The Strong National Museum of Play announced the 2021 finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame. There are tons of family games among this year’s selection: Cross between animals, Call to action, FarmVille, FIFA International Soccer, Guitar Hero, Mattel Football, Microsoft Flight Simulator, First position, Portal, StarCraft, Tron, and Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?
The Hall of Fame aims to recognize “individual electronic games of all kinds – arcade, console, computer, laptop and mobile – which have enjoyed popularity for a long time and have influenced the video game industry or popular culture and society in general” , informs the notice.
This year has a varied crop of nominees. Cross between animals is praised for being “a hit with casual and advanced players”, which spawned many more sequences. Valve’s Portal won the nomination for being “a breakthrough in puzzle games”.
“Portal it provided a unique gaming experience accompanied by witty dialogue, an ever tortuous storyline and unforgettable characters, ”wrote The Strong National Museum of Play in the candidate’s announcement. “It sold a respectable four million copies, but was highly praised for its technical and design achievements.”
In previous years, four to six games have entered the Hall of Fame. The 2020 honorees were Minecraft, Bejeweled, Centipede, and King’s Quest.
Final choices for 2021 will be announced at The Strong museum on Thursday, May 6 at 10:30 am EDT.