Ever sinceSonic Boomin the mid-90s, fan-made games have sprouted up left and right. Instead of being made for profit, fan games are the product of love and passion. They’re what happens when talented gamers decide to go the extra mile and turn their affection into something we can all enjoy.
Fan-made games can be divided into two groups. You’ve got ROM hacks and total conversion mods, which require the base game, usually the source of inspiration, to enjoy the fan-made creation. There are also standalone fan games, built from the ground up, usually distributed as freeware.
1Black Mesa
Black Mesais the poster child for good fan-made games. It is a faithfulHalf-Liferemake that is, in some respects, better than the original. It started its journey as a free Sourceenginemod in 2012 and was so good that Valve itself greenlit a commercial release. The team behind the game, Crowbar Collective, launchedBlack MesainEarly Accessin 2015, with the full release landing in 2020.
I beat the game shortly after it exited Early Access, and it ended up being one of the best first-person shooters I’ve ever played. Crowbar Collective took the timeless classic and augmented it just enough to feel better than the original, but not stray too far from the classicHalf Lifeformula. A definite recommendation, even if you’ve playedHalf Lifebefore.
2Fallout London
Fallout Londonis a total conversion mod forFallout 4that takes players across the pond, revolving around various factions vying for control of the UK’s capital. The core of its gameplay is rather similar toFallout 4, butFallout Londonintroduces some improvements, like the expanded dialogue system.
While it was almost as buggy asFallout 76at release, the team has issued a couple of patches that greatly improved the game’s stability and squashed lots of bugs. I recommend the game to allFalloutfans, with the caveat that a number of quests can still bug out.
3The Chronicles Of Myrtana: Archolos
Love theGothicseries? Me too. I still can’t believe just how hard the series fell from grace withArcania: Gothic 4, nowadays known only asArcania. Yup, the game was so bad that the publisher removedGothicfrom its name…
Luckily, there’sThe Chronicles Of Myrtana: Archolos, a fan-made game that’s a total conversion mod for the best game of the series,Gothic 2. And let me tell you, aside from the dated visuals, this game rules.
You’ve got probably the best story of the entire series, tons of quests, excellent voice acting, well-written characters that suck you into the world like no officialGothicgame ever did, and enough content to spend 100+ hours exploring the island of Archolos. This is a no-brainer recommendation if you’re aGothicfan or anRPGfan in general.
4The Dark Mod
The lastThiefgame was kind of a dud, butThe Dark Modis here to the rescue. This is a standalone game/mod based on the open-source id Tech 4 engine that powers cult-classics such asDoom 3, Quake 4, and 2006’sPrey.
The Dark Mod is a massive game that features multiple campaigns and more than 170 levels, many of which match or surpass the best moments of theThiefseries. If you’ve already blasted through every piece of contentThe Dark Modoffers, you ought to also check outThief: The Black Parade, touted by fans as better than every officialThiefgame.
5NehrimandEnderalGames
OblivionandSkyrimare two of the best and most popular RPGs ever. The Bethesda RPG duo, especially the latter, defined the past two decades of gaming, both spawning flourishing modding communities.
Arguably, the best two mods forOblivionandSkyrimareNehrim: At Fate’s EdgeandEnderal: Forgotten Stories. The first is a total conversion forOblivion, while the latter is a total conversion mod forSkyrim, includinga version forSkyrim: Special Edition.
They feature completely overhauled gameplay (no level scaling for enemies inNehrim, yay!), fantastic stories, and standalone campaigns set in a unique universe that’s not tied to the world ofThe Elder Scrollsgames.
You don’t have to play the now pretty datedNehrimto enjoyEnderal. Also, if you decide to check outNehrim, make sure to apply theNTCore 4GBpatch to theexecutablebefore starting the game.
