Best Fighting games: 25 ranked (2026)
96 fighting games ranked by the GamingPickz Score, a published composite of player sentiment and critic reception. The formula is below in full, and no placement on this page can be bought.
The fighting games on a map
Compare the whole catalogueThe same 25 games, plotted rather than listed. The two axes below are the ones the ranking is built from, so a game sitting high and right is a game the formula placed near the top. Change either axis to see the field a different way. Where we hold a publisher wordmark, the game is drawn as its mark rather than a dot.
25 games have both
Axes are fitted to these 25 games rather than the full 0 to 100 scale, because a filtered list shares a narrow band and would otherwise sit in one corner. End values are marked. A point on the left edge is the lowest of thesegames, not a low score.
Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.
Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.
- Multi-platform
- PC
Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.
How positions are decided
No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data
- Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
- Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
- No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
- A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
- Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.
The short version
- Top pick: Batman: Arkham Asylum Game of the Year Edition, GamingPickz Score 8.6/10 from 87,230 player reviews and a critic aggregate of 91.
- 3 score 8.5 or above out of 96 ranked fighting games.
- Price range free to $59.99, median $19.99, with 14 free to play.
- 34 are Steam Deck Verified by Valve's own testing.
- 5 declare six or more accessibility features. Listed per game below.
At a glance
The top 12 side by side. Full entries below.
| # | Game | Best for | Score | Players | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Batman: Arkham Asylum Game of the Year Edition | A consistently well-received pick in this category | 8.6 | 96% (87,230) | $19.99 |
| 2 | Batman: Arkham City - Game of the Year Edition | A consistently well-received pick in this category | 8.6 | 96% (77,991) | $19.99 |
| 3 | Batman: Arkham Asylum | A consistently well-received pick in this category | 8.5 | 96% (87,223) | $19.99 |
| 4 | Batman: Arkham City | A consistently well-received pick in this category | 8.4 | 96% (77,986) | $19.99 |
| 5 | Blade and Sorcery | A consistently well-received pick in this category | 8.4 | 97% (62,074) | $29.99 |
| 6 | Stick Fight: The Game | Handheld play, small install and Deck verified | 8.3 | 93% (125,325) | $1.99 |
| 7 | Your Only Move Is HUSTLE | Playing with other people | 8.3 | 96% (44,861) | $4.99 |
| 8 | ROUNDS | Two people on one screen | 8.2 | 95% (44,331) | $2.99 |
| 9 | Clone Drone in the Danger Zone | Playing through with a friend online | 8.2 | 96% (39,400) | $6.99 |
| 10 | Rivals of Aether | Handheld play, small install and Deck verified | 8.2 | 96% (38,134) | $29.99 |
| 11 | Paint the Town Red | Handheld play, small install and Deck verified | 8.2 | 96% (32,486) | $19.99 |
| 12 | Bopl Battle | Playing through with a friend online | 8.2 | 97% (25,699) | $9.99 |
25 best fighting games, ranked
Ordered by GamingPickz Score. Every figure links back to the source that produced it.
- 1
Batman: Arkham Asylum Game of the Year Edition
Best for: A consistently well-received pick in this category
8.6GamingPickz Scorehigh confidenceBatman: Arkham Asylum Game of the Year Edition at a glance Released 2010 Studio Rocksteady Studios Player sentiment 96% positive of 87,230 Critics 91/100 Price $19.99 Steam Deck unsupported Install size Not stated Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 96% shrinks to 95.9 on 87,230 reviews, then blends with the 91 critic aggregate, giving 8.6.
Worth checking first- Valve rates it Unsupported on the Steam Deck.
- 2
Batman: Arkham City - Game of the Year Edition
Best for: A consistently well-received pick in this category
8.6GamingPickz Scorehigh confidenceBatman: Arkham City - Game of the Year Edition at a glance Released 2012 Studio Rocksteady Studios Player sentiment 96% positive of 77,991 Critics 91/100 Price $19.99 Steam Deck verified Install size Not stated Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 96% shrinks to 95.9 on 77,991 reviews, then blends with the 91 critic aggregate, giving 8.6.
