The Strong Museum in New York expands its Video Game Hall of Fame every year, with Call of Duty, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Star Craft, and more in 2021.

Each year, the judges make a list of thousands of projects, and then they vote to decide who will enter the Hall of Fame this time. The games themselves are selected based on the impact of projects on the industry, contribution to the development of other games, and popularity.

This year, the judges noted the merits of 12 games:

Animal Crossing is a relaxed gameplay that has enjoyed a hit with casual and enthusiastic players alike, and has spawned many sequels.

Call of Duty – Released by Infinity Ward / Activision in 2003, helped popularize cinematic first-person action films.

FarmVille – Millions of people created their first social media accounts just to play this simple flash game on Facebook.

FIFA International Soccer is the most popular sports game franchise of all time, with continuous sales backed by annual releases from publisher Electronic Arts.

Guitar Hero – Released in 2005, Guitar Hero by Harmonix encouraged players to free their inner rock star by following onscreen notes and playing plastic guitar to the beat of popular music.

Mattel Football – Mattel Electronics Football was the first handheld electronic game to introduce handheld games to millions of people.

Microsoft Flight Simulator – has provided millions of players with almost endless gameplay, as well as very realistic, but intuitive to fly real planes.

Pole Position – the game became the highest grossing arcade game in the USA in 1983.

Portal – presented a unique gaming experience, accompanied by witty dialogues, an ever-changing storyline and unforgettable characters.

StarCraft has won several Game of the Year awards and has spawned its own series of novels, graphic novels, licensed toys, clothing, and gaming accessories.

Tron – Midway’s Tron was the first arcade game associated with a Hollywood movie.

Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? – spawned one of the best-selling education and entertainment franchises.