8 popular computer games created by just one person (15 photos)

As a rule, entire companies, or at least several developers, are involved in the creation of games. But there are cases when games created by just one person become real hits for all times.





Karateka (1984)

I am sure that many of you know about the cult game "Karateka" (1984). Some played it on the computer, and some on the "Dendy" console. The game is short, but very exciting. We are given control of a karateka who must save the princess from the clutches of the commander Akuma, breaking through enemies.



The author of this game was a student of Yale University Jordan Mechner, who was interested in programming and game development, as well as cinema and, in fact, karate.

But despite the fact that Mechner created this game alone, outside help was still required. For example, Jordan Mechner's father became the model for the character. Dressed in a kimono, the developer's dad performed all the necessary movements, which were then digitized using rotoscoping technology.





Initially, the game was created for the Apple II computer, but later it was ported to other platforms, such as Atari ST, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, DOS, NES (Dendy), etc.

The game became a mega-success, so it is not surprising that Jordan Mechner subsequently continued to develop games.

Prince of Persia (1989)

Well, since we started with "Karateka", we'll move on to the game "Prince of Persia", which was also developed by Jordan Mechner.

After the success of the game "Karateka", Jordan Mechner began to think about creating a game in a similar setting, but longer, more elaborate, graphically rich and interesting. And the gameplay, in his opinion, should have become more complex and interesting. What is the system of buttons, traps and secret plates worth alone.



As with "Karateka", Mechner used a relative as a model for the hero, but this time it was not his father, but his younger brother. The poor little brother had to run, jump, gallop and swing his sword until he was dizzy until the developer got the perfect frames, which were then transferred to the computer using the same rotoscoping technology.



Jordan Mechner

As a result, it turned out to be a simply amazing game, which, like "Karateka", was ported to many popular platforms, including the "NES". The game was an incredible success, thanks to which several sequels, a reboot, remakes and even a feature film subsequently appeared.

Another world (1991)

"Another World" is basically one of my favorite games of all time. I still get nostalgic goosebumps on my body when I remember my childhood. My father would pick me up from kindergarten and bring me to his work, where I would sit at the computer and play "Another World".



This game turned out to be bright, cinematic and incredibly interesting. And the most amazing thing is that it was created by only one person, namely the French developer Eric Chailly. It took him 2 years to create the game, with 1 year spent on creating the engine and the introductory video, and the other half of the term was spent on everything else.

Eric Chailly was inspired to create his future hit by the game "Dragon's Lair" (1989). That's why Chahi decided to make his game with an emphasis on cinematography, so that the player would learn about the plot not from dialogues or text blocks, but would understand everything that was happening during the game.



Eric Chahi

Like Jordan Mechner, Eric Chahi decided to create his game using rotoscoping technology, although at first he had a crazy idea to put transparent film on a TV and outline the image.

However, despite the fact that Eric created his game alone, he still needed some help. Since he was not an expert in music, he decided to turn to his friend composer Jean-François Freyt, who wrote the musical accompaniment for the game.

Tetris (1984)

Naturally, I could not ignore the cult puzzle game "Tetris", which has gained wide popularity all over the world, and which to this day is one of the best-selling franchises (after "Mario").



In 1984, Soviet programmer Alexey Pajitnov, who worked at the computing center of the USSR Academy of Sciences, decided to create a computer board puzzle "Pentamino", the essence of which was to fold various figures, each of which consisted of five blocks.



The only thing is that Pajitnov decided to make his task a little easier by creating figures not from five, but from four blocks. Hence the name "Tetris" ("Tetra" - four). True, he initially called his computer game "Tetramino". And later the game acquired the name we know "Tetris".

Since the game was created on the Soviet computer "Elektronika-60", there was no talk of any graphic elements. Therefore, all the figures consisted of symbols and brackets.



Only later, to transfer his game to a more modern IBM computer (using graphics), Pajitnov invited a young programmer Dmitry Pavlovsky.

Minecraft (2011)

It was always strange to me that such a low-graphics block game as "Minecraft" could become a worldwide hit, but the fact remains. Gamers still play Minecraft non-stop, and many bloggers have managed to gather a million-strong audience just by playing this game and posting their Let's Plays on YouTube.



But the most amazing thing is that this game was also made by one person, namely the Swedish programmer Markus Persson.

Persson wrote the first version of the game "Minecraft" using the block structure "Infiniminer" as a model. He also used some code fragments from the game "RubyDung", and he took some models for "Minecraft" from his earlier game "Zombie Town".



Markus Persson

As a result, when the first version of the game (at that time it was called "Cave Game") was ready in 2009, Persson posted it on the "TIGSource" forum, in the "Reviews" section. Forum users began playing and actively leaving reviews, as well as offering Persson their own options that could be implemented into the game. It was one of the users who suggested the developer rename the game from "Cave Game" to "Minecraft", which Persson really liked.

As a result, the development process went further, and from an ordinary construction simulator, the game turned into a whole fantasy world. In general, the game development process is much more global and interesting, so I'd better write a separate article about "Minecraft", since here we have a selection, and we need to devote time to other projects.

Plague inc (2012)

The famous game "Plague inc" is an unusual virus simulator. We, like a virus, must infect the whole world and not let people overcome it. The game became a worldwide hit, and yes, it was released before the well-known pandemic.



One day, former strategic consulting specialist James Vaughan, impressed by the film "Contagion" and the game "Pandemic 2", decided to create his own game about a virus in his free time. Vaughan was impressed by the game "Pandemic 2", but he thought that it was lacking a lot.

For a whole year, Vaughan worked on creating the game. However, due to his main job, he could only work on the game in the evenings and on weekends. Moreover, Vaughan approached the creation of the game with all seriousness. Despite the fact that the developer did not have a medical education, he decided to completely immerse himself in biology, studying the behavior of viruses and infection cycles.

As a result, the game became a real hit. People have played this game all the time and everywhere: at home, at work, on the subway, etc. However, in 2020 the game was banned in China. I don't think I need to explain why.

Five Nights at Freddy's (2014)

After the bad reviews of the game "Chipper & Sons Lumber Co." (users mocked the game for the fact that the beaver looked like a robot), developer Scott Cawthon decided to make something truly scary.

Cawthon began to develop his new game "Five nights at Freddy's" alone, using programs such as Clickteam Fusion 2.5 and Autodesk 3ds Max. He did invite professional actors for the voice acting, though.



As a result, the scary game about a pizzeria employee who should not fall into the clutches of animatronic dolls became a real hit and grew into an entire franchise. And in 2023, a full-length film based on this game was even released with George Hutcherson in the lead role.