Often, the biggest hits in the pop culture landscape are instantaneously recognized by the utterance of a solitary word. In the realm of video games, titles like Fortnite, Castlevania, and Diablo are all iconic entries easily designated with their single-term brands. While there are plenty of phenomenal video games with multi-word titles and subtitles, some of the most unforgettable games live in our heads rent-free because of the simplicity of their banners.

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Video games with one-word titles recall a classic tradition in the industry - one that dates back to the earliest arcade and home console offerings like Pong or Galaga. As a society, we are often obsessed with single-word labels for our favorite entertainment indulgences. It's why you more often hear fans verbally refer to World of Warcraft as "WoW" than by its full name. But there is actually a litany of incredible titles across all generations of gaming that actually do carry on the tradition of single-word titles.

10 Borderlands

Roland firing in Borderlands

Claptrap is throwing himself a birthday party, and he wants you to join him — right after you finish taking out a skag's nest and demolishing an encampment of crazed bandits. Borderlands began what has become known as the "looter-shooter" genre.

Taking cues from Diablo, Borderlands places you in the first-person perspective of your chosen Vault Hunter, and gifts you with the explosive ability to fight your way across the hostile planet of Pandora. There's no doubt that Borderlands has made its mark on video gaming history.

9 Fable

Casting spell in Fable

This 2004 action RPG thrust players into a fantasy setting as The Hero of Oakvale. In this magical world, you are given a multitude of choices that ultimately shape the way your hero's life and journey eventually end.

At the time of the game's release, Fable helped pioneer the mechanics of morality and branching narratives long before some of the most popular games in that space — like Mass Effect — ever came to fruition. This popular series has stood the test of time, and fans have more from the series to look forward to in the future.

8 Earthbound

Ness and crew in the city areas of Earthbound.

Look, not every game has to be from the last decade. Do yourself a favor and take a trip back to 1994 with Earthbound for the Super Nintendo. This RPG allows players to take control of Ness, a young boy who gains psychic abilities and must confront an alien force that has invaded Earth.

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To this day, children of the 90s look upon Earthbound with fondness. The characters and the adventure will leave an indelible mark on all who give Earthbound the old college try.

7 Doom

Doomguy fighting in Doom 1993

You might be asking: which Doom are we talking about? Why not both? In 1993, Doom revolutionized gaming and the first-person shooter genre as we know it. With its quick and frenetic gameplay and violent brutality, many parents of the 90s were likely horrified.

In the modern era, Doomguy has returned in the form of the Doom Slayer, a mysterious combatant bent on protecting the Earth (and Mars) from the demonic forces of Hell. The 2016 reboot once again made a splash in modern gaming with its killer shooting mechanics and action sequences. Lock and load, and don't forget to bring the BFG.

6 BioShock

Big Daddy attacking in Bioshock

This 2007 release revolutionized story-telling in the FPS space. Stylistically, the mid-century designs of this 1960s-era title permeated a darkly, horrific dystopia on the ocean floor. The player crash lands in the middle of the ocean and must work his way through Andrew Ryan's (a true megalomaniac) city of horrors.

Of course, in BioShock guns are at your disposal, but injecting yourself with plasmids grants the player elemental powers as well. Combat the crazed remnant of a society that has sunk deep into madness to learn the truth behind Andrew Ryan's strange world.

5 Tetris

Tetris with an I Block on the way

This title is as unmistakable as the color of the daytime sky. Since the game's initial creation in 1984, Tetris has been a mainstay in the gaming industry having spawned countless new variations and updates over the years ranging from VR titles like Tetris Effect to a battle royale version called Tetris 99.

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Really, Tetris needs no introduction, and chances are golden that you've played the game before in some capacity. The only real question that ever remains about the series is, what'll they come up with next?

4 Dishonored

Corvo attacking in Dishonored

This Arkane Studios-developed title operates from the first-person perspective but is anything but a shooter. Dishonored allows players to feel like an otherworldly ninja of sorts, putting their stealth skills to the test. Players take control of Corvo, a bodyguard-turned-assassin, who leads a campaign of death to clear his name for the murder of his charge, the Empress, and rescue her daughter.

There's a bit more at play in this assassin-style game than blades and arrows. Supernatural gifts are granted to aid Corvo along his journey.

3 Ico

Ico traveling in Ico

Perhaps, one of the earliest titles for the PlayStation 2, Ico stands as a unique take on the adventure and platforming genres. Like other titles from Team Ico, such as Shadow of the Colossus, Ico's narrative revels in its simplicity.

You control the journey of a young boy named Ico who breaks free of captivity and must protect a young girl by the name of Yorda from shadow creatures across the land as you both flee to safety.

2 Psychonauts

Raz in a boat in Psychonauts

Fans familiar with this 2005 platforming title are likely also fans of the game's creator, Tim Schafer who has become synonymous with his studio, Double Fine Productions. Psychonauts is a platforming adventure title that puts players in control of Razputin, a boy with psychic abilities who seeks to become a Psychonaut, a secret agent that is psychic.

After 16 years, a sequel was released in 2021. So, it's easy to see how the title endured in the minds of fans.

1 Bloodborne

Character aiming with a bow in Bloodborne

Gluttons for pain and punishment know the famous Souls-borne niche genre crafted by FromSoftware well. Bloodborne is one such action RPG set in a gothic horror atmosphere that challenges players to learn and overcome the trials of combat with plenty of nefarious creatures and painstaking boss battles throughout.

Ever since the game's release in 2015, fans have been eager for more from the series. Many have also long hoped that this stellar game would receive a 60 frames-per-second update on modern hardware. Only time will tell what the future holds.

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