Best games
The best 3D Realms games
The 6 best games from 3D Realms, ranked from 3,527 critic and player ratings.
The best 3D Realms game is Ghostrunner, with a critic score of 82/100. Updated September 2026.
- Ranked releases span 1996 to 2020.
- Average critic score across the 6 ranked games: 69/100.
- 3,527 critic and player ratings behind this ranking.
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.
- 6 games are listed on this page, carrying 3,527 ratings between them.
- Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 29 September 2026.
Top 6
01
D
Ghostrunner
Ascend humanity’s last remaining shelter, a great tower-city. The tower is torn by violence, poverty and chaos. Conquer your enemies, discover the secrets of the superstructure and your own origin and obtain the power to challenge The Keymaster.
82
/100
02
Duke Nukem 3D
Aliens have landed in futuristic Los Angeles and it's up to the Duke to bring the pain and show them the door. After the initial entries of side-scrolling platform games, Duke Nukem 3D introduces a first-person perspective to the series and turns the game into a full-fledged shooter with 2.5D graphics. Duke's arsenal includes pistols, pipe bombs, laser trip mines, Nordenfelt guns, a chain gun and various rocket launchers, but also his mighty foot to kick enemies. The game sports a high level of interactivity. Many objects in the environment can be broken or interacted with, such as pool tables, arcade machines, glass, light switches and security cameras. The protagonist is also able to hand strippers a dollars to have them remove their top.
75
/100
03
S
Max Payne
Max Payne is a man with nothing to lose in the violent, cold urban night. A fugitive undercover cop framed for murder, hunted by cops and the mob, Max is a man with his back against the wall, fighting a battle he cannot hope to win. Max Payne is a relentless story-driven game about a man on the edge, fighting to clear his name while struggling to uncover the truth about his slain family amongst a myriad of plot-twists and twisted thugs in the gritty bowels of New York during the century's worst blizzard. The groundbreaking original cinematic action-shooter, Max Payne introduced the concept of Bullet Time in videogames. Through its stylish slow-motion gunplay combined with a dark and twisted story, Max Payne redefined the action-shooter genre.
74
/100
D
Ghostrunner
Ascend humanity’s last remaining shelter, a great tower-city. The tower is torn by violence, poverty and chaos. Conquer your enemies, discover the secrets of the superstructure and your own origin and obtain the power to challenge The Keymaster.
82
/100
02
Duke Nukem 3D
Aliens have landed in futuristic Los Angeles and it's up to the Duke to bring the pain and show them the door. After the initial entries of side-scrolling platform games, Duke Nukem 3D introduces a first-person perspective to the series and turns the game into a full-fledged shooter with 2.5D graphics. Duke's arsenal includes pistols, pipe bombs, laser trip mines, Nordenfelt guns, a chain gun and various rocket launchers, but also his mighty foot to kick enemies. The game sports a high level of interactivity. Many objects in the environment can be broken or interacted with, such as pool tables, arcade machines, glass, light switches and security cameras. The protagonist is also able to hand strippers a dollars to have them remove their top.
75
/100
03
S
Max Payne
Max Payne is a man with nothing to lose in the violent, cold urban night. A fugitive undercover cop framed for murder, hunted by cops and the mob, Max is a man with his back against the wall, fighting a battle he cannot hope to win. Max Payne is a relentless story-driven game about a man on the edge, fighting to clear his name while struggling to uncover the truth about his slain family amongst a myriad of plot-twists and twisted thugs in the gritty bowels of New York during the century's worst blizzard. The groundbreaking original cinematic action-shooter, Max Payne introduced the concept of Bullet Time in videogames. Through its stylish slow-motion gunplay combined with a dark and twisted story, Max Payne redefined the action-shooter genre.
74
/100
04
Shadow Warrior
Shadow Warrior is a first-person shooter video game developed by 3D Realms and released on May 13, 1997 by GT Interactive. Shadow Warrior was developed using Ken Silverman's Build engine and improved on 3D Realms' previous Build engine game, Duke Nukem 3D. Mark Adams ported Shadow Warrior to Mac OS in August 1997. The game's improvements included introduction of true room-over-room situations, the use of 3D voxels instead of 2D sprites for weapons and usable inventory items, transparent water, climbable ladders, and assorted vehicles to drive (some armed with weapons). Although ultra-violent, the game emphasized tongue-in-cheek humor and contained some sexual themes (although less blatantly than in Duke Nukem 3D). A combination of Duke Nukem 3D and Shadow Warrior was published by GT Interactive in March 1998, titled East Meets West.
73
/100
05
Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project
Duke Nukem takes his Mighty Boot to the Big Apple. Using GLOPP (Gluon Liquid Omega-Phased Plasma), the maniacal mech Morphix has transformed the creatures of New York City into an army of bloodthirsty mutants. In Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project, Duke must deploy WIN (Weapons, Insults and Name-Calling) to rid the city of goo-based bad guys, and return peace and tranquility to The City That Never Sleeps.
58
/100
06
Duke Nukem Forever
Cocked, loaded and ready for action, Duke delivers epic ass-kicking, massive weapons, giant explosions and pure unadulterated fun! Put on your shades and step into the boots of Duke Nukem. The alien hordes are invading and only Duke can save the world. Pig cops, alien shrink rays and enormous alien bosses can’t stop this epic hero from accomplishing his goal: to save the world, save the babes and to be a bad-ass while doing it. The King arrives with an arsenal of over-the-top weapons, non-stop action, and unprecedented levels of interactivity. With hours and hours of action, and a range of bodacious multiplayer modes, rest assured knowing the fun goes on and on.
55
/100
Shadow Warrior
Shadow Warrior is a first-person shooter video game developed by 3D Realms and released on May 13, 1997 by GT Interactive. Shadow Warrior was developed using Ken Silverman's Build engine and improved on 3D Realms' previous Build engine game, Duke Nukem 3D. Mark Adams ported Shadow Warrior to Mac OS in August 1997. The game's improvements included introduction of true room-over-room situations, the use of 3D voxels instead of 2D sprites for weapons and usable inventory items, transparent water, climbable ladders, and assorted vehicles to drive (some armed with weapons). Although ultra-violent, the game emphasized tongue-in-cheek humor and contained some sexual themes (although less blatantly than in Duke Nukem 3D). A combination of Duke Nukem 3D and Shadow Warrior was published by GT Interactive in March 1998, titled East Meets West.
73
/100
05
Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project
Duke Nukem takes his Mighty Boot to the Big Apple. Using GLOPP (Gluon Liquid Omega-Phased Plasma), the maniacal mech Morphix has transformed the creatures of New York City into an army of bloodthirsty mutants. In Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project, Duke must deploy WIN (Weapons, Insults and Name-Calling) to rid the city of goo-based bad guys, and return peace and tranquility to The City That Never Sleeps.
58
/100
06
Duke Nukem Forever
Cocked, loaded and ready for action, Duke delivers epic ass-kicking, massive weapons, giant explosions and pure unadulterated fun! Put on your shades and step into the boots of Duke Nukem. The alien hordes are invading and only Duke can save the world. Pig cops, alien shrink rays and enormous alien bosses can’t stop this epic hero from accomplishing his goal: to save the world, save the babes and to be a bad-ass while doing it. The King arrives with an arsenal of over-the-top weapons, non-stop action, and unprecedented levels of interactivity. With hours and hours of action, and a range of bodacious multiplayer modes, rest assured knowing the fun goes on and on.
55
/100
Frequently asked questions
What is the best 3D Realms game?
Ghostrunner currently tops the ranking with a score of 82/100 across 652 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.