Acclaimed Video Games

The top 1,000 most recommended games across 904 critic lists from 141 publications.

Updated: February 3, 2026

Most Acclaimed ZX Spectrum Games of All Time

Filters

37 of 37

#1 Tetris (1985) (#2)

Alexey Pajitnov | 8, DOS, NES, GB | Puzzle | ~3h | 97 lists

#2 SimCity (1989) (#121)

Maxis | DOS, MAC, 5, SNES | City Building | ~15h | 35 lists

#3 Lemmings (1991) (#136)

DMA Design | DOS, MAC, 5, SMS, GEN, TG16, SNES | Strategy / Puzzle | ~20h | 33 lists

#4 Ms. Pac-Man (1982) (#139)

General Computer Corporation (GCC) | ARC, 4, DOS | Maze | ~1h | 30 lists

#5 Pac-Man (1980) (#152)

Namco | ARC, 3, 5, DOS, NES | Maze | ~48m | 33 lists

#6 Elite (1984) (#180)

Acornsoft, David Braben, Frontier Developments, Ian Bell | 6, DOS | Space Combat | 23 lists

#7 Contra (1987) (#200)

Konami | ARC, DOS, 3, NES | Run and Gun | ~1h | 27 lists

#8 Bubble Bobble (1986) (#354)

Taito | ARC, 7, DOS, NES, FDS | Platform | ~3h | 14 lists

#9 OutRun (1986) (#375)

Sega AM2 | ARC, 3 | Racing | ~36m | 13 lists

#10 R-Type (1987) (#391)

Irem | ARC, 7, SMS, TG16 | Shooter | ~1h | 15 lists

#11 Star Wars (1983) (#423)

Atari, Atari Games | ARC, 3, 7, DOS, MAC | Shooter | ~48m | 11 lists

#12 Ghosts 'n Goblins (1985) (#456)

Capcom | ARC, 3, NES | Platform | ~3h | 12 lists

#13 Archon: The Light and the Dark (1983) (#481)

Free Fall Associates | 7, DOS | Action / Strategy | ~24m | 12 lists

#14 Arkanoid (1986) (#494)

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

#15 The Sentinel / The Sentry (1986) (#574)

Firebird Software | 6, DOS | Puzzle | 6 lists

#16 Manic Miner (1983) (#585)

Bug Byte, Software Projects | 5 | Platform | 5 lists

#17 Head over Heels (1987) (#596)

Ocean Software | 7 | Action-Adventure | 6 lists

#18 Bomberman (1983) (#617)

Hudson Soft | 4, NES | Strategy / Maze / Puzzle | ~2h | 7 lists

#19 The Bard's Tale (1985) (#642)

Interplay Productions | 6, DOS | Role-Playing | ~22h | 7 lists

#20 Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2 (1987) (#653)

Taito | ARC, 5, NES, SMS, GEN, TG16 | Platform | ~2h | 8 lists

#21 Ghouls 'n Ghosts (1988) (#686)

Capcom | ARC, 5, GEN | Platform | ~2h | 6 lists

#22 Shinobi (1987) (#725)

Team Shinobi | ARC, DOS, 6, NES, SMS, TG16 | Hack and Slash / Platform | ~1h | 6 lists

#23 Tempest (1981) (#740)

Atari | ARC, 4 | Shooter | ~54m | 7 lists

#24 Mario Bros. (1983) (#744)

Nintendo R&D1 | ARC, A26, A52, 5, NES | Platform | ~54m | 6 lists

#25 Defender of the Crown (1986) (#757)

Cinemaware | 4 | Strategy | ~1h | 6 lists

#26 Impossible Mission (1984) (#781)

Epyx | 5 | Puzzle / Platform | ~3h | 5 lists

#27 Stunt Car Racer / Stunt Track Racer (1989) (#792)

Microplay Software, MicroStyle | DOS, 5 | Racing | ~3h | 6 lists

#28 Jet Set Willy (1984) (#812)

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

#29 Spy Hunter (1983) (#827)

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

#30 International Karate + (1987) (#844)

System 3 Software | 5 | Fighting | ~48m | 6 lists

#31 Smash TV (1990) (#852)

Williams | ARC, 5, NES, SNES, SMS, GEN | Shooter | ~2h | 5 lists

#32 The Hobbit (1982) (#855)

Beam Software | 6, DOS | Interactive Drama | ~1h | 5 lists

#33 Wizball (1987) (#892)

Sensible Software | DOS, 5 | Shooter | ~1h | 3 lists

#34 Knight Lore (1984) (#946)

Ashby Computers and Graphics Ltd. | 4 | Action-Adventure | ~2h | 4 lists

#35 Boulder Dash (1984) (#955)

First Star Software | ARC, 7, CV | Maze / Puzzle | ~3h | 6 lists

#36 Mercenary (1985) (#972)

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

#37 Turrican II: The Final Fight (1991) (#979)

Factor 5 | 5, GEN | Run and Gun | ~2h | 3 lists

Alexey Pajitnov

AMI, A2, AST, BBCM, C64, DOS, E60, GB, MSX, NES, ZXS

Puzzle

~3h

97 lists

Tetris 1985

#121

Maxis

AMI, CPC, MAC, C64, DOS, FMT, SNES, ZXS

City Building

~15h

35 lists

SimCity 1989

#136

DMA Design

AMI, MAC, AST, DOS, FMT, PC98, SMS, GEN, SNES, TG16, ZXS

Strategy / Puzzle

~20h

33 lists

Lemmings 1991

#139

General Computer Corporation (GCC)

