10 Best Games That Started As Mods (2024)

One of the best things about the gaming industry is that there is no one way to make a video game. Some come from AAA studios with millions of dollars worth of funding behind them, while others come from indie developers with motivation and a dream. Sometimes, fans get together to make ground-breaking mods that end up taking off, leading to some of the biggest game franchises around, including PUBG: Battlegrounds and Counter-Strike.

It is surprising how many mods ended up becoming massive titles. Mods are often seen as somewhat of a new commodity in gaming, but some of these titles have been around longer than some console lines. If players could get access to the engines behind games, they also added mods to the game to make it whatever they want. Interestingly, some titles provide better grounds for modding than others, with Half-Life 2 being one of the best examples.

10 Enderal: Forgotten Stories Is A Total Conversion With A Steam Page

Started As A Skyrim Mod

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is famous for being a foundation for some of the most amazing mods around. Total conversion mods allow players to completely transform a game into whatever they want. Enderal: Forgotten Stories is one of the best examples of this, turning the Nordic land of Skyrim into an entirely different country. Enderal has done so well that it won a 2016 Game Award for the best fan creation and brings some great story telling to the fantasy genre.

Enderal is currently free to download on Steam, using both the original and Special Edition of Skyrim as a base. It has its own Steam page for both versions and when it is installed, it will be treated as an entirely separate game that won't affect Skyrim. In fact, either version of Skyrim doesn't need to be installed, only owned, and the game adds many systems, which further its immersion.

9 The Forgotten City Was Remade With Unreal Engine 4

Started As A Skyrim Mod

The Forgotten City began life as a reasonably immersive Skyrim quest mod. It garnered fame for its creative use of a time-loop mechanic to solve puzzles and has some incredibly creative writing to pull players into the intrigue of the quest. It also used Tamriel's Empire as an aesthetic to create an Ancient Roman civilisation, but it was hampered and held back as a mod for a larger game. Thankfully, the mod creators established themselves as a studio and remade the quest as its own game with Unreal Engine 4.

The Forgotten City hit Steam in 2021 and has an aesthetic completely separate to Skyrim. In fact, the game doubled down on the mod's Ancient Roman look with marble buildings, centurion armor and time-appropriate clothing. The creativity of the original is still in the official version of the game, and is no longer held back by trying to fit into Skyrim and the world of Nirn. The time-loop mechanic is better than ever and the visuals of UE4 make it quite impressive for such a small studio.

8 Garry's Mod Is The Source Engine At Its Best

Started As A Half-Life 2 Mod

Although mod is in the name, Garry's Mod has become its own thing, with popularity that has arguably eclipsed Half-Life 2's (the game it started out as a mod for). With the ability to let players do whatever they want within the Source Engine, Garry's Mod has become practically immortal, garnering popularity with anyone from roleplayers to prop-hunters. Still, it has quirks and items from Half-Life to remind everyone where the game came from.

For some, Garry's Mod is a playable embodiment of the incredible Source Engine and grants players unparalleled freedom. It uniquely straddles the line between a game and a tool, allowing players to set up mini-games like Breach, Murder, and Prop Hunt. If players want to do something, Garry's Mod will likely let them. This is a testament to the versatility of the Source Engine used in Half-Life 2.

7 Chivalry Started Its Own Genre

Began As A Half-Life 2 Mod

Chivalry has practically started its own niche genre of first person, medieval war games, where titles like Mordhau followed its lead. Torn Banner Studios has made a popular sequel in Chivalry 2, and is looking at releasing No More Room In Hell 2, clearly demonstrating success since its first game. Amazingly, this all began as a Half-Life 2 mod called Age of Chivalry. Back then, the developer behind it was simply called Team Chivalry.

With the fun, chaotic nature of the Chivalry games, it should be no surprise that the Source Engine used to be its home. Now, the Chivalry series uses the widely popular Unreal Engine 4 and if a sequel is made, it will likely move to UE5. The series' combat is unique, especially with how it asks the player to use the mouse, and it's no wonder that it made its own genre in the competitive multiplayer scene.

6 Team Fortress Classic Paved The Way For TF2

Started As A Quake Mod

Many attribute the creation of the hero shooter genre to the Team Fortress series, even if Overwatch made it widely popular back in 2016. Although TF2 became a giant in its own right, with players continually enjoying the title ever since its release, the series began with Team Fortress Classic back in 1999. This title was based off a mod for Quake in 1996, simply titled Team Fortress.

