Charts

The best games we have reviewed

903 reviews, scored out of 10. We do not publish a ranked top ten, because the scores do not support one: 76 of these reviews share a score of 8.5 and eight share the top score. Pretending we can order those is a chart, not a judgement. So here they are in bands, with equal scores listed alphabetically.

The best of 2026

The highest-scoring games released in 2026 that we have reviewed.

  1. Dead as Disco Rhythm Beat-'em-up 8.5
  2. Dear Magical Girls Tower Defense 8.5
  3. Dwarf Eats Mountain Incremental 8.5
  4. Endacopia Point-and-Click Adventure 8.5
  5. Hermit and Pig Turn-Based RPG 8.5
  6. Our Wonderland Horror Visual Novel 8.5
  7. Pathogenic Roguelike / Twin-stick Shooter 8.5
  8. Shift At Midnight Co-op Horror 8.5
  9. Truxton Extreme Action 8.5
  10. Turnip Mountain Action 8.5

All 2026 releases

Outstanding 9+

Games we would recommend without a caveat. 44 reviews — the 30 highest shown; equal scores are listed A–Z.

  1. Baldur's Gate 3 CRPG / Turn-Based RPG 9.5
  2. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Turn-Based RPG 9.5
  3. Dark Souls III Action RPG 9.5
  4. Disco Elysium CRPG / Detective RPG 9.5
  5. Factorio Factory automation and construction strategy 9.5
  6. Portal 2 Puzzle 9.5
  7. Terraria Action, Adventure, Sandbox, RPG 9.5
  8. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Action-Adventure 9.5
  9. Antimatter Dimensions Incremental 9
  10. Balatro Poker Roguelike / Deckbuilder 9
  11. Celeste Precision Platformer 9
  12. Cuphead Boss-Rush Platformer 9
  13. Cyberpunk 2077 Open-world Action RPG 9
  14. DELTARUNE Turn-Based RPG 9
  15. Elden Ring Action RPG 9
  16. Fallout: New Vegas Open-World RPG 9
  17. God of War Action Adventure 9
  18. Hades Action Roguelite 9
  19. Half-Life: Alyx VR Action-Adventure 9
  20. Hi-Fi RUSH Rhythm Action 9
  21. Hollow Knight Metroidvania 9
  22. Hollow Knight: Silksong Metroidvania 9
  23. Hotline Miami Top-Down Action 9
  24. Inscryption Deckbuilding Roguelike, Puzzle, Horror 9
  25. INSIDE Puzzle Platformer 9
  26. Minecraft Sandbox, Survival, Crafting 9
  27. Noita Action Roguelite / Physics Simulation 9
  28. OMORI RPG 9
  29. Outer Wilds Exploration Mystery 9
  30. Papers, Please Puzzle Simulation 9

All 9+ reviews

Very good 8–8.9

Clearly worth your time, with something real to say for themselves. 201 reviews — the 30 highest shown; equal scores are listed A–Z.

  1. Caves of Qud Science fantasy roguelike RPG 8.8
  2. Deep Rock Galactic Co-op Sci-Fi FPS 8.7
  3. Against the Storm Roguelite city builder 8.5
  4. ANIMAL WELL Puzzle Metroidvania 8.5
  5. Arknights Tactical Tower Defense RPG 8.5
  6. BeamNG.drive Vehicle Simulation 8.5
  7. Bitburner Programming incremental / hacking simulation 8.5
  8. Black Myth: Wukong Action RPG 8.5
  9. Bloons TD 6 Tower Defense 8.5
  10. Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling Turn-Based RPG 8.5
  11. Chronigma Puzzle 8.5
  12. Core Keeper Survival sandbox / mining RPG 8.5
  13. Crab Champions Roguelite Shooter 8.5
  14. Creeper World 3: Arc Eternal Strategy 8.5
  15. CrossCode Action RPG 8.5
  16. Darkest Dungeon Turn-Based Roguelike RPG 8.5
  17. Dead as Disco Rhythm Beat-'em-up 8.5
  18. Dead Cells Roguelite Metroidvania 8.5
  19. Dear Magical Girls Tower Defense 8.5
  20. Dispatch Narrative Adventure 8.5
  21. Divinity: Original Sin 2 CRPG / Turn-Based Tactical RPG 8.5
  22. Don't Starve Together Survival crafting 8.5
  23. Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age — Definitive Edition JRPG 8.5
  24. Dwarf Eats Mountain Incremental 8.5
  25. Dwarf Fortress Construction and management simulation 8.5
  26. Endacopia Point-and-Click Adventure 8.5
  27. ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist Metroidvania Action RPG 8.5
  28. Enter the Gungeon Bullet Hell Roguelike 8.5
  29. Final Fantasy XIV Online MMORPG 8.5
  30. Frostpunk Society Survival / City-Building Strategy 8.5

All 8+ reviews

Good 7–7.9

Solid games that do what they set out to do. 345 reviews — the 30 highest shown; equal scores are listed A–Z.

