Minecraft, GTA V, Super Mario Bros., Zelda, Elden Ring: rank iconic video games, from arcade classics to recent hits.
The all-time classics
Pick a theme and a ranking size, then start the game. Cards drop one at a time: for each one, you choose a free rank. Once a card is placed, it stays there.
You never know which card is coming next. Put a great card too high and you may have no room for the next one: that’s the whole twist of a blind ranking, also called a blind tier list.
Every game draws at random from these 102 cards. Here is each one, with a short profile and key facts.
A world of blocks to mine, stack and transform without limits. Survive against creepers or build freely in Creative mode: everyone makes exactly what they imagine.
Three criminals, Michael, Franklin and Trevor, pull off heist after heist in Los Santos, a giant parody of Los Angeles. Its online mode still keeps the game alive more than ten years later.
Mario crosses the Mushroom Kingdom to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser. The platformer that revived the video game industry and turned the NES into a phenomenon.
A young trainer travels across the Kanto region to catch all 151 Pokémon and take on the Pokémon League. The start of what became the highest-grossing media franchise in the world.
One hundred players jump from a flying bus onto a shrinking island, and the last one standing wins. Fast building, emotes and huge crossovers made it a cultural phenomenon.
Link wakes up in a ruined Hyrule, free to go wherever he wants from the first minutes. An open world that changed how exploration is designed.
Geralt of Rivia, a monster hunter, searches for his adopted daughter Ciri, who is pursued by the Wild Hunt. A huge open world carried by side quests of rare quality.
A Tarnished explores the Lands Between to become Elden Lord. FromSoftware brings its demanding formula to a vast open world, with fearsome bosses around every corner.
In 1899, Arthur Morgan and Dutch van der Linde's gang flee the law as the Wild West fades away. A western of unprecedented realism and melancholy.
Joel, a weary smuggler, has to escort young Ellie across a United States ravaged by a fungal infection. A moving story of survival and an almost fatherly bond.
Two teams of five champions fight to destroy the enemy Nexus. The benchmark MOBA and a pillar of global esports, with over 160 characters to choose from.
Mario and friends race on colorful tracks, shells and banana peels at the ready. With its Deluxe version, it is the best-selling kart racer and the queen of game nights.
The first entry after the split from FIFA, it keeps the clubs, licenses and Ultimate Team mode. The yearly ritual for football fans.
Captain Price and Soap's Task Force 141 hunt down a Russian terrorist. Fast, addictive multiplayer that made Call of Duty the king of console shooters.
Terrorists versus counter-terrorists: plant the bomb or defuse it, in short rounds where every bullet counts. A tactical shooter that became an esports institution.
Four-block pieces fall and you have to fit them together to clear lines. Invented in the USSR, this minimalist puzzler remains one of the most played games ever.
A yellow ball gobbles pellets in a maze while fleeing four ghosts. An arcade icon, Pac-Man was designed to appeal to a far wider audience than regular gamers.
Rows of aliens descend toward the player's cannon, faster and faster. This groundbreaking shooter set off the arcade craze of the late 1970s.
Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li and Guile face off in a worldwide fighting tournament. The game that set the rules of the genre, from combos to quarter-circle special moves.
The blue hedgehog races at breakneck speed to free the animals captured by Doctor Robotnik. Sega's mascot, who took on Mario in the console wars.
A lone space marine fights hordes of demons that have spilled out on the moons of Mars. Fast, brutal and easy to mod, Doom laid the foundations of the modern shooter.
Physicist Gordon Freeman returns to City 17, a city occupied by an alien power. Its physics engine and cutscene-free storytelling left a mark on a whole generation.
The Alliance and the Horde fight over the world of Azeroth in this massively multiplayer online role-playing game. Raids, dungeons and quests have kept millions of subscribers hooked for two decades.
Cloud, a former soldier, joins the eco-activist group AVALANCHE against the all-powerful Shinra company, then hunts the mysterious Sephiroth. The Japanese RPG that won over the West.
Mario, Pikachu, Link and dozens of guests from other franchises fight to knock their opponents out of the arena. A giant crossover where nearly every video game hero shows up.
