10 Video Games That Were Genuine Monocultural Events

Published Sep 28, 2026, 5:08 PM EDT

Lucas Kloberdanz-Dyck is a writer for Collider. He grew up creating lists, stories, and worlds, which led to his love of anime and video games. He attended Sheridan College where he earned an Honours Bachelor of Game Design. Lucas and his group won 1st place for technical innovation at LevelUp Toronto 2023, and he was also an intern for the Oakville Film Festival of Arts. 

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There are so many different types of video games out there that fans can enjoy a plethora of titles without even scratching the surface of the sheer possibilities of other games. While there is obviously some overlap between genres, it is safe to say most fans play multiple types of games, with many fans of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time also playing Red Dead Redemption 2.

However, there are always exceptions, and this is even more true when games are so incredibly popular. That is why this list will feature ten video games that were genuine monocultural events, based on how popular the game is/was, how isolated the fanbase is from other games, gameplay, design, fan opinion, critical acclaim, and overall quality. These games alone birthed new fanbases that broke the internet. This list will order the games based on chronological events.

10 ‘Super Mario Bros. 3’ (1988)

Image via Nintendo

Video games had been popular for a while, and they only grew after the arcade era, with Nintendo releasing one of the biggest games of the 1980s: Super Mario Bros. 3. The Koopalings are on the attack, ravaging different areas of the kingdom, prompting Mario and Luigi to take them down, but this only gives Bowser the opportunity to capture Princess Peach.

Nintendo has many games on this list, but their earliest monocultural event was Super Mario Bros. 3, which used the hype of the previous games to create an unmatched level of excitement for this new game. It had a fantastic ad campaign and word of mouth that got fans in droves to buy it, and when they did, they would experience one of the best platforming experiences of the time.

9 ‘Pokémon Red & Blue’ (1996)

Image via Nintendo

It is only natural that one of the biggest media franchises is also home to some monocultural video games, and that includes the first Pokémon game. Pokémon Red & Blue follows trainers on their journey into the Kanto region, where they must defeat Gym Leaders, the Elite Four, and the Champion, as well as take down the evil Team Rocket.

Pokémon Red & Blue were a massive turning point in video games that kickstarted a timeless multimedia empire that is more than just games, but also a card and merchandise franchise. The game itself was also revolutionary, creating the ageless mechanics of catching and battling that every child fell in love with, and that formula has stood the test of time to prove this is one of the best Pokémon video games.

8 ‘GoldenEye 007’ (1997)

Image via Rare

James Bond is one of the greatest movie franchises of all time, so much so that some of the films even turned into video games, like GoldenEye 007. Like the movie, this game follows Bond as he must take down a terrorist group that has taken hold of the titular weapon and plans on using it to wipe out the economic information of London.

The movie this game was based on was a monocultural event, but so was this, establishing itself as one of the greatest first-person shooters ever. GoldenEye 007 changed multiplayer games forever, creating an exhilarating experience of combat and couch co-op that is still legendary to this day.

7 ‘Halo 3’ (2007)

Image via Microsoft Game Studios

Xbox is running into more and more problems nowadays, but it used to be a leading publisher of games, and one of their best is Halo 3. Taking place after the second game, it follows Master Chief and the Arbiter, who must team up in order to fight a new threat that wishes to use the Halo Rings to wipe out all sentient life in the galaxy.

2007 was one of the best years of gaming, but Halo 3 was the biggest game of that year. The 2000s were a treasure trove of shooting games, and at the pinnacle was Halo 3, which defined the era and the style. It perfected the previous two games, building an engaging story, fluid combat, and an engaging multiplayer experience. Everyone was playing Halo 3, and gamers were missing out if they weren’t.

6 ‘Minecraft’ (2011)

Image via Mojang Studios

A lot of the monocultural games on this list had their time and have given it up to newer games, but Minecraft remains one of the biggest titles ever. Players are let loose in a generative sandbox world to do whatever they please, from mining to building, crafting, exploring, or killing. Whether they want to build their dream house or defeat the Ender Dragon in the End, the world is their oyster.

Minecraft was popular when it came out, and it still is, meaning it isn’t just a monocultural event, but a monocultural era. Many fans will only play this game, and what would they need anything else for when they can do so much in Minecraft. The fan base has only grown, and with more mods expanding the interest, Minecraft will remain a juggernaut in the gaming industry.

Collider Exclusive · Universe Personality Quiz Which Iconic Universe Do You Belong in the Most? Star Wars · Lord of the Rings · Harry Potter · Game of Thrones · Star Trek

Five legendary universes. Five completely different visions of what the world could be — or already was. One of them is the world your instincts, your values, and your particular way of existing were built for. Eight questions will tell you which one.

🚀Star Wars

💍Lord of the Rings

🧙Harry Potter

👑Game of Thrones

🖖Star Trek

FIND YOUR UNIVERSE →

01

What gives your life its deepest sense of meaning? Every universe is built around a different answer to this question.

