Top 100 Video Games of All Time

World Video Game Hall of Fame exhibit at The Strong National Museum of Play.

Games matter for different reasons: a clear rule, a memorable world, a new way to tell a story, or an idea that other developers build on. This ranking weighs design and influence across generations and regions.

A strong list gives each choice a reason. Some games make a simple rule compelling; others build worlds worth returning to, change a genre, or offer new ways to play together. This ranking spans generations and regions instead of treating early North American releases as the whole history of games.

The order reflects design and influence, not sales or personal favorites. Short arcade games, long role-playing campaigns, and quiet exploration games appear together because they offer different kinds of play. Release years refer to the first release when known; international launch dates and localized names may differ.

How the list is weighted

Play that still communicates: the rules remain legible and satisfying without needing nostalgia to explain them.
Design identity: the game has a recognizable structure, rhythm, or point of view.
Reach: it crossed platforms, languages, communities, or generations.
Influence: later games borrowed a technique, expectation, or format it helped make familiar.
Completeness: the work’s central systems support one another rather than resting on a single memorable feature.

These measures do not reward scale by itself. A huge map can be empty, and a small game can feel complete. The ranking is subjective; the brief notes explain why each game appears where it does.

100 games that shaped the medium

100 games ranked Search by title, genre, or design idea.