Settled on a deserted island, the player fishes, decorates and builds a little slice of paradise through the real seasons. A soothing refuge that arrived right in the middle of lockdown.
On a spaceship, the crew completes tasks while impostors secretly sabotage and eliminate them. Debates, accusations and votes made the game explode in 2020.
Dozens of jelly-bean characters compete in wacky challenges modeled on TV game shows. A lighthearted battle royale where tumbles and shoving are the rule.
Rocket-powered cars play soccer with a giant ball. An absurd concept that became a full-fledged esport, packed with jumps, flips and aerial goals.
Heroes with unique powers battle in teams around objectives to capture or escort. Blizzard's colorful shooter put team play back at the heart of the genre.
Two teams of five agents fight over a bomb to plant or defuse, backed by special abilities. Riot blends the precision of Counter-Strike with hero-shooter powers.
One hundred players parachute onto an island, scavenge weapons and gear, and run from a shrinking zone. The game that popularized the battle royale before Fortnite arrived.
Squads of three legends with unique abilities clash in a fast-paced battle royale. Its ping system and fluid movement made it a benchmark of the genre.
The player creates characters, builds their house and manages their daily lives, from careers to love stories. A life simulation dreamed up by Will Wright that became a phenomenon.
A small, silent knight explores Hallownest, a ruined underground kingdom of insects. A demanding metroidvania with hand-drawn art, made by a tiny team.
A child who has fallen into the underground world of monsters can choose to fight or spare each one. A funny RPG that remembers every choice you make.
Zagreus, son of Hades, tries again and again to escape the Underworld with help from the gods of Olympus. A fast, addictive roguelike with remarkably polished writing.
Madeline climbs Celeste Mountain while facing her own anxieties. A pixel-perfect platformer that speaks honestly about mental health.
Tired of his office job, the hero takes over his grandfather's old farm in a small village. Farming, fishing, mining and friendships fill this peaceful country life.
Two cup-headed brothers bet their souls with the devil and must pay off their debt by defeating bosses. A punishing run-and-gun shooter drawn like a 1930s cartoon.
Rayman, a hero with no arms or legs, must free the Electoons and recover the Great Protoon stolen by Mr. Dark. A French platformer with gorgeous hand-painted backdrops.
Every year, the Paintress erases everyone who has reached a certain age. Expedition 33 sets out to destroy her in this French turn-based RPG with a fresh twist.
In the World of Twelve, adventurers hunt for the mysterious dragon eggs known as Dofus. The tactical MMORPG born in Roubaix, France, with turn-based battles and iconic classes.
In Renaissance Italy, Ezio Auditore seeks revenge for his family with help from Leonardo da Vinci. The entry that revealed the full potential of Ubisoft's series.
A cursed Undead wanders the ruined kingdom of Lordran, where every enemy can be fatal. Its punishing difficulty and interconnected world inspired a whole genre.
Kratos, exiled in the Norse lands, travels with his son Atreus to scatter his wife's ashes. A more intimate reboot, staged as one continuous shot.
Treasure hunter Nathan Drake follows in the footsteps of Marco Polo all the way to the Himalayas. Spectacular action set pieces that rival the best adventure movies.
The Dragonborn travels the snowy province of Skyrim to face the return of the dragons. A huge open world that has been re-released on nearly every platform.
Chell wakes up in the Aperture Science labs and solves puzzles with portals, under the sarcasm of the AI GLaDOS. Plus a brilliant co-op campaign.
Mario explores Peach's castle and its magic paintings to recover the stars stolen by Bowser. The game that showed how to move freely in 3D.
Link travels between childhood and adulthood to stop Ganondorf from seizing the Triforce. Often cited as one of the greatest games of all time.
Using augmented reality, players catch Pokémon while walking the streets of their own city. The phenomenon of summer 2016 that got millions of people outdoors.
The player matches candies of the same color to make them pop, level after level. The mobile puzzler that turned millions of people into gamers.
Two players deploy troop and spell cards to destroy the enemy towers in three minutes. A mix of card game and real-time strategy built for mobile.