What the data supports- Valve has tested it and rates it Verified on the Steam Deck.
- 3
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Best for: A consistently well-received pick in this category
8.5GamingPickz Scorehigh confidenceBatman: Arkham Asylum at a glance Released 2009 Studio Rocksteady Studios Player sentiment 96% positive of 87,223 Critics 91/100 Price $19.99 Steam Deck unsupported Install size Not stated Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 96% shrinks to 95.9 on 87,223 reviews, then blends with the 91 critic aggregate, giving 8.5.
Worth checking first- Valve rates it Unsupported on the Steam Deck.
- 4
Batman: Arkham City
Best for: A consistently well-received pick in this category
8.4GamingPickz Scorehigh confidenceBatman: Arkham City at a glance Released 2011 Studio Feral Interactive Player sentiment 96% positive of 77,986 Critics 91/100 Price $19.99 Steam Deck verified Install size Not stated Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 96% shrinks to 95.9 on 77,986 reviews, then blends with the 91 critic aggregate, giving 8.4.
What the data supports- Valve has tested it and rates it Verified on the Steam Deck.
- 5
Blade and Sorcery
Best for: A consistently well-received pick in this category
8.4GamingPickz Scoremedium confidenceBlade and Sorcery at a glance Released 2024 Studio WarpFrog Player sentiment 97% positive of 62,074 Critics No aggregate Price $29.99 Steam Deck unsupported Install size Not stated Accessibility 0 declared features Raw 97% shrinks to 96.9 on 62,074 reviews, giving 8.4. No critics data, so that weight was redistributed across the rest rather than counted as zero.
Worth checking first- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
- Valve rates it Unsupported on the Steam Deck.
- 6
Stick Fight: The Game
Best for: Handheld play, small install and Deck verified
8.3GamingPickz Scoremedium confidenceStick Fight: The Game at a glance Released 2017 Studio Landfall West Player sentiment 93% positive of 125,325 Critics No aggregate Price $1.99 Steam Deck verified Install size 0.39 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 93% shrinks to 93.0 on 125,325 reviews, giving 8.3. No critics data, so that weight was redistributed across the rest rather than counted as zero.
What the data supports- 93% positive across 125,325 reviews is a strong signal at that volume, where a few enthusiasts cannot move the number.
- Valve has tested it and rates it Verified on the Steam Deck.
- Small install at 0.39 GB.
Worth checking first- Multiplayer only. There is no solo mode to fall back on.
Your Only Move Is HUSTLE at a glance Released 2023 Studio Ivy Sly Player sentiment 96% positive of 44,861 Critics No aggregate Price $4.99 Steam Deck playable Install size 0.25 GB Accessibility 0 declared features Raw 96% shrinks to 95.9 on 44,861 reviews, giving 8.3. No critics data, so that weight was redistributed across the rest rather than counted as zero.
What the data supports- Small install at 0.25 GB.
ROUNDS at a glance Released 2021 Studio Landfall Player sentiment 95% positive of 44,331 Critics No aggregate Price $2.99 Steam Deck playable Install size 4 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 95% shrinks to 94.9 on 44,331 reviews, giving 8.2. No critics data, so that weight was redistributed across the rest rather than counted as zero.
What the data supports- Small install at 4 GB.
Worth checking first- Multiplayer only. There is no solo mode to fall back on.
- 9
Clone Drone in the Danger Zone
Best for: Playing through with a friend online
8.2GamingPickz Scorehigh confidenceClone Drone in the Danger Zone at a glance Released 2021 Studio Doborog Games Player sentiment 96% positive of 39,400 Critics 82/100 Price $6.99 Steam Deck playable Install size 1 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 96% shrinks to 95.9 on 39,400 reviews, then blends with the 82 critic aggregate, giving 8.2.
