Despite being fairly young compared to the likes of film and TV, gaming is rich with history and fascinating details. At the same time, there’s an emotional core and romanticism surrounding many games and their creators, who work tirelessly to see their projects to completion.
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These aspects naturally lend themselves to some captivatingdocumentaries—and some filmmakers have taken advantage of this, especially of late. Given its dynamic culture and history, as well as the slew of games on the market, there’s no shortage of great topics to pick when it comes to gaming. These are some of the most entertaining and intriguing.
Updated Jul 18, 2025, by Stephen LaGioia:As gaming continues to expand as a medium and grow in popularity, so too has the documentary film scene surrounding it. With everything from retro and arcade gaming to esports, indies, and hardware, there is a seemingly endless well of intriguing content to draw from on this front. And with so many docs (especially more recent releases) dealing with gaming, this list of the best video game documentaries has been refreshed and revisited. Education, as well as entertainment factor, were considered in these picks of thebest gaming documentaries.
12Nintendo Quest
Aside from being charming, retro games can make for rewarding, lucrative collectibles. That’s the notion this road film from Rob McCallum looks to tap into with 2015’sNintendo Quest —andfollow-up miniseries onAmazon Prime Video. The documentary revolves around retro game collector Jay Bartlett as well as his friends and film crew, as he embarks on a trek through Canada and the central US to gather all678officially licensedNES games.
There are a few catches. Jay must pull off this feat in just 30 days, and can’t buy online; exclusively getting the games through retail stores, friends, and other collectors. The result is a memorable road trip that’s part vacation and part intense scavenger hunt. Intermixed are various bits of history and interviews touching on the culture of playing, collecting, and competing in games. This one is fairly laid back and straightforward, but a fun watch all the same.
Nintendo Questcan be found free (with ads) on theRoku, Tubi, Plex, and Filmzieapps, and can also be rented or bought onAmazon Prime Video and Apple TV.
11Video Game Invasion: History of a Global Obsession
While this documentary errs on the drier side, it has the benefit of being available to be watched from the convenience of YouTube, so there is that. But really,Video Game Invasionfrom 2004 does do a fine job of getting into the early history of gaming in depth.
Hosted by Tony Hawk (because why not?), the documentary leans heavily on fun retro footage as well as interviews from various industry heads and fans, including Atari founder Nolan Bushnell. Those looking for a straight-up educational video of the 70s, 80s, and early 90s gaming in particular should enjoy this one.
10All Work All Play: The Pursuit of Esports Glory Live
Given the more personal level they take on, as well as the heated competition involved—esports and documentaries would seem to mesh well. This 2015 film by Patrick Creadon reinforces this notion, featuring a deep dive into the blossoming esports industry and honing in on pro gamers.
The movie highlights a group of passionate, dedicatedLeague of Legendsplayers competing in the ESL’s 2014Intel Extreme Masters World Championship. The film’s combination of intriguing details, high-stakes competition, and a more personal focus makesAll Work All Playa gripping watch for most of its two-and-a-half-hour runtime.
Unfortunately, this title isn’t available for streaming.
9The Lost Arcade
Taking a more characteristic angle, 2015’sThe Lost Arcadeserves as a love letter to the Chinatown Fair arcade in New York. Closed in 2011, the arcade was soon reopened, but it would be transformed somewhat under new management.
Director Kurt Vincent brings elements of nostalgia and personal connection with his anecdotes, focusing on the fighting game community and New York City at large (where the arcade resided). Known as the “last arcade”, which served as a place to hang out and connect with a diverse, often underprivileged youth—the film carries a more personal and emotional weight.
This film can be rented onVudu, Apple TV, Google Play, and YouTube.
8GameChangers: Dreams of BlizzCon
Produced by FilmRise, this esports-centric documentary looks in-depth at the inner workings of the pro gaming scene. Specifically, the movie follows two professional players of one of the most favored esports titles,StarCraft 2, as they fight to make the World Championships at BlizzCon 2014.
The film captivates by honing in on the sheer, raw talent (and rapid-fire keystrokes) of the players. At the same time, it entertains and draws in viewers emotionally, with a motivational, fist-pumping “rise to the top” premise akin to a sports movie. It’s easy to get invested in this hour and 30-minute ride, which zips byfaster than a Zerg swarm.
This title is currently available for free (with ads) onPeacock,and can be rented onApple TV.
