Bully

Step back to October 17, 2006. On this day, Rockstar Games launched Bully in the United States for the PlayStation 2. It was a game that dared to let you be the troublemaker, navigating the social jungle of a prep school. You stepped into the worn sneakers of Jimmy Hopkins, a teenager sent to Bullworth Academy for a year while his mother goes on a long honeymoon.

WHY IT STILL MATTERS

What unfolded was a surprisingly deep simulation of school life, filled with classes you could attend (or skip), cliques to join, pranks to pull, and bullies to stand up to. It wasn't about grand heroic quests or saving the world; it was about surviving the daily grind of adolescence, from dodging prefects to acing a pop quiz. The world of Bullworth felt alive, a microcosm of teenage anxieties and triumphs, all delivered with Rockstar's signature wit and a soundtrack that hummed with that early-2000s energy. It was a different kind of sandbox, one built from lockers and lunch trays.