Brawlers with different styles clash in quick matches, from soccer to battle royale. The mobile game a whole generation of kids is hooked on.
Solid Snake infiltrates a nuclear base in Alaska held by the terrorist unit FOXHOUND. Hideo Kojima popularized stealth games here, with cinema-grade staging.
Leon S. Kennedy heads to rural Spain to rescue the president's daughter, kidnapped by a cult. Its over-the-shoulder camera revolutionized action horror games.
CJ returns to Los Santos after his mother's death and reunites with his Grove Street gang. A whole state to roam, three cities and unprecedented freedom for 2004.
Peter Parker, Spider-Man for eight years, defends an open-world Manhattan where swinging between skyscrapers is pure joy. A superhero adventure of rare fluidity.
In 1274, the samurai Jin Sakai resists the Mongol invasion of Tsushima Island, even if it means betraying his code of honor. An open world where you let the wind guide you.
A group of adventurers infected with a mind-controlling parasite search for a cure across the Forgotten Realms. A turn-based RPG where every choice opens new possibilities.
The mercenary V tries to survive Night City with the mind of rock star Johnny Silverhand stuck in their head. A chaotic launch followed by a spectacular redemption.
Jin Kazama, grandson of Heihachi, enters the King of Iron Fist Tournament to avenge his mother. One of the best-loved fighting games on the PlayStation.
The wacky orange marsupial crosses the Wumpa Islands to rescue his girlfriend from the clutches of Doctor Neo Cortex. The unofficial mascot of the original PlayStation.
Tennis, bowling, boxing, golf and baseball are played by mimicking the motions with the Wii Remote. The game that got grandparents and kids playing in the same living room.
In 2038, three androids, Kara, Connor and Markus, see their fates shift depending on the player's choices. An interactive drama with multiple endings from a Paris-based studio.
Mario travels to wildly varied kingdoms aboard the Odyssey, joined by Cappy, a living hat that lets him possess enemies and objects. An explosion of creativity on Switch.
Mario leaps from planet to planet to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser, with help from Rosalina. Spherical gravity completely upends 3D platforming.
A young trainer explores the Sinnoh region and faces Team Galactic, which wants to remake the universe with Dialga and Palkia. The generation that brought Pokémon online.
Link explores an upended Hyrule, from the sky islands to the depths, and builds improbable machines with his new powers. The ambitious sequel to Breath of the Wild.
The Inklings, half squid and half kid, battle in four-on-four matches to cover the arena in their ink. An original, family-friendly shooter that was a smash hit in Japan.
Jumpman, the future Mario, climbs scaffolding and dodges barrels thrown by a gorilla to rescue Pauline. The arcade game that revealed the genius of Shigeru Miyamoto.
In 1986, Tommy Vercetti builds his criminal empire in a fictional, neon-soaked Miami. An unforgettable 1980s soundtrack and a vibe straight out of Scarface.
Commander Shepard recruits an elite team for a suicide mission against the Collectors. A space opera where choices from the first game and each teammate's loyalty weigh heavily.
After a plane crash, Jack discovers Rapture, a utopian underwater city that has descended into madness. A shooter with a gripping story, famous for one of gaming's best-known twists.
Emerging from a fallout shelter two centuries after the war, a survivor roams the ruins of Boston in search of his son. A post-apocalyptic world rich in exploration and crafting.
The Master Chief, a super-soldier in armor, fights the alien Covenant on a mysterious ringworld. The game that launched the Xbox and proved shooters belonged on consoles.
Dive into World War I, from the French trenches to the Arabian desert, with 64-player battles. Horses, airships and destructible environments make every match spectacular.
During the Cold War, agent Alex Mason tries to piece together his memories tied to mysterious numbers. Its Zombies mode made it one of the fans' favorite entries.
Two teams of five heroes race to destroy the enemy Ancient. Descended from a Warcraft III mod, this demanding MOBA hosts The International, with record-breaking prize pools.
The player leads a civilization through the Middle Ages, gathers resources, builds an army and besieges rivals. A real-time strategy game still played competitively today.
