Remember the days when LAN parties were the highlight of your social life? The symphony of whirring computer fans, the percussive click-clack of mechanical keyboards, and the rustle of oversized Doritos bags being passed around still evoke fond memories for many.
Retro classics like Half-Life and Counter-Strike—and yes, if these games are old enough to vote, they’re definitely old enough to be considered retro—continue to captivate massive audiences on Steam, two decades after their initial release.
Looking back at these times fondly, gaming enthusiasts at U4GM decided to investigate which beloved titles from the ’90s and early 2000s were still drawing significant crowds. Their methodology was straightforward yet effective: they used Steam’s filtering system to focus on games released before 2004 and tapped into SteamDB for current player statistics.
Six Degrees of Valve
The results might as well be called a “Valve takeover,” because the top 10 list is packed with Half-Life and Counter-Strike titles.
At the heart of Valve‘s success is the Half-Life series. Released in 1998, Half-Life set a new standard for first-person shooters and became the foundation of an entire gaming ecosystem.
Its 2004 sequel, Half-Life 2, took the series even further, bringing in new physics that would shape game design for years. The spin-off, Half-Life 2: Deathmatch, brought these features online, letting players enjoy multiplayer action in the Half-Life world.
But Valve‘s real genius was in spotting and supporting talent among its fans. Counter-Strike, which started as a fan-made add-on for Half-Life, is a perfect example. It became so popular that Valve bought it and released it as its own game in 2000. This success continued with Counter-Strike: Condition Zero and Counter-Strike: Source, each version improving on the addictive gameplay that made the original so popular.
This foundation helped shape e-gaming as we know it, where Counter-Strike is now synonymous with elite-level play, tactical skill, and massive tournaments that attract global audiences.
Wai-Fai Cou, gaming expert at U4GM commented: “Valve basically struck gold by turning fan-made mods into some of the most popular games out there. The fact that Counter-Strike started as a mod and is now an eSports giant is inspiring, I wonder what games released this year we’ll still be playing in twenty years time?”
Here’s a look at the top 10 games still thriving on Steam:
Top 10 Games Released Before 2004:
- Counter-Strike: Source
Developer: Valve
Publisher: Valve
Release Date: November 1, 2004
Number of Reviews: 40,480
Current Player Count: 6,386
Review Sentiment: Overwhelmingly Positive - Counter-Strike
Developer: Valve
Publisher: Valve
Release Date: November 1, 2000
Number of Reviews: 31,391
Current Player Count: 6,287
Review Sentiment: Overwhelmingly Positive - Half-Life
Developer: Valve
Publisher: Valve
Release Date: November 19, 1998
Number of Reviews: 48,611
Current Player Count: 602
Review Sentiment: Overwhelmingly Positive - Half-Life 2
Developer: Valve
Publisher: Valve
Release Date: November 16, 2004
Number of Reviews: 70,868
Current Player Count: 556
Review Sentiment: Overwhelmingly Positive - Stronghold Crusader HD
Developer: FireFly Studios
Publisher: FireFly Studios
Release Date: July 31, 2002
Number of Reviews: 5,382
Current Player Count: 490
Review Sentiment: Overwhelmingly Positive - POSTAL 2
Developer: Running With Scissors
Publisher: Running With Scissors
Release Date: April 14, 2003
Number of Reviews: 35,548
Current Player Count: 378
Review Sentiment: Overwhelmingly Positive - SimCity™ 4 Deluxe Edition
Developer: EA Maxis
Publisher: EA Maxis
Release Date: September 22, 2003
Number of Reviews: 4789
Current Player Count: 319
Review Sentiment: Very Positive - Counter-Strike: Condition Zero
Developer: Valve
Publisher: Valve
Release Date: March 1, 2004
Number of Reviews: 6,559
Current Player Count: 227
Review Sentiment: Very Positive - Worms Armageddon
Developer: Team 17 Digital Ltd
Publisher: Team 17 Digital Ltd
Release Date: May 31, 1991
Number of Reviews: 3237
Current Player Count: 123
Review Sentiment: Very Positive - Half-Life 2: Deathmatch
Release Date: November 1, 2004
Number of Reviews: 4,106
Current Player Count: 110
Review Sentiment: Very Positive
Wai-Fai Cou: “It’s funny when you think about it—Steam was practically Valve’s playground when it launched. It started as a way to push updates for Counter-Strike and Half-Life, and now look at it, it’s the go-to platform for gamers, with Valve’s top games still holding their ground years later.”
While Valve games dominate the list due to their continued role in eSports, a few other beloved classics are still holding their own in the top 10.
At number 5, Stronghold Crusader HD keeps strategy buffs hooked with its castle-building and siege warfare. POSTAL 2 sits at number 6, continuing to push buttons and draw laughs with its over-the-top sandbox chaos.
SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition takes the 7th spot, proving that the “just one more thing” appeal of city-building is as strong as ever. And at number 9, Worms Armageddon remains the go-to game for settling scores with friends using exploding sheep and banana bombs.
In a world full of cutting-edge graphics and high-octane gaming experiences, it’s pretty amazing how some of these retro throwbacks continue to hold their own.
Whether it’s thanks to modders breathing new life into them, streamers showing them off to new audiences, continued updates by the developers, their role in eSports or just the pure nostalgia factor, these games still have people coming back for more.
Wai-Fai Cou noted: “Retro gaming isn’t going anywhere. People are still loving these games because they’re just that good. It’s like comfort food, but for gaming—you keep coming back because nothing else hits quite the same.”
So, whether you’re reliving the good ol’ days or jumping into these classics for the first time, one thing’s for sure—retro gaming is here to stay, and it’s never been more fun.
