Lots of games are based on true stories. Like JFK Reloaded — that guy really existed! Here’s some other games you may not have realized are based on things that happened in real life.
BioShock Infinite
Somehow, some way, this game is bafflingly a retelling of the Bay of Pigs disaster
Super Mario Galaxy
Based on the infamous incident at NASA where a plumber mistook a space shuttle for a bathroom and was accidentally jettisoned into space
The Last of Us
This game was accidentally based on true events that will happen in the year 2068
Crazy Taxi
The iconic driving series’ creator Stephen Frost has openly admitted the games are based on a taxi ride he once took that, while not expressly crazy, was at least slightly over the speed limit
Skyrim
Every single event in this game actually, literally happened to Todd Howard
Call of Duty
Fans of the shooter series were crushed to learn that war is a real thing that has killed millions of people
Ms. Pac-Man
The arcade staple is a tribute to creator Turo Iwatani’s mother, who in 1980 was murdered by a ghost.
The Oregon Trail
This PC classic about a trek through America rife with violence and disease was based on Motley Crue’s highly successful 1981-1982 “Boys in Action” tour.
Contra
Though largely assumed to be generally based on action movies from the ‘80s, this Konami classic was actually inspired by the oft forgotten initial Vietnam War strategy that saw America just dropping two guys in there and hoping for the best.
