World Video Game Hall of Fame

Explore some of the most influential video games of all time!

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The World Video Game Hall of Fame is housed in ESL Digital Worlds: High Score exhibit at The Strong Museum in Rochester, NY.

The World Video Game Hall of Fame at The Strong, established in 2015, recognizes electronic games of all types that have enjoyed popularity over a sustained period and have exerted influence on the video game industry or on popular culture and society in general. To learn more, see Frequently Asked Questions page.

2026 Finalists

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Angry Birds

Launched by Rovio in 2009, Angry Birds became a breakout hit and introduced millions of people to mobile gaming. The conceptually simple game—hurling birds from a slingshot to knock over precariously balanced pigs—becomes increasingly difficult […]

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Dragon Quest

Released in 1986, Dragon Quest transformed more complicated Western-style computer roleplaying games into a player-friendly console version, setting the foundation for Japanese-style roleplaying games. The game combined beautiful music (despite limited technology), compelling narrative structures, […]

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FIFA International Soccer

FIFA International Soccer was not the first sports simulation video game—nor even the first one about soccer—but it is the most popular sports game franchise of all time, with sales continually bolstered by annual releases […]

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Frogger

Originally developed by Konami and later licensed by Sega/Gremlin, Frogger jumped into the arcade in 1981. The simple but increasingly challenging gameplay—navigating frogs across a five-lane highway—provided widespread appeal to players of all ages. The […]

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Inducted Games

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Inductees to the World Video Game Hall of Fame are on permanent display in the ESL Digital Worlds: High Score exhibit located on the second floor in The Strong’s new expansion.

Defender

Inducted: 2025 The conventional game design wisdom of the early 1980s suggested that many of the best video games were “easy to learn, but difficult to master.” This seemed like sound advice then and […]

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Goldeneye 007

Inducted: 2025 In 1994, Rare and Nintendo began development of a video game inspired by the upcoming James Bond Film GoldenEye(1995). Based on the popular MI6 intelligence agent created by author Ian Fleming, GoldenEye 007 is a […]

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Quake

Inducted: 2025 A dark, medieval world filled with peculiar technology and Lovecraftian creatures. Quake was a first-person shooter built with the mouse in mind, making use completely of its 3D space. Unlike its predecessor Doom, Quake’s engine […]

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Tamagotchi

Inducted: 2025 Considered a popular gaming fad of the 1990s, the handheld game Tamagotchi began with two fanciful childhood wishes: having a toy come alive and bringing a pet wherever you go. In 1995, […]

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Explore the History of Video Games

Discover the historical and cultural significance of video games and other electronic games through online exhibits produced by The Strong’s International Center for the History of Electronic Games.

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Online Exhibit

Video Game History Timeline

Explore the history of video games, understand how the industry began and evolved, and discover the impact that electronic games have had on how people play, learn, and connect with each other.

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Women in Games Artifact Tour

For decades, women have created video games and shaped our play, but their contributions have often been overlooked or obscured. Explore the work of female game industry innovators through artifacts in The Strong’s High Score exhibit.

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