What the data supports- Cloud saves and cross-platform play, so progress follows you between machines.
- Small install at 1 GB.
Worth checking first- Players rate it well above critics, 96 against 82. Usually a sign it improved after launch, or that it delivers something reviewers undervalued.
- Carries in-game purchases. Check what they cost before committing.
- 10
Rivals of Aether
Best for: Handheld play, small install and Deck verified
8.2GamingPickz Scoremedium confidenceRivals of Aether at a glance Released 2017 Studio Aether Studios Player sentiment 96% positive of 38,134 Critics No aggregate Price $29.99 Steam Deck verified Install size 0.29 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 96% shrinks to 95.9 on 38,134 reviews, giving 8.2. No critics data, so that weight was redistributed across the rest rather than counted as zero.
What the data supports- Valve has tested it and rates it Verified on the Steam Deck.
- Small install at 0.29 GB.
- 11
Paint the Town Red
Best for: Handheld play, small install and Deck verified
8.2GamingPickz Scoremedium confidencePaint the Town Red at a glance Released 2021 Studio South East Games Player sentiment 96% positive of 32,486 Critics No aggregate Price $19.99 Steam Deck verified Install size 2 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 96% shrinks to 95.9 on 32,486 reviews, giving 8.2. No critics data, so that weight was redistributed across the rest rather than counted as zero.
What the data supports- Valve has tested it and rates it Verified on the Steam Deck.
- Cloud saves and cross-platform play, so progress follows you between machines.
- Small install at 2 GB.
Worth checking first- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
Bopl Battle at a glance Released 2023 Studio Johan Grönvall Player sentiment 97% positive of 25,699 Critics No aggregate Price $9.99 Steam Deck playable Install size 2 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 97% shrinks to 96.8 on 25,699 reviews, giving 8.2. No critics data, so that weight was redistributed across the rest rather than counted as zero.
What the data supports- Small install at 2 GB.
Worth checking first- Multiplayer only. There is no solo mode to fall back on.
- 13
Iron Snout
Best for: Trying the genre without spending anything
8.2GamingPickz Scoremedium confidenceIron Snout at a glance Released 2016 Studio SnoutUp Player sentiment 98% positive of 17,480 Critics No aggregate Price Free Steam Deck playable Install size 0.02 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 98% shrinks to 97.7 on 17,480 reviews, giving 8.2. No critics data, so that weight was redistributed across the rest rather than counted as zero.
What the data supports- Free to download, so trying it costs only time.
- Small install at 0.02 GB.
- 14
One Finger Death Punch
Best for: Handheld play, small install and Deck verified
8.2GamingPickz Scoremedium confidenceOne Finger Death Punch at a glance Released 2014 Studio Silver Dollar Games Player sentiment 98% positive of 16,338 Critics No aggregate Price $4.99 Steam Deck verified Install size 0.2 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 98% shrinks to 97.7 on 16,338 reviews, giving 8.2. No critics data, so that weight was redistributed across the rest rather than counted as zero.
What the data supports- Valve has tested it and rates it Verified on the Steam Deck.
- Small install at 0.2 GB.
Worth checking first- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
- 15
NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: Ultimate Ninja STORM 4
Best for: Two people on one screen
8.1GamingPickz Scoremedium confidenceNARUTO SHIPPUDEN: Ultimate Ninja STORM 4 at a glance Released 2016 Studio CyberConnect2 Co. Ltd. Player sentiment 91% positive of 90,679 Critics No aggregate Price $19.99 Steam Deck playable Install size 40 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 91% shrinks to 91.0 on 90,679 reviews, giving 8.1. No critics data, so that weight was redistributed across the rest rather than counted as zero.
