Not many could have predicted just how bigThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrimwould become in the last decade. Through Bethesda’s incredible attention to detail and continuously hard work, the fifth installment of an ever-popular franchise became easily an iconic game that defined a whole decade.
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However,Skyrim’sposition as one of the top games hasn’t remained uncontested. Plenty of other titles have chipped away at its popularity and even pointed out where its greatest weaknesses lie when compared to other, similar titles. While it definitely holds as a great game, there’s also a few other games that put up a stiff competition for the game of the decade.
Updated July 26, 2025 by Josh Davison:Elder Scrolls V: Skyrimremains a beloved and popular game ten years on. It’s received three acclaimed pieces of DLC, received a next gen update across all platforms, and has been re-released several times, so it’s no suprprise that it has so much staying power. Many have understandably refered to it as the greatest game of the last decade. There are plenty of arguments in favor of that assertion, but many other truly great games came out in the 2010s that could easily stand up to Skyrim in terms of quality and influence.
14Skyrim: Ample Player Freedom
As soon as the Dragonborn leaves Helgen inSkyrim, they are free to do virtually whatever they want across all of the map. Leveling and equipment may be a bit of a consideration, but there is little else holding the player back from trekking all the way across the map to Solitude. Going to Riverwood and Whiterun is still a solid way to get some easy items and direction, but it’s far from necessary.
Everything in Skyrim is built from the ground up to give the player nearly boundless freedom. Sure, there are plots and sidequests to follow across the continent, but players can easily shirk all of that and begin living their own violent fantasy as a bandit lord terrorizing the wilds of the Reach.
13Deserves It More: The Last Of Us, An Emotional Masterpiece
The Last of Ushas delivered some of the best storytelling and strongest emotional catharsis of any video game in the past decade. With compelling characters, memorable side characters, a brutal environment, and satisfyingly violent gameplay, it’s hard to get much better than Naughty Dog’sLast of Us.
The Last of Us Part 2is a controversial entry for many players, but it still doesn’t overwrite the brilliance of the original entry for those who didn’t like the sequel. The firstLast of Usremains an all-time great action-horror game that could easily still be lauded as a stand-alone story.
12Skyrim: A Tight, Satisfying Close Combat System
One of the things that makesSkyrimso approachable is how simple and enjoyable its close combat system is. Whether the Dragonborn is swiping at a Draugr with a shortsword or trying to brain a dragon with a warhammer, there are plenty of ways to enjoy some good old-fashioned violence across Skyrim. The slow-motion execution scenes add even more bloody excitement to the combat system in this game.
Close combat is specified here, as, even though the ranged combat of bows and crossbows are still intuitive and fun, the magic system is one of the weakest aspects of the game. It can still be fun to ignite a giant with a fireball, but it’s far from the most finely-tuned aspect of the game.
11Deserves It More: Dark Souls Spawned A New Subgenre
The sleeper success ofDark Soulsprovided a counterargument to the easily-accessible and more advertisedSkyrim. Both are action-RPGs with an extreme focus on combat, and both came out in 2011. WhileSkyrimhas definitely sold more and made more money, it’sDark Soulsthat seemed to have more influence on the gaming market in the decade that followed.
There are countless games from other studios such asCode Vein,Surge,Nioh, andLords of the Fallenthat took strong inspiration fromDark Souls' signature difficult and tactile combat set in a desolate world. It’s worth mentioning, of course, thatDemon’s SoulswasFromsoftware’s first attempt at a game like this. However, it didn’t ignite the fervor for this style of game in the same way that the firstDark Soulsgame did.
10Skyrim: Vast, Enjoyable Downloadable Content
The base game ofSkyrimprovided quite a bit of entertainment and adventure, even for the most demanding player. However, Bethesda wasn’t short-sighted on its game, and gathered much of the unused content into DLCs which actually improved the base game experience quite a bit.
Dawnguard and Hearthfire are generally thought to be the weaker DLCsdue to the lack of new areas. The Dragonborn DLC, however, is continuously one of fan favorites, most likely because it brought back elements from Morrowind which many appreciated.
9Deserves it More: Grand Theft Auto 5, Beloved Open-World Crime Sim
In the category of open-world games where players have as much power over their environment and their actions as possible,Grand Theft Auto 5has been continuously able to put up a tough fight againstSkyrim’spopularity.
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GTA 5’s legacy has been almost as long-lasting asSkyrim’s, and with similar consequences. It spawnedGTA Online, whileSkyrimwas followed by The Elder Scrolls Online. However, whereSkyrimhas begun to show its age,GTA 5still looks and feels great and continuously offers something new for players, regardless of interest and background.
8Skyrim: A Huge & Active Modding Community
A game’s popularity is often reflected in how powerful its community is. From fan art to modding, these all influence the way other fans experience the game and how much they feel like going back and sharing their experiences.Skyrim’smodding communityhas had a tremendously positive effect throughout the years.
Not only have mods improved and patched many of Bethesda’s mistakes, they’ve helped keepSkyrimas a modern and vibrant open-world game through the passing of time. Without them,Skyrimwouldn’t still be a viable game today.
7Deserves It More: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Is An FPS Titan
Open-world and adventure aside, there are other kinds of games that have left an even deeper imprint on the gaming industry and culture in general. FPS games have always had a very powerful position in the industry, and there’s nothing quite as big asCounter-Strike: Global Offensive.
This is the ultimate point-and-shoot, competitive FPS experience. No other game has been able to finesse the art to such perfection asCS:GO, and the sheer size of its competitive scene and its prestige are a constant testimony to that. WhetherSkyrimhas had a similar effect on its own genre, or such a widespread effect on gaming and esports in general is debatable.
6Skyrim: Multiple Platform Releases Across The Decade
Throughout the years,Skyrimhas become the subject of countless memes. One of the most popular jokes is how the game has been released on every possible platform: every console, VR and even a smaller console like the Switch. For all we know,Skyrimis even playable on a fridge these days.
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Due to how widelySkyrimis available, Bethesda has ensured no one can escape its influence. Everyone has tried the game at least once in their lives in the past ten years, and that alone shows it has had a profound influence on popular culture in a way no other game has. Its reach is simply unmatched by any other major game.
5Deserves It More: The Witcher 3 Is An Incredible Fantasy RPG
If there is one franchise entry that actually can compete withSkyrim’sridiculous number of releases, it’sThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. This game is so widely spread on every possible platform that it’s beginning to reachSkyrim’s levels of ridiculousness, but it’s all for good reason.
The Witcher 3: Wild HuntgivesSkyrima bit of a trashing. It looks better, feels better and is bigger. While it lacks the freedom of creating one’s own unique character,everyone’s Geralt still ends up being a bit differentdepending on their character build. In terms of worldbuilding,The Witcher 3is equal, if not better, thanSkyrim.