6Wolfenstein: Blade of Agony
Wolfenstein: Blade of Agonyis a standalone fan-made Wolfenstein game built in theGZDoomengine (an update of the originalDOOMengine) that not only pays a breathtaking tribute to classic Wolfenstein games but also surpasses them in virtually everything.
It’s super fun, plays like a mix betweenWolfenstein 3Dand the firstDOOM, has a fantastic campaign, and even features cinematics that flesh out the story. It’s an awe-inspiring achievement decades in the making and one of the most impressive fan-made games ever created. A stunningboomer shooter.
7Pokémon UnboundandPokémon Emerald Seaglass
The legality of video game ROMsis a gray area, so it’s important to understand the risks before getting involved.
The world ofPokémonROM hacksand fan-made games is vibrant, with dozens of fan-made creations sprouting over the decades. Picking just one fan-madePokémongame is next to impossible, so I’ll only mention two of the most popularPokémonfan creations.
Pokémon Unboundis a must-play game for everyPokémonfan. A giganticPokémon FireRedROM hack that introduces a new campaign with 80 missions, every Pokémon up to an including the Gen 7, and tons of side content set in the region of Borrius provide dozens upon dozens of hours of superb fun.
Pokémon Emerald Seaglassis another massive ROM hack, this time overhaulingPokémon Emerald. It features updated visuals, a slew of upgrades, extra minigames, reworks of a number of Pokémon, custom settings, the addition of hard mode, new items, various QoL improvements, and more. It turnsPokémon Emeraldinto one of the best, if not the best,Pokémongame of all time.
8Deus Ex: Nihilum
The first Deus Ex game—one of the bestimmersive simsever—is similar to the firstBlade Runnermovie in that it didn’t earn tons of cash back when it came out but still managed to become a cult classic of the genre, adored by cyberpunk fans everywhere. Its popularity spawned tons of mods, including a fair few standalone mission packs and campaigns.
One of the best ones out there isDeus Ex: Nihilum, which introduces a new campaign that takes place in theDeus Exuniverse but doesn’t follow the adventures of JC Denton, the protagonist of the firstDeus Ex.
Instead, you’re put in the boots of a new main character who travels around the world over the course of the campaign to places such as Hong Kong, Queens, and Berlin. While the atmosphere, music, and gameplay are top-notch, the voice acting is a bit of a letdown. Still, thanks to its massive levels filled with secrets and excellent gameplay,Deus Ex: Nihilumis a must-play for every hardcoreDeus Exfan.
9Radiophobia 3
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobylmight be the game with the most total conversion mods. Over the years, we’ve gotten dozens of conversions that greatly differ in quality, with a selected few offering an experience that surpasses the original they’re based on.
My recommendation for prospective stalkers who want to exploreStalker’sabundant mod collection is to start withRadiophobia 3, arguably the best way to experienceS.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl.
The mod fully overhauls the game and introduces a deluge of improvements along with a visual facelift without changing the game’s story. If you’d rather play a standalone fan-madeS.T.A.L.K.E.R.game,S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Anomalyis the best one out there.
10Third Age Total War
Total Wargames have been grounded in different historical eras during most of the series' lifetime, with theTotal War: Warhammertrilogy being its first excursion to a fantasy realm.
ButThird Age Total War, a massive fan-made overhaul ofMedieval II: Total War Kingdomsthat allows players to conquer Middle-Earth fromThe Lord of the Rings, has been around way beforeTotal War: Warhammerwas a thing. I recommend downloadingtheReforgedversion of the modthat introduces a ton of balance updates as well as lots of other updates and fixes.
For all intents and purposes, this is a full-fledgedTotal Wargame, only made by fans of the series instead of Creative Assembly, the official studio behindTotal War. It’s massive, has an astounding campaign, includes every famous location fromThe Lord of the Ringsbooks and many canon-friendly units, and works great even onpotato PCs.
If you’ve got an itch to play aLord of the Ringsgrand strategy, you won’t find anything that comes close toThird Age Total War.
