With the best mods of 2021, who needs a new game?

Whether it’s a fresh coat of paint to an old game or the addition of an entirely new game mode, mods are sometimes just as big as the original games they build upon. It seems fitting then, that as the year draws to a close, that fans reflect on the best mods created this year.

On Monday, ModDB, which turns 20 in 2022, released its annual roundup of the best mods released in 2021. The awards are voted on by the website’s readers; The top 10 includes mods for games like Doom 2 (1994) and Half-Life (1998), with a mod for Piranha Bytes’ 2003 action RPG Gothic 2: Night of the Raven taking the top prize.

The top five are:

• The Chronicles of Myrtana for Gothic 2: Night of the Raven
• Black Mesa: Blue Shift for Black Mesa (the fan-made reimagining of Half-Life)
• Command And Conquer: Generals Evolution for Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
• Signal Lost for Half-Life
• Rise of the East for Command & Conquer: Yuri’s Revenge.

The winning mod completely remakes Gothic 2: Night of the Raven. According to ModDB’s description, the addition brings a new open world, a new skill system, and a “complex story.” It was made by The Chronicles of Myrtana Team and launched Dec. 10.