The 100 Best Games of the 21st Century

Game Of The Quarter Century!

Wow! Y'all truly showed up for this amusive small vote. A full of 3171 radical submitted ballots containing 2164 antithetic games for their Top 10 Games of the 21st Century. To enactment that successful perspective, that's SEVEN TIMES the magnitude of entries we received for the Giant Bomb Game of the Year 2024 assemblage vote.

The scoring strategy is based connected a weighted strategy wherever your #1 is worthy much than your #2 and truthful on. I don't really cognize what the mathematics is connected that due to the fact that this "Community List" diagnostic is built into the site. When the deadline hits, it conscionable spits retired a report, which I transcribed present and effort to marque look somewhat pretty.

The necktie breaker connected weighted scores is the full fig of votes received.

Before I springiness you a large ol' database and immoderate stats, let's dilatory rotation the Top 50.

50. Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers

• Weighted Score: 41
• Total Votes: 93 (3%)
• Developer: Creative Business Unit III
• Publisher: Square Enix
• Release: July 2, 2019
• Metacritic: 90

49. Persona 4 Golden

• Weighted Score: 41
• Total Votes: 149 (5%)
• Developer: Atlus
• Publisher: Atlus
• Release: November 20, 2012
• Metacritic: 93

48. Celeste

• Weighted Score: 42
• Total Votes: 140 (4%)
• Developer: Extremely OK Games
• Publisher: Extremely OK Games
• Release: January 25, 2018
• Metacritic: 92

47. God of War

• Weighted Score: 42
• Total Votes: 169 (5%)
• Developer: SIE Santa Monica Studio
• Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment America
• Release: April 20, 2018
• Metacritic: 94

46. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

• Weighted Score: 44
• Total Votes: 115 (4%)
• Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
• Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
• Release: May 1, 2002
• Metacritic: 87

45. The Last of Us Part II

• Weighted Score: 44
• Total Votes: 138 (4%)
• Developer: Naughty Dog, Inc.
• Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment America
• Release: June 19, 2020
• Metacritic: 93

44. Shadow of the Colossus

• Weighted Score: 44
• Total Votes: 139 (4%)
• Developer: Team Ico
• Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment America
• Release: October 18, 2005
• Metacritic: 91

43. BioShock

• Weighted Score: 45
• Total Votes: 188 (6%)
• Developer: Irrational Games
• Publisher: 2K Games
• Release: August 21, 2007
• Metacritic: 96

42. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

• Weighted Score: 48
• Total Votes: 115 (4%)
• Developer: Nintendo EAD
• Publisher: Nintendo
• Release: October 26, 2000
• Metacritic: 95

41. Mass Effect

• Weighted Score: 49
• Total Votes: 148 (5%)
• Developer: BioWare
• Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
• Release: November 20, 2007
• Metacritic: 91

40. Balatro

• Weighted Score: 49
• Total Votes: 204 (6%)
• Developer: LocalThunk
• Publisher: PlayStack
• Release: February 20, 2024
• Metacritic: 90

39. Deus Ex

• Weighted Score: 50
• Total Votes: 111 (4%)
• Developer: Ion Storm Inc.
• Publisher: Eidos Interactive
• Release: June 22, 2000
• Metacritic: 90

38. Portal

• Weighted Score: 50
• Total Votes: 184 (6%)
• Developer: Valve Corporation
• Publisher: Valve Corporation
• Release: October 10, 2007
• Metacritic: 90

37. Super Mario Galaxy

• Weighted Score: 50
• Total Votes: 186 (6%)
• Developer: Nintendo EAD
• Publisher: Nintendo
• Release: November 12, 2007
• Metacritic: 97

36. Undertale

• Weighted Score: 52
• Total Votes: 180 (6%)
• Developer: tobyfox
• Publisher: tobyfox
• Release: September 15, 2015
• Metacritic: 92

35. Hollow Knight

• Weighted Score: 53
• Total Votes: 205 (6%)
• Developer: Team Cherry
• Publisher: Team Cherry
• Release: February 24, 2017
• Metacritic: 90

34. Yakuza 0

• Weighted Score: 60
• Total Votes: 198 (6%)
• Developer: Ryu ga Gotoku Studio
• Publisher: Sega
• Release: January 24, 2017
• Metacritic: 85

33. Persona 5 Royal

• Weighted Score: 61
• Total Votes: 187 (6%)
• Developer: P Studio
• Publisher: Atlus
• Release: March 31, 2020
• Metacritic: 95

32. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

• Weighted Score: 62
• Total Votes: 194 (6%)
• Developer: Nintendo EAD
• Publisher: Nintendo
• Release: March 24, 2003
• Metacritic: 96

31. Halo: Combat Evolved

• Weighted Score: 63
• Total Votes: 193 (6%)
• Developer: Bungie
• Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
• Release: November 15, 2001
• Metacritic: 97

30. Stardew Valley

• Weighted Score: 63
• Total Votes: 233 (7%)
• Developer: ConcernedApe
• Publisher: Chucklefish Games
• Release: February 26, 2016
• Metacritic: 89

