Hey folks, it’s Dan The Price Man.

Gaming’s been my escape, my challenge, and my inspiration for as long as I can remember. From my early days as a kid in Anchorage, Alaska, to now—24 years old, these games have been there through it all.

These games didn’t just entertain me; they taught me strategy, resilience, and the kind of mental toughness you need to lead, whether it’s a team of mercenaries in TF2 or a nation by 2036.

I’m Dan “The Price Man,” and this is my no-BS list of the top 10 videogames that shaped me into the man I am today—a future leader who values self-reliance, industrial ambition, and the grind.

From neon-soaked bloodbaths to haunted mansions and chaotic heists, these titles are my foundation. Let’s get to it.

---

#10. Hotline Miami

I’ll start with number 10: Hotline Miami. A game that hits like a sledgehammer dipped in neon paint and synthwave beats.

Released in 2012 by Dennaton Games, this top-down shooter throws you into the grimy underbelly of 1989 Miami as an unnamed hitman—fans call him “Jacket”—who gets cryptic voicemails telling him to massacre rooms full of mobsters.

The visuals are a retro fever dream: flickering CRT filters, bold pinks, electric blues, and a pixelated style that screams VHS nostalgia.

The soundtrack is a synthwave masterpiece—M.O.O.N.’s “Hydrogen,” Perturbator’s “Miami Disco,” Jasper Byrne’s “Hotline”—pumping through every level like a heartbeat on cocaine.

Gameplay is deceptively simple but punishing: you move fast, kill faster, and die in one hit. A single bullet, a stray punch, even a door slammed in your face, and you’re back to the start of the level, blood splattered on the floor, the beat kicking in again.

Each stage is a puzzle of violence—storm a building, clear rooms, grab a weapon (a bat, a pipe, a shotgun), and execute with precision.

You’ll die a lot, but every death teaches you something: don’t rush that corner, bait that guard, grab the knife before the shotgun guy turns. By the time you clear a level, you feel like a god, chaining kills in a trance-like flow while the music thumps in your skull.

The story, though—it’s a mind-bender. You’re not just a killer; you’re unraveling a surreal nightmare about identity, violence, and reality itself.

Masked figures on a talk show, cryptic phone calls, a world that feels like it’s melting—it’s a fragmented fever dream that leaves you piecing it together long after the credits roll.

I first played this in 2013, the glow of the monitor lighting up my room as I dove into that first level, “No Talk.” The thumping beat, the glowing visuals, the satisfying crack of a baseball bat against a skull—I was hooked.

I played until the sun came up, bleary-eyed but buzzing, lost in a sensory overload that felt more like a drug than a game.

Hotline Miami made my list because it’s not just about killing—it’s about mastery. The trial-and-error gameplay demands focus and precision, skills I’ve carried into my life, whether it’s sticking to a gym routine or strategizing for a future in politics.

#9. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

Next up, at number 9, is The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth, a rogue-like dungeon crawler that’s as dark as it is addictive.

Released in 2014 by Edmund McMillen, it’s a remake of the 2011 original, taking the story of Isaac—a kid fleeing his fanatically religious mother into a basement full of monsters—and cranking it to 11.

The art style is hand-drawn and grotesque: Isaac’s a crying child, enemies are deformed fetuses, bloated flies, or oozing piles of flesh.

The items you collect are straight out of a nightmare—a coat hanger through your head, a demonic fetus familiar, a pact with Satan that trades your health for damage.

Gameplay is a mix of twin-stick shooting and exploration, with procedurally generated levels, items, and bosses that change every run.

You descend through floors—Basement, Caves, Depths, Womb—fighting horrors like Monstro (a giant blob that vomits blood) or The Bloat (a pus-filled monstrosity with laser eyes), all to reach your mother, who’s been commanded by God to kill you.

The randomness is the hook: one run, you might get Brimstone, a blood laser that obliterates enemies; the next, you’re stuck with a dud like Soy Milk, which slashes your damage to nothing.

Death means starting over, but with hundreds of items, synergies, and endings, no two runs feel the same.

I’ve poured 300+ hours into this game, and I’m still finding new combos—like the time I paired Ipecac (explosive tears) with Proptosis (massive damage up close) and turned Isaac into a walking nuke, only to accidentally blow myself up on a spike trap.

The game’s difficulty is brutal, but it rewards curiosity and adaptability—take a Devil Deal, and you might get a game-changer like The Pact, or you might lose all your health and die to the next boss.

