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The best Maxis games

The 9 best games from Maxis, ranked from 3,056 critic and player ratings.

The best Maxis game is The Sims, with a critic score of 88/100. Updated November 2026.

  • Ranked releases span 1989 to 2014.
  • Average critic score across the 9 ranked games: 74/100.
  • 3,056 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.
  • 9 games are listed on this page, carrying 3,056 ratings between them.
  • Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 13 November 2026.

Top 9

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

01 The Sims The Sims 2000 · 530 ratings The Sims is a life-building simulation with emphasis on intimate details of individual characters rather than expansion of an entire society or civilization. You are in control of nearly every aspect of the lives of the individuals who make up your chosen population in the neighborhood. Characters are developed from the ground up and you infuse and mold them with personalities, looks, desires, moods, urges, living arrangements, career and personal choices, life styles, and reactions. 88 /100
02 Spore Spore 2008 · 417 ratings · finished by 26% From Single Cell to Galactic God, evolve your creature in a universe of your own creations. Play through Spore's five evolutionary stages: Cell, Creature, Tribe, Civilization, and Space. Each stage has its own unique style, challenges, and goals. 82 /100
03 SimCity 4 SimCity 4 2003 · 218 ratings SimCity 4 is a city-building simultor. You are in the shoes of one or several mayors, and you are tasked with populating and managing your cities.When you have chosen a segment to place your city in, you will be able to chose between 3 game modes. God mode: This mode lets you shape the overall landscapes as you desire Mayor mode: In this mode you build and manage your own cities. My Sim mode: Here the player can choose his own Sims and have them move into the city, or import saved games from the game The Sims. 85 /100
04 SimCity 3000 SimCity 3000 1999 · 163 ratings SimCity 3000, released in 1999 as the third major installment in the SimCity series, continues its successful course as a city building simulation game. In SimCity 3000 new tools have been introduced to create and control the city build-ups. Recreate the world's greatest cities using predefined landscapes such as San Francisco or Berlin and landmark buildings like the Empire State Building or Big Ben. Negotiate and barter with neighbouring cities to strengthen your metropolis and seal contracts to import water or get rid of huge amounts of waste. 85 /100
05 The Sims 2 The Sims 2 2004 · 549 ratings In The Sims 2, your Sims will be more lifelike, more responsive, and more complex than ever before. You'll be able to control your Sims over their entire lifetimes, taking them from their first steps to their golden years. Guide them through "Life's Big Moments" and build their "Life Score" with every decision you make. And since every Sim will have its own DNA, their appearance and personality will be passed down through the generations. Life in The Sims 2 will take on a whole different dimension with an entirely new 3-D engine. 71 /100
06 SimCity 2000 SimCity 2000 1993 · 213 ratings It has all the features, flexibility, art, animation, and power you need to create an environment of your dreams. Choose from a selection of bonus cities and scenarios to rule or ruin as you please. Build schools, libraries, hospitals, zoos, prisons, power plants, and much more... Lay down roads, railways, and highways. Explore the underground layer and build subways and utilities without compromising your aesthetics. Customize different buildings or design your own graphics sets from scratch. This is the ultimate classic Maxis city-building and management simulation. If this game were any more realistic, it'd be illegal to turn it off! 71 /100
07 The Sims 4 S The Sims 4 2014 · 658 ratings · 1 Tier vote · finished by 10% Unleash your imagination and create a unique world of Sims that's an expression of you! Explore and customize every detail from Sims to homes, and much more with The Sims 4. Life, and Sims, are yours to control. Customize your unique Sims, design their homes & take them on wild adventures through celebdom, romance, holidays and more. 67 /100
08 SimCity (2013) SimCity (2013) 2013 · 159 ratings This is a new SimCity that delivers unprecedented depth of simulation. The model-like world and detail of the simulation make this the most responsive and personal SimCity ever. This is also the most expansive city management game yet where you can control a region that delivers true multi-city scale and play a single city or up to 16 cities at once each with different specializations. Multiplayer is also a first for the series, which adds a new dimension to your game as your decisions impact both your city and your region and creates new ways to play by collaborating or competing to earn achievements. 60 /100
09 SimCity SimCity 1989 · 149 ratings SimCity, later renamed SimCity Classic, is a city-building simulation video game, first released on February 2, 1989, and designed by Will Wright for the Macintosh computer. SimCity was Maxis's second product, which has since been ported into various personal computers and game consoles, and spawned several sequels including SimCity 2000 in 1993, SimCity 3000 in 1999, SimCity 4 in 2003, SimCity DS, SimCity Societies in 2007, and SimCity in 2013. Until the release of The Sims in 2000, the SimCity series was the best-selling line of computer games made by Maxis. 59 /100
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Frequently asked questions

What is the best Maxis game?

The Sims currently tops the ranking with a score of 88/100 across 530 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.