I spend a lot of time replaying video games that have followed me throughout my life. I still fully enjoy them and their stories. On top of that, I don’t mind coming across spoilers for things I’m excited to play or watch. 

With that in mind, these are the gaming experiences I wish I could press restart on and experience again for the very first time.

5. Wii Sports (Wii, 2006)

Wii Sports was a revolution. I wish the games had been a bit more in-depth and challenging. But the very first weeks—months even—of owning a Wii with my family and realizing what motion controls did for gaming? Unmatched.

We all spent days on end challenging each other to rotating rounds of baseball, boxing and endless rounds of bowling. Before the novelty of actually moving around to play wore off, we were active and having fun while playing video games. I remember nights sweating, literally running back and forth in front of my TV playing tennis.

4. Assassin’s Creed (Xbox 360, 2007)

The first time I played as Desmond Miles, I didn’t realize that the franchise would be churning out annual installments for nearly two decades. I’ve never even been into historical settings in video games or movies, but Assassin’s Creed drew me in. I wish I could go back and enjoy the first two games before their sequels took over my shelves.

The novelty of the story, playing through memories of Desmond’s ancestor in the Animus, hooked me immediately. I was fully reeled in as I got deeper into the game. I enjoyed the chaos I could cause while trying to unravel the modern-day conspiracy that Desmond was wrapped up in. I don’t even like stealth games, but playing chaotically and hiding just long enough to escape made it fun. 

3. Resident Evil (PSX, 1996)

No, I didn’t play this game in 1996. I was probably about 9 the first time I played it, just a few years later when the DualShock version of the game was released. And I was terrified. The first time I went down the hall where the dog jumped through the window, I screamed and turned my PlayStation off before I even realized what happened. 

Resident Evil has grown on me since that night, and it’s now one of my favorite franchises of all time. But the sheer terror that I got playing the game the first few times was overwhelming. Between the jump scares, limited camera views that kept enemies hidden during first encounters, along with the anxiety of finding ribbons to save the game, a first playthrough will always feel different than running it back for nostalgia.

2. Marvel’s Spider-Man (PS4, 2018)

Spider-Man made the PS4 go from a want to a need. I was happy with my Xbox One and PS3 until this announcement. On a whim, I ended up buying myself a PS4 as a birthday gift the year before Spider-Man released—and this game made it all worth it. 

I’ve loved Spider-Man since watching the animated series on Fox Kids. Being Spider-Man in a completely original story was a whole new level of cool. The gameplay alone is worth adding to this list, but the story was so well done that I could not get enough of it. I’m probably going to play the game again soon, but for someone who seeks out spoilers at times, I would love to let it unfold again without knowing a thing.

1. The Last of Us (PS3, 2013)

Another PlayStation exclusive is rounding out my list. This one made the PlayStation 3 a must-own. The moment it was announced, I had a special edition of The Last of Us preordered. I didn’t know anyone with a PS3, so I went from the PS2 to the Xbox 360, but I asked for a PS3 for Christmas before TLOU was released. 

I don’t think I’d ever seen a video game world so beautiful and rich with detail as I walked through the destroyed cities as Joel. His relationship with Ellie was the most important part of the game, but the mechanics were enjoyable, too. I even loved jumping into the multiplayer modes and stalking the other team with my bow and arrow. 

I’ve played this game countless times, across three generations of PlayStation. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of it. But if I could go back and relive Joel building his relationship with Ellie for the first time? There would be no question that this would be my top pick. Even if it means having to relive the saddest game prologue of all time.

There we have it, my five games I wish I could play again without a clue of what was to come. Let me know if you agree with my picks, and which games would make your top 5.