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Best PC games of 1987

The 12 best PC games released in 1987, ranked from 759 critic and player ratings.

The best PC game of 1987 is Maniac Mansion, with a critic score of 90/100 — updated October 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: 1987.
  • 12 games are listed on this page, carrying 759 ratings between them.
  • Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 11 October 2026.

Top 12

01 Maniac Mansion Maniac Mansion 1987 · 137 ratings Maniac Mansion is a 1987 graphic adventure video game developed and published by Lucasfilm Games. It follows teenage protagonist Dave Miller as he attempts to rescue his girlfriend from a mad scientist, whose mind has been enslaved by a sentient meteor. The player uses a point-and-click interface to guide Dave and two of his six playable friends through the scientist's mansion while solving puzzles and avoiding dangers. Gameplay is nonlinear, and the game must be completed in different ways based on the player's choice of characters. Initially released for the Commodore 64 and Apple II, Maniac Mansion was Lucasfilm Games' first self-published product. 90 /100
02 Test Drive Test Drive 1987 · 32 ratings After you choose a car, you have to drive as fast as possible without crash and without getting caught by the cops. You are equipped with the radar detector so you are informed about the approaching trouble. 87 /100
03 Shadowgate (1987) Shadowgate (1987) 1987 · 30 ratings Thrust into the role of "The Seed of Prophecy," players travel deep into the living castle, in hopes of defeating the evil that dwells within – the dreaded Warlock Lord. 83 /100
04 Blades of Steel (1988) Blades of Steel (1988) 1987 · 31 ratings From the opening Face-Off it's six on six pro-style hockey at its best. Their are eight teams for you to captain: Los Angeles, New York, Vancouver, Montreal, Edmonton, Minnesota, Toronto and Chicago. You can challenge a friend, or take on a multi-talented computer squad. You can also choose from three difficulty levels - Junior, College and Pro. Throughout the game, you'll constantly be tested by every intense element of championship hockey, from Penalty and Overtime Scenes to Knockout Smash-Hit Fight Scenes. Speed, strength, quickness and instinct are talents you must possess if you plan to prevail, especially when the anger flares, gloves come off and fists start flying. It's hard hitting action at its toughest. And you'll soon learn that in this league nothing's ever given to you, and before you can reach your goals - you have to score them. You've gotta master the artful skill of a finesse player and the bone crushing brutality of an enforcer. You'd better be versatile as well, because you must skillfully control your forwards, centers, defensemen and even the goalie, who'll defend the net against unrelenting Power Plays (which will occur if you lose a fight and have your battered carcass banned to the Penalty Box). 82 /100
05 Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2 Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2 1987 · 34 ratings Rainbow Islands is a 1987 arcade game developed and published by Taito. The arcade version was licensed to Romstar for North American manufacturing and distribution. The game is subtitled "The Story of Bubble Bobble 2" and is the sequel to Taito's hit game Bubble Bobble from the previous year. It is the second of four arcade games in the Bubble Bobble series. The game was ported for numerous home computers and game consoles. 77 /100
06 Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards 1987 · 55 ratings A middle-aged male virgin named Larry Laffer desperately tries to "get lucky" in the fictional American city of Lost Wages. Your goal in Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards is to find and seduce the girl of your dreams. This goal won't come easy, because you only have one night, and unfortunately, you are stuck with Larry's looks. Other problems, such as lack of money, lack of opportunity, and bad breath can complicate things significantly. Your interaction with the game controls the outcome of each situation. For example, having your character sign on with a major league baseball team or start a successful men's magazine could be beneficial to your ultimate goal. On the other hand, catching a fatal disease or losing all your cash can only impede your progress. A combination of common sense, logical thinking, and downright sheer luck is needed to achieve your goal. 75 /100