Each version of Team Fortress was made on a different engine, with the mod using the Quake Engine, Classic using the GoldSrc Engine, and TF2 using the famous Source Engine. Despite this, the core identity of having two teams with class/hero-based characters competing against each other remained from version to version, eventually culminating in the charming TF2. This then led to the success of the genre, with titles like Overwatch, Paladins, and Valorant.

5 PUBG Is A Battle Royale Giant

Started As An Arma 3 Mod

PUBG: Battlegrounds (formerly known as PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds) is one of the titans of the battle royale genre and once competed with Fortnite for the crown. Although almost nothing can now compete with the immense popularity of Fortnite, PUBG is still massive in its own right and offers a more realistic setting to shoot at strangers online. It began life as an Arma 3 mod in 2015 with the original name and has catapulted in success ever since.

PUBG was recreated using Unreal Engine 4 when it became its own standalone game in 2017. Since then, it has received a mobile version, has had numerous collaborations and earned a loyal fan base. Its larger maps, more realistic setting and slower gameplay offer a great alternative to many fast-paced and hectic battle royales out there.

4 The Stanley Parable Is A Story Telling Marvel

Began As A Half-Life 2 Mod

The Stanley Parable combines charm, wit and excellent story telling to create a truly unique experience. Although its gameplay essentially makes it a glorified walking simulator around an office, its charismatic narrator and the choices offered to the player keep it interesting, no matter what players choose to have Stanley (the protagonist) do. It received an expanded re-imagining with the Ultra Deluxe version released in 2022 and continues to keep players captivated.

The original version of the game was released in 2013, but is a recreation of the 2011 mod for Half-Life 2. Like the game it was once a mod for, The Stanley Parable uses the Source Engine and does seem to have the charm of a Valve title, even if it was made by the relatively small Galactic Cafe team. It is one of those games that many have heard of, thanks to the number of popular let's play videos on it, and is well worth checking out if players want a trippy, choice-based story unlike any other.

3 No More Room In Hell Is A Zombie Co-op Gem

A Standalone Half-Life 2 Mod

No More Room In Hell 2 is hitting the Steam and Epic stores on Halloween, 2024, with an early access build, but the game series started with humble roots before the studio behind it was acquired by Torn Banner. It began as a Half-Life 2 mod, using the versatile Source Engine to create a unique, eight-player co-op experience. The mod received its own Steam page, becoming a game in its own right.

The original mod was put on Steam in October 2011, and is free-to-play for everyone. It is unique in that it offers a zombie-survival setting with eight player co-op and permadeath. It has earned quite a cult following since its launch, and its sequel will split from its Half-Life roots by moving to Unreal Engine 5. Unlike the first, the sequel will need to be paid for.

2 Counter-Strike Is An FPS Titan

Started As A Half-Life Mod

Almost anyone who has played a video game has heard of Counter-Strike. Alongside the likes of Halo and Call of Duty, Counter-Strike is one of the most popular FPS games out there, with a strong Esports following and addictive gameplay that has kept players hooked for decades. Unlike other FPS giants, Counter-Strike began life as a mod, with its first version stemming from the original Half-Life.

The Counter-Strike mod was made by Valve, who developed Half-Life, so the first version of the famous FPS was an official mod, rather than a fan-made one. Still, it captured the attention of players, leading to a franchise that is still going strong to this day. Counter-Strike 2, the series' latest title, launched in September 2023 and has a mighty player count behind it.

1 DOTA 2 Is A MOBA Monarch

Started As A Warcraft 3 Mod

It took a while for the MOBA genre to get an official game. DOTA began as a mod for Warcraft 3 and RTS titles have proved to be a popular choice for multiplayer online battle arena games. Aeons of Strife, the game widely accepted to be the first MOBA, was made as a mod for Starcraft, but the genre didn't kick off until the DOTA mod for Warcraft was made into its own title, creatively called DOTA 2.

Alongside League of Legends, DOTA 2 made MOBAs massive. DOTA has a strong player base with a healthy Esports scene and a Netflix animated series to boot. It is likely one of the most recognizable games that many players know began as a mod and is responsible for making MOBAs what they are today. Without the original Warcraft 3 mod, the genre might have remained in obscurity and would never have allowed for the success of LoL or DOTA 2, which remains a pillar of its genre like PUBG and Counter-Strike.