In the wake of the latest From Bedrooms to Billions release – The Amiga Years, I thought it’d be fun to put together a must-see list of gaming documentaries. If you’re like me, you’re a little more than just a casual gamer, you’re interested where games came from, the overall scene, or you just want an excuse to bathe in gaming nostalgia whether you were there or not.

I’ve tried to include links to all documentaries where possible. Don’t hesitate to recommend some others to me, I’m always after more and may look into doing a follow-up list soon.

1. From Bedrooms to Billions (2014)

The original documentary from filmmakers Nicola and Anthony Caulfield. It’s a must watch for anybody interested in the early British video games industry. For me, growing up with a ZX Spectrum as one of my first gaming devices, and using a BBC Micro early on in school, it’s a fascinating watch.

2. The King of Kong – A Fistful of Quarters (2007)

Based around the Donkey Kong arcade game, The King of Kong follows challenger Steve Wiebe in his attempts to de-throne reigning champ Billy Mitchell. It can be a little two dimensional in its narrative, but it’s thoroughly entertaining and even quite inspiring!

3. Indie Game the Movie (2012)

The documentary follows independent game developers as they reflect on the challenges of releasing their games and dealing with its after effects. Featured are Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes with Super Meat Boy, Phil Fish with Fez, and Jonathan Blow with Braid.

4. Space Invaders – In Search of Lost Time (2012)

After the video games crash in the early 80s, arcade venues closed in droves. This film documents the enthusiasts who frequented those now forgotten venues, as they went on to collect and preserve the arcade machines along with their cherished memories.

5. World 1-1 (2015)

World 1-1 explores how Atari kickstarted the games industry, as well how its mistakes nearly destroyed it. The documentary features interviews with some of the major personalities of the time, including Nolan Bushnell, Al Alcorn and Howard Scott Warshaw.

6. From Bedrooms to Billions – The Amiga Years (2016)

This documentary is the second created by filmmakers Nicola and Anthony Caulfield. After the first highlighted the timeline of British video games industry from 1979 to present day, this as the title suggests, focuses on the Amiga. It features tonnes of exclusive interviews with designers, artists, musicians and much more. The Special edition (not out at this time) promises 3 extra hours of content!

7. Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade (2007)

Featuring most of the ‘characters’ you meet in The King of Kong, this documentary is less good vs evil, more about the competitive scene back in the 80s.

8. Atari – Game Over (2014)

Ever wondered whether the story about Atari games, particularly E.T, being buried in a landfill in New Mexico was true? Well wonder no more! I won’t spoil the ending but as well as covering the early 80s video games crash, this documentary investigates the burial site and puts the theory to rest once and for all.

9. Minecraft – The Story of Mojang (2012)

It might be a controversial one for the list, but I for one thoroughly enjoyed the story of how Markus “Notch” Persson created arguably one of the most successful games of our generation.

10. Video Games the Movie (2014)

It’s maybe a little cheesey in its delivery, but this film manages to paint a broad picture of the games industry from the early days up to present day, also asking the question to where it’s headed. It’s a bit more mainstream minded and in its execution, so might be a little more accessible than the others listed.