Ragnarok Online

The end-all-be-all of MMOs or even games on the internet, maybe even at all, for me. I can't overemphasize how formative RO was for me. It's fun in a group but it's incredible solo, which is an option that I always need and many MMos just can't deliver on. The wondrous and hard earned exploration is such a fond memory. The music is universally loved (if you don't love it, shut up I don't care). I even played some of it at my wedding. This game evokes such a powerful, beautiful sense of nostalgia, fernweh, and homesickness all at once. Even in the moment there was a pervasive, sparkling longing to it - personified by the opening theme. The Theme of Prontera sounds like home. And the game is just unmatched in so many aspects. It's never been recreated, even by its own developers. There's nothing like it and there never will be. And it still holds up despite the my naysaying husband, it's just I don't have the time I used to as a kid to sink into it. Ragnarok Online forever and High Priest for life!

Pryce

One of few multiplayer games on this list - it's a Byond game that used to have mandatory RP. While the game's successor is still around, last I checked no one really roleplays anymore. But basically, you roleplay a group of students locked in a school overnight and one is a killer. This was way before Among Us or the new Death Note game. I've had some of the best roleplays ever in this game; usually in Shiki or Doppleganger mode (and always in the classical style school map, for some reason). I strongly based my last tabletop campaign off of it, a concept I've had in my mind since I played this.

ChatChat

Meow. Shout out to my friend who played ImmorTall, who also tried this. A simple little chat game where you kind of just vibe as a cat and, if you're lucky, jump into some quick and uncomplicated social interaction. It's still around as its own website. Try it! It's so cute.

Story of the Blanks

This amazing game got me in trouble with my family when they saw my spooky fanart that I left in the scanner, but that's besides the point. I love this one, and it not only manages to be spooky and compelling, but somehow still captures the spirit of FiM at its best. You play as Applebloom during a harrowing night - and aside from an amazing and chilling story, adorable pixel art, and an authentic feeling of an old game it features some chiptune music that I haven't forgotten all these years later.

The Company of Myself

The sequel meant a lot more to me, but it doesn't have the same impact if you don't play this one first. Even so, I liked this one a lot when I first played it on Kongregate - enough to be very excited when the sequel came out. I sought out these little 'too deep' games out, but it still managed to leave an impression on me. Especially the music, and for what time the game has to bloom it does a great job with the symbolism and atmosphere. My favorite thing is how the central theme and title are integrated into the gameplay, which is unique and challenging.

Fixation

It's unfortunate, but Kongregate's built in player doesn't seem to support this game, though I'm sure anyone who may read this can find a workaround (especially on more modern platforms like itch.io, where 2Darray continues to make games. Like its prequel, the music is striking, but this game manages to be dark and relateable and full of lovely callbacks to the original game - making its foregone conclusion even more melancholy. The platforming is fine, but the way the puzzles express Kathryn's turmoil and the visuals of the smoke is what makes this game mesmerizing.

Loved

If this wasn't the first 'weird' flash game I played, it was an early one. It was so profound to me, so dark and so simple that I immediately showed my cousin who loved it as well (embarrassing, but we had a great time likening it to our various OCs, haha). It's so oppressive and foreboding within its little confines, and I love the way the color is used. Without saying too much, it's just as disconcerting as the black and white if you don't choose to trigger them, but allows you to feel however you like about the major paths of the game.

The Majesty of Colors

Likely the most famous (even earning a remaster here; but it still works here) of the flash games on this list - and for good reason. It's so dreamlike, gently bizarre, but comprehensible and evocative in a way that makes it feel like a dream you've really had before. There's a bit of optimism about humanity in general in one of the route that now feels sad in grim retrospect.

ImmorTall

Short and sad...I don't have much to say about this one that isn't shown in the game itself (other than praise for the way the musical cues feel so impactful). I even managed to get a friend to play it just a couple of years ago - something I've almost never been able to do with these old games. It still remains playable here.

Depict1

I was kinda into platformers, huh? No real surprise there, but this game is free to download! It another clever game that toys with the conceit of following directions, but it's surprisingly substantial with 30 levels and multiple endings. I also like the way it looks and the choice of colors - even the ambiguity of the player character's design is something that I like a lot.

Fear-Less

This one is just impressively cute, with a satisfying - even addictive - gameplay loop. I had so much fun getting all the upgrades. There's a little bit of a message, and it's good, but it's one I'd hold up if I was trying to beat the '2deep' allegations. Still, it's no less a favorite for it! Look at how well designed and intentional the art is.

Haunt the House

Haunt the House is also just way too cute; it's very fun to play on Halloween but really any time! The layout of the mansion is so fun, the sounds are delightful, and the various effects are just ingenious. It's so well made and surprisingly relateable. If I haunted a mansion like that, I'd want to keep it all to myself too. Oh, and there's a surprising amount of endings! With very cute (if not morbid) twists.

One and One Story

The Story isn't on the level of their other games, but this is still a lovely, touching game with pleasing aesthetics and yet more beautiful, fitting music. The music especially is what stuck with me; it's so evocative and romantic.

How to Raise a Dragon

This is such a cool game, even if I don't love at least one of the routes (I HATE when dragons die and it so often happens in fantasy - I get it, what's more powerful and demonstrative of a character's strength? It's fine when they're evil and sapient about it -- you know what, I need to cut this short). There's so many neat little choices and routes and endings packed into this deceptively simple looking game - and it's just adorable.

Rebuild

Look, I know that nobody cares but I liked zombies before they were cool and I still like zombie fictions even now after everyone's tired of it. This game started around the same time they took off and man is it cool; they made three of them but the first one is the most accessible and there's still something so pleasing about it even though the second is probably the most perfect. Oh and it is SUCH a challenge on the harder modes, yet fun enough that I didn't mind going at it a hundred times.

Demons Took My Daughter

There's a couple of these games: they're both great, but this one is my favorite - the aesthetic, the spooky and mischievous music, the cute design of the demons, and the tower defense mechanics come together in a way I absolutely adore. The other one is Zombies Took My Daughter and it's more like a paltformer from what I can remember.

Robot Wants Kitty

I...don't remember much about the specifics but according to old accounts, I played this enough to sweep all the achievements across various websites. I know it was one in a series and my favorite. It's adorable; I love robots, I love platformers, I love cats. So of course I liked this one.