ABeing part of something larger than myself — a cause, a rebellion, a fight for freedom that outlasts me. BThe journey itself — the places I'll go, the companions beside me, the world I'll discover on the way. CLearning — unlocking what I'm capable of, understanding the world's hidden mechanics, growing into something more. DLegacy — the name I leave behind, the power I build, the mark I make before the world moves on without me. EUnderstanding — exploring what exists beyond the horizon and asking what it means to be alive in a universe this vast.

NEXT QUESTION →

02

Which kind of world do you most want to inhabit? The environment shapes who you become. Choose carefully.

AA galaxy of planets, each with its own culture — connected by conflict, trade, and the Force. BAncient lands of breathtaking beauty, deep history, and a creeping darkness at the edges. CA world hidden inside our own — full of wonder, community, and magic waiting to be learned. DA brutal, beautiful continent where power is everything and every alliance is a calculation. EA future where humanity has reached the stars — and must decide what kind of species it wants to be.

NEXT QUESTION →

03

How do you prefer your conflicts resolved? The shape of a world's conflicts tells you everything about its soul.

AThrough sacrifice and courage — someone has to make the impossible choice so others don't have to. BThrough fellowship — the impossible becomes possible when the right people walk the same road. CThrough growth — confronting what you fear, understanding what you lack, and becoming equal to the challenge. DThrough strategy — outthinking, outmaneuvering, positioning yourself so the outcome was never in doubt. EThrough dialogue — finding the third option, the peaceful resolution, the answer that doesn't require a body count.

NEXT QUESTION →

04

Who do you want beside you when things get difficult? Your ideal companions reveal the world you were made for.

AA small crew — a pilot, a rogue, a warrior — each broken in their own way, unbeatable together. BA fellowship of different kinds of people, bound by purpose and deepened by the long road. CFriends who grew up alongside me — who knew me before I knew myself, and stayed anyway. DAllies whose loyalty I've earned — and tested — and whose ambitions align with mine, for now. EA crew of brilliant, curious, principled people from every corner of known space.

NEXT QUESTION →

05

What is your relationship with power? How you seek, wield, or resist power is the map of who you are.

AI want to use it to protect — and I'm terrified of what I might become if I'm not careful. BI distrust it. The most important power in this story is the courage to give it up. CI want to earn it — through knowledge, through effort, through becoming someone worthy of it. DI want to wield it. Preferably before someone else decides to wield it against me. EI want to understand it — its structures, its limits, its ethical dimensions. Power without accountability is the real threat.

NEXT QUESTION →

06

How does your universe treat good and evil? A world's moral architecture tells you more about it than any map.

AThere is a dark side and a light side — and the choice between them is always present, always personal. BEvil is real and ancient and patient — and goodness, however small, is the only thing that can undo it. CGood and evil are real, but they live inside people — and people are complicated, always capable of both. DGood and evil are mostly a matter of perspective and proximity. Power is the only honest currency. EEvil is usually the result of ignorance, fear, or broken systems — and understanding it is the first step to solving it.

NEXT QUESTION →

07

What role would you naturally fall into? Every universe has archetypes. Which one fits you without trying?

AThe reluctant hero — ordinary origins, extraordinary moment, changed forever by the choice to act. BThe unlikely carrier — the one nobody expected to matter most, quietly bearing the weight of everything. CThe student — not yet who I'll become, learning through every mistake, growing into something the world needs. DThe player — sharp enough to see the game for what it is, ambitious enough to try to win it. EThe explorer — drawn to the unknown, driven by curiosity, most alive when standing somewhere no one has stood before.

NEXT QUESTION →

08

What do you ultimately believe about the future? The answer to this is the clearest window into which universe already lives inside you.

AThat hope is real — that even in the darkest galaxy, a new hope is always possible. CThat even the smallest person can change the course of the future, if they have the courage to try. CThat love and friendship and doing what's right will matter in the end, even when everything says otherwise. DThat the wheel keeps turning — that power shifts, winters end, and what endures is those willing to fight for it. EThat humanity — or whatever we become — is capable of extraordinary things, if we choose to be.

REVEAL MY UNIVERSE →

Your Universe Has Been Chosen You Belong In…

Your answers point to the iconic universe your values, your instincts, and your particular way of seeing the world were built for. This is where you would find your people — and your purpose.

Star Wars

You believe in the cause — in the idea that freedom is worth fighting for even when the odds are impossible and the empire is vast.

• You are drawn to the moral clarity of a universe where hope itself is a form of resistance.
• You'd find your people in the Rebellion — a ragtag coalition of true believers held together by conviction more than resources.
• Star Wars is fundamentally a story about ordinary people choosing to matter in an extraordinary conflict — and that is exactly your kind of story.
• The Force may or may not be with you. But the will to use it for something larger than yourself certainly is.

Lord of the Rings

You understand, in the deepest part of yourself, that the journey matters as much as the destination — and that the world's beauty is worth protecting even at great cost.

• Middle-earth is a world of ancient wonder, deep friendship, and a darkness that only retreats when enough small acts of courage accumulate.
• You would thrive here because you value the fellowship more than the glory — the road more than the arrival.
• Tolkien's universe rewards patience, loyalty, and the willingness to carry something heavy across a very long distance.
• Those are not burdens to you. They are simply how you move through the world.

