Behind every game, good or bad, is a team of people pouring their ideas and skills into it. Your favorite games wouldn’t be the same if they were made by different people. Sadly, however, not all studios can stay around forever. Some even close down before they can launch one game.

There are also those that, though closed, you may remember to this day simply because one or more games of theirs were exceptionally good. These studios may be gone, but they’ve left somewhat of a legacy. Their games are still worth looking into and enjoying. These are some of the best of ones.

Kyle Hyde talking to Jeff in Hotel Dusk: Room 215

Platforms

Nintendo DS

Stuck on theNintendo DS, Hotel Dusk: Room 215 was and still is anexcellent detective gamethat has it all: unique and beautifully drawn graphics, memorable characters, and engaging gameplay. You play Kyle Hyde, a former detective and current salesman who stays in Hotel Dusk on his mission to find his missing former detective partner. But he comes across more than he bargained for, and a web of mysteries are consecutively unveiled.

Cing filed for bankruptcy in 2010, saddening everyone who enjoyed Hotel Dusk and its sequel. Though the games' future is murky at best, they’re still recommended to play to this day, especially Hotel Dusk.

Amaterasu peacefully sitting in front of a cherry blossom tree and a waterfall in Okami.

PS2, Wii

No matter what genre of game you like most, you’ve probably at least heard ofOkami. It’s a game beloved by both regular audiences and critics, and it’s not hard to see why. Its watercolor cel-shaded art style is a sight to behold even now, let alone back then, and everything from its gameplay to its story doesn’t get old despite being a longer game.

You take on the role of sun goddess Amaterasu, who appears asa white wolf. Using the power of the Celestial Brush, you must destroy what the evil god Orochi has brought onto the land and make nature right again. Despite a successful launch, Capcom decided to close Clover Studio in 2007. The silver lining is that a few former members went on to join other studios and help create more great games.

System Shock 2: Shodan Introducing Herself To The Soldier

Microsoft Windows

System Shock 2may be over two decades old, but it’s still got a firm place in many players' hearts. It combinessci-fi, horror, and RPG elementsto make an excellent game that balances fun gameplay and an atmosphere of dread, both back then and today. Long story short, as a soldier, you’ll have to deal with former allies who have been infected by alien eggs in a strange planet. Find the source of the infection before you become one of its victims too.

Sadly, Looking Glass Studios closed in 2000 due to financial losses, with deals falling through and games not performing well. The studio created other beloved games, like the Thief duology, before shutting down, and many fans still look back fondly on its legacy.

A bony pale figure with dark hair standing in an orange hazy environment

Microsoft Windows, macOS, Android, iOS

Planescape: Tormentis another oldie but goodie, winning RPG of the Year awards, and it still holds up quite well today. You play as the Nameless One, who’s nameless because he doesn’t remember a thing about himself. On the journey to discovering who you are, you meeta cast of intriguing charactersand travel to all kinds of different settings.

The game’s characters stand out to this day, and they make analready compelling storyeven more exciting to play. Planescape knows how to mix humor with dark themes, and that’s part of what makes it so great. Black Isle Studios' parent company, Interplay, had been facing financial problems, leading to Black Isle’s closure in 2003. It had other notable games in its list, like the first twoFalloutgames andBaldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance 2.

A character performing a skateboard trick in the air in Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2

PS1, Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color

PS1, Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, PC, macOS, iOS

PS1, PS2, Xbox, Nintendo 64 Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, GameCube, PC, macOS

Dead Space Isaac Clarke standing in front of a dead crewmate with “Cut Off Their Limbs” written in blood on the wall next to them

PS1, PS2, Xbox, Game Boy Advance, GameCube, PC, Mac OS X

There are a bunch ofTony Hawkgames out there, but some of the absolute best were the earlyPro Skatergames. If you’ve ever doubted that a skateboarding game could bethatfun, these games have a good chance of changing your mind. There’s no real story, so you’re able to dive right in as Tony Hawk or a pick of other pro skateboarders.

The Dark Wanderer’s withering face in Diablo 2 artwork

What makes the games so good is the vast open world that has a variety of settings to choose from, the amount of cool tricks you can attempt to pull off, and the score mechanic that pushes you to give perfecting every trick a shot. Neversoft unfortunately closed in 2014, despite merging withCall of Dutydevelopers Infinity Ward a couple of months prior. There have since been attempts at new Tony Hawk games, but none feel quite as good as Neversoft’s.

PS3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows

If you’re a fan of survival horror, you probably know theDead Spacegames. Horror in space has a lot of potential, and Dead Space utilizes it to make a game that’s genuinely terrifying without making you feel defenseless. All three games follow Isaac Clarke, an engineer whohas to face Necromorphs, undead creatures that plague the ship he’s in during the first game.

Possibly the best thing about Dead Space is that the games incorporate action while maintaining adelightfully sinister atmospherethroughout your time playing. The different types of Necromorphs are also notably creepy. Visceral Games, owned by EA, shut down in 2017 after EA decided to transfer work on a newStar Warsgame away from Visceral and majorly rework its design. EA is known for many things, including shutting down beloved studios, and Visceral Games was another victim despite Dead Space’s popularity.

PS1, Microsoft Windows, macOS

Microsoft Windows, macOS

TheDiablogames are another well-known series in the gaming sphere, especially if you’re into RPGs and dungeon crawlers. The first two games follow a similar premise: you’re on a quest to stop Lord of Terror, Diablo, and you have to get through perilous dungeons before you’re able to reach him. The first Diablo was innovative for its time, andDiablo 2saw improvements upon a lot of the first game’s mechanics.

Classes, side quests,and challenging monsters— they’ve got it all. Adda dash of horrorfor extra flavor. Blizzard Entertainment is still around, but Blizzard North closed in 2005 during their production ofDiablo 3. Before the closure, many key employees had resigned, with some forming their own studios. Though there was conflict within Blizzard North before its closure, its games had the opposite effect by bringing gamers together.