While we are making video games, not all of us at the studio are passionate about playing them. But those of us who are, are really really obsessed with them. Here are some of the games we really love but may or may not draw inspiration from.

CounterStrike 1.6

For a generation of gamers, de_dust was their second home. We spent innumerable hours sneaking around those brown corridors, shooting and getting shot all the time for that elusive feeling of getting one headshot upon the enemy. It had everything a pennliness Indian student would want from a game - easily available (you are not making us spell it out are you?), did not need high spec hardware, good enough graphics, nice single player experience, online multiplayer over local network and on and on.

Elder Scrolls V - Skyrim

Question: would you swap your current life for the one in Skyrim as a “Dragonborn”? We would and without a moment of hesitation too. The game is rich in all aspects - the lore, the world-building, the natural environment, characters, races, sound and music and, most importantly, the deep gameplay with various character builds, weapons, spells and strategies at the disposal. The sheer amount of content in this game can captivate players for 100+ hours.

Brian Lara Cricket 99 (Shane Warne Cricket 99 in Australia)

Perhaps one of the best executed Cricket video games. It felt way ahead when it was launched in 99. Multiple stadiums with their unique features spanning four continents, detailed controls to maneuver your player when either batting or bowling, excellent pacing and accurate commentary all added to the immersive experience of being on a Cricket field and actually playing the game. And the most we loved was the “Classic Match” mode.

SimCity 3000

As far as city builders go Sim City 3K still remains to be surpassed for many of us. It was addictive no end. The soothing music and almost perfect pacing - unlike modern city builders, SimCity 3K afforded a feeling of being in control and indulging in your creation as opposed to having to constantly maneuver around jumping from one corner to another to handle the minutiae of running a city. The visual fidelity was nice for the time and the user interface well thought out.