Worth checking first- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
DRAGON BALL FighterZ at a glance Released 2018 Studio Arc System Works Player sentiment 90% positive of 76,719 Critics 85/100 Price $59.99 Steam Deck unsupported Install size 6 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 90% shrinks to 90.0 on 76,719 reviews, then blends with the 85 critic aggregate, giving 8.1.
What the data supports- Small install at 6 GB.
Worth checking first- Valve rates it Unsupported on the Steam Deck.
Mortal Kombat 11 at a glance Released 2019 Studio NetherRealm Studios Player sentiment 88% positive of 116,064 Critics 82/100 Price $49.99 Steam Deck verified Install size Not stated Accessibility 6 declared features Raw 88% shrinks to 88.0 on 116,064 reviews, then blends with the 82 critic aggregate, giving 8.0.
What the data supports- Valve has tested it and rates it Verified on the Steam Deck.
Worth checking first- Carries in-game purchases. Check what they cost before committing.
- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
GUILTY GEAR -STRIVE- at a glance Released 2021 Studio Arc System Works Player sentiment 88% positive of 66,791 Critics 85/100 Price $39.99 Steam Deck playable Install size 26 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 88% shrinks to 88.0 on 66,791 reviews, then blends with the 85 critic aggregate, giving 8.0.
Ghostrunner at a glance Released 2020 Studio One More Level Player sentiment 91% positive of 66,721 Critics 81/100 Price $29.99 Steam Deck playable Install size 22 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 91% shrinks to 91.0 on 66,721 reviews, then blends with the 81 critic aggregate, giving 8.0.
Worth checking first- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
Sifu at a glance Released 2023 Studio Sloclap Player sentiment 92% positive of 28,658 Critics 81/100 Price $39.99 Steam Deck verified Install size 22 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 92% shrinks to 91.9 on 28,658 reviews, then blends with the 81 critic aggregate, giving 8.0.
What the data supports- Valve has tested it and rates it Verified on the Steam Deck.
Worth checking first- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
- 21
STAR WARS Jedi Knight - Jedi Academy
Best for: Two people on one screen
8.0GamingPickz Scorehigh confidenceSTAR WARS Jedi Knight - Jedi Academy at a glance Released 2009 Studio Raven Software Player sentiment 96% positive of 13,821 Critics 81/100 Price $9.99 Steam Deck unsupported Install size Not stated Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 96% shrinks to 95.7 on 13,821 reviews, then blends with the 81 critic aggregate, giving 8.0.
Worth checking first- Players rate it well above critics, 96 against 81. Usually a sign it improved after launch, or that it delivers something reviewers undervalued.
- Valve rates it Unsupported on the Steam Deck.
- 22
DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE 2
Best for: Playing through with a friend online
7.9GamingPickz Scorehigh confidenceDRAGON BALL XENOVERSE 2 at a glance Released 2016 Studio QLOC Player sentiment 90% positive of 59,432 Critics 78/100 Price $19.99 Steam Deck unsupported Install size Not stated Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 90% shrinks to 90.0 on 59,432 reviews, then blends with the 78 critic aggregate, giving 7.9.
Worth checking first- Valve rates it Unsupported on the Steam Deck.
- 23
DRAGON BALL Z: KAKAROT
Best for: Players who trust other players over critics
7.9GamingPickz Scorehigh confidenceDRAGON BALL Z: KAKAROT at a glance Released 2020 Studio CyberConnect2 Co. Ltd. Player sentiment 93% positive of 58,245 Critics 73/100 Price $19.99 Steam Deck verified Install size 36 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 93% shrinks to 92.9 on 58,245 reviews, then blends with the 73 critic aggregate, giving 7.9.
What the data supports- Valve has tested it and rates it Verified on the Steam Deck.
Worth checking first- Players rate it well above critics, 93 against 73. Usually a sign it improved after launch, or that it delivers something reviewers undervalued.
