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In 2005, a group of students from the DigiPen Institute of Technology were demoing one of their freeware titles, Narbacular Drop, at the school's career fair. Little did they know it would capture the attention of one of Valve's developers, prompting a further meeting with the company's president and an on-the-spot job offer. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, it only led to one of the world's most beloved PC games of all time. In just two years, this rookie team would lead development on what became Portal, a brief puzzle platformer that originally was part of Valve's Orange Box compilation.

And while the bundle was mostly anticipated for its introduction of a new Half-Life 2 chapter and the sequel to Team Fortress, Portal would eventually receive its own release—and go on to outshine them all. Packed within a couple of hours of playtime, Portal serves as an example of a truly impressive implementation of physics and as a permanent icon of its generation.

It was Narbacular Drop's impressively realized physics concept that sold Valve on the game, so it makes sense to start discussion on Portal there. And frankly, it's fantastic. Everything works just as you'd expect it to; Portal is perhaps one of the most intuitive games ever made. The portal gun is one of gaming's most famous firearms—even more impressive as it's strictly non-violent—and its applications in this game still feel incredibly fresh. It's mechanically rock solid, and perhaps if there's any flaw in Portal, it's that the game's puzzles or platforming rarely feel like they live up to the grand novel designs of your equipment.

You are always more than a match for any obstacles you encounter, and while it's true that this gives the game a very balanced and swift pace, some might find that Portal feels like it pulled some punches. Everything it wants you to do works perfectly, but it doesn't quite push the envelope enough to feel like it's making use of all the—and it cannot be understated—incredible dev team's work.

An element that undoubtedly received the most attention from the team, though, was the game's system for conservation of momentum. (As AI supercomputer system GLaDOS so eloquently puts it, "Speedy thing goes in, speedy thing comes out.") And while the Half-Life series is well regarded for its slippery-yet-manageable movement, Portal takes movement to a whole new level; making use of Portal's impressive physics engine by building up speed or dropping from a great height to launch yourself across the room is incredibly fun.

And due to its immense popularity, it's easy to forget just how impressive this must have felt in its time, never mind the fact that it still feels fantastic today. You can immediately understand why most of the game's second half is playing around with momentum—it's present in all of the game's best puzzles, and even if you stripped away every other aspect of the game, launching yourself through portals is such an innately satisfying venture that it probably could have held the game up on its own.

It's also just a pretty charming game, which might seem odd to say about a title with a somewhat morbid sense of humor. Ellen McLain gives a fantastic performance as GLaDOS, and so much of her dialogue has wriggled its way into the gaming subconscious. There's a reason why the final boss fight, which gameplay-wise is very mundane, is still enjoyed by so many, and it's because of the increasingly desperate insults that GLaDOS lobs at you while you attempt to destroy her. For a game that has you taking on a supercomputer bent on your annihilation, Portal is downright whimsical, and the fact that it remains so fresh after so much time—and so much exposure—is a true testament to the quality of the development staff.

Of all the games included on The Orange Box, it's unlikely that Valve would have expected Portal to be the one to become one of the world's most popular and influential games. And that's not to diminish the praises of Episode 2 or Team Fortress 2, but Portal gave players at the time something new, something unexpected—and even more impressively, it continues to do that to this day. Functionally, it may be the world's very greatest tech demo. It's a fantastic implementation of an ingenious engine, and it was going to be hard for the game's interactive elements to live up to their larger-than-life potential.

Portal, as a result, can sometimes feel more like you're going through the motions than solving awesome puzzles. But it's a supremely well-put-together game, and getting the chance to experience its unique properties is its own reward—let alone an important step in any gaming enthusiast's journey. In just a few short hours, Portal delivers a delicious first course—perfectly satisfying on its own—and an enticing taste of what's to come with its 2011 full-release sequel.

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