Just as avid readers often become writers and fans of theater aspire to be actors, gamers can just as easily catch the desire to create video games. Whether they do this to build up a portfolio, to practice coding, or just to kill time as a hobby, the internet is full of games made by just one or two people.

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These fan games can easily build followings of their own. Whether they are built using modding technology, ROM-hacking tools, or one of the many game maker programs such as RPG Maker, some titles become renowned for their quality. Regardless of the initial inspiration, these games are notable, significant contributions to the history and culture of gaming.

10 Nehrim: At Fate's Edge

Settlement in Nehrim, an Oblivion mod

Developer SureAI struck gold when they made Nehrim back in 2010. Mods of this size and caliber weren't really common and this total conversion mod of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion really made waves.

It's roughly the size of Oblivion itself and modifies the game in such a significant way that it feels like a whole new experience. With a more focused scope than Oblivion, Nehrim leans on its good writing heavily, and it's all the better for it. While the mod can be downloaded on the creator's website, it is also available directly through Steam.

9 Pokemon Insurgence

Pokémon Insurgence Split image of a Noivern's stat screen and the player running through Dragon Ruins

One of the most acclaimed Pokemon fan games to exist, Insurgence is a breath of fresh air for fans of the franchise. It features a whole new region to explore and new Pokemon to encounter in what must have been a massive amount of work.

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This is a game made for diehard fans, as it features difficulty levels, challenge modes, and a brooding and dark story that many clamor for. Confronting the cultists of the Torren region feels quite a bit different from the usually pristine stories of the mainline games. Pokemon Insurgence can be downloaded on the game's website.

8 Dragon Quest: Legacy Of The Lost

Dragon Quest Legacy of the Lost characters in a snowy town

The first of the RPG Maker games here, Dragon Quest: Legacy of the Lost takes its inspiration heavily from Dragon Warrior 7. Like the original, the player will traverse time itself as they collect shards to build up a world of exploration and combat.

While the plot is its own, it feels just like any other Dragon Quest game of the era. It's a very well-done fan game with extra features to keep fans of the series engaged. It can be found at the main hub for RPG Maker games here.

7 Final Fantasy: Endless Nova

Final Fantasy Endless Nova star map and a conversation between a human and android

Made in RPG Maker 2000, this game is almost a relic. Despite its simplistic 2D look, this game has some ambitious features such as a Final Fantasy II-style growth system that builds characters based on what actions they take in battle.

It also builds on the sci-fi themes of Final Fantasy VII and VIII and is quite the space opera itself, with androids and spaceships abound. This game was a very impressive undertaking for its time and worth revisiting today.

6 Organ Trail

Organ Trail screen showing someone getting dysentery

Imagine Oregon Trail, the educational game known for introducing a whole generation of children to the existence of dysentery — now add zombies. This is Organ Trail, a gritty parody that modernizes the original and adds the complication of the undead into the mix. Maintaining the iconic addition of dysentery, players must keep their car in shape and ward off the living dead as they try to survive.

This game became so popular with players that development continued on it, transforming it from a free Flash game into a standalone title in its own right. It can currently be purchased quite cheaply on Steam.

5 Pokemon Infinite Fusion

Pokémon Infinite Fusions showing fusions of Muk and Weezing, Raticate and Nidoqueen, and Espeon and Doduo

This is a game that takes one concept and fully runs with it. In this Pokemon fan game, Pokemon can be fused together into wholly new creatures that merge the statistics of the two contributors. This adds a huge variable aspect to gameplay and makes it a very fun game to experiment with.

While the story is largely just a retelling of the first generation games, there are some twists added to the story and there is an extensive postgame that tackles Johto. Honestly, Pokemon Infinite Fusion is worth downloading purely for the fact that it contains over 150,000 possible Pokémon combinations.

4 Hero's Realm

Hero's Realm Paladin explanation and a fight

Taking a deep draw of inspiration from the Final Fantasy and Dragon Warrior games of the SNES era, Hero's Realm is something of a love letter to those classic RPGs. Made in RPG Maker 2003, this game is packed full of charm, geeky references, and fun fights.

With a robust class system that lets players make four distinct parties, Hero's Realm is perfect for those RPG players with a strategic eye and makes the game a great one to replay again and again. It can be found here.

3 Enderal: Forgotten Stories

Enderal combat using magic

From the team who developed Nehrim: At Fate's Edge comes Enderal: Forgotten Stories. Just as the original was a total conversion mod for Oblivion, this one tackles The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It is widely known as one of the most impressive mods out there and is respected as a game in its own right.

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Players will explore the completely new realm of Enderal and its significantly dark story that is set two years after the end of Nehrim, so players of the original will appreciate the narrative consistency. It's a truly impressive undertaking and like Nehrim, can also be found on Steam.

2 Exit Fate

Exit Fate split image. Tactical battles and normal battles

Exit Fate is another one of those special RPG Maker games that made waves in the community. With a dark story that focuses on a young soldier who wakes up one morning branded as a traitor, it seems like your standard RPG fare — but it pays to stick around.

The gameplay is very satisfying, taking influence from Suikoden and Chrono Cross and their masses of recruitable characters. With both standard turn-based battles and strategy-RPG style sections, Exit Fate never feels boring to play and is very pretty to look at. It can be downloaded here.

1 Blackmoon Prophecy

Blackmoon Prophecy character in some sewers and a battle

A very impressive project that began all the way back in 2003, Blackmoon Prophecy is explicitly a Final Fantasy fan game that takes inspiration from the SNES era and looks gorgeous while doing it.

The game aims to recreate the feel of the original games and does it well, making this a nostalgic romp for fans of the series. Notably, the game was popular enough to warrant a sequel, and both games are highly regarded to this day.

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