  1. Space Grunts: Chrono Shard Turn-Based Tactical Roguelike 7.8
  2. 7 Days to Die Survival horror crafting 7.5
  3. AETHUS Survival Crafting 7.5
  4. Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition Real-Time Strategy 7.5
  5. Albion Online Sandbox MMORPG 7.5
  6. All Hail the Orb Incremental 7.5
  7. Almost a Hero Idle RPG 7.5
  8. Archon Soul Roguelike Deckbuilder 7.5
  9. ARC Raiders Extraction Shooter 7.5
  10. Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced Action-Adventure 7.5
  11. Assassin's Creed Odyssey Open-world Action RPG 7.5
  12. ASTRONEER Space Survival Sandbox 7.5
  13. Autonauts Automation and colony simulation 7.5
  14. Avowed Action RPG 7.5
  15. Backpack Hero Roguelike Deckbuilder 7.5
  16. Barotrauma Submarine Survival Simulation 7.5
  17. Berry Bury Berry Incremental Adventure 7.5
  18. Big Hops 3D Platformer 7.5
  19. Big Walk Co-op Adventure 7.5
  20. Birdwatching Notebook Idle Simulation 7.5
  21. Black Desert Online Action MMORPG 7.5
  22. Bloodmoon Survivors Roguelite 7.5
  23. Bongo Cat Idle Collection 7.5
  24. Candy Box 2 Incremental RPG 7.5
  25. Captain of Industry Factory automation and colony management simulation 7.5
  26. Cloud Keeper: Shrine of Dal Bullet Heaven / Survivor-like 7.5
  27. Cobalt Core Roguelike Deckbuilder 7.5
  28. Control Ultimate Edition Action Adventure 7.5
  29. COTTOn RockWithYou -ORIENTAL NIGHT DREAMS- Shoot 'Em Up 7.5
  30. Counter-Strike 2 Competitive Shooter 7.5

All 7+ reviews

The best of each genre

Best RPG

  1. Baldur's Gate 3 CRPG / Turn-Based RPG 9.5
  2. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Turn-Based RPG 9.5
  3. Dark Souls III Action RPG 9.5
  4. Disco Elysium CRPG / Detective RPG 9.5
  5. Terraria Action, Adventure, Sandbox, RPG 9.5

Best Crafting & Building

  1. Factorio Factory automation and construction strategy 9.5
  2. Terraria Action, Adventure, Sandbox, RPG 9.5
  3. Inscryption Deckbuilding Roguelike, Puzzle, Horror 9
  4. Minecraft Sandbox, Survival, Crafting 9
  5. Noita Action Roguelite / Physics Simulation 9

Best Co-op & Multiplayer

  1. Baldur's Gate 3 CRPG / Turn-Based RPG 9.5
  2. Dark Souls III Action RPG 9.5
  3. Factorio Factory automation and construction strategy 9.5
  4. Portal 2 Puzzle 9.5
  5. Terraria Action, Adventure, Sandbox, RPG 9.5

Best Action

  1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Turn-Based RPG 9.5
  2. Dark Souls III Action RPG 9.5
  3. Terraria Action, Adventure, Sandbox, RPG 9.5
  4. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Action-Adventure 9.5
  5. Cyberpunk 2077 Open-world Action RPG 9

Best Idle & Incremental

  1. Antimatter Dimensions Incremental 9
  2. Bitburner Programming incremental / hacking simulation 8.5
  3. Dwarf Eats Mountain Incremental 8.5
  4. Melvor Idle Idle RPG 8.5
  5. NGU Idle Incremental RPG 8.5

Best Simulation

  1. Cyberpunk 2077 Open-world Action RPG 9
  2. Noita Action Roguelite / Physics Simulation 9
  3. Papers, Please Puzzle Simulation 9
  4. Persona 5 Royal JRPG 9
  5. RimWorld Colony simulation and management sim 9

Best Strategy

  1. Factorio Factory automation and construction strategy 9.5
  2. Balatro Poker Roguelike / Deckbuilder 9
  3. RimWorld Colony simulation and management sim 9
  4. Slay the Spire Roguelike Deckbuilder 9
  5. Against the Storm Roguelite city builder 8.5

Best Management & Tycoon

  1. Factorio Factory automation and construction strategy 9.5
  2. RimWorld Colony simulation and management sim 9
  3. Satisfactory First-person factory automation and construction 9
  4. Subnautica Survival exploration 9
  5. Against the Storm Roguelite city builder 8.5