GameReviewRankMANY REVIEWS · ONE SCORE
REVIEW RANK SPECIAL · CRITICS’ CONSENSUS

The Best Games of 2016

One ranking built from 9 major year-end lists. Every list awards points by position — #1 earns 100, #2 earns 99, and so on — then each game’s points are averaged across all 9 lists to produce its Review Rank Score. A game ranked #1 everywhere would score a perfect 100.

SOURCES: POLYGON · GAMESRADAR+ · EUROGAMER · GIANT BOMB · THRILLIST · TECHRAPTOR · THE GUARDIAN · THE MICHIGAN DAILY · SLANT MAGAZINE · COMPILED 2026-07-12 · INELIGIBLE RELEASES ON SOURCE LISTS EXCLUDED

ALLPC
1
Overwatch
EUROGAMER #1GIANT BOMB #2POLYGON #3GAMESRADAR #3THRILLIST #3SLANT #3MICHIGAN DAILY #5TECHRAPTOR #6GUARDIAN #8
ON 9 OF 9 LISTS · 875 PTS · BEST POSITION #1
97.2RR SCORE
75
2
Inside
POLYGON #2MICHIGAN DAILY #2GIANT BOMB #4GUARDIAN #4EUROGAMER #5TECHRAPTOR #7SLANT #10THRILLIST #11GAMESRADAR #13
ON 9 OF 9 LISTS · 851 PTS · BEST POSITION #2
94.6RR SCORE
91
3
Titanfall 2
GAMESRADAR #1SLANT #2TECHRAPTOR #3MICHIGAN DAILY #4THRILLIST #5EUROGAMER #6POLYGON #9GIANT BOMB #11
ON 8 OF 9 LISTS · 767 PTS · BEST POSITION #1
85.2RR SCORE
89
4
Firewatch
GUARDIAN #3POLYGON #4MICHIGAN DAILY #6GIANT BOMB #7EUROGAMER #9GAMESRADAR #12THRILLIST #17SLANT #17
ON 8 OF 9 LISTS · 733 PTS · BEST POSITION #3
81.4RR SCORE
84
5
Stardew Valley
TECHRAPTOR #2GUARDIAN #5GAMESRADAR #7POLYGON #8MICHIGAN DAILY #8GIANT BOMB #9EUROGAMER #14SLANT #25
ON 8 OF 9 LISTS · 730 PTS · BEST POSITION #2
81.1RR SCORE
91
6
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
GUARDIAN #1MICHIGAN DAILY #1SLANT #1THRILLIST #4TECHRAPTOR #4GAMESRADAR #5EUROGAMER #10
ON 7 OF 9 LISTS · 681 PTS · BEST POSITION #1
75.7RR SCORE
7
Doom
POLYGON #1GIANT BOMB #1TECHRAPTOR #1GAMESRADAR #4EUROGAMER #4THRILLIST #6SLANT #12
ON 7 OF 9 LISTS · 678 PTS · BEST POSITION #1
75.3RR SCORE
86
8
Dark Souls III
THRILLIST #1GUARDIAN #6EUROGAMER #8TECHRAPTOR #8SLANT #8GAMESRADAR #10GIANT BOMB #14
ON 7 OF 9 LISTS · 652 PTS · BEST POSITION #1
72.4RR SCORE
90
9
Dishonored 2
GAMESRADAR #2THRILLIST #2EUROGAMER #3TECHRAPTOR #5POLYGON #7GIANT BOMB #15
ON 6 OF 9 LISTS · 572 PTS · BEST POSITION #2
63.6RR SCORE
87
10
The Witness
POLYGON #6GIANT BOMB #6SLANT #6EUROGAMER #7GAMESRADAR #9THRILLIST #13
ON 6 OF 9 LISTS · 559 PTS · BEST POSITION #6
62.1RR SCORE
85
11
Superhot
POLYGON #5GIANT BOMB #8SLANT #9TECHRAPTOR #11EUROGAMER #15GAMESRADAR #20
ON 6 OF 9 LISTS · 538 PTS · BEST POSITION #5
59.8RR SCORE
85
12
Final Fantasy XV
MICHIGAN DAILY #3THRILLIST #8TECHRAPTOR #13GAMESRADAR #15EUROGAMER #19SLANT #24
ON 6 OF 9 LISTS · 524 PTS · BEST POSITION #3
58.2RR SCORE
82
13
Battlefield 1
GUARDIAN #7GAMESRADAR #8MICHIGAN DAILY #10SLANT #14EUROGAMER #17
ON 5 OF 9 LISTS · 449 PTS · BEST POSITION #7
49.9RR SCORE
85
14
Hitman
EUROGAMER #2GIANT BOMB #3GAMESRADAR #6THRILLIST #10
ON 4 OF 9 LISTS · 383 PTS · BEST POSITION #2
