Esports was first introduced to the world by Atari in 1980 when they hosted the Space Invaders Championship. As video games have grown in popularity over the years, competitive gameplay tournaments have also increased. More people than ever are participating in competitions and accepting what is happening in the world of sports, even going so far as to arrange betting odds for players.
Some of the most played games include League of Legends and Call of Duty, but as with all sports, there are some genuinely niche games with intense competitors. Some make sense depending on the game type, while others are as random as they are entertaining.
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10/10 Catherine (2011)
Catherine is a game developed by the people who brought us Persona, and it has had a wide reception since its release in 2011. The story revolves around a man trying to form a relationship with one of two women. You solve block puzzles to advance in the game, and in multiplayer you compete against your opponent to be the first to get to the top of the puzzle.
It first appeared competitively at the NorCal Install tournament, but has since been hosted at EVO.
9/10 GeoGuessr (2013)
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GeoGuessr is possibly one of the least likely games that will ever come to mind when it comes to esports. GeoGuessr is all about looking at a street-level view of a map. The closer you get to guessing where you were placed on the map, the more points you earn. It’s a casual game that lets you explore the world through gameplay with single and multiplayer modes.
The multiplayer mode made it the competitive game that its fans love. GeoGuessr and Reddit often host events and have a large following on Twitch.
8/10 Age of Empires (1997–present)
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Age of Empires was first released in 1997, and several iterations of the title have been developed since then. A real-time strategy game that takes you back to the Stone Age and lets you build your own civilization from scratch. The game alone doesn’t seem like a very competitive concept. However, each game in the series has inspired tournaments to see who can build the strongest empire.
Age of Empires has seen competitive play at Red Bull Wololo, among others, and is streaming for fans on Twitch and YouTube.
7/10 Farming Simulator (2008–present)
The first Farming Simulator was released in 2008 and is still going strong, with new games being added to the series about every two to three years. The gameplay is literally what the title suggests: simulated high-yield farming. Even as a casual game, this might not be for everyone, but it’s far from on the minds of most people when it comes to listing esports.
Leagues are formed and tournaments are organized into 15 minute games, resulting in intense players that can be very fun to watch. The payout of the tournament hosted by Farming Simulator League can be huge – up to $9,000 upwards.
6/10 Zwift (2014)
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Zwift is an online bike and running game that allows people to train and race virtually. Logically, cycling and running are physical sports, so a switch to esports makes sense. Still, the massive following is unlikely given how niche the game is.
The UCI Cycling Esports World Championships is the main venue for these events, with each race taking place on a different city map. 2022 was scheduled in New York City with two races over 50 kilometers.
5/10 OSU! (2007)
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Many music and rhythm games are played competitively, but osu! has a unique and passionate fanbase that competes in tournaments. The game is free and has over 19 million active players.
The Osu! The World Championship is held annually, with mini-tournaments for beginners and experts held throughout the year. The community is as supportive as it is competitive, with players from all over the world participating in every event.
4/10 Shaq Fu (1994)
Shaq Fu is a game as unlikely in its conception as it is in its inclusion in modern esports. Starring basketball star Shaquille O’Neal, Shaq Fu is a mid-90s fighting game from EA. It wasn’t well received in its time, which makes it all the more puzzling that it found a rebirth in competitive gameplay.
One of the most notable hosts of Shaq Fu tournaments is CEO in Daytona, which hosts Shaq Fu as a side tournament that is free to enter. Support for these tournaments was so keen that the sequel, Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn, was released in 2018.
3/10 Dead by Daylight (2016)
Dead By Daylight is a 4v1 multiplayer game in which players are assigned a role in a horror story – either as a killer or as one of the potential victims trying to avoid death. Because of the nature of the game, it lends itself well to competitive games that are fun to watch or participate in.
Tournaments are arranged on community forums such as Discord and can be viewed on Twitch. While it doesn’t have a major host of events, Dead By Daylight has pro and amateur leagues and cash prize tournaments, some of which are run exclusively for charities.
2/10 Shrek Super Slam (2005)
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While none of the Shrek games can claim to be hugely successful upon their release, Shrek SuperSlam enjoyed a strong following in the mid-2000s. A fighting game with the characters from the Shrek films, in which up to four people can take part at the same time.
Tournaments for Shrek SuperSlam are hosted online – one of the largest being ShrekFest – and have cash prizes, although typically small amounts. The main rewards are braggart rights and the strong community that players have built.
1/10 Turbo Racing League (2013)
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Turbo Racing League is a free-to-play mobile game based on the 2013 DreamWorks film Turbo about a snail obsessed with becoming a pro racer. The game gained most of its popularity because DreamWorks worked with Verizon to create a series of tournaments to promote the film.
Over two months and nine tournaments, DreamWorks paid out $1 million to winners, cementing its place in esports history.
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