Best games
Best Arcade games of 2021
The 11 best Arcade games released in 2021, ranked from 1,346 critic and player ratings.
The best Arcade game of 2021 is Forza Horizon 5, with a critic score of 94/100 — updated September 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 30 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: 2021.
- 11 games are listed on this page, carrying 1,346 ratings between them.
- Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 28 September 2026.
Top 11
01
D
Forza Horizon 5
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
02
Cyber Shadow
Dash, slice, and leap through masterfully designed levels filled with sharply honed ninja platforming action. Authentic 8-bit presentation with hand-crafted sprites, a detailed pixel aesthetic, and perfect controls. Modern touches like fluid animation, multi-layered parallax backgrounds, and evolved game design. Take down more than a dozen apocalyptic bosses, from enormous war machines to your synthetic clan rivals. Relive the authenticity of classic 8-bit challenge or experience it for the first time. with an added convenience or two.
80
/100
03
WarioWare: Get It Together!
Take on over 200 quick and quirky microgames - lightning-fast minigames filled with frantic fun - solo or with a friend! When his latest harebrained business scheme goes awry, Wario must use his signature style (and smell) to fix it. How? By playing a twisted collection microgames of course! From assembling a robot to pulling out a statue's armpit hair, the WarioWare: Get It Together! game is a comedic, cooperative microgame mashup.
81
/100
D
Forza Horizon 5
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
02
Cyber Shadow
Dash, slice, and leap through masterfully designed levels filled with sharply honed ninja platforming action. Authentic 8-bit presentation with hand-crafted sprites, a detailed pixel aesthetic, and perfect controls. Modern touches like fluid animation, multi-layered parallax backgrounds, and evolved game design. Take down more than a dozen apocalyptic bosses, from enormous war machines to your synthetic clan rivals. Relive the authenticity of classic 8-bit challenge or experience it for the first time. with an added convenience or two.
80
/100
03
WarioWare: Get It Together!
Take on over 200 quick and quirky microgames - lightning-fast minigames filled with frantic fun - solo or with a friend! When his latest harebrained business scheme goes awry, Wario must use his signature style (and smell) to fix it. How? By playing a twisted collection microgames of course! From assembling a robot to pulling out a statue's armpit hair, the WarioWare: Get It Together! game is a comedic, cooperative microgame mashup.
81
/100
04
Mario Party Superstars
Calling all Superstars! Mario Party is back with 5 classic boards from the Nintendo 64 Mario Party games. Frosting meets flowers as you race to get the most stars (and sabotage your opponents) on the Peach’s Birthday Cake board from the original Mario Party game. Or watch the countdown that unleashes Bowser Coin Beam and hold onto those coins on the Space Land board. The tides can turn quickly in Mario Party, so stay vigilant, partygoers. This and all other modes can be played online, too!
79
/100
05
Rain on Your Parade
You are a mischievous Cloud set to rain on everyone's parade! Travel the world and cause mayhem in numerous short-and-sweet levels, each with unique objectives. The ultimate Schadenfreude Simulator!
78
/100
06
Olija
Olija is a game about Faraday's quest, a man shipwrecked then trapped in the mysterious country of Terraphage. Armed with a legendary harpoon, he and other castaways try to leave this hostile country to return to their homelands.
78
/100
07
Chorus
Take control of Nara, once the Circle's deadliest warrior, now their most wanted fugitive, on a quest to destroy the dark cult that created her. Unlock devastating weapons and mind-bending abilities in Chorus, a true evolution of the space-combat shooter. Along with Forsaken, her sentient starfighter, explore ancient temples, engage in exhilarating zero-g combat, and venture beyond our waking reality.
76
/100
08
Paint the Town Red
Paint the Town Red is a chaotic first person melee combat game set in different locations and time periods. The voxel-based enemies can be punched, bashed, kicked, stabbed and sliced completely dynamically using almost anything that isn't nailed down.
70
/100
09
Hot Wheels Unleashed
Collect the best vehicles in the Hot Wheels universe, build spectacular tracks and dive into breathtaking races. The most iconic and sought after Hot Wheels vehicles are waiting for you. Get ready to make them race at full speed!
68
/100
10
Super Animal Royale
Select your favorite adorably murderous fox, panda, or sloth and parachute into a furocious 64-player battle arena. Explore a top-down 2D world, full of exotic biomes, psychotic animals, hamster balls, emus and much more. Wield pistols, snipers, miniguns, explosives, and silly dances on your way to the top of the food chain.
66
/100
11
Crab Game
52
/100
Mario Party Superstars
Calling all Superstars! Mario Party is back with 5 classic boards from the Nintendo 64 Mario Party games. Frosting meets flowers as you race to get the most stars (and sabotage your opponents) on the Peach’s Birthday Cake board from the original Mario Party game. Or watch the countdown that unleashes Bowser Coin Beam and hold onto those coins on the Space Land board. The tides can turn quickly in Mario Party, so stay vigilant, partygoers. This and all other modes can be played online, too!
79
/100
05
Rain on Your Parade
You are a mischievous Cloud set to rain on everyone's parade! Travel the world and cause mayhem in numerous short-and-sweet levels, each with unique objectives. The ultimate Schadenfreude Simulator!
78
/100
06
Olija
Olija is a game about Faraday's quest, a man shipwrecked then trapped in the mysterious country of Terraphage. Armed with a legendary harpoon, he and other castaways try to leave this hostile country to return to their homelands.
78
/100
07
Chorus
Take control of Nara, once the Circle's deadliest warrior, now their most wanted fugitive, on a quest to destroy the dark cult that created her. Unlock devastating weapons and mind-bending abilities in Chorus, a true evolution of the space-combat shooter. Along with Forsaken, her sentient starfighter, explore ancient temples, engage in exhilarating zero-g combat, and venture beyond our waking reality.
76
/100
08
Paint the Town Red
Paint the Town Red is a chaotic first person melee combat game set in different locations and time periods. The voxel-based enemies can be punched, bashed, kicked, stabbed and sliced completely dynamically using almost anything that isn't nailed down.
70
/100
09
Hot Wheels Unleashed
Collect the best vehicles in the Hot Wheels universe, build spectacular tracks and dive into breathtaking races. The most iconic and sought after Hot Wheels vehicles are waiting for you. Get ready to make them race at full speed!
68
/100
10
Super Animal Royale
Select your favorite adorably murderous fox, panda, or sloth and parachute into a furocious 64-player battle arena. Explore a top-down 2D world, full of exotic biomes, psychotic animals, hamster balls, emus and much more. Wield pistols, snipers, miniguns, explosives, and silly dances on your way to the top of the food chain.
66
/100
11
Crab Game
52
/100
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Arcade game of 2021?
Forza Horizon 5 currently tops the ranking with a score of 94/100 across 771 ratings. Ranking updated September 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.