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The 100 best games of all time, ranked with release year, genre label, and a short description.
Rank	Game	Why it matters
01	Tetris 1984 Puzzle PD	A pure puzzle of pressure and space.
02	Super Mario Bros. 1985 Platformer PD	A first level that teaches by play.
03	The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2017 Action-adventure PD	An open world built for experiments.
04	Doom 1993 FPS PD	Speed, combat, sharing, and modding.
05	Minecraft 2011 Sandbox CC BY 4.0 - Crafts97 (Xbox Mexico)	A sandbox for building and survival.
06	Pac-Man 1980 Arcade PD	Enemy patterns turn each chase into a route-planning puzzle.
07	Grand Theft Auto III 2001 Action-adventure PD	A city for authored and free play.
08	Final Fantasy VII 1997 JRPG PD	A cinematic RPG with global reach.
09	The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 1998 Action-adventure PD	A touchstone for 3D adventure controls.
10	Dark Souls 2011 Action RPG PD	Patient combat in a connected world.
11	Super Mario 64 1996 Platformer PD	A model for expressive 3D movement.
12	Street Fighter II 1991 Fighting PD	Matchups with room for mastery.
13	The Legend of Zelda 1986 Action-adventure PD	A console quest shaped by secrets.
14	Half-Life 1998 FPS PD	A story staged without constant cuts.
15	Chrono Trigger 1995 JRPG PD	A compact RPG with lasting choices.
16	Portal 2 2011 Puzzle PD	Spatial puzzles with precise comic timing.
17	Super Metroid 1994 Metroidvania	Abilities turn backtracking into discovery.
18	The Sims 2000 Life sim	A sandbox for player-made stories.
19	World of Warcraft 2004 MMORPG WTFPL ? Aphax	A persistent world for group progress.
20	Red Dead Redemption 2 2018 Action-adventure PD	Frontier detail in a measured story.
21	Space Invaders 1978 Arcade PD	Escalating formations and score pressure.
22	Ms. Pac-Man 1982 Arcade	A maze with changing enemy patterns.
23	Donkey Kong 1981 Platformer PD	Platform hazards and character drama.
24	Super Mario World 1990 Platformer PD	Exploration built into precise platforming.
25	Metal Gear Solid 1998 Stealth PD	Stealth, cinema, and eccentric detail.
26	Resident Evil 1996 Survival horror PD	Puzzles and scarcity define survival horror.
27	Resident Evil 4 2005 Survival horror	A new grammar for third-person action.
28	Sid Meier’s Civilization 1991 Strategy	An empire built one turn at a time.
29	StarCraft 1998 Strategy PD	Asymmetric factions and competitive RTS.
30	Age of Empires II 1999 Strategy PD	Historical campaigns and economic choices.
31	Pokémon Red and Blue 1996 JRPG	Trading makes collecting social.
32	Super Mario Kart 1992 Racing PD	Racing designed for friendly rivalry.
33	Animal Crossing 2001 Life sim	Real-time routines and gentle creativity.
34	Metroid Prime 2002 First-person adventure	First-person exploration with a puzzle map.
35	Halo: Combat Evolved 2001 FPS PD	Console FPS built around co-op and arenas.
36	GoldenEye 007 1997 FPS	Split-screen shooting and stealth.
37	Quake 1996 FPS	3D play, network matches, and mods.
38	Command & Conquer 1995 Strategy PD	Fast missions and clear battlefield signals.
39	Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos 2002 Strategy	Custom maps and hero-led strategy.
40	Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar 1985 Role-playing	Virtue as a character system.
41	Rogue 1980 Roguelike	Procedural dungeons and permanent loss.
42	Rogue Legacy 2013 Roguelike	Failure across generations becomes progress.
43	Hades 2020 Roguelike PD	Action, character, and repeated runs.
44	Celeste 2018 Platformer CC BY-SA 4.0 ? Maddy Makes Games	Precise platforming with human stakes.
45	Journey 2012 Action-adventure PD	A brief anonymous social journey.
46	Shadow of the Colossus 2005 Action-adventure PD	Scale and landscape with emotional weight.
47	Outer Wilds 2019 Puzzle	Knowledge opens the solar system.
48	Disco Elysium 2019 Role-playing CC0	Role-play through dialogue and thought.
49	Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn 2000 Role-playing PD	Party tactics with dense character writing.
50	The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim 2011 Open-world RPG PD	A flexible fantasy world for wandering.
51	Mass Effect 2 2010 Role-playing PD	Squad bonds in a science-fiction RPG.
52	Dragon Quest III 1988 JRPG	Flexible jobs in a defining console RPG.
53	Final Fantasy VI 1994 JRPG PD	An ensemble and a shifting conflict.
54	Final Fantasy X 2001 JRPG PD	A directed journey with turn-based combat.
55	NieR: Automata 2017 JRPG PD	Perspective shifts as part of the story.
56	Monster Hunter: World 2018 Action RPG PD	Cooperative hunts reward monster knowledge.
57	Street Fighter III: Third Strike 1999 Fighting	Parries and precision make spectacle playable.
58	Super Smash Bros. Melee 2001 Fighting PD	Movement depth in a party fighter.
59	Mortal Kombat 1992 Fighting CC BY 4.0 ? Midway Games	Digitized fighters and cultural controversy.
60	Dance Dance Revolution 1998 Rhythm PD	Dance made into a rhythm interface.
61	Wii Sports 2006 Sports PD	Motion play for a shared living room.
62	Guitar Hero 2005 Rhythm PD	Songs become playable performances.
63	Rock Band 2007 Rhythm PD	A cooperative band game designed for shared home play.
64	FIFA 98: Road to World Cup 1997 Sports	Football and club culture across markets.
65	Pro Evolution Soccer 6 2006 Sports PD	Passing feel takes center stage.
66	SimCity 2000 1993 City builder PD	A city plan as a layered system.
67	The Oregon Trail 1971 Simulation	Travel choices became classroom memory.
68	Myst 1993 Puzzle PD	A quiet world of CD-ROM puzzles.
69	Prince of Persia 1989 Platformer PD	Fluid movement for platforming.
70	Castlevania: Symphony of the Night 1997 Metroidvania PD	Exploration transforms side-scrolling action.
71	Final Fantasy XIV 2013 MMORPG PD	An online RPG rebuilt as a shared story.
72	League of Legends 2009 MOBA PD	Team roles shape a competitive MOBA.
73	Dota 2 2013 MOBA PD	Strategy built for player and spectator.
74	Counter-Strike 2000 FPS PD	Short rounds make information valuable.
75	Fortnite 2017 Battle royale PD	Building and battle royale in a live space.
76	Among Us 2018 Social deduction PD	Hidden roles make talk the main mechanic.
77	Stardew Valley 2016 Life sim	Farming and friendship become routine.
78	Spelunky 2008 Roguelike PD	Consistent rules in shifting levels.
79	Katamari Damacy 2004 Action-adventure PD	A surreal mechanic with perfect logic.
80	Okami 2006 Action-adventure PD	Brushwork connects style and mechanics.
81	BioShock 2007 FPS PD	A shooter shaped by moral tension.
82	Deus Ex 2000 Immersive sim PD	Multiple routes make builds expressive.
83	Thief: The Dark Project 1998 Stealth	Sound and shadow create stealth.
84	Silent Hill 2 2001 Survival horror PD	Psychological dread over constant combat.
85	Left 4 Dead 2008 FPS	Co-op survival with adaptive pacing.
86	Monster Train 2020 Deckbuilder	Deck strategy across layered battle lanes.
87	Into the Breach 2018 Tactical strategy PD	Tactical puzzles with visible enemy intent.
88	XCOM: Enemy Unknown 2012 Tactical strategy	Squad tactics with campaign risk.
89	Fire Emblem: Three Houses 2019 Tactical strategy PD	Character bonds around tactical combat.
90	It Takes Two 2021 Co-op adventure	New cooperative verbs in every chapter.
91	Grim Fandango 1998 Adventure PD	A comic adventure in a distinct world.
92	Return of the Obra Dinn 2018 Puzzle	Deduction is the entire interface.
93	What Remains of Edith Finch 2017 Adventure	Playable stories shaped around distinct lives.
94	Kerbal Space Program 2015 Simulation	Engineering through failure and physics.
95	Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 Simulation PD	A world-scale flight simulation.
96	Asteroids 1979 Arcade PD	Vector movement and arcade survival.
97	Frogger 1981 Puzzle PD	Timing and traffic in a compact puzzle.
98	Virtua Fighter 2 1994 Fighting PD	3D space for fighting-game timing.
99	ICO 2001 Action-adventure CC BY-SA 3.0 ? PeaceToDaCipher	Quiet storytelling through architecture.
100	Bloodborne 2015 Action RPG PD	Aggressive recovery in gothic action combat.

