Good Things Don't Always Come Quickly
Making a video game takes patience (just ask Rockstar), but some games really test the limits of what we’re willing to wait for. Between changing technology, ambitious creative decisions, and complete development restarts, a few titles out there have experienced unusually complicated production histories—and we’re here to show which releases had us on the edge of our seats for well over a decade.
1. Duke Nukem Forever (1997–2011)
Few games have become quite as notorious for their development troubles as Duke Nukem Forever, which was announced in 1997. Thanks to a ton of problems, it didn’t hit shelves until 2011: multiple engine changes, technical problems, and the collapse of its original development operation. It wasn’t even worth it; reviews weren’t kind when it finally released.
dalvenjah from USA on Wikimedia
2. Final Fantasy XV (2006–2016)
Originally announced as Final Fantasy Versus XIII in 2006, this ambitious Square Enix RPG spent over a decade evolving into something much different. It’s easy to see how the more you learn about it. The project underwent significant creative changes before being reintroduced as Final Fantasy XV in 2013, eventually reaching gamers in 2016.
3. Kien (2002–2024)
Imagine developing a Game Boy Advance title in 2002 and not releasing it until 2024. It’s not the time that should worry you—it’s that the release came long after Nintendo stopped manufacturing the handheld at all! That's exactly what happened with Kien, an Italian action-platformer that remained unreleased for 22 years before publisher Incube8 helped bring it to market.
4. Nioh (2004–2017)
Before becoming a challenging samurai action RPG, Nioh actually kickstarted development in 2004 as a PS3 project. Koei Tecmo then spent about 13 years reshaping the concept, eventually placing Team Ninja in charge of its new direction. By the time it launched on PS4 in 2017, we all got something well worth the wait: a game packed with historical Japan, supernatural enemies, and swordplay.
5. Black Mesa (2004–2020)
What began in 2004 as an ambitious fan project eventually became one of the most impressive community-made remakes in gaming. Black Mesa recreated Valve's original Half-Life using the Source engine, with an initial playable release arriving in 2012 before the developers finished rebuilding the Xen chapters. Crowbar Collective finally released version 1.0 in 2020, approximately 16 years after the project's beginnings.
6. Mother 3 (1994–2006)
Nintendo's Mother 3 didn’t have a smooth ride to success. If anything, the whole project started as a difficult journey that began in 1994. Technical difficulties and shifting priorities eventually led to the cancellation of that version, though, and Japanese players only received the RPG in 2006.
7. Kenshi (2006–2018)
Developer Chris Hunt spent approximately 12 years building Kenshi, an unusually ambitious sandbox RPG where players can become anything from traders to warriors. Hunt seemingly wasn’t in any rush; much of its early development was handled independently before the finished 2018 release. After all that time, you did get an enormous, unforgiving world where surviving your first encounter felt like a legit achievement.
8. Clockwork Aquario (1991–2021)
Originally developed for arcade machines in 1991, Clockwork Aquario was abandoned before its creators could finish what they started. Decades later, ININ Games and Strictly Limited Games swooped in to recover the project and prepare it for modern consoles. After changing hands, the eventual 2021 release came a whopping 30 years after development began.
9. Caves of Qud (2007–2024)
Freehold Games started tinkering on Caves of Qud in 2007, developing a sci-fi adventure filled with mutations and elaborate simulations. Players did get their hands on early versions for years, but the developers kept adding quests and expanding its world. The complete 1.0 version only actually launched in 2024, making it something 17 years in the making.
10. Prey (1995–2006)
The original Prey began development under 3D Realms in 1995, long before players finally encountered its unusual science-fiction setting in 2006. Early technical ambitions proved difficult to realize, and the project underwent major changes before Human Head Studios took over development. Its finished version introduced memorable mechanics involving gravity manipulation, portals, and a protagonist named Tommy fighting through an alien spacecraft.
11. Grimoire: Heralds of the Winged Exemplar (1990s–2017)
You can’t say the creators didn’t pour their hearts into this one—especially after two decades of development! This behemoth finally appeared on Steam in 2017, and creator Cleve Blakemore had been gabbing about the project since the 1990s. If you ever play for yourself, you’re looking at a dungeon exploration with extensive character customization, so it's not a bad wait.
12. Secrets of Grindea (2011–2024)
No one said you had to ditch school to make a difference! Just ask Swedish indie studio Pixel Ferrets, who began creating Secrets of Grindea around 2011 while its developers were still in class. The RPG entered early access in 2015, allowing players to experience cooperative combat, dungeons, and character progression while development continued. After 13 years of work, the developers finally released the complete version in 2024.
13. Diablo III (Early 2000s–2012)
Blizzard knows how to make games worth waiting for…and they know it, which is probably why we were all sitting on our hands for Diablo III. The developer reportedly began experimenting with it in 2001, although its early development history is plagued by studio changes and abandoned work. Either way, it did reach gamers in 2012, more than a decade after the earliest reported development efforts.
14. 7 Days to Die (2013–2024)
Survival enthusiasts first gained access to 7 Days to Die in 2013, when The Fun Pimps launched their zombie-infested sandbox through Steam. But it was far from a one-and-done. Over the years, the developers just kept expanding, and its official 1.0 release only arrived in 2024. If you got your hands on it in 2013, talk about an early-access experience!
15. Mewgenics (2012–2026)
Edmund McMillen's bizarre cat-breeding game Mewgenics was originally announced in 2012—and then it disappeared for years. After the original version was shelved, McMillen eventually revived the concept with Tyler Glaiel, transforming it into something else entirely. The finished game arrived in 2026, 14 years after its initial conception.
16. Dwarf Fortress (2002–2022)
It’s always nice when families work together, and brothers Tarn and Zach Adams did exactly that with Dwarf Fortress in 2002. They built an extraordinarily detailed simulation, and an early public version appeared in 2006, but the duo kept expanding it for years. Its 2022 Steam release introduced all kinds of accessibility improvements after two decades of development, and even now, the project is actively updated.
17. Metroid Dread (2000s–2021)
Nintendo originally explored the concept behind Metroid Dread during the Nintendo DS era, but that doesn’t mean they had an easy time doing so. Technological limitations kept putting the brakes on the project, and it wasn't until producer Yoshio Sakamoto teamed up with MercurySteam that the intended experience was finally made possible. When it eventually launched in 2021, the adventure concluded a storyline that began decades earlier, even though production hadn't been continuous.
18. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl (2010–2024)
First announced in 2010, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 hit roadblock after roadblock, and it looked like it might not happen at all. Serious development problems arose when GSC Game World shut down and canceled the whole project in 2012. Development eventually resumed years later, only for the Ukrainian studio to suffer further hardships after Russia's 2022 invasion. But they somehow managed to make it happen, and the long-awaited shooter arrived in 2024.
19. Hytale (2015–2026)
Development of Hytale started in 2015, but Riot Games acquired Hypixel Studios in 2020, forcing the project to be canceled in 2025. It got squashed before its original founders even acquired the rights and revived an older version. But players gained access in 2026, more than a decade after work began, even though the early-access release was incomplete.
Enrique Guzmán Egas on Unsplash
20. Star Citizen (2010–Present)
Cloud Imperium Games' Star Citizen has one of gaming's most ambitious development histories, dating back to 2010. Funded mainly through crowdfunding, the space simulator has gradually introduced playable ships, cool missions, and other systems through its ongoing alpha releases. Funnily enough, it still hasn't reached a finished 1.0 release at the time of writing this, so its saga continues!