7High Score
The multi-part miniseriesHigh Scoreis a chronological history of the 80s and 90s gaming, narrated bythe voice of Super Mario himself, Charles Martinet. The series is chock-full of interesting gaming facts, fun footage, as well as exclusive interviews that delve into gaming’s early days, cultural influence, and inevitable rise.
All six episodes more or less stick to a theme, genre, or cultural era, which includes Atari’s rise, the Nintendo-Sega console wars, and early role-playing games. Martinet brings a fittingly lighthearted character to this feel-good, nostalgic romp—which both seasoned gamers and newcomers can get something out of. The deep, overarching gaming segments are occasionally broken up with more personal narratives, adding sentimentality and cultural relevance to the mix.
High Scoreis a miniseries that’s currently exclusive toNetflixsubscribers.
6GoldenEra
This 2022 documentary by Drew Roller goes into excellent detail documenting the creation of the esteemedGoldenEye. It covers Rare’s history and some of its key developers, the conceptual and logistical process ofGoldenEye’s creation, behind-the-scenes looks, and its overall cultural impact.GoldenEracolorfully illustrates the workings of the hit FPS to outsiders, while serving as a love letter to its fans.
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It tosses in some interesting, lesser-known facts that may have escaped even some diehards—like the fact thatGoldenEyewas conceived as an on-rails game anda 2D platformerearly on. Between theampleGoldenEyetrivia, great production value, and warm and fuzzy nostalgia,GoldenErais a gaming doc worth checking out, even for non-fans.
The film can be viewed for free (with ads) onRoku, Vudu, Tubi, and Freevee,and rented or purchased onAmazon Prime Video, Apple TV (buy only), Vudu, Microsoft Store, and Google Play.
5Minecraft: The Story Of Mojang
The blocky open-world epic known asMinecraftfast became a gaming phenom following its alpha release in 2011. But behind this endlessly fun game of building, crafting, and enemy-slaying is a similarly gripping story of its grassroots conception and rise to fame. This Kickstarter-backed film has interviews with key designers fromMinecraftstudio Mojang, including Swedish game programmers Jens Bergensten and Markus Persson, commonly known as Notch.
The documentary served as a draw for gaming historians andMinecraftfans on Xbox platformers, releasing on Xbox Live in 2012; a precursor toMicrosoft’s $2.5 billion purchase of Mojang. Given its unique development and unlikely ascent to superstardom,The Story of Mojangis a great tribute and an interesting watch. Despite being fairly long at 104 minutes, it’s sort of a truncated history of a vast game and culture. Still, the film succeeds in stoking intrigue with its nostalgia and its raw, personal nature.
The documentary can currently be rented or bought onApple TV.
4Indie Game: The Movie
This 2012 film by James Swirsky and Lisanne Pajot feels ahead of its time, asindie gaming has since become a rising force. The documentary nicely outlines the life of up-and-coming young devs and covers the then-young indie scene. It highlights a few pioneers of its renaissance; specifically the creators ofBraid, Super Meat Boy,andFez.
Indie Game: The Movietakes more of a personal approach with a quasi-rags-to-riches arch. It covers the developers' uphill battle to see their projects to completion with few resources and small budgets. This display of constant progress while overcoming adversity connects on an emotional level, providing inspiration along with intrigue.Indie Gamealso entices from a creative standpoint, as creators including Phil Fish and Edmund McMillen discuss their artistic insight and the development process of their inventive games.
The film can be bought or rented or bought onApple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play Movies, and YouTube.
3Atari: Game Over
This 2014 film by director Zak Penn film is a celebration of all things Atari during its heyday. Despite being 66 minutes,Game Overgets into impressive detail regarding the ambitious studio in its youth,covering its rise and collapse in the 70s and 80s. The film also highlights a then-recent gaming “ground zero” excavation in the form of a New Mexico landfill. This is spliced with a history of the infamousE.T.; a forsaken relic and a legend unto itself. The hyped game was apparently overproduced to the point where excess carts were buried in the landfill.
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The legend was at least partly validated, as excavators unearthed over a thousand copies of this gaming artifact. This amusing folk take, coupled with the rich, groundbreaking history of Atari at large, rounds out a great film that’s over all too soon.
The movie can be found free (with ads) onRoku, Tubi, Pluto, and Plexrented or bought onGoogle Play Store, YouTube, Microsoft Store, or Vudu (buy only).