The story doesn’t pull punches either, diving into heavy themes of abuse, religion, and survival through disturbing imagery and cryptic cutscenes.

#8. Half-Life 2

At number 8, we’ve got Half-Life 2, a first-person shooter that didn’t just raise the bar—it built a whole new one. Released in 2004 by Valve, this game dropped you into the boots of Gordon Freeman, a scientist turned resistance hero in the dystopian City 17, fighting an alien regime called the Combine.

The game’s a masterclass in storytelling: no cutscenes, just a seamless narrative woven into the gameplay as you explore a living, breathing world. You start in a train station, oppressed citizens shuffling under the gaze of masked enforcers, and within minutes, you’re fleeing through alleys as sirens wail.

The environments are richly detailed—crumbling European architecture, toxic canals, a haunting prison called Nova Prospekt—all brought to life by Valve’s Source Engine, which was groundbreaking at the time.

Gameplay balances intense combat with quiet exploration and physics-driven puzzles, like using a seesaw to launch yourself over a wall or stacking crates to reach a ledge.

The Gravity Gun is the star, a tool that lets you manipulate objects—pick up a radiator and hurl it at a zombie, or grab a sawblade and slice through enemies like butter. I remember my first run through Ravenholm, a zombie-infested ghost town, using the Gravity Gun to impale headcrabs with paint cans while Father Grigori’s mad laughter echoed in the distance—it was pure, chaotic brilliance.

The story unfolds naturally: you meet Alyx Vance, a badass ally who fights alongside you, and face off against the Combine’s forces, from headcrab zombies to towering Striders. The AI is smart—enemies flank, take cover, and adapt, keeping fights unpredictable.

Half-Life 2 made my list because it’s a journey that demands you think, not just shoot. It taught me how to solve problems under pressure, a skill I’ve used in everything from gaming to planning my future as a leader.

It’s a game that showed me storytelling in games can be as powerful as any movie, and it’s why I still replay it every few years.

#7. Dead Rising (Original)

Number 7 is Dead Rising, the 2006 zombie survival classic from Capcom that turned a shopping mall into a playground of chaos.

You play as Frank West, a photojournalist trapped in the Willamette Parkview Mall during a zombie outbreak, with 72 hours to uncover the truth before a chopper extracts you.

The game’s a sandbox of destruction: the mall is packed with thousands of zombies—hundreds on screen at once, a technical marvel for 2006—and you can use anything as a weapon. I’ve mowed down hordes with a lawnmower, smashed heads with a frying pan, and even turned a shopping cart into a rolling death machine.

The time mechanic is the real kicker: you’ve got 72 hours to complete the main story, rescue survivors, and fight psychopaths—deranged humans like a chainsaw-wielding clown or a gun-toting store manager. Miss a deadline, and the story moves on without you, forcing tough choices.

Do you save that couple hiding in a shoe store, or chase the next lead on the outbreak?

I’ve had runs where I saved 40 survivors, feeling like a hero, and others where I botched the main case and watched the truth slip away.

The mall’s a living world—shops to loot, secrets to find, and a constant sense of danger as zombies pour in.

The tone balances humor and horror: one minute, you’re fighting a cult leader with a machete; the next, you’re wearing a Servbot helmet and laughing as zombies trip over each other.

Dead Rising made my list because it’s a game that rewards strategy and creativity under pressure, much like leading a team or planning a political campaign.

It taught me to prioritize, adapt, and find solutions in chaos—skills I’ll need when I’m running this country in 2036.

#6. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Coming in at number 6 is Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, a 2004 GameCube RPG that’s pure Nintendo magic.

You play as Mario, rendered in a paper-cutout art style, on a quest to rescue Princess Peach and uncover the mystery of the Thousand-Year Door, a mythical portal hidden beneath Rogueport—a grimy port town full of thieves, sailors, and talking Goombas.

The game blends turn-based combat with platforming, all wrapped in a whimsical world where paper mechanics are king: Mario folds into a plane to glide across gaps, turns sideways to slip through cracks, or becomes a boat to sail across water.

Combat is simple but deep—you attack with timed button presses for extra damage, managing HP, FP (for special moves), and a badge system that lets you customize your build.