29. Minecraft

• Weighted Score: 65
• Total Votes: 228 (7%)
• Developer: Mojang AB
• Publisher: Mojang AB
• Release: August 16, 2011
• Metacritic: 93

28. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

• Weighted Score: 66
• Total Votes: 198 (6%)
• Developer: FromSoftware, Inc.
• Publisher: Activision
• Release: March 22, 2019
• Metacritic: 90

27. Final Fantasy X

• Weighted Score: 71
• Total Votes: 224 (7%)
• Developer: Squaresoft
• Publisher: Squaresoft
• Release: December 18, 2001
• Metacritic: 92

26. The Last of Us

• Weighted Score: 71
• Total Votes: 273
• Developer: Naughty Dog, Inc.
• Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment America
• Release: June 14, 2013
• Metacritic: 95

25. Halo 3

• Weighted Score: 73
• Votes: 249 (8%)
• Developer: Bungie
• Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
• Release Date: September 25, 2007
• Metacritic: 94

24. Portal 2

• Weighted Score: 74
• Total Votes: 298 (9%)
• Developer: Valve Corporation
• Publisher: Valve Corporation
• Release: April 19, 2011
• Metacritic: 95

23. Metroid Prime

• Weighted Score: 77
• Total Votes: 268 (8%)
• Developer: Retro Studios
• Publisher: Nintendo
• Release: November 18, 2002
• Metacritic: 97

22. Fallout: New Vegas

• Weighted Score: 82
• Total Votes: 287 (9%)
• Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
• Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
• Release: October 19, 2010
• Metacritic: 84

21. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

• Weighted Score: 82
• Total Votes: 312
• Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
• Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
• Release: November 11, 2011
• Metacritic: 96

20. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

• Weighted Score: 84
• Total Votes: 221 (7%)
• Developer: Konami Computer Entertainment Japan, Inc.
• Publisher: Konami
• Release: November 13, 2001
• Metacritic: 96

19. NieR:Automata

• Weighted Score: 84
• Total Votes: 254 (8%)
• Developer: PlatinumGames
• Publisher: Square Enix
• Release: March 7, 2017
• Metacritic: 88

18. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

• Weighted Score: 86
• Total Votes: 247 (8%)
• Developer: Konami Computer Entertainment Japan, Inc.
• Publisher: Konami
• Release: November 17, 2004
• Metacritic: 91

17. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

• Weighted Score: 91
• Total Votes: 262 (8%)
• Developer: Sandfall Interactive
• Publisher: Kepler Interactive
• Release: April 24, 2025
• Metacritic: 93

16. Resident Evil 4

• Weighted Score: 108
• Total Votes: 328 (10%)
• Developer: Capcom
• Publisher: Capcom
• Release: January 11, 2005
• Metacritic: 96

15. World of Warcraft

• Weighted Score: 109
• Total Votes: 283 (9%)
• Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
• Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
• Release: November 23, 2004
• Metacritic: 93

14. Red Dead Redemption II

• Weighted Score: 117
• Total Votes: 354 (11%)
• Developer: Rockstar Games
• Publisher: Rockstar Games
• Release: October 26, 2018
• Metacritic: 97

13. Hades

• Weighted Score: 121
• Total Votes: 448 (14%)
• Developer: Supergiant Games
• Publisher: Supergiant Games
• Release: September 17, 2020
• Metacritic: 93

12. Disco Elysium

• Weighted Score: 129
• Total Votes: 342 (11%)
• Developer: ZA/UM Studio
• Publisher: ZA/UM Studio
• Release: October 15, 2019
• Metacritic: 91

11. Super Mario Odyssey

• Weighted Score: 130
• Total Votes: 495 (16%)
• Developer: Nintendo EPD
• Publisher: Nintendo
• Release: October 27, 2017
• Metacritic: 97

10. Half-Life 2

• Weighted Score: 142
• Total Votes: 382 (12%)
• Developer: Valve Corporation
• Publisher: Valve Corporation
• Release: November 16, 2004
• Metacritic: 96

9. Dark Souls

• Weighted Score: 152
• Total Votes: 411 (13%)
• Developer: FromSoftware
• Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
• Release: September 22, 2011
• Metacritic: 89

8. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

• Weighted Score: 152
• Total Votes: 454 (14%)
• Developer: CD Projekt Red
• Publisher: WB Games
• Release: May 19, 2015
• Metacritic: 92

7. Bloodborne

• Weighted Score: 154
• Total Votes: 413 (13%)
• Developer: FromSoftware, Inc.
• Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment America
• Release: March 24, 2015
• Metacritic: 92

6. Baldur's Gate 3

• Weighted Score: 177
• Total Votes: 539 (17%)
• Developer: Larian Studios
• Publisher: Larian Studios
• Release Date: August 3, 2023
• Metacritic: 96

5. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

• Weighted Score: 200
• Total Votes: 446 (14%)
• Developer: Nintendo EPD
• Publisher: Nintendo
• Release: May 12, 2023
• Metacritic: 96

4. Mass Effect 2

• Weighted Score: 211
• Total Votes: 623 (20%)
• Developer: BioWare
• Publisher: Electronic Arts
• Release: January 26, 2010
• Metacritic: 96