- 24
Streets of Rage 4
Best for: Handheld play, small install and Deck verified
7.9GamingPickz Scorehigh confidenceStreets of Rage 4 at a glance Released 2020 Studio Dotemu Player sentiment 92% positive of 19,668 Critics 84/100 Price $24.99 Steam Deck verified Install size 8 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 92% shrinks to 91.8 on 19,668 reviews, then blends with the 84 critic aggregate, giving 7.9.
What the data supports- Valve has tested it and rates it Verified on the Steam Deck.
- Small install at 8 GB.
Sleeping Dogs at a glance Released Not recorded Studio United Front Games Player sentiment 94% positive of 17,264 Critics 80/100 Price Not listed Steam Deck unsupported Install size Not stated Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 94% shrinks to 93.8 on 17,264 reviews, then blends with the 80 critic aggregate, giving 7.9.
Worth checking first- Players rate it well above critics, 94 against 80. Usually a sign it improved after launch, or that it delivers something reviewers undervalued.
- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
- Valve rates it Unsupported on the Steam Deck.
How to choose between these
25 entries, six things that separate them
The ranking answers "which is best received". It cannot answer "which is best for you", because that depends on things no formula knows. Here is what actually separates these 25 fighting games, in the order worth thinking about it.
Check the sample size before the score
A score is only as good as the evidence under it. 13 of these have more than 50,000 player reviews, which makes their number very hard to move.
Look at where critics and players disagree
The widest gap here is DRAGON BALL Z: KAKAROT, where players sit above critics by 20 points. A gap that size usually means the game changed after launch, or that it does something critics undervalue. It is worth reading why before deciding which number you trust. The disagreement map plots this across the catalogue.
Decide what you are actually willing to spend
The median here is $19.99, and the cheapest paid entry is Stick Fight: The Game at $1.99. Prices move constantly, so a game a place or two down the list is often the better buy this week. Filter by price below rather than assuming the top pick is the right purchase.
Match it to the hardware you own
10 of these are Steam Deck Verified by Valve's own testing, and install sizes vary by more than an order of magnitude. If you are choosing for a handheld or a drive that is nearly full, that narrows the field faster than any score.
Check it supports how you want to play
Solo, with a friend online, or two people on one sofa are different requirements, and a well-reviewed game that does not support yours is the wrong game. The filters below answer this directly.
Look for the things a score hides
1 declare six or more accessibility features, and 2 carry in-game purchases. Neither shows up in a review score, and both change the experience substantially. Each entry lists its own.
Choose one if…
Tick what matters to you. This filters the ranking above rather than reordering it, so the order you see is still the order the formula produced, minus the games that do not fit. Every filter reads a field from the game's own store listing.
Nothing selected, so all 25 fighting games are shown below. Pick one or more above to narrow it.
The best fighting games for a specific need
The ranking answers "which is best overall", which is rarely the actual question. These are the answers to the narrower ones, computed from the same scores, so a single pick is named for each.
- What is the best cheap fighting game?
- Batman: Arkham Asylum Game of the Year Edition, top of 16.
- What is the best co-op fighting game?
- Clone Drone in the Danger Zone, top of 6.
- What is the best single-player fighting game?
- Batman: Arkham Asylum Game of the Year Edition, top of 22.
- What is the best fighting game for local co-op?
- Stick Fight: The Game, top of 11.
- What is the best fighting game for the Steam Deck?
- Batman: Arkham City - Game of the Year Edition, top of 10.
- What is the best fighting game for a small hard drive?
- Stick Fight: The Game, top of 13.
- What is the best fighting game to play with a controller?
- Clone Drone in the Danger Zone, top of 12.
- What is the best offline fighting game?
- Batman: Arkham Asylum Game of the Year Edition, top of 13.
- What is the best fighting game with the most reviews?
- Batman: Arkham Asylum Game of the Year Edition, top of 13.
- What is the best cheap co-op fighting game?
- Clone Drone in the Danger Zone, top of 4.
- What is the best co-op fighting game for local co-op?
- Rivals of Aether, top of 4.