42.6RR SCORE
84
15
Pokémon GO
GUARDIAN #2MICHIGAN DAILY #7EUROGAMER #11TECHRAPTOR #14
ON 4 OF 9 LISTS · 370 PTS · BEST POSITION #2
41.1RR SCORE
74
16
Hyper Light Drifter
GIANT BOMB #5SLANT #7EUROGAMER #16GAMESRADAR #18
ON 4 OF 9 LISTS · 358 PTS · BEST POSITION #5
39.8RR SCORE
86
17
The Last Guardian
POLYGON #10EUROGAMER #13GAMESRADAR #17SLANT #19
ON 4 OF 9 LISTS · 345 PTS · BEST POSITION #10
38.3RR SCORE
82
18
XCOM 2
TECHRAPTOR #10GAMESRADAR #11EUROGAMER #12
ON 3 OF 9 LISTS · 270 PTS · BEST POSITION #10
30.0RR SCORE
86
19
Severed
SLANT #4GAMESRADAR #16EUROGAMER #29
ON 3 OF 9 LISTS · 254 PTS · BEST POSITION #4
28.2RR SCORE
86
20
Civilization VI
GAMESRADAR #14TECHRAPTOR #15EUROGAMER #20
ON 3 OF 9 LISTS · 254 PTS · BEST POSITION #14
28.2RR SCORE
87
21
The Banner Saga 2
TECHRAPTOR #9GAMESRADAR #21EUROGAMER #21
ON 3 OF 9 LISTS · 252 PTS · BEST POSITION #9
28.0RR SCORE
22
Forza Horizon 3
GUARDIAN #9GAMESRADAR #22EUROGAMER #23
ON 3 OF 9 LISTS · 249 PTS · BEST POSITION #9
27.7RR SCORE
89
23
Oxenfree
EUROGAMER #18GIANT BOMB #19GAMESRADAR #23
ON 3 OF 9 LISTS · 243 PTS · BEST POSITION #18
27.0RR SCORE
82
24
Virginia
GIANT BOMB #17EUROGAMER #22GAMESRADAR #24
ON 3 OF 9 LISTS · 240 PTS · BEST POSITION #17
26.7RR SCORE
70
25
Thumper
GIANT BOMB #18EUROGAMER #24GAMESRADAR #25
ON 3 OF 9 LISTS · 236 PTS · BEST POSITION #18
26.2RR SCORE
86
26
Watch Dogs 2
THRILLIST #14SLANT #16EUROGAMER #38
ON 3 OF 9 LISTS · 235 PTS · BEST POSITION #14
26.1RR SCORE
27
Ratchet & Clank
THRILLIST #16SLANT #22EUROGAMER #41
ON 3 OF 9 LISTS · 224 PTS · BEST POSITION #16
24.9RR SCORE
28
Far Cry Primal
THRILLIST #9MICHIGAN DAILY #9
ON 2 OF 9 LISTS · 184 PTS · BEST POSITION #9
20.4RR SCORE
77
29
Quantum Break
THRILLIST #15SLANT #23
ON 2 OF 9 LISTS · 164 PTS · BEST POSITION #15
18.2RR SCORE
76
30
Overcooked!
GIANT BOMB #10EUROGAMER #31
ON 2 OF 9 LISTS · 161 PTS · BEST POSITION #10
17.9RR SCORE
83
31
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
THRILLIST #7EUROGAMER #35
ON 2 OF 9 LISTS · 160 PTS · BEST POSITION #7
17.8RR SCORE
81
32
The Division
THRILLIST #12EUROGAMER #32
ON 2 OF 9 LISTS · 158 PTS · BEST POSITION #12
17.6RR SCORE
33
Pokémon Sun & Moon
GAMESRADAR #19EUROGAMER #27
ON 2 OF 9 LISTS · 156 PTS · BEST POSITION #19
17.3RR SCORE
34
Enter the Gungeon
TECHRAPTOR #12EUROGAMER #40
ON 2 OF 9 LISTS · 150 PTS · BEST POSITION #12
16.7RR SCORE
86
35
No Man's Sky
SLANT #21EUROGAMER #34
ON 2 OF 9 LISTS · 147 PTS · BEST POSITION #21
16.3RR SCORE
36
Picross 3D: Round 2
GIANT BOMB #20EUROGAMER #46
ON 2 OF 9 LISTS · 136 PTS · BEST POSITION #20
15.1RR SCORE
37
Assault Android Cactus
SLANT #5
ON 1 OF 9 LISTS · 96 PTS · BEST POSITION #5
10.7RR SCORE
82
38
Stephen's Sausage Roll
GUARDIAN #10
ON 1 OF 9 LISTS · 91 PTS · BEST POSITION #10
10.1RR SCORE
39
That Dragon, Cancer
SLANT #11
ON 1 OF 9 LISTS · 90 PTS · BEST POSITION #11