I loved stacking Power Bounce badges to chain infinite jumps on bosses, dealing massive damage if my timing was perfect. The story unfolds across eight chapters, each a mini-adventure: you’re a gladiator in the Glitz Pit, solving a murder mystery on a train, even exploring a haunted island with a ghostly crew.

The characters steal the show—Goombella, a sassy archaeology student; Admiral Bobbery, a grizzled sailor with a tragic past; Vivian, a misunderstood shadow siren who joins your party.

The writing’s packed with humor: I still laugh at the time Mario gets scammed by a shady salesman, or when a dragon boss brags about eating your friends, only to get indigestion mid-fight.

The world felt alive, the characters like friends, and the paper gimmick blew my mind—I’d never seen a game so creative.

#5. Luigi’s Mansion (Original)

At number 5, we’ve got Luigi’s Mansion, a 2001 GameCube launch title that turned Mario’s nervous little brother into a ghost-busting hero. You play as Luigi, armed with the Poltergust 3000—a vacuum cleaner designed to suck up ghosts—who’s been tricked into visiting a haunted mansion to rescue Mario from a gang of spectral troublemakers led by King Boo.

The mansion’s a sprawling, eerie playground: four floors of dusty rooms, creaking doors, and hidden secrets, all rendered in stunning detail for the time.

Gameplay revolves around capturing ghosts—shine your flashlight to stun them, then vacuum them up while they thrash, draining your stamina if you’re not careful.

Each ghost has personality: Shy Guys hide behind masks, Boos taunt you as they flee, and portrait ghosts—like a gluttonous chef or a jazz-playing skeleton—require unique strategies to catch.

The soundtrack’s a mix of haunting melodies and playful tunes, like Luigi’s hummed theme as he tiptoes through the dark.

Exploration’s the heart of it: every room hides treasure, from gold coins to rare gems, and puzzles—like lighting fires or blowing out candles with the Poltergust—keep you engaged.

Luigi’s Mansion made my list because it’s a perfect blend of spooky and charming, showing me that even the underdog can step up and lead.

Luigi’s reluctant heroism resonates with me as I push toward my own goals, proving that courage isn’t about being fearless—it’s about doing the job anyway.

#4. PAYDAY 2 and PAYDAY 3

Number 4 is a tie between PAYDAY 2 and PAYDAY 3, two co-op heist games that’ve consumed hundreds of hours of my life with their mix of strategy, teamwork, and pure chaos. PAYDAY 2, released in 2013 by Overkill Software, dropped you into a crew of heisters pulling off jobs from bank robberies to art gallery thefts.

PAYDAY 3, launched in 2023 by Starbreeze, took that formula to New York with tighter gunplay, better stealth, and Unreal Engine visuals. Both games let you plan and execute heists with up to three friends, choosing to go loud with shotguns blazing or stealth it by sneaking past guards and cameras.

PAYDAY 2 gave me classics like “First World Bank,” where I’ve drilled vaults while fending off SWAT teams, or “Shadow Raid,” a stealth-only job where one wrong move triggers alarms.

PAYDAY 3 upped the ante with “Gold & Sharke,” a bank heist where I’ve lockpicked doors in Casing Mode, tied up hostages, and cracked safes—all while my crew covered me.

The gameplay’s a balance of preparation and improvisation: pick your loadout (shotguns for loud, silenced pistols for stealth), skills (Tank for survivability, Ghost for sneaking), and approach.

Things always go sideways—a guard spots you, a civilian trips an alarm, or a Bulldozer charges in—and that’s when the real fun starts. I’ve had runs where we stealthed “No Rest for the Wicked” flawlessly, and others where we botched “Cook Off” and spent 20 minutes fighting off cops in a meth lab.

With 2000+ hours in PAYDAY 2 and 450+ in PAYDAY 3, I’ve lived the heist life, and it’s taught me the value of coordination and staying cool under pressure—skills I’ll need when leading a nation.

#3. Risk of Rain 2

At number 3, we’ve got Risk of Rain 2, a rogue-like shooter that’s pure adrenaline in pixel form. Released in 2020 by Hopoo Games, this game throws you onto the hostile planet Petrichor V as a survivor of a crashed ship, fighting waves of aliens while stacking power-ups and racing against a difficulty timer.

You pick a character—Commando for rapid-fire, Huntress for mobility, Artificer for magic blasts—and battle through procedurally generated stages like Distant Roost or Abyssal Depths.

