11. Dungeon Keeper (1997). 20 Best Classic PC Strategy Games

I have always wondered if the phenomenon of this game was just fantastic execution, or true human nature.

Putting the overwhelming stakes of global armed conflicts aside for a moment, let us pay our due tribute to Peter Molyneux. It has to be said that although today the man, like a hardcore politician, makes tons of promises without merit, during his time at Bullfrog Productions he has given the world of strategy games a lot of good.

Above all, Dungeon Keeper is a fantastic idea and a perfect example of how sometimes acting accordingly to the rule of subversion can have surprising results. This time, we have received a simulator of an evil dungeon overlord, who tries to defend his dark kingdom from successive waves of lawful heroes.

Most importantly, after the game's launch, it quickly became apparent that the role of the bad guy was to the liking of a whole host of players. This convention was of course satirical in nature, but it must be admitted that the game was executed in a truly impressive way. Following the rule that the devil is in the details, Peter Molyneux's team has focused on making sure there are as many of them as possible in their work.

So we were given a combination of economic game and tower defense – we could set up our own torture chambers or grow hellspawn that would fight pompous heroes trying to reach the heart of the dungeon. The emphasis on detail and small tidbits manifested itself in aspects such as the ability to switch the view from isometric perspective to an image viewed through the eyes of our infernal troops. Thanks to fully 3D graphics, we could almost personally inspect the subsequent rooms built by us and personally feel the atmosphere of the dark dungeon.

In Dungeon Keeper, Peter Molyneux's unquestioned talent for innovation and showing things from completely different perspective was revealed. It is a shame that today it is rare for a developer to have the courage to do such experiments, and the visions of Peter himself have sailed far beyond the bounds of common sense.