10.0RR SCORE
80
40
Darkest Dungeon
GIANT BOMB #12
ON 1 OF 9 LISTS · 89 PTS · BEST POSITION #12
9.9RR SCORE
86
41
Pony Island
SLANT #13
ON 1 OF 9 LISTS · 88 PTS · BEST POSITION #13
9.8RR SCORE
87
42
Salt and Sanctuary
GIANT BOMB #13
ON 1 OF 9 LISTS · 88 PTS · BEST POSITION #13
9.8RR SCORE
84
43
Layers of Fear
SLANT #15
ON 1 OF 9 LISTS · 86 PTS · BEST POSITION #15
9.6RR SCORE
74
44
Event[0]
GIANT BOMB #16
ON 1 OF 9 LISTS · 85 PTS · BEST POSITION #16
9.4RR SCORE
45
Kirby: Planet Robobot
SLANT #18
ON 1 OF 9 LISTS · 83 PTS · BEST POSITION #18
9.2RR SCORE
83
46
Kentucky Route Zero Act IV
SLANT #20
ON 1 OF 9 LISTS · 81 PTS · BEST POSITION #20
9.0RR SCORE
47
Fire Emblem Fates
EUROGAMER #25
ON 1 OF 9 LISTS · 76 PTS · BEST POSITION #25
8.4RR SCORE
48
Dragon Quest Builders
EUROGAMER #26
ON 1 OF 9 LISTS · 75 PTS · BEST POSITION #26
8.3RR SCORE
83
49
Owlboy
EUROGAMER #28
ON 1 OF 9 LISTS · 73 PTS · BEST POSITION #28
8.1RR SCORE
85
50
Headlander
EUROGAMER #30
ON 1 OF 9 LISTS · 71 PTS · BEST POSITION #30
7.9RR SCORE
78
51
Abzû
EUROGAMER #36
ON 1 OF 9 LISTS · 65 PTS · BEST POSITION #36
7.2RR SCORE
52
The Turing Test
EUROGAMER #37
ON 1 OF 9 LISTS · 64 PTS · BEST POSITION #37
7.1RR SCORE
78
53
Rez Infinite
EUROGAMER #39
ON 1 OF 9 LISTS · 62 PTS · BEST POSITION #39
6.9RR SCORE
89
54
Planet Coaster
EUROGAMER #42
ON 1 OF 9 LISTS · 59 PTS · BEST POSITION #42
6.6RR SCORE
84
55
Mafia III
EUROGAMER #43
ON 1 OF 9 LISTS · 58 PTS · BEST POSITION #43
6.4RR SCORE
62
56
I Expect You to Die
EUROGAMER #44
ON 1 OF 9 LISTS · 57 PTS · BEST POSITION #44
6.3RR SCORE
84
57
Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun
EUROGAMER #45
ON 1 OF 9 LISTS · 56 PTS · BEST POSITION #45
6.2RR SCORE
58
Furi
EUROGAMER #47
ON 1 OF 9 LISTS · 54 PTS · BEST POSITION #47
6.0RR SCORE
80
59
World of Warcraft: Legion
EUROGAMER #48
ON 1 OF 9 LISTS · 53 PTS · BEST POSITION #48
5.9RR SCORE
87
60
SteamWorld Heist
EUROGAMER #49
ON 1 OF 9 LISTS · 52 PTS · BEST POSITION #49
5.8RR SCORE
85
61
Clash Royale
EUROGAMER #50
ON 1 OF 9 LISTS · 51 PTS · BEST POSITION #50
5.7RR SCORE
85
METHODOLOGY & SOURCES

Points follow position: pts = 101 − rank on each list. The Review Rank Score is a game’s total divided by the number of lists surveyed (9), so missing a list counts as zero — consensus beats a single high placement. Ties break by list appearances, then best single position. Positions were captured to each list’s published depth shown below. Games released outside 2016 that appeared inside longer eligibility windows keep their slot on the source list but are excluded here.

Polygon — top 10 ↗GamesRadar+ — top 25 ↗Eurogamer — top 50 ↗Giant Bomb — top 20 ↗Thrillist — top 17 ↗TechRaptor — top 15 ↗The Guardian — top 10 ↗The Michigan Daily — top 10 ↗Slant Magazine — top 25 ↗
Best of 2016 by Metacritic score →Best of 2025 →Best of 2024 →Best of 2023 →All years →