- What is the best single-player offline fighting game?
- Batman: Arkham Asylum Game of the Year Edition, top of 13.
- What is the best cheap fighting game for the Steam Deck?
- Batman: Arkham City - Game of the Year Edition, top of 6.
- What is the best Steam Deck co-op fighting game?
- Rivals of Aether, top of 3.
- What is the best controller-friendly fighting game for local co-op?
- Rivals of Aether, top of 7.
- What is the best highly rated cheap fighting game?
- Batman: Arkham Asylum Game of the Year Edition, top of 8.
Why trust this list
Most "best games" lists are either one person's taste presented as fact, or an affiliate feed with the highest commission at the top. This is neither. It is a ranking of 96 fighting games computed from two third-party signals we did not generate, using a formula printed below.
Our team has played and reviewed games for over twenty years, somewhere around 3,000 titles across every generation since the PS1. A good number of the fighting games on this page are among them, and that experience is what lets us tell you which of these numbers are worth trusting.
It is not, however, what set the order. The formula did, and we think that is the right way round: a list ordered by one person's memory is a list you have to take on trust, and this one you can check line by line.
The order comes out of the grid. Every game in the catalogue is placed on eighteen measured axes, each one a number read from a named source rather than an opinion: player sentiment and its sample size, the critic aggregate, review volume, Wikipedia language editions, price, install size, Steam Deck rating, accessibility features. A ranked list is that grid collapsed to one dimension. The map at the top of this page plots these same 25 games on two of those axes, so you can see the position the ranking gave each one and check it against where the game actually sits. If the list and the map ever disagreed, the list would be wrong, and they read the same numbers so they cannot.
None of the entries on this page carry a full written review from us yet. The score reflects how other people received the game. Where we do publish a review, it is marked and linked.
Update history 1
- First published with 10 entries ranked.
How we chose these
This ranking is a projection of the same axes the grid plots, not a second scoring system sitting alongside it. The grid answers where a game sits on two chosen measures; a ranked list needs one number, so the axes are collapsed using published weights. A game cannot be high on the grid and low here for a reason nobody can point at, because both read the same values.
Every ranked game gets a GamingPickz Score out of 10. It is a weighted blend of the axes below, and these percentages are read directly from the code that computes the ranking rather than written out separately, so the published formula cannot drift from the applied one.
| Component | Weight | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Players | 52% | The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000. |
| Critics | 23% | Metacritic and OpenCritic aggregate, normalised to 0 to 100. |
| Popularity | 20% | A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it. |
| Reader likes | 5% | How many GamingPickz readers tapped the heart on the game, log-scaled to 0 to 100. This is the only signal here that comes from our own readers rather than a third party, so it carries a deliberately small weight and is a snapshot taken at the last build, not a live figure. A per-browser flag stops the same person liking twice; it is a popularity reaction, not a verified poll. |
Shrinkage is the part that matters most. Without it a game with nine reviews at 100 percent outranks Half-Life 2 with 278,000 at 98. Player sentiment is pulled toward the catalogue average of 84 using a 400-review prior, in proportion to how thin the evidence is.
Popularity is deliberately a minority weight. At 20 percent it nudges well-known games up without letting fame decide the order. Weight it higher and the list becomes "games you have already heard of", which nobody needs a ranking for. Weight it at zero and a game almost nobody played can top the list on the strength of a few hundred enthusiastic reviews. Neither is useful, so it sits in between. How popularity is measured.
Where a game has no critic aggregate, that 35 percent is redistributed onto player sentiment rather than counted as zero, and the entry says so.
Games with fewer than 50 reviews are excluded outright. Shrinkage is symmetric, so a game sitting at 0 percent on one review would otherwise be pulled up near the average, which flatters something nobody has actually assessed.
What we deliberately do not do. No paid placement, no sponsored slots dressed as editorial, no hidden weighting. If sponsorship is ever introduced it will be labelled and will sit outside the ranking. The formula above is the whole formula.