A2, ARC, A8, C64, DOS, ZXS

Maze

~1h

30 lists

Ms. Pac-Man 1982

#152

Namco

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

Maze

~48m

33 lists

Pac-Man 1980

#180

Acornsoft, David Braben, Frontier Developments, Ian Bell

CPC, A2, BBCM, C64, DOS, MSX, ZXS

Space Combat

23 lists

Elite 1984

#200

Konami

CPC, ARC, C64, DOS, NES, ZXS

Run and Gun

~1h

27 lists

Contra 1987

#354

Taito

AMI, CPC, A2, ARC, AST, C64, DOS, FDS, MSX, NES, ZXS

Platform

~3h

14 lists

Bubble Bobble 1986

#375

Sega AM2

CPC, ARC, C64, ZXS

Racing

~36m

13 lists

OutRun 1986

#10

#391

Irem

AMI, CPC, ARC, AST, C64, MSX, PC88, SMS, TG16, ZXS

Shooter

~1h

15 lists

R-Type 1987

#11

#423

Atari, Atari Games

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

Shooter

~48m

11 lists

Star Wars 1983

#12

#456

Capcom

CPC, ARC, C64, NES, ZXS

Platform

~3h

12 lists

Ghosts 'n Goblins 1985

#13

#481

Free Fall Associates

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

Action / Strategy

~24m

12 lists

Archon: The Light and the Dark 1983

#14

#494

Taito

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

Puzzle

~2h

9 lists

Arkanoid 1986

#15

#574

Firebird Software

AMI, CPC, AST, BBCM, C64, DOS, ZXS

Puzzle

6 lists

The Sentinel / The Sentry 1986

#16

#585

Bug Byte, Software Projects

CPC, BBCM, C64, MSX, ZXS

Platform

5 lists

Manic Miner 1983

#17

#596

Ocean Software

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

Action-Adventure

6 lists

Head over Heels 1987

#18

#617

Hudson Soft

MSX, NES, PC88, SX1, ZXS

Strategy / Maze / Puzzle

~2h

7 lists

Bomberman 1983

#19

#642

Interplay Productions

AMI, CPC, A2, AST, C64, DOS, ZXS

Role-Playing

~22h

7 lists

The Bard's Tale 1985

#20

#653

Taito

AMI, CPC, ARC, AST, C64, NES, SMS, GEN, TG16, ZXS

Platform

~2h

8 lists

Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2 1987

#21

#686

Capcom

AMI, CPC, ARC, AST, C64, GEN, ZXS

Platform

~2h

6 lists

Ghouls 'n Ghosts 1988

#22

#725

Team Shinobi

AMI, CPC, ARC, AST, C64, DOS, MSX, NES, SMS, TG16, ZXS

Hack and Slash / Platform

~1h

6 lists

Shinobi 1987

#23

#740

Atari

CPC, ARC, AST, BBCM, ZXS

Shooter

~54m

7 lists

Tempest 1981

#24

#744

Nintendo R&D1

CPC, ARC, A26, A52, C64, FM7, NES, PC88, ZXS

Platform

~54m

6 lists

Mario Bros. 1983

#25

#757

Cinemaware

AMI, CPC, C64, ZXS

Strategy

~1h

6 lists

Defender of the Crown 1986

#26

#781

Epyx

CPC, A2, BBCM, C64, ZXS

Puzzle / Platform

~3h

5 lists

Impossible Mission 1984

#27

#792

Microplay Software, MicroStyle

AMI, CPC, AST, C64, DOS, ZXS

Racing

~3h

6 lists

Stunt Car Racer / Stunt Track Racer 1989

#28

#812

Software Projects

A8, C64, ZXS

Platform

~2h

5 lists

Jet Set Willy 1984

#29

#827

Bally Midway

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

Vehicular Combat

~24m

9 lists

Spy Hunter 1983

#30

#844

System 3 Software

AMI, CPC, AST, C64, ZXS

Fighting

~48m

6 lists

International Karate + 1987

#31

#852

Williams

AMI, CPC, ARC, AST, C64, NES, SMS, GEN, SNES, ZXS

Shooter

~2h

5 lists

Smash TV 1990

#32

#855

Beam Software

CPC, A2, BBCM, C64, DOS, MSX, ZXS

Interactive Drama

~1h

5 lists

The Hobbit 1982

#33

#892

Sensible Software

AMI, CPC, AST, C64, DOS, ZXS

Shooter

~1h

3 lists

Wizball 1987

#34

#946

Ashby Computers and Graphics Ltd.

CPC, BBCM, MSX, ZXS

Action-Adventure

~2h

4 lists

Knight Lore 1984

#35

#955

First Star Software

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

Maze / Puzzle

~3h

6 lists

Boulder Dash 1984

#36

#972

Novagen

CPC, A8, AST, C64, ZXS

Action-Adventure

~2h

4 lists

Mercenary 1985

#37

#979

Factor 5

AMI, CPC, AST, C64, GEN, ZXS

Run and Gun

~2h

3 lists

Turrican II: The Final Fight 1991

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