For the most part i'm compiling this for myself, to glance at and replay some of the good stuff, or just to see how the games industry and i have changed over the years. I've played some of these for the first time several years after they came out, but i just add them to their release year for clarity.

Pre-2000: GTA 1 & 2, Age of Empires 1 & 2, Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun, Lego Racers, Lego Island, Rollercoaster Tycoon, NfS 3: Hot Porsuit

2000: The Sims, Rayman 2: The Great Escape, Delta Force: Land Warrior, NfS: Porsche Unleashed
2001: Lego Island 2, Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3, Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive, FIFA 2002
2002: Lego Soccer Mania, Battlefield 1942, Rollercoaster Tycoon 2, Mafia, NfS: Hot Porsuit 2
2003: GTA: Vice City, Call of Duty, Need for Speed: Underground, Delta Force: Black Hawk Down
2004: GTA: San Andreas, Rollercoaster Tycoon 3, Sid Meier's Pirates!, NfS: Underground 2
2005: Close Combat: First to Fight, Age of Empires 3, Battlefield 2, Call of Duty 2, FIFA 2006
2006: Need for Speed: Carbon, Anno 1701
2007: Mass Effect, Call of Duty 4, The Witcher, Assassin's Creed, Medal of Honor: Airborne
2008: GTA IV, Far Cry 2, Fallout 3
2009: Dragon Age: Origins, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Anno 1404, The Sims 3, FIFA 2010

I didn't get internet on my own PC until late 2009, so i played all of these offline and either from a retail store or pirated copies that friends burned onto discs. Most of these games were played for many hours, because i didn't get new games very often, and i couldn't really pick any highlights from these years without doing some games injustice. I didn't understand a lot of English until around 2007, so i missed out on playing some of the golden age RPG's in or just after their prime, simply because they weren't available in Dutch, and i was more interested in shooters and racing games at the time.

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2010: Mass Effect 2, Mafia 2, M&B: Warband, Civilization V, Assassin's Creed 2, Amnesia
2011: Alice: Madness Returns, The Witcher 2, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Terraria, Rayman Origins
2012: Guild Wars 2, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Dishonored, Far Cry 3, FTL, Sleeping Dogs
2013: Dota 2, Bioshock Infinite, Rayman Legends, Pinball FX2, DayZ, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag
2014: Divinity: Original Sin, Shadow of Mordor, Elite: Dangerous, Hearthstone, The Talos Principle
2015: Ori and the Blind Forest, Hand of Fate, The Witcher 3, GTA V, Undertale, Fallout 4
2016: Darkest Dungeon, American Truck Simulator, Prominence Poker, Civilization VI, Dishonored 2
2017: Wildlands, Divnity: Original Sin 2, Shadow of War, Hellblade, Assassin's Creed: Origins, PUBG
2018: Celeste, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Ghost of a Tale, Far Cry 5, Two Point Hospital
2019: Trials Rising, Deep Rock Galactic, Anno 1800, Red Dead 2, Hunt: Showdown, Disco Elysium

I finally got internet on my own PC in late 2009 and downloaded Steam (it was required to play Modern Warfare 2) and my gaming library started growing fast. Playing online caused me to meet many cool people, and this gaming decade is full of great memories of playing with and against friends. Some absolute bangers came out and besides playing a lot of Modern Warfare 2 Online, i discovered many different genres of games and played my first RPG; Dragon Age: Origins (from 2009). This game ended up dominating the decade as i replayed it almost every year. Unfortunately, the sequels did not hit the mark for me. Special mention to franchises like Grand Theft Auto, Assassin's Creed, and Civilization, which i revisited lots of times for another go. Deep Rock Galactic made its early access appearance in 2018, a craft of love that tickles my fancy in all the right ways; Dwarves, space, destructible terrain, beer, music and humor. Battle Royale blows up with PUBG and a little later, Apex Legends. Wonderful and unique RPG's like Kingdom Come: Deliverance and Disco Elysium get released. And in the last month of the decade, the pinnacle of modern top budget gaming comes to PC; Red Dead Redemption 2. An incredible game, and an amazing way to end the decade.

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2020: Cloudpunk, Outer Wilds, Sea of Thieves, Hades, Cyberpunk 2077, FM 2021
2021: Journey to the Savage Planet, Days Gone, Chivalry 2, Hell Let Loose, Tavern Master
2022: Not for Broadcast, God of War, Raft, FM 2023, M&B Bannerlord
2023: Hogwarts Legacy, Baldur's Gate 3, Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew, Blood West
2024: DRG: Survivor, Pacific Drive