Fighting games by the numbers
The figures below describe all 96 entries on this page together, not the top pick. They are recomputed on every build, most recently on 18 October 2026, from 3,880,668 player reviews.
What the pricing looks like
69 of the 96 carry a listed US price, with a median of $19.99 and a mean of $25.69. The mean sitting above the median tells you the field is pulled up by a few expensive outliers. The cheapest is Neighbor Fight at $0.99, the most expensive DRAGON BALL FighterZ at $59.99. 14 are free to download. 23 carry in-game purchases on top of whatever they cost. Prices are read hourly from the US Steam storefront and move constantly.
How much this field agrees with itself
Player sentiment spans 55 points across these 96 entries. That is a wide band, which means the position of an entry here genuinely matters rather than splitting hairs. 49 carry a critic aggregate, averaging 80 out of 100. Players rate this field 4 points higher than critics on average, which is worth knowing before you weigh either number. See where the two diverge.
Who makes them, and what they overlap with
The studios appearing most often here are NetherRealm Studios (6), Rocksteady Studios (5), Capcom (4), Arc System Works (3) and CyberConnect2 Co. Ltd. (3). The genres these entries also sit in are fighting (96), open-world (31), rpg (29), action-adventure (18), strategy (15) and platformer (13), which is a fair map of what you are actually choosing between.
Which way attention is moving
We track Wikipedia pageviews over 28 days for 23 of these. 10 are gaining attention and 9 are losing it, with the rest flat. Attention is not quality, and we do not feed it into the ranking. The full monitor shows the movements across the catalogue.
The other 129 fighting games
The 25 above are the top of the ranking. These 129 are the rest of the category: games that ranked below the cut, and games with too few reviews or no store listing to be ranked at all, which is normal for console and Nintendo exclusives.
Also catalogued
129 more fighting games, not yet reviewedNone of these carry a review yet. The rest are catalogue records: title, year, studio and platforms, sourced from Wikidata. They are not indexed by search engines, because a record is not a review.
- Tekken 3source
- Mortal Kombat 11source
- Mortal Kombat Xsource
- Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Ordersource
- Batman: Arkham Originssource
- Batman: Arkham Knightsource
- Mortal Kombatsource
- Tekken 7source
- Street Fighter IIsource
- Tekken 6source
- For Honorsource
- Tekken 8source
- Tekken 2source
- Tekkensource
- Mortal Kombat 1source
- Mortal Kombat: Deceptionsource
- Injustice: Gods Among Ussource
- Tekken 5source
- Street Fighter IVsource
- Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academysource
- Mortal Kombat 3source
- Mortal Kombat 4source
- Street Fightersource
- Mortal Kombatsource
- Tekken Tag Tournament 2source
Common questions
What is the best fighting game?
Batman: Arkham Asylum Game of the Year Edition ranks first, with a GamingPickz Score of 8.6 out of 10 drawn from 87,230 player reviews and a critic aggregate of 91. That is a statement about how it was received, not a claim that it is the one you personally will enjoy most.
How is this ranking calculated?
The GamingPickz Score is 52% player sentiment adjusted for sample size, 23% the critic aggregate published on the game store page, 20% popularity, from review volume and Wikipedia language editions, 5% popularity, from review volume and Wikipedia language editions. Player sentiment is pulled toward the catalogue average of 83.7% using a 400-review prior, so a game with a handful of reviews cannot outrank one with hundreds of thousands. Nothing on this page is paid for and no placement can be bought.
How many fighting games are ranked here?
96 of them qualify. A game needs at least 50 player reviews to be scored, which excludes titles with too little evidence to place fairly.
Why is a game I love missing?
Three likely reasons. It has fewer than 50 player reviews, so it is excluded rather than ranked on noise. It has no Steam listing at all, which is normal for console and Nintendo exclusives. Or it is not in the catalogue yet.
