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Best short games on Xbox One

The 215 best short games on Xbox One, ranked from 37,190 critic and player ratings.

The best short game on Xbox One right now is Gears of War 3, with a critic score of 97/100. 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 80 external ratings, so a single enthusiastic review never outranks a proven classic.
  • Only games with a measured main story of 10 hours or less are listed: HowLongToBeat first, IGDB when HowLongToBeat has no figure.
  • 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 37,190 ratings between them.
  • Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 11 October 2026.

Top 50

01 Gears of War 3 Gears of War 3 2011 · 353 ratings Gears of War 3 is the spectacular conclusion to one of the most memorable and celebrated sagas in videogames. Gears of War 3 plunges players into a harrowing tale of hope, survival and brotherhood. In Gears of War 3, players fight on as Marcus Fenix, the grizzled war hero and leader of Delta Squad. Eighteen months after the fall of the last human city, the war against the Locust rages on. Meanwhile, deep beneath the surface, a fearsome new threat is infecting the planet from within. With survivors scattered and civilization in ruins, time is running out for Marcus and his comrades as they fight to save the human race. 97 /100
02 Undertale B Undertale 2015 · 1,892 ratings · 2 Tier votes A small child falls into the Underground, where monsters have long been banished by humans and are hunting every human that they find. The player controls the child as they try to make it back to the Surface through hostile environments, all the while engaging with a turn-based combat system with puzzle-solving and bullet hell elements, as well as other unconventional game mechanics. 96 /100
03 Forza Horizon 5 D Forza Horizon 5 2021 · 358 ratings · 2 Tier votes 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
04 Planet of Lana Planet of Lana 2023 · 120 ratings A young girl and her loyal friend embark on a rescue mission through a colorful world full of cold machines and unfamiliar creatures. Planet of Lana is a cinematic puzzle adventure framed by an epic sci-fi saga that stretches across centuries and galaxies. 93 /100
05 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas S Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas 2004 · 4,084 ratings · 9 Tier votes Returning after his mother's murder to the semi-fictional city of Los Santos (based on Los Angeles), Carl Johnson, a former gang banger, must take back the streets for his family and friends by gaining respect and once again gaining control over the streets. However, a story filled with crime, lies and corruption will lead him to trudge the entire state of San Andreas (based on California and Nevada) to rebuild his life. 93 /100
06 Unpacking Unpacking 2021 · 244 ratings Unpacking is a zen puzzle game about the familiar experience of pulling possessions out of boxes and fitting them into a new home. Part block-fitting puzzle, part home decoration, you are invited to create a satisfying living space while learning clues about the life you’re unpacking. Over the course of eight house moves, you are given a chance to experience a sense of intimacy with a character you never see and a story you’re never told. 92 /100
07 Inside Inside 2016 · 1,642 ratings An atmospheric 2D side-scroller in which, hunted and alone, a boy finds himself drawn into the center of a dark project and struggles to preserve his identity. 92 /100
08 Hollow Knight S Hollow Knight 2017 · 2,253 ratings · 6 Tier votes A 2D metroidvania with an emphasis on close combat and exploration in which the player enters the once-prosperous now-bleak insect kingdom of Hallownest, travels through its various districts, meets friendly inhabitants, fights hostile ones and uncovers the kingdom's history while improving their combat abilities and movement arsenal by fighting bosses and accessing out-of-the-way areas. 91 /100
09 Gears of War 2 Gears of War 2 2008 · 451 ratings In Gears of War 2, The COG continues its fight against the Locust horde, who are attempting to sink all of the cities on the planet Sera by using a big riftworm to eat the ground beneath them. Sergeant Marcus Fenix leads Delta Squad into the depths of the planet to try to stop the worm from eating but instead they discover the true intent of the Locust actions. 90 /100
