It is not unusual to say that video games can satisfy a power fantasy. Obviously, players are able to do things that they cannot in real life, such as build an entire city, save the world, and/or kill a lot of monsters.
Some games take power fantasy to the next level though. Such titles allow players to take the role of actual gods. Many of these games have their feet rooted in mythology for inspiration. Despite having the commonality of playing as a god, the games are very diverse in terms of mechanics, story, and style.
Updated February 16, 2022, by Charlene Maria Teressa: Games that allow you to play as a god have continued to be as enticing a premise as ever. The allure of putting yourself in the shoes of an omnipotent being with no one to stand in your way is quite gripping indeed. With both new launches and some good old classics, we feel that we would be remiss not to add some extra titles to the list.
15 Godus
As you can probably tell by the game's title, Godus focuses on your role as a god, as well as being responsible for sculpting your world and taking care of your followers. The amount of belief points you gather from them is important in maintaining your godhood status.
But despite this promising premise, Godus has recently received negative reviews, mostly since it became a mobile game as this new version is now different to the original title.
14 Reus
On a much lighter note, Reus sees you play as giants with the ability to shape the world to your liking - essentially, you're a god. With four different giants with four different abilities, turning the world into a green utopia is up to you.
From creating flora and fauna to crafting mountains, you're also responsible for your human devotees. Whether you desire to reward or discipline them, well... being a god means that no one's going to stop you.
13 The Universim
Launched in 2018, The Universim allows you to create and oversee not one, but a multitude of planets. As an immortal god, you can do whatever you want without consequence.
From a tiny, insignificant group to a full-fledged, magnificent civilization, be responsible for their path to glory and wealth. If you desire to punish your worshippers for their wrongdoings (or just for fun), then you can even unleash natural disasters in a display of your raw might.
12 Asura's Wrath
Asura's Wrath sees you take control of the demigod Asura and follow his journey of revenge, betrayal and deception. A melting pot of different mythologies mixed with sci-fi, Asura's Wrath is definitely a unique action-adventure game for the books.
Similar to God of War, Asura is filled with anger after his fellow demigods stabbed him in the back by murdering his wife and taking his daughter. Asura himself was thrown down to Earth, where he resurrects to start his path for vengeance and reunite with his daughter.
11 Universe Sandbox
This enjoyable sandbox game serves as a space simulator as well as an educational game. But most of all, Universe Sandbox gives you a taste of what it's like to be an all-powerful god.
You can create your own star and solar system, or destroy planets for the fun of it. From planetary collisions to triggering a supernova, have power beyond your imaginings and witness a black hole consume entire planets.
10 Okami
Shinto mythology is a major part of Japanese history, and Okami is a game that draws a ton of inspiration from Shinto creatures and folklore. Characters take the role of the sun goddess, Amaterasu, in the form of a wolf. Throughout the game, the player runs around the land of Nippon (Japan), to defeat evil beasts and slowly restore their god powers. In terms of style and mechanics, the game is very unique. Players get to paint various things into existence using a paintbrush. It is definitely one of the best PlayStation games to come out in the 2000s.
9 The God Of War Series
Anyone who has read up on Greek mythology knows that it is brutal. The gods are petty and are not quite benevolent. God of War runs with all that and carves out a story of tragedy, violence, and drama.
The latest game has delved into Norse mythology. In all titles though, players play as Kratos, who took on the role of god of war after he defeated Ares in the first game. Outside of Kratos, there are unforgettable monsters and gods players have to fight.
8 Too Human
A sci-fi re-telling of Norse mythology, Too Human has players take on the role of the god Baldur. Due to the creative concept, the game had a lot of hype behind it. When it came out though, many were not impressed. Reviews are mixed on Metacritic. Players and critics alike wanted more story and less repetition. The game was planned to be part of a trilogy due to the developer, Silicon Knights, filing as bankrupt in 2014.
7 Doshin The Giant
Released in Japan in 1999 and in Europe in 2002, this GameCube and N64 game has the player take on the role of an island god named Doshin. Like a typical god, players can alter the world around them and answer the prayers of people. The game is forgotten by many due to its age and the fact that it never came to the United States, so it is a bit of a hidden gem.
6 The Black & White Series
Not to be confused with the Pokémon title, the first game of the Black & White series came out in 2001 and allows players to act as a god to several islands with different kinds of tribes. Depending on their actions or lack of action, players can become either a good or evil god or somewhere in-between.
The original Black & White game sees you as a newly born god, with the rising threat of the god Nemesis looming over you. Nemesis desires to be the one supreme god in existence, and so it's up to you before he kills every god -including you. The game is available for Mac and Windows.
5 The Darksiders Series
This series is similar to God of War in terms of being a hack and slash as well as an action and adventure game. Players take on the role of being on the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, which are basically gods.
The series has four games and chronologically the players play as War, Death, Fury, and Strife. Each of them also has their own horse with badass names such as Ruin, Despair, and Rampage.
4 God Of Thunder
Dating back to 1993, this game has a pretty typical Norse mythology plot. Players are trying to save Midgard as Thor from the mischievous Loki. It has its share of references and humor though, sometimes parodying Star Trek and mentioning that Thor should have his own comic book. The game is comparable to the old Legend of Zelda games in terms of puzzles, combat, and 2D graphics.
3 From Dust
Reviews for this game are mixed on Steam, but those with positive things to say have called it "meditative." Like a multitude of these god games, the player has the fate of a tribe in their hands. Players are meant to protect the people from tsunamis, earthquakes, and all sorts of natural disasters with their god powers. As for negative reviews, it is not actually because of the game itself as much as it is due to the U-Play from Ubisoft requiring players to have an account with them. Most warn that the DRM has made the game basically unplayable.
2 Hades
Gamers who have not yet heard of this game have probably been living under a rock. The game has nearly perfect critic scores across the board. The character and world designs are gorgeous, with players taking on the role of Zagreus, the son of Hades and Prince of the Underworld.
The game is a dungeon crawler that many love for its writing, combat, and how it can adapt to different play styles.
1 Spore
Spore is a game that has you play the role of god in a more sci-fi way. Basically, you create your own species. You get to pick a lot about them from what they like to eat, how they think, and what their buildings look like once they evolve enough. The game has existed since 2008 and is still beloved both for nostalgic players and new ones.