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Best Arcade games in 2026

The 250 best Arcade games, ranked from 22,290 critic and player ratings.

The best Arcade game right now is SoulCalibur — updated November 2026.

How this ranking is built
  • Games are ranked on the aggregated critic score out of 100 imported from IGDB and Metacritic, never on Tier's own grades.
  • A game only enters the ranking with at least 80 external ratings, so a single enthusiastic review never outranks a proven classic.
  • Community grades from F to S are shown next to every game, and only stated as a fact above 5 Tier ratings.
  • Release window covered: 1970 to 2026.
  • 50 games are listed on this page, carrying 22,290 ratings between them.
  • Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 13 November 2026.

Top 50

Played them? Give your tier with the + next to each game. No account needed to try — create one to keep your tiers.

01 SoulCalibur SoulCalibur 1998 · 131 ratings SoulCalibur is a weapon-based 3D fighting game developed by Project Soul and produced by Namco. It is the second game in the Soul series, preceded by Soul Edge (1996). Originally released in arcades in 1998, it ran on the Namco System 12 hardware. In 1999 it was ported to the Dreamcast with improved graphics and new features. The North American version was released in September 1999 as a launch title for the Dreamcast and was part of the successful launch of the new console. It became available as a downloadable title on Xbox 360's Xbox Live Marketplace in 2008. The title brought many innovations to the fighting game genre that include a heavy emphasis on weapons and a unique eight-way movement system. Soulcalibur is widely regarded as one of the best Dreamcast titles and is one of the most critically acclaimed fighting games of all time. 98 /100
02 Super Mario Odyssey A Super Mario Odyssey 2017 · 1,893 ratings · 11 Tier votes · finished by 71% Explore incredible places far from the Mushroom Kingdom as you join Mario and his new ally Cappy on a massive, globe-trotting 3D adventure. Use amazing new abilities, like the power to capture and control objects, animals, and enemies to collect Power Moons so you can power up the Odyssey airship and save Princess Peach from Bowser’s wedding plans! 97 /100
03 Tekken 3 Tekken 3 1997 · 561 ratings Tekken 3 is the third installment in the Tekken series. It maintains the same core fighting system as its predecessors but brings many improvements, such as significantly more detailed graphics and animations, fifteen new characters added to the game's roster, more modern music and faster gameplay. 96 /100
04 LittleBigPlanet A LittleBigPlanet 2008 · 277 ratings · 1 Tier vote · finished by 23% Welcome to LittleBigPlanet – a world of infinite possibilities, where imagination becomes reality and the powers of creation are firmly in your hands. If you can think of it, you can create it if you can create it, you can share it if you can share it, you can play it – and watch our colorful LittleBigPlanet grow and diversify! It’s a new kind of game that unleashes the creativity in everyone. Design your own character and play over 50 awesome developer levels packed with dangers to navigate, races to win and puzzles to solve. As you play you will learn the skills to build a world of your own by earning creative tools and collecting hundreds of items. Use these items and tools to shape amazing levels of your own, featuring puzzles, challenges, and enemies of your own design. When you are ready, go online to access the LBP community and Share your creations for everyone to play. LittleBigPlanet is a world with no limits – a world that’s yours to shape, build and explore. 96 /100
05 Forza Horizon 5 D Forza Horizon 5 2021 · 363 ratings · 2 Tier votes · finished by 9% Your Ultimate Horizon Adventure awaits! Explore the vibrant and ever-evolving open-world landscapes of Mexico with limitless, fun driving action in hundreds of the world’s greatest cars. 94 /100