A hero hunts the Lord of Terror through randomly generated dungeons, loot drop after loot drop. The hack-and-slash that got a whole generation hooked on chasing gear.
Heroes from the Warcraft universe duel with spell and minion cards in a cozy tavern. The digital card game that brought the genre to the masses.
Players earn their licenses, then buy and upgrade real cars to climb the championships. A driving simulator of unprecedented realism in 1997, dreamed up by Kazunori Yamauchi.
The player digs, builds and fights in a randomly generated 2D world, from deep caves to boss-infested dungeons. Often described as Minecraft in two dimensions.
A cube moves forward automatically to upbeat music and you have to jump at the right moment to avoid spikes. A punishing rhythm game with a huge level editor.
Furious birds are slung at the fortresses of green pigs that stole their eggs. One of the App Store's first big hits, it grew into a franchise that reached the big screen.
Caught tagging, a young graffiti artist flees an inspector and his dog by running along the subway tracks. An endless runner among the most downloaded mobile games in the world.
A little bird must get through pipes by flapping its wings with every tap of the screen. After going viral in early 2014, the game was pulled from the stores by its own creator.
A boy wakes up in a dark forest and sets out to find his sister, facing deadly traps and a giant spider. A black-and-white platformer with a haunting atmosphere.
An astronaut explores a small solar system doomed to explode every 22 minutes, then relives the same loop. A space mystery where only knowledge lets you move forward.
A robed figure crosses a vast desert toward a glowing mountain, sometimes joined by a stranger online. A wordless, contemplative experience carried by a sublime score.
A hunter prowls Yharnam, a gothic city gripped by a mysterious affliction that turns its people into beasts. A fast-paced action RPG with Lovecraftian horror, a cult favorite among FromSoftware fans.
In Sengoku-era Japan, the shinobi Wolf tries to save his kidnapped young lord. Sword combat built around deflection, and one of the most demanding games around.
By day, Tokyo high schoolers attend class; by night, they become the Phantom Thieves and steal the hearts of corrupt adults. An RPG with a dazzling visual style.
Sora, armed with his Keyblade, travels from world to world alongside Donald and Goofy. An improbable meeting of Final Fantasy and Disney that became a beloved cult series.
To bring a young woman back to life, Wander must slay sixteen giant colossi in a forbidden land. A spare, melancholy game often cited as a true work of art.
A couple on the brink of divorce gets turned into dolls and must cooperate to save their marriage. An adventure built entirely for two players that changes gameplay every level.
Inspired by the Chinese novel Journey to the West, the Destined One plays a monkey warrior fighting demons and deities. A Chinese action RPG with a meteoric worldwide success at launch.
A young prince accidentally unleashes the Sands of Time and must undo his mistakes with a dagger that can rewind time. Wall-running acrobatics and a story full of charm.
Jade, a photojournalist, investigates the planet Hillys and uncovers a conspiracy behind an alien invasion. A cult-favorite French adventure dreamed up by Michel Ancel, the creator of Rayman.
A street racer climbs Rockport's Blacklist to get back the BMW M3 that was stolen from him, with the cops on his tail. Legendary police chases and tuning galore.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time holds the highest average critic score on Metacritic, 99 out of 100, and Minecraft is the best-selling game ever. Super Mario Bros., Tetris, GTA V and The Witcher 3 also come up again and again in these lists.
A tier list is a ranking in tiers, from best to worst. Tiers are usually lettered: S for the elite, then A, B, C and D.
With a regular tier list maker, you drag pictures into tiers freely. On BlindTier, you pick a theme and a Top 10, 20 or 50, then place the cards one by one without knowing which one comes next. It’s free and needs no sign-up.
A blind ranking is a game where you rank items without seeing the rest of the list. Each item is revealed one at a time and has to get a final spot, so you make every choice without knowing what comes next.
In a tier list, you see every item before sorting them into tiers. In a blind ranking, items are revealed one by one and every spot is final: you have to bet on what’s coming.
Yes. BlindTier is free to play in your browser, on desktop and mobile, with no sign-up.