The Strong National Museum of Play, one of the largest institutions dedicated to preserving the history of play, has announced the 12 video games currently being considered as finalists for induction into the renowned World Video Game Hall of Fame.
Each year, The Strong selects an array of historically-significant video games for consideration, with each judged on its merit, cultural cache, and impact. While not every finalists makes it in, all nominations are recognition of a game’s standing, and their importance to the history of play.
World Video Game Hall of Fame 2026 finalists – quick links
The full list of 2026 World Video Game Hall of Fame finalists
The 12 finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame this year are: Angry Birds, Dragon Quest, FIFA International Soccer, Frogger, Galaga, League of Legends, Mega Man, PaRappa the Rapper, RuneScape, Silent Hill, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and Tokimeki Memorial.
Notably, there are some returnees from past years, which were previously nominated, but didn’t make it into the final selection. Angry Birds was also nominated in 2023 and 2025, Tokimeki Memorial was nominated in 2024, FIFA International Soccer was nominated in 2023, and PaRappa the Rapper was nominated in 2022.
Each year, the World Video Game Hall of Fame receives thousands of nominations for consideration, with these eventually whittled down into the finalist list, and then a final cohort list, by a professional jury.
As in past years, the 2026 voting process will also include a Player’s Choice category open for voting, with the three games that get the most votes represented on one ballot, which will be considered alongside the ballots from the jury.
The final inductees will be revealed in a ceremony taking place on 7 May.
All of the nominated games are worthy of induction
The real challenge for the jury will be in determining the impact of each game, and which ones are worthy enough to headline this year’s World Video Game Hall of Fame class. They all have their own merits, and all can be considered important cultural artefacts.
Angry Birds was one of the first big mobile game hits, and influenced the birth of a massive franchise, leading to sequels, tie-ins, movie spin-offs, and more. It even inspired its own theme park attraction.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is considered one of the best modern RPGs of all time, with its open world and quest structure becoming the example for all subsequent games to follow.
RuneScape was another transformative game, as it invited young players into a major online fantasy world – some, for the first time – where they could connect with friends, take on quests, and experience a vast multiplayer journey.
All of these games had their own impact on players, and the landscape of the video game world. This will need to be taken into consideration, as the jury places their final votes.
Those keen to provide their own perspective can now vote in the Player’s Choice category.
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