3. Outer Wilds

• Weighted Score: 219
• Total Votes: 412 (13%)
• Developer: Mobius Games
• Publisher: Annapurna Interactive
• Release: May 29, 2019
• Metacritic: 85

2. Elden Ring

• Weighted Score: 304
• Total Votes: 763 (24%)
• Developer: FromSoftware, Inc.
• Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
• Release: February 25, 2022
• Metacritic: 96

1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

• Weighted Score: 481
• Total Votes: 980 (31%)
• Developer: Nintendo EPD
• Publisher: Nintendo
• Release: March 3, 2017
• Metacritic: 97

Top 25 Recap

Breath of the Wild taking the apical spot astir apt isn't excessively surprising, but the borderline by which it won is astatine slightest a small bit. Getting implicit 200 votes much than 2nd spot is big.

The existent shocker is Outer Wilds taking 3rd place. It had less votes than astir thing successful the Top 10, but that means that the radical who similar Outer Wilds REALLY LIKE Outer Wilds and enactment astatine the apical of their list.

Conversely, Super Mario Odyssey had the 5th-most earthy votes, but didn't marque the Top 10. That means a ton of radical similar it, but not capable to enactment it precocious connected their list.

I deliberation it's comic however NieR is sandwiched betwixt 2 Metal Gears.

Let's instrumentality a look astatine the details of the Top 100 games y'all chose.

The Top 100

Stats

Here are immoderate random observations astir the database we each made together.

• Total Ballots Submitted: 3171
• Total Votes: 31,527 (not everyone enactment 10 games connected their ballot)
• Total Games: 2164
• Total Games with Only One Vote: 953 (44%)
• Games from 2014 successful the Top 100: 0
• Fighting Games successful the Top 100: 0 (Science™ says Smash doesn't count)
• Top 100's Average Metacritic: 91.74
• Top 100's Lowest Metacritic: 82 - Control
• N64 Games successful the Top 100: 1 - The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
• PS1 Games successful the Top 100: 1 - Final Fantasy IX
• Newest Game successful the Top 100: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Oldest Game successful the Top 100: Deus Ex
• Lowest Rated Giant Bomb GOTY: Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (508th)
• Games from Before 2000 successful the Top 100: 0

Top 100 Games by Year

You cognize however everyone says 2014 was a "down year"? Looks similar they're right. It's a beauteous adjacent dispersed here. No existent recency bias.

Top 100's Top Developers

Nothing excessively astonishing here. I did harvester Kojima-led studios into 1 file and the aforesaid for the Persona team. The emotion radical inactive person for BioWare games makes it adjacent sadder to spot however overmuch EA has squandered that love.

Top 100's Top Publishers

Again, thing excessively surprising. All the stars are here...mostly. The 1 standout to maine is the implicit lack of Ubisoft.

Franchises

Sixteen franchises had aggregate entries successful the Top 100.

We decidedly person respective instances of votes being divided owed to compilations. The biggest illustration of this is the 87 radical who voted for Mass Effect Legendary Edition. If they had conscionable voted for Mass Effect 2, it would've easy been #3 alternatively of Outer Wilds.

We besides had immoderate discussions astir however Hitman's astir caller trilogy is present viewed arsenic 1 product. Whether each the radical who voted for Hitman 3 intended for that to screen the full trilogy, we cannot say. But, if we harvester Hitman 3's people with Hitman World of Assassination's score, it would've bumped up a small spot into the Top 50. If we harvester each four, it would've been Top 30. But, it's not precisely just to presume people's intent. Maybe they lone loved 1 of them.

There's besides the cases of Persona 5 vs Persona 5 Royal and Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 vs Persona 4 Golden.

Giant Bomb's Games of the Year

The seventeen years of GOTY winners person an mean people of 140th champion crippled of the century.

• 2024 - Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (#398)
• 2023 - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (#5)
• 2022 - Elden Ring (#2)
• 2021 - Chicory: A Colorful Tale (#297)
• 2020 - Hades (#13)
• 2019 - Outer Wilds (#3)
• 2018 - Tetris Effect (#92)
• 2017 - PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (#204)
• 2016 - Hitman (#89)
• 2015 - Super Mario Maker (#305)
• 2014 - Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (#508)
• 2013 - The Last of Us (#26)
• 2012 - XCOM: Enemy Unknown (#170)
• 2011 - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (#21)
• 2010 - Mass Effect 2 (#4)
• 2009 - Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (#88)
• 2008 - Grand Theft Auto IV (#155)

The Full List

If you'd similar to spot the afloat database of each 2164 games that received votes, their full votes, and weighted scores, you tin spot each the earthy ass information with the nexus below. It's mode excessively agelong to station present successful the nonfiction itself.

• The Full List

Thanks to whoever other made it truthful I wasn't the lone idiosyncratic to ballot for EverQuest games. We adjacent had a fewer votes for the Champions of Norrath games. Hell yeah!

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Thanks to everyone who participated successful this project. The turnout was incredible. Let's conscionable backmost present successful 2050!