Top 7 Gaming Auteurs

Sid Meier

Games of Fame: Sid Meier's Pirates!, Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon series, and Sid Meier's Civilization series.

Signature of Style: Sid Meier's strategy and simulation titles continue to stand the test of time. The fact that the recent re-make of Pirates!, can still plunder our spare hours with gameplay designed over two decades ago, is a testament to how cutting edge graphics aren't the only ingredients for fun.

What makes Meier's games addictive and distinctive lies under the hood, with gameplay that walks the fine line between work and play. Stocking up on goods to trade in Pirates!: Live the Life or balancing budgets in RailRoad Tycoon would feel like a chore if it wasn't for the freedom they offer, allowing you to play out your aspirations towards conquering the Caribbean or building your corporate empire any way you want.

Above: With old school roots that predate extras like 3D graphics and color, Meier-made titles continue to suck us in with solid, strategic, open-ended gameplay today

The Civilization series is particularly well known for sucking you in for hours with open ended gameplay, and offers no real "correct" path or ending. Instead, it's designed in such a way that the player becomes a sort of designer too. With the freedom to experiment, manage, build, destroy, or upgrade various aspects of your Civ at will, there's always something to look forward to if you play a little longer.

Even if you've conquered all your neighboring nations in Civilization through force, there are always other cultures to sample and different approaches like diplomacy to try. If you have any memories of staring at your monitor with bleary red eyes at 2:00 am on a work or school night, chances are there's a man named Meier to thank and blame for his empire of addictive strategy and simulation titles.