The loop’s simple: kill enemies, open chests, grab items, and teleport to the next stage, but the longer you take, the harder it gets—enemies scale with time, turning grunts into bullet sponges and bosses like the Stone Titan into nightmares. Items stack infinitely: a single Sticky Bomb adds a 5% chance for explosions, but grab 10, and every hit’s a fireworks show.

I’ve had runs where I stacked 15 Lens-Maker’s Glasses for constant crits, paired with an AtG Missile Launcher, and turned my Commando into a walking airstrike—until a Malachite Elite one-shot me because I lingered too long.

The game’s a masterclass in risk vs. reward: do you rush the teleporter to keep difficulty low, or farm for that one item that could make your run? I’ve lost count of my runs—probably 200+ hours—but the thrill of barely surviving a Mithrix fight or finding a perfect item combo keeps me hooked.

Co-op with friends is chaos in the best way: four of us once stacked 50 Bustling Fungi, healing us as we stood still, and turned a boss fight into a staring contest. Risk of Rain 2 made my list because it forces you to make split-second decisions under pressure, a skill I’ve honed in gaming and life.

It’s the kind of game that prepares you for leadership—know when to push, when to pull back, and how to turn chaos into victory.

#2. Resident Evil 4 (Original and Remake)

Number 2 is Resident Evil 4, both the 2005 original and the 2023 remake, a survival horror masterpiece that redefined the genre. You play as Leon S. Kennedy, a U.S. agent sent to rural Spain to rescue the President’s daughter, Ashley, from a cult infected by the Las Plagas parasite.

The game pioneered the over-the-shoulder camera, blending tense horror with action as you fight off villagers (Ganados), chainsaw-wielding maniacs, and grotesque monsters like the Regenerators—hulking beasts with squirming parasites that regenerate unless you shoot their weak spots with a thermal scope.

The original’s inventory system, a Tetris-style attache case, forces you to manage weapons, ammo, and healing items carefully—I’ve had to ditch a shotgun to make room for herbs, only to regret it when a horde swarmed me.

Combat’s a dance of precision: shoot a Ganado in the head, stun them with a kick, then knife them to save ammo. The remake adds parries and expanded areas, like a revamped lake fight with the Del Lago monster, making it even tighter.

The story’s a rollercoaster: from the village ambush on your first day, where I died five times before learning to board up windows, to the castle’s gothic halls with chanting monks, to the island’s militarized labs, it keeps you on edge.

The 2023 remake reignited that fear, with updated visuals and smoother controls, but kept the soul intact. Resident Evil 4 made my list because it’s a perfect balance of horror and action, teaching me to stay calm under pressure and manage resources—skills I’ve used in my fitness journey and will use in politics.

It’s a game that proves you can face the worst and come out stronger, a lesson I’ll carry to 2036.

#1. Team Fortress 2

Finally, at number 1, my all-time favorite: Team Fortress 2, the class-based multiplayer shooter that’s been my obsession since 2007. Developed by Valve, TF2 pits two teams—RED and BLU—against each other in modes like Capture the Flag, Payload, and Control Points, with nine classes to choose from: Scout for speed, Soldier for rocket-jumping, Pyro for flames, Demoman for explosives, Heavy for tanking, Engineer for turrets, Medic for healing, Sniper for long-range, and Spy for stealth.

Each class has unique weapons and playstyles, letting you tailor your approach.

The game’s depth is endless: Scout’s double-jump lets you dodge rockets, Spy’s cloak and backstabs punish the unwary, and Medic’s UberCharge can turn a Heavy into a 300-HP killing machine.

The community’s the real magic—custom maps, Source Filmmaker animations, a trading economy with hats worth thousands.

I’ve made friends on servers, led PUGs in competitive matches, and laughed through countless Gibbuses (new players in default hats) getting taunt-killed.

TF2’s humor—taunts like the Kazotsky Kick, voice lines like “Maggots!”—keeps it light, but the strategy runs deep.

It made my list because it’s more than a game; it’s a lifestyle, teaching me teamwork, strategy, and resilience—skills I’ll bring to the presidency in 2036.

It’s the greatest game ever made, period.

They’ve been my training ground, preparing me for the gym, for life, and for the White House in 2036.

If you’re a gamer who values grit, strategy, and self-reliance, these games will speak to you too. Download them, play them, and let me know what you think.

Got your own top 10? Drop it below or hit me on X @DanThePriceMan—I’m always up to talk gaming.