Harry Potter

You believe that love, loyalty, and doing what's right are not naive sentiments — they are the most powerful forces in any world, magical or otherwise.

• The Wizarding World is a place of wonder hidden in plain sight, where learning is transformative and the bonds you form at school follow you into every battle.
• You would flourish here because you take both the magic and the friendships seriously — and you understand that one without the other is incomplete.
• Harry Potter's universe ultimately rewards those who choose to stand for something even when standing is terrifying.
• That choice — made quietly, without guarantee — is something you understand completely.

Game of Thrones

You see the world clearly — its power structures, its hypocrisies, its brutal arithmetic — and you are not paralysed by that clarity. You use it.

• Westeros is a world that rewards intelligence, adaptability, and the willingness to understand that every alliance is also a negotiation.
• You would survive here — possibly thrive here — because you don't confuse the world as it is with the world as you'd like it to be.
• Game of Thrones is a story about what happens when the idealists and the realists collide. You are sharp enough to know which one lasts longer.
• Winter always comes. You are already prepared.

Star Trek

You believe the future is worth building — that curiosity, cooperation, and the expansion of understanding are not just ideals but the most practical path forward for any civilisation.

• Star Trek is a universe where the questions matter as much as the answers, and where encountering something utterly alien is cause for wonder rather than fear.
• You would belong here because you are fundamentally optimistic about what intelligence and decency can achieve — while being honest about how hard that achievement is.
• The Federation is the universe's most ambitious thought experiment: what if we actually got better?
• You don't just hope that's possible. You think it's the only thing worth working toward.

↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ

5 ‘Candy Crush Saga’ (2012)

Image via King

While most of the games on this list are either console or PC titles, one of the most popular ways to play games is on the phone, meaning many apps are monocultural events, including Candy Crush Saga. Candy Kingdom has its fair share of troubles; luckily, the player is here to venture across the world and bring cheer by completing a series of matching puzzles.

Candy Crush Saga is arguably the biggest game in the world, and that is because it is so replayable and easy to play, with gamers able to access it for a quick session whenever they want. Non-gamers love it and put 100s of hours into this video game, proving why it is a monocultural event that may not be obvious, but is quietly dominating the world.

4 ‘Grand Theft Auto V’ (2013)

Image via Rockstar Games

Grand Theft Auto is one of the most prolific gaming franchises, and soon, Grand Theft Auto VI will be a monocultural event. But it won’t be the first, because Grand Theft Auto V has been there and done that. Three unlikely allies must team up as they now plan some of the most high-profile bank robberies in Los Santos, but not without risking their lives.

GTA V is an ambitious video game that introduced one of the largest and densest open worlds, full of emergent gameplay and intrinsically motivated possibilities. There were role-play communities and gamers who only played for the races, showcasing how much variety and depth the game had. GTA V further cemented itself by not having a sequel simply because it didn’t need one, since it was just so perfect.

3 ‘Pokémon GO’ (2016)

Image via Scopely

Pokémon is the biggest media franchise and Candy Crush Saga is one of the most popular app games, so it was obvious a mobile Pokémon game, like Pokémon Go, would blow up. Trainers walk around the real world and find new Pokémon to catch with their AR app, building their Pokédex and battling as they get some exercise.

Summer 2016 was a fond time full of memories for many trainers, and that is because the world stood still and united for the season in order to play Pokémon Go. Nostalgic and with an unbridled sense of community, it was perhaps the largest monocultural gaming event ever. As one of the best video games since 2000, Pokémon Go is firmly rooted in the hearts of gamers who played it for hours upon hours in 2016.

2 ‘Fortnite’ (2017)

Minecraft and Candy Crush Saga are still going strong, but the biggest game right now is arguably still Fortnite. Players congregate into a zone full of weapons, and as that barrier begins to shrink, there is only one goal: survive. Battling it out in this battle Royale, gamers build, shoot, run, and hide in order to walk away as the sole winner.

The late 2010s were the era of Battle Royale games, and Fortnite was the peak of the genre, becoming that through fun combat and a unique building mechanic. Since then, it has been known as the ultimate crossover, doing collaborations with the biggest franchises. Fortnite is the definition of popular, and while not everyone likes that, it has undoubtedly made it the go-to game for many gamers, especially during the 2010s.

1 ‘Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ (2020)

Image via Nintendo

There have been many renowned games in the 2020s, but Animal Crossing: New Horizons was the latest major monocultural event. Players are now the proud owners of a new island, but now comes the hard part. They need to build structures, develop the land, get new residents, and make it the best place to live, while occasionally paying off debts.

The pandemic was a life-altering event, mostly for the bad, but one positive that came out of it was plenty of time to game. New Horizons came out at the perfect time to capitalize on this, with gamers having nothing better to do, stuck at home. The mundane, yet charming life of doing chores and building a dream village became a daily staple for gamers during the pandemic, making New Horizons a way of life that took over lives, becoming one of the best modern video games.

Fortnite