Acclaimed Video Games

The top 1,000 most recommended games across 827 critic lists from 134 publications.

Updated: October 26, 2025

Most Acclaimed Atari 8-bit Games of All Time

Filters

25 of 25

#1 Ms. Pac-Man (1982) (#140)

General Computer Corporation (GCC) | ARC, 4, DOS | Maze | ~1h | 28 lists

#2 Pac-Man (1980) (#153)

Namco | ARC, 3, 5, DOS, NES | Maze | ~48m | 31 lists

#3 Zork (1977) (#253)

Infocom | 6, DOS, MAC | Adventure / Interactive Drama | 19 lists

#4 Asteroids (1979) (#267)

Atari | ARC, A26, A8 | Shooter | ~36m | 17 lists

#5 Robotron: 2084 (1982) (#284)

Vid Kidz | ARC, 6, DOS, A52, A78 | Shooter | ~18m | 15 lists

#6 Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar (1985) (#298)

Origin Systems | 10, DOS, NES | Role-Playing | ~21h | 17 lists

#7 Pitfall! (1982) (#309)

Activision | 4, 3 | Platform | ~30m | 17 lists

#8 Lode Runner (1983) (#370)

Brøderbund Software, Irem | ARC, 4, NES | Puzzle-Platformer | ~2h | 12 lists

#9 Missile Command (1980) (#422)

Atari | ARC, A26, A52, A8 | Shooter | ~24m | 12 lists

#10 Star Wars (1983) (#436)

Atari, Atari Games | ARC, 3, 7, DOS, MAC | Shooter | ~48m | 10 lists

#11 Ultima / Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness (1981) (#457)

California Pacific Computer, Sierra On-Line | A2, A8 | Role-Playing | ~6h | 10 lists

#12 M.U.L.E. (1983) (#465)

Ozark Softscape | 3, DOS | Strategy | ~2h | 9 lists

#13 Archon: The Light and the Dark (1983) (#470)

Free Fall Associates | 7, DOS | Action / Strategy | ~24m | 10 lists

#14 Arkanoid (1986) (#491)

Taito | ARC, 11, DOS, MAC, NES | Puzzle | ~2h | 9 lists

#15 Ultima III: Exodus (1983) (#494)

Origin Systems | 8, DOS, MAC | Role-Playing | ~14h | 9 lists

#16 Joust (1982) (#573)

Williams Electronics | ARC, A26, A52, A2, A8, DOS | Action | ~18m | 8 lists

#17 Head over Heels (1987) (#593)

Ocean Software | 7 | Action-Adventure | 6 lists

#18 Centipede (1981) (#654)

Atari | ARC, 3, A8, C64 | Shooter | ~12m | 7 lists

#19 Spy Hunter (1984) (#747)

Bally Midway | ARC, A26, CV, 6, DOS, NES | Vehicular Combat | ~24m | 9 lists

#20 Jet Set Willy (1984) (#793)

Software Projects | 3 | Platform | ~2h | 5 lists

#21 Star Raiders (1980) (#849)

Atari | A26, A52, A8 | Space Combat | ~18m | 4 lists

#22 Track & Field / Hyper Olympic (1983) (#873)

Konami | ARC, A26, A8, MSX | Sports | ~30m | 4 lists

#23 Boulder Dash (1984) (#942)

First Star Software | ARC, 7, CV | Maze / Puzzle | ~3h | 5 lists

#24 Mercenary (1985) (#956)

Novagen | 5 | Action-Adventure | ~2h | 4 lists

#25 Qix (1981) (#958)

Taito | ARC, 3, A52, NES | Puzzle | ~42m | 5 lists

#140

General Computer Corporation (GCC)

A2, ARC, A8, C64, DOS, ZXS

Maze

~1h

28 lists

Ms. Pac-Man 1982

#153

Namco

ARC, A26, A52, A8, C64, DOS, INTV, MSX, NES, PC88, ZXS

Maze

~48m

31 lists

Pac-Man 1980

#253

Infocom

A2, MAC, A8, C64, PDP, DOS, T80, TCC

Adventure / Interactive Drama

19 lists

Zork 1977

#267

Atari

ARC, A26, A8

Shooter

~36m

17 lists

Asteroids 1979

#284

Vid Kidz

A2, ARC, A52, A78, A8, AST, BBCM, C64, DOS, VC20

Shooter

~18m

15 lists

Robotron: 2084 1982

#298

Origin Systems

AMI, A2, A8, AST, C64, DOS, FM7, MSX, NES, PC88, PC98, SX1

Role-Playing

~21h

17 lists

Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar 1985

#309

Activision

A26, A52, A8, CV, C64, INTV, MSX

Platform

~30m

17 lists

Pitfall! 1982

#370

Brøderbund Software, Irem

A2, ARC, A8, C64, NES, PC88

Puzzle-Platformer

~2h

12 lists

Lode Runner 1983

#422

Atari

ARC, A26, A52, A8

Shooter

~24m

12 lists

Missile Command 1980

#10

#436

Atari, Atari Games

AMI, CPC, MAC, ARC, A26, A52, A8, AST, BBCM, CV, C64, DOS, ZXS

Shooter

~48m

10 lists

Star Wars 1983

#11

#457

California Pacific Computer, Sierra On-Line

A2, A8

Role-Playing

~6h

10 lists

Ultima / Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness 1981

#12

#465

Ozark Softscape

A8, C64, DOS, PC88

Strategy

~2h

9 lists

M.U.L.E. 1983

#13

#470

Free Fall Associates

CPC, A2, A8, C64, DOS, PC88, SX1, ZXS

Action / Strategy

~24m

10 lists

Archon: The Light and the Dark 1983

#14

#491

Taito

AMI, CPC, A2, MAC, ARC, A8, AST, BBCM, C64, DOS, MSX, NES, PC88, TCC, ZXS

Puzzle

~2h

9 lists

Arkanoid 1986

#15

#494

Origin Systems

AMI, A2, MAC, A8, AST, C64, DOS, FM7, PC88, PC98

Role-Playing

~14h

9 lists

Ultima III: Exodus 1983

#16

#573

Williams Electronics

A2, ARC, A26, A52, A8, DOS

Action

~18m

8 lists

Joust 1982

#17

#593

Ocean Software

AMI, CPC, A8, AST, C64, MSX, ZXS

Action-Adventure

6 lists

Head over Heels 1987

#18

#654

Atari

ARC, A26, A52, A8, C64, INTV

Shooter

~12m

7 lists

Centipede 1981

#19

#747

Bally Midway

CPC, A2, ARC, A26, A8, BBCM, CV, C64, DOS, NES, ZXS

Vehicular Combat

~24m

9 lists

Spy Hunter 1984

#20

#793

Software Projects

A8, C64, ZXS

Platform

~2h

5 lists

Jet Set Willy 1984

#21

#849

Atari

A26, A52, A8

Space Combat

~18m

4 lists

Star Raiders 1980

#22

#873

Konami

ARC, A26, A8, MSX

Sports

~30m

4 lists

Track & Field / Hyper Olympic 1983

#23

#942

First Star Software

CPC, A2, ARC, A8, CV, C64, FM7, PC88, ZXS

Maze / Puzzle

~3h

5 lists

Boulder Dash 1984

#24

#956

Novagen

CPC, A8, AST, C64, ZXS

Action-Adventure

~2h

4 lists

Mercenary 1985

#25

#958

Taito

ARC, A52, A8, C64, FM7, NES

Puzzle

~42m

5 lists

Qix 1981

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