06 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City A Grand Theft Auto: Vice City 2002 · 3,191 ratings · 4 Tier votes · finished by 37% · 17 h to beat In the year 1986, Tommy Vercetti is heavily indebted to his mafia superiors after a drug deal gone awry, but his dreams of taking over Vice City (based on Miami) push him down a different path. Featuring a wide variety of vehicles and weapons, radio stations playing hit songs from the era and an intense atmosphere, GTA: Vice City is an open-world sandbox satire of '80's Miami. 94 /100
07 LittleBigPlanet 2 LittleBigPlanet 2 2011 · 171 ratings · finished by 20% LittleBigPlanet 2 is a puzzle platformer video game centered around user-generated content, first announced on May 8th, 2010 in the June 2010 issue of gaming magazine Game Informer. The game was developed by Media Molecule and published by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe for the PlayStation 3 console, and is the last major Little Big Planet game in the series to be produced by Media Molecule, as the sequel, Little Big Planet 3 would be produced by Sumo Digital, Tarsier Studios, and The Station. Unlike the original LittleBigPlanet which was marketed as a "Platform game", LittleBigPlanet 2 was marketed as a "Platform for Games". The game is 100% backwards compatible with all user-created content (including personal profiles) from the first game. It is a direct sequel to LittleBigPlanet, and the third game in the series. The disc also features Sackboy's Prehistoric Moves, a ModNation Racers demo, as well as a PlayStation Network tutorial video. 94 /100
08 Burnout Paradise Burnout Paradise 2008 · 521 ratings · finished by 20% Evolve or die. For Paradise, we knew we had to change everything. Burnout was a killer arcade driving game, but for a new generation of hardware and connected player Burnout had to become something more ambitious. Closed tracks made way for an expansive, open city, and we seamlessly synced your friends into the action and let you loose on a heap of cool challenges that unsurprisingly rewarded you for driving like a lunatic. Hey, it’s us after all. 93 /100
09 Burnout 3: Takedown S Burnout 3: Takedown 2004 · 225 ratings · 1 Tier vote Take anarchic driving destruction on a world tour and experience the pure arcade adrenaline-rush of Burnout 3: Takedown. Combine aggressive high-speed racing with the ultimate in slamming crash action to boost your way to the top. Takedown the competition across the USA, Europe and the Far East in over 60 Race events, or crush all comers with Burnout 3: Takedown's junction-jamming Crash event pileups. Push it to the next level with five competitive multiplayer models, then move the mayhem online to compete against up to seven players. Reap the rewards of dangerous driving, earning Crash $ and Burnout Points to unlock over 60 hot vehicles, coveted skill trophies, front-page headlines and much more. (Source PS2 Game Manual) 93 /100
10 Mario Kart: Super Circuit (2001) Mario Kart: Super Circuit (2001) 2001 · 188 ratings Classic Mario Kart action is back once again, this time in a colorful, lightning-fast game that you can take anywhere. Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, Wario, Yoshi and Bowser are all tearing up the track, tossing Koopa Shells and laying banana peels along the way. Mario Kart Super Circuit puts your driving skills to the test on 40 tracks, each littered with wild weapons and obstacles. Choose to play as any of your favorite characters as you speed around classic and brand-new tracks. If you're feeling combative, try out the creative weaponry (mushrooms, bananas, thunder bolts, and stars) in Battle mode. Feel like making some friends eat your dust? No problem. Four players can compete in Mario Kart Super Circuit using only one Game Pak! If each player has a copy of the game, bonus features and new modes of play become available. 93 /100
11 Cut the Rope Cut the Rope 2010 · 94 ratings 93 /100
12 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe A Mario Kart 8 Deluxe 2017 · 630 ratings · 3 Tier votes · finished by 66% 93 /100
13 Street Fighter 6 Street Fighter 6 2023 · 118 ratings 93 /100
14 Rock Band 2 Rock Band 2 2008 · 113 ratings 93 /100
