivion has lived in my head since the moment I first played it back in 09. Finally started teaching myself how to make mods for it last year and now it takes up even more of my brain!

I’ll never forget loading Myst on my performance 5200 and getting lost

Fallout 3. Especially the morale dilemma's I could never bring myself to blow up Nuke town.

Half-Life 2. I have so many playthroughs that I lost count. At the time of release, the gameplay and physics were mind-blowing. The atmosphere over time got even better when Valve released bloom lighting. The water and sky were breath taking. I still go back and visit to this day.

The original spyro playstation games