Updated and extended in 2025. More than any other entertainment medium, video games offer the chance for us to participate in a world beyond the ordinary. Whether you are playing as a supersonic hedgehog, an athletic archeologist, or a moustachioed Italian plumber, video games allow their players to inhabit spaces where the usual parameters of existence do not apply. The medium's history is chronicled through the individual stories of the most iconic video games. Beginning in the early 1970s, the book charts five decades of the pixel revolution. The story of each game is accompanied by trivia and quotations, and illustrated with photographs, screenshots and artworks. This celebratory reference and up-to-date history will enthral any video games aficionado. Chronicles the history of gaming through an analysis of the world's most-iconic and best-loved games. Expert analysis of the story of each game, accompanied by fascinating trivia, memorable quotes, and information on the year of publication and where the game can be played today. Includes titles across all platforms, including arcade, console, PC, online and handheld games. Charts five decades of video game evolution, from Computer Space to Fortnite and Elden Ring. Illustrated with over 1000 action screenshots, game artworks and photographs.