15 Super Mario World S Super Mario World 1990 · 2,059 ratings · 12 Tier votes · finished by 64% 92 /100
16 Pony Island Pony Island 2016 · 153 ratings · finished by 15% 92 /100
17 Guitar Hero II Guitar Hero II 2006 · 176 ratings 92 /100
18 Vampire Survivors Vampire Survivors 2022 · 394 ratings · finished by 11% 91 /100
19 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 2000 · 422 ratings 91 /100
20 Mario Kart DS A Mario Kart DS 2005 · 415 ratings · 1 Tier vote 91 /100
21 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 2002 · 179 ratings 91 /100
22 The World Ends With You DS The World Ends With You DS 2007 · 105 ratings 91 /100
23 Mario Kart 8 S Mario Kart 8 2014 · 678 ratings · 1 Tier vote 91 /100
24 Forza Horizon 4 B Forza Horizon 4 2018 · 435 ratings · 2 Tier votes · finished by 14% 91 /100
25 Jetpack Joyride Jetpack Joyride 2011 · 108 ratings · finished by 15% 90 /100
26 Street Fighter IV A Street Fighter IV 2008 · 185 ratings · 1 Tier vote 90 /100
27 Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2010 · 403 ratings · finished by 22% 90 /100
28 Rayman Origins Rayman Origins 2011 · 405 ratings · finished by 21% 89 /100
29 New Super Mario Bros. A New Super Mario Bros. 2006 · 417 ratings · 1 Tier vote 89 /100
30 WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! 2003 · 113 ratings 89 /100
31 Forza Horizon 3 Forza Horizon 3 2016 · 197 ratings · finished by 17% 89 /100
32 Neon White S Neon White 2022 · 129 ratings · 1 Tier vote 89 /100
33 Tetris Effect: Connected Tetris Effect: Connected 2020 · 84 ratings · finished by 7% 89 /100
34 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 2020 · 123 ratings · finished by 10% 89 /100
35 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 2001 · 279 ratings 88 /100
36 Super Smash Bros. Super Smash Bros. 1999 · 476 ratings 88 /100
37 Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit 1998 · 282 ratings 88 /100
38 Risk of Rain 2 B Risk of Rain 2 2020 · 272 ratings · 3 Tier votes · finished by 10% 87 /100
39 Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box 2009 · 669 ratings · finished by 11% 87 /100
40 Mario Kart: Double Dash!! Mario Kart: Double Dash!! 2003 · 389 ratings 87 /100
41 The Messenger The Messenger 2018 · 195 ratings · finished by 14% 87 /100
42 Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time 2009 · 105 ratings 87 /100
43 Cuphead A Cuphead 2017 · 932 ratings · 5 Tier votes · finished by 21% 87 /100
44 Braid Braid 2008 · 617 ratings · finished by 17% 87 /100
45 Peggle Peggle 2007 · 120 ratings 87 /100
46 Forza Horizon 2 B Forza Horizon 2 2014 · 137 ratings · 3 Tier votes · finished by 14% 86 /100
47 Hotline Miami A Hotline Miami 2012 · 1,274 ratings · 1 Tier vote · finished by 25% · 5 h to beat 86 /100
48 Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS 2014 · 198 ratings 86 /100
49 Pyre Pyre 2017 · 132 ratings · finished by 14% 86 /100
50 The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth S The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth 2014 · 557 ratings · 1 Tier vote · finished by 13% 86 /100
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By year

Best Arcade games of 2022Best Arcade games of 2020Best Arcade games of 2019Best Arcade games of 2018Best Arcade games of 2017Best Arcade games of 2016Best Arcade games of 2015Best Arcade games of 2014Best Arcade games of 2013Best Arcade games of 2012Best Arcade games of 2011Best Arcade games of 2010

Earlier years

Best Arcade games of 2009Best Arcade games of 2008Best Arcade games of 2007Best Arcade games of 2006Best Arcade games of 2005Best Arcade games of 2004

Catalog statistics

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Frequently asked questions

What is the best Arcade game right now?

SoulCalibur currently tops the ranking with a score of 98/100 across 131 ratings. Ranking updated November 2026.

How is this ranking built?

Games are ranked on their aggregated critic score out of 100, with a minimum vote threshold so a single glowing review never outranks a proven classic; the Tier community's own F-to-S grades are shown alongside each game.