07 Super Hang-On (1988) Super Hang-On (1988) 1987 · 50 ratings Super Hang-On is a 1987 motorcycle racing arcade game by Sega, and the sequel to the acclaimed Hang-On. A version of this game, in the full simulated-motorcycle cabinet used by the original Hang-On, was released in 1991 as Limited Edition Hang-On. It was also released for the Sega Mega Drive, Commodore Amiga, Atari ST, Macintosh, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC and Commodore 64 in 1989. Super Hang-On was also released for the Sharp X68000 computer in Japan. The game also appeared on several Mega Drive compilations, namely Mega Games I (bundled with the console as Mega Drive Magnum Set), and Sega Genesis Six Pack. The arcade version was released on the Wii Virtual Console in Japan on September 14, 2010 and later for the other regions on May 3, 2012. A stereoscopic 3D version was released for the Nintendo 3DS eShop in Japan on March 27, 2013 and in North America and Europe on November 28, 2013. 75 /100
08 Sid Meier's Pirates! (1987) Sid Meier's Pirates! (1987) 1987 · 39 ratings You'll criss-cross your way along the 17th century Spanish Main in search of all-new adventures. You'll lead a crew of hot-blooded buccaneers into rollicking harbour towns. And risk your booty and your life plundering enemy ships! Hunt for magnificent treasures! Unravel the mysteries and clues of your adventure! Even battle your way through enemy waters on grueling rescue missions! Will you win your rightful place in history? Or will you end up shipwrecked on a distant island? The answer can only be found in the swashbuckling Pirates! Gold. 71 /100
09 Operation Wolf Operation Wolf 1987 · 32 ratings In the steamy jungles of South America, heavily armed extremists are holding innocent civilians prisoner. Little do these terrorists know that real terror is about to land on their front porch! The sound of rotor blades and staccato bursts of gunfire echo through the valleys. Terrorists be warned! Operation Wolf is going to teach you what terror is all about! Operation Wolf consists of six missions, which are displayed on the Operations Map Screen. A mission is completed when all enemy forces are reduced to zero. The current level is completed when you escape from the airport with the prisoners. Your injury level increases when the enemy hits you. The game automatically ends if the injury indicator on the right side of the screen becomes completely red. You can reduce your injury level by getting power drinks. 68 /100
10 Shinobi Shinobi 1987 · 49 ratings The five missions in the game are each three or four stages long. Several hostages are being held in each stage; Joe must rescue all of them before he is allowed to finish the stage. The last stage in each mission has no hostages, but instead features a powerful boss character whom Joe must defeat. After completing each of the first four missions the player is taken to a bonus stage, where he can earn an extra life if he is able to kill all of the ninjas leaping towards him. Completing the fifth mission ends the game. Also, once the fifth mission begins, continues are no longer allowed; the player has to finish the game with however many lives he has left at that point. If the player earns a place on the high score board, the number of credits it took him to get that score is displayed along with his score. Joe's standard weapons are an unlimited supply of shuriken, along with punches and kicks when attacking at close range. One hostage per stage gives him a power-up. When powered-up, his throwing stars are replaced by a gun that fires large, explosive bullets, and his close-range attack becomes a katana slash. Joe can also perform "ninja magic," which may be used only once per stage and kills (or damages, in the case of bosses) all enemies on the screen. The game also allows the enemies to hide behind boxes or use shields to block Musashi's shurikens.[4] Joe can be killed with one hit, provided he is hit by a projectile or melee attack, but if he does not find himself in those situations, the player can touch regular enemies and just be pushed back without being damaged. Since most enemies appear in the same place on each level, it is possible to master the game by memorizing their locations and devising patterns to defeat them. At the end of each stage, the player receives score bonuses based on performance. Completing the stage without using ninja magic or without using any throwing stars or bullets earns the player a point bonus. The player has three minutes to complete each stage; remaining time at the end of the stage is also converted to bonus points and added to the player's score. 60 /100
11 Street Fighter (1987) Street Fighter (1987) 1987 · 104 ratings 57 /100
12 Double Dragon Double Dragon 1987 · 166 ratings 39 /100
Browse all the best PC games

Other years

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Same year, other platforms

Best Amiga games of 1987Best Arcade games of 1987Best NES games of 1987

Nearby rankings

Best PC games of 1986Best PC games of 1988

Catalog statistics

Most abandoned gamesMost completed games

Frequently asked questions

What is the best PC game of 1987?

Maniac Mansion currently tops the ranking with a score of 90/100 across 137 ratings. Ranking updated October 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.