Do you get paid for these placements?
No. Positions are computed from the formula above and nothing else. The site carries advertising, and advertisers can neither see nor influence this page. A position is not an endorsement, it is a measurement of reception.
How current is this?
Recomputed on every build from source data read on a stated date. This page was last rebuilt on 18 October 2026. Player review counts move daily, so positions in the middle of the list shift more than those at the top or bottom.
What is the best cheap fighting game?
Batman: Arkham Asylum Game of the Year Edition is the best cheap fighting game, ranking 8.6 out of 10 on the GamingPickz Score. 16 of the 25 fighting games qualify.
What is the best co-op fighting game?
Clone Drone in the Danger Zone is the best co-op fighting game, ranking 8.2 out of 10 on the GamingPickz Score. 6 of the 25 fighting games qualify.
What is the best single-player fighting game?
Batman: Arkham Asylum Game of the Year Edition is the best single-player fighting game, ranking 8.6 out of 10 on the GamingPickz Score. 22 of the 25 fighting games qualify.
What is the best fighting game for local co-op?
Stick Fight: The Game is the best fighting game for local co-op, ranking 8.3 out of 10 on the GamingPickz Score. 11 of the 25 fighting games qualify.
What is the best fighting game for the Steam Deck?
Batman: Arkham City - Game of the Year Edition is the best fighting game for the Steam Deck, ranking 8.6 out of 10 on the GamingPickz Score. 10 of the 25 fighting games qualify.
What is the best fighting game for a small hard drive?
Stick Fight: The Game is the best fighting game for a small hard drive, ranking 8.3 out of 10 on the GamingPickz Score. 13 of the 25 fighting games qualify.
What is the best fighting game to play with a controller?
Clone Drone in the Danger Zone is the best fighting game to play with a controller, ranking 8.2 out of 10 on the GamingPickz Score. 12 of the 25 fighting games qualify.
What is the best offline fighting game?
Batman: Arkham Asylum Game of the Year Edition is the best offline fighting game, ranking 8.6 out of 10 on the GamingPickz Score. 13 of the 25 fighting games qualify.
What is the best fighting game with the most reviews?
Batman: Arkham Asylum Game of the Year Edition is the best fighting game with the most reviews, ranking 8.6 out of 10 on the GamingPickz Score. 13 of the 25 fighting games qualify.
What is the best cheap co-op fighting game?
Clone Drone in the Danger Zone is the best cheap co-op fighting game, ranking 8.2 out of 10 on the GamingPickz Score. 4 of the 25 fighting games qualify.
What is the best co-op fighting game for local co-op?
Rivals of Aether is the best co-op fighting game for local co-op, ranking 8.2 out of 10 on the GamingPickz Score. 4 of the 25 fighting games qualify.
What is the best single-player offline fighting game?
Batman: Arkham Asylum Game of the Year Edition is the best single-player offline fighting game, ranking 8.6 out of 10 on the GamingPickz Score. 13 of the 25 fighting games qualify.
What is the best cheap fighting game for the Steam Deck?
Batman: Arkham City - Game of the Year Edition is the best cheap fighting game for the Steam Deck, ranking 8.6 out of 10 on the GamingPickz Score. 6 of the 25 fighting games qualify.
What is the best Steam Deck co-op fighting game?
Rivals of Aether is the best Steam Deck co-op fighting game, ranking 8.2 out of 10 on the GamingPickz Score. 3 of the 25 fighting games qualify.
What is the best controller-friendly fighting game for local co-op?
Rivals of Aether is the best controller-friendly fighting game for local co-op, ranking 8.2 out of 10 on the GamingPickz Score. 7 of the 25 fighting games qualify.
What is the best highly rated cheap fighting game?
Batman: Arkham Asylum Game of the Year Edition is the best highly rated cheap fighting game, ranking 8.6 out of 10 on the GamingPickz Score. 8 of the 25 fighting games qualify.
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