10 Bastion C Bastion 2011 · 759 ratings · 1 Tier vote A hack-and-slash RPG featuring a reactive narrator, various unlockable weapons, weapon upgrades, practice mini-games and optional difficulty modifiers, set in an imaginary world in the aftermath of an uncertain apocalypse, in which the player embodies a teenager with a troubled past as he and the narrator work together to rebuild the world out of a persisting hub called the Bastion. 90 /100
11 Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Sonic the Hedgehog 2 1992 · 622 ratings 90 /100
12 The Forgotten City The Forgotten City 2021 · 157 ratings 90 /100
13 Ultimate Doom Ultimate Doom 1995 · 99 ratings 90 /100
14 Battlefield 1 S Battlefield 1 2016 · 896 ratings · 5 Tier votes 89 /100
15 SteamWorld Dig 2 SteamWorld Dig 2 2017 · 192 ratings 89 /100
16 Amnesia: The Dark Descent Amnesia: The Dark Descent 2010 · 545 ratings 89 /100
17 Cocoon Cocoon 2023 · 156 ratings 89 /100
18 The Case of the Golden Idol The Case of the Golden Idol 2022 · 90 ratings 89 /100
19 Shovel Knight Shovel Knight 2014 · 530 ratings 89 /100
20 Titanfall 2 S Titanfall 2 2016 · 854 ratings · 2 Tier votes 89 /100
21 Hyper Light Drifter Hyper Light Drifter 2016 · 256 ratings 89 /100
22 Owlboy Owlboy 2016 · 131 ratings 89 /100
23 Ori and the Blind Forest Ori and the Blind Forest 2015 · 1,534 ratings 88 /100
24 Grand Theft Auto IV A Grand Theft Auto IV 2008 · 1,914 ratings · 4 Tier votes 88 /100
25 Apex Legends C Apex Legends 2019 · 666 ratings · 3 Tier votes 88 /100
26 The Swapper The Swapper 2013 · 184 ratings 88 /100
27 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare S Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 2007 · 1,846 ratings · 2 Tier votes 88 /100
28 As Dusk Falls As Dusk Falls 2022 · 99 ratings 88 /100
29 Machinarium Machinarium 2009 · 447 ratings 88 /100
30 Battlefield: Bad Company 2 B Battlefield: Bad Company 2 2010 · 654 ratings · 1 Tier vote 87 /100
31 Bulletstorm Bulletstorm 2011 · 383 ratings 87 /100
32 BioShock 2 S BioShock 2 2010 · 1,114 ratings · 1 Tier vote 87 /100
33 Visage Visage 2020 · 91 ratings 87 /100
34 Doom S Doom 2016 · 1,926 ratings · 1 Tier vote 87 /100
35 What Remains of Edith Finch What Remains of Edith Finch 2017 · 991 ratings 87 /100
36 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered S Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered 2016 · 257 ratings · 2 Tier votes 87 /100
37 Braid Braid 2008 · 617 ratings 87 /100
38 Hotline Miami A Hotline Miami 2012 · 1,267 ratings · 1 Tier vote 86 /100
39 Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2006 · 158 ratings 86 /100
40 Sonic Mania Sonic Mania 2017 · 325 ratings 85 /100
41 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge 2022 · 177 ratings 85 /100
42 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 S Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 2009 · 1,565 ratings · 3 Tier votes 85 /100
43 Battlefield 3 A Battlefield 3 2011 · 1,072 ratings · 4 Tier votes 85 /100
44 Stray Stray 2022 · 747 ratings 85 /100
45 Katana Zero Katana Zero 2019 · 350 ratings 85 /100
46 SuperHot SuperHot 2016 · 556 ratings 85 /100
47 LEGO Marvel Super Heroes LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2013 · 258 ratings 85 /100
48 Day of the Tentacle Remastered Day of the Tentacle Remastered 2016 · 119 ratings 85 /100
49 Yoku's Island Express Yoku's Island Express 2018 · 111 ratings 84 /100
50 Call of Duty 2 Call of Duty 2 2005 · 1,078 ratings 84 /100
Best short games

Other platforms

Best short games on PCBest short games on PlayStation 4Best short games on Nintendo SwitchBest short games on PlayStation 3Best short games on Xbox 360Best short games on PlayStation 5Best short games on Xbox Series X|SBest short games on Wii UBest short games on WiiBest short games on Nintendo Switch 2

Same platform, other play styles

Best couch co-op games on Xbox OneBest online co-op games on Xbox OneBest long games on Xbox One

Nearby rankings

Best Xbox One games

Catalog statistics

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Frequently asked questions

What is the best short game on Xbox One?

Gears of War 3 currently tops the ranking with a score of 97/100 across 353 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.