*0 A.D. real-time strategy gameplay with a Spartan settlement*

What the ranking says about great design

The top positions favor games whose rules can be taught through action. Tetris explains danger with the board itself. Super Mario Bros. demonstrates speed, jumping, and reward in the opening minutes. Breath of the Wild gives objects consistent properties, so a player can test a plan instead of waiting for a designer’s one approved solution. This clarity is not the same as simplicity: each of these games leaves room for skill to grow.

Long-form games earn their place through a different promise. Final Fantasy VII, World of Warcraft, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and Red Dead Redemption 2 give players time to inhabit characters or places. Their size matters only when the world has a readable identity, worthwhile choices, and a pace that supports attention. A vast map without meaningful routes is just distance.

Competition and cooperation are also part of the medium’s history. Street Fighter II turns character knowledge into a conversation between opponents; Counter-Strike makes a short round carry team-wide consequences; It Takes Two builds every major challenge around shared action. These games show why “best” cannot mean “most content.” The social structure is itself the design.

Original versions and later releases

Platform access also changes over time. Original versions may be unavailable, altered in re-releases, or tied to hardware that is difficult to maintain. A remake can preserve a story while changing combat, pacing, or visual style; a port may keep the mechanics while adding new control options. When the original form matters to a question about design, identify the release being discussed rather than treating every edition as identical.

A game's place on the list is not a recommendation for every player. Older controls, strict timing, or vanished multiplayer communities can make a classic difficult to play now. A remake may suit some players better. The ranking records design and historical influence while leaving room to disagree.

Top 100 Video Games of All Time

How the list is weighted

100 games that shaped the medium

What the ranking says about great design

Original versions and later releases

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