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Best games of 1991

The 13 best games released in 1991, ranked from 2,937 critic and player ratings.

The best game of 1991 is The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, with a critic score of 95/100 — updated November 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: 1991.
  • 13 games are listed on this page, carrying 2,937 ratings between them.
  • Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 13 November 2026.

Top 13

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

01 The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past 1991 · 1,741 ratings Venture back to Hyrule and an age of magic and heroes. The predecessors of Link and Zelda face monsters on the march when a menacing magician takes over the kingdom. Only you can prevent his evil plot from shattering the land of Hyrule. In your quest, you'll venture into twisting mazes, dungeons, palaces and shadowy forests. Test your mettle with mighty swords and magical weapons. Or heft a boulder and hurl it at your enemies. If the going gets tough, dive into a river - you can swim to escape! Learn powerful spells, locate magical artifacts and solve the mysteries of the evil magician and the hidden realm of Hyrule. 95 /100
02 Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (1991) Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (1991) 1991 · 103 ratings 84 /100
03 Super Castlevania IV Super Castlevania IV 1991 · 196 ratings A century of Transylvanian tranquility is about to come to a shocking end. Once again the mortifying screams of helpless villagers shake the ground as they huddle against new nightmarish horrors unleashed by the Duke of Darkness, Count Dracula. And this time he has a tombstone with your name on it, Simon Belmont. You must descend into Castle of the Undead and its gruesome ground, accompanied by the most chilling sound effects to ever tingle your spine. Inside, a freshly dug 11 levels maze features the treacherous Terrace of Terror, the dangerous Rotating Dungeon, the Sunken Ruins of Lost Spirits, torture chambers and creature filled caves. Use your whip like a grappling hook and swing past hundreds of traps and a host of ghost freaks, living corpses and hidden goblins. All while dodging or destroying the unpredictable spitting lizards, carnivorous coffins, and more. Find the concealed weapons needed to defeat everything from eerie phantoms to haunted furniture. Then prepare to find yourself face-to-thing with hideous torments like the Tongue Lasher, the Darkest Knight, the Bone-Afide Horseman and the Granite Crusher. When your nerves get shot, use your password and take a breather. But forge on, Simon Belmont, because if you though Dracula was down for the count, he's only just begun to fright! 100 /100
04 Final Fantasy IV (1991) Final Fantasy IV (1991) 1991 · 203 ratings FINAL FANTASY IV is the fourth main installment in the FINAL FANTASY series, developed and published by Squaresoft. It was released in July 1991 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in Japan, and released as FINAL FANTASY II in North America in October 1991 with alterations made due to Nintendo of America's guidelines at the time. 80 /100
05 Sonic the Hedgehog Sonic the Hedgehog 1991 · 57 ratings · finished by 37% Sonic the Hedgehog is a 2D side-scrolling platformer developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Genesis/Mega Drive. Players control Sonic the Hedgehog, who can run at near supersonic speeds and sets out on a quest to defeat Dr. Robotnik, a scientist who has imprisoned animals in robots and seeks the powerful Chaos Emeralds. 85 /100
06 Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts (1991) Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts (1991) 1991 · 95 ratings As dauntless knight Arthur you are caught up in the most dangerous of quests! A spell has been cast upon the kingdom. Your fair maiden, Princess Prin Prin has been snatched up by the evil emperor. Only as Arthur can you get her back from the creatures of the undead that haunt the land. Test your courage and skill to the limit. You must keep up the quest. On your journey, your mightiest weapon of all awaits you... MAGIC! 78 /100
07 Lemmings Lemmings 1991 · 167 ratings Lemmings is a puzzle-platform game developed by DMA Design and published by Psygnosis in 1991. Players guide a group of lemmings through hazardous levels to a designated exit. The gameplay involves assigning specific skills, such as digging or building, to overcome obstacles and avoid traps. Each level has a time limit and requires saving a minimum number of lemmings to progress. The game was released on multiple platforms and is regarded as a classic of the puzzle genre. 68 /100
08 Road Rash (1991) Road Rash (1991) 1991 · 73 ratings Road Rash is a high-octane motorcycle racing game where players become bikers competing in illegal races across the U.S.A. The game focuses on a series of races in California, which players must win to progress to more challenging competitions. Along the way, they engage in both unarmed and armed combat to outmaneuver other racers. 65 /100
09 Metroid II: Return of Samus Metroid II: Return of Samus 1991 · 93 ratings A Sinister Planet Threatens the Galaxy! Battle through a sprawling underworld, seeking out every last Metroid, and build up your arsenal by discovering mysterious artefacts. Enjoy new abilities like the Spider Ball, and powerful new weapons like the Plasma Beam, as you attempt to eradicate the Metroids once and for all. 60 /100
10 Micro Machines Micro Machines 1991 · 75 ratings Micro Machines is a classic racing game. Simple, fast-paced and lots of fun. You are given the control of miniature cars, choppers, speedboats, racecars, tanks, jeeps, formulas and many more vehicles to choose and about 20 different tracks to drive on. You'll have to race AI opponents or your friends on various locations such as kitchen desks, pool tables, workshops, school desks, gardens, bathtubs etc. 60 /100
11 The Simpsons Arcade Game The Simpsons Arcade Game 1991 · 70 ratings 58 /100
12 James Pond 2: Codename - RoboCod James Pond 2: Codename - RoboCod 1991 · 32 ratings 50 /100
13 Yoshi Yoshi 1991 · 32 ratings 47 /100

Other years

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Nearby rankings

Best games of 1987Best games of 1992

Catalog statistics

Most abandoned gamesMost completed games

Frequently asked questions

What is the best game of 1991?

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past currently tops the ranking with a score of 95/100 across 1,741 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.