The Best God Games of All Time

Your votes determine the order of this list of the best all-time "god" simulation games. A so-called "god game" is a video game in which the player controls a large-scale simulation of life or communities. Frequently, gameplay involves the use of supernatural powers, giving rise to the name. (Many games also include an all-powerful "god mode," but this does not necessarily make them "god games.")

The genre is commonly thought to have started after the release of "Populous" in 1989, which introduced the notion of increasing the player's godlike powers proportionally to the number of worshippers they had inspired. Several other games followed suit, including some such as Super Nintendo's "ActRaiser," that combined god simulations with more traditional action-adventure gameplay. The genre has also been adapted for mobile game play, with the successful launch of "Pocket God," in which players control the fates of natives on a tropical island.