Every Half-Life game, ranked
All 12 Half-Life games we hold, spanning 1998 to 2020: 8 ranked by the GamingPickz Score and plotted below, the rest listed in release order so nothing in the series is missing. Together they carry 635,213 Steam reviews.
Where to start
- For the best-reviewed: Half-Life 2 (GamingPickz Score 9.0), the highest-rated entry we can score.
- For canon order: begin with Half-Life (1998) and follow the release-order timeline below.
- For the money: Half-Life: Opposing Force gives the most score per dollar right now.
The Half-Life games on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueThe same 8 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.
8 games have both
Axes are fitted to these 8 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.
- Mobile
- PC
- PlayStation
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.
Every game by critic score
The grid above is built from Steam data, so it can only place the Half-Life games that were on Steam. This one uses the Metacritic critic aggregate, which the older console-only entries have too, so the whole series lands on a single chart: critic score against release year.
On Steam (also has a GamingPickz Score) Console-only (Metacritic only)
8 best Half-Life games, ranked
Ordered by GamingPickz Score. Every figure links back to the source that produced it.
- 1
Half-Life 2
Best for: Players who need accessibility options that actually exist
9.0GamingPickz Scorehigh confidenceHalf-Life 2 at a glance Released 2004 Studio Not recorded Player sentiment 98% positive of 278,618 Critics 96/100 Price $9.99 Steam Deck verified Install size 6.35 GB Accessibility 9 declared features Raw 98% shrinks to 98.0 on 278,618 reviews, then blends with the 96 critic aggregate, giving 9.0.
What the data supports- 98% positive across 278,618 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.
- Declares 9 accessibility features, well above the catalogue norm.
Worth checking first- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
Half-Life at a glance Released 1998 Studio Not recorded Player sentiment 96% positive of 163,786 Critics 96/100 Price $9.99 Steam Deck verified Install size Not stated Accessibility 8 declared features Raw 96% shrinks to 96.0 on 163,786 reviews, then blends with the 96 critic aggregate, giving 8.9.
What the data supports- 96% positive across 163,786 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.
- Declares 8 accessibility features, well above the catalogue norm.
Worth checking first- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
- 3
Half-Life: Alyx
Best for: A consistently well-received pick in this category
8.6GamingPickz Scorehigh confidenceHalf-Life: Alyx at a glance Released 2020 Studio Campo Santo Player sentiment 98% positive of 105,097 Critics 93/100 Price $59.99 Steam Deck unsupported Install size Not stated Accessibility 6 declared features Raw 98% shrinks to 97.9 on 105,097 reviews, then blends with the 93 critic aggregate, giving 8.6.
What the data supports- 98% positive across 105,097 reviews is a strong signal at that volume, where a few enthusiasts cannot move the number.
Worth checking first- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
- Valve rates it Unsupported on the Steam Deck.
Half-Life: Opposing Force at a glance Released 1999 Studio Gearbox Software Player sentiment 95% positive of 28,900 Critics No aggregate Price $4.99 Steam Deck playable Install size Not stated Accessibility 4 declared features Raw 95% shrinks to 94.8 on 28,900 reviews, giving 8.0. 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.
- 5
Half-Life: Blue Shift
Best for: Players who trust other players over critics
7.7GamingPickz Scorehigh confidenceHalf-Life: Blue Shift at a glance Released 2001 Studio Gearbox Software Player sentiment 93% positive of 21,191 Critics 71/100 Price $4.99 Steam Deck playable Install size Not stated Accessibility 4 declared features Raw 93% shrinks to 92.8 on 21,191 reviews, then blends with the 71 critic aggregate, giving 7.7.
Worth checking first- Players rate it well above critics, 93 against 71. Usually a sign it improved after launch, or that it delivers something reviewers undervalued.
- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
Half-Life 2: Deathmatch at a glance Released 2004 Studio Valve Player sentiment 91% positive of 15,340 Critics No aggregate Price Not listed Steam Deck playable Install size Not stated Accessibility 4 declared features Raw 91% shrinks to 90.8 on 15,340 reviews, giving 7.7. 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.
- Multiplayer only. There is no solo mode to fall back on.
- 7
Half-Life Deathmatch: Source
Best for: Playing with other people
6.5GamingPickz Scoremedium confidenceHalf-Life Deathmatch: Source at a glance Released 2006 Studio Valve Player sentiment 76% positive of 5,582 Critics No aggregate Price $9.99 Steam Deck playable Install size 4 GB Accessibility 5 declared features Raw 76% shrinks to 76.5 on 5,582 reviews, giving 6.5. 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- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
- Multiplayer only. There is no solo mode to fall back on.
- 8
Half-Life: Source
Best for: A consistently well-received pick in this category
6.2GamingPickz Scoremedium confidenceHalf-Life: Source at a glance Released 2004 Studio Valve Player sentiment 69% positive of 16,699 Critics No aggregate Price $9.99 Steam Deck playable Install size Not stated Accessibility 0 declared features Raw 69% shrinks to 69.3 on 16,699 reviews, giving 6.2. No critics data, so that weight was redistributed across the rest rather than counted as zero.
Only the 8 Half-Life games with Steam review data can be scored and ranked. The complete series, scored or not, is charted in order below.
Best and worst entry
The best-received Half-Life game we can score is Half-Life 2 at 9.0. The lowest is Half-Life: Source at 6.2, a 2.8-point spread across the series. The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
How the series scored over time
GamingPickz Score against release year, 1998 to 2020. The later entries score lower than the earlier ones: the series has been trending down.
Cheapest way in, and best value
- Cheapest right now: Half-Life: Opposing Force at $4.99. Prices are read live from Steam and move.
- Best value: Half-Life: Opposing Force, the most GamingPickz Score per dollar in the series at its current price.
On a Steam Deck
Valve's own Deck compatibility rating for the Half-Life entries on Steam:
- Verified: Half-Life, Half-Life 2
- Playable: Half-Life: Opposing Force, Half-Life: Blue Shift, Half-Life: Source, Half-Life 2: Deathmatch, Half-Life Deathmatch: Source
- Unsupported: Half-Life: Alyx
Platforms across the series
Where the 12 Half-Life games have landed, counting every entry we hold:
| Platform family | Entries |
|---|---|
| PC | 11 of 12 |
| PlayStation | 5 of 12 |
| Xbox | 3 of 12 |
| Mobile | 1 of 12 |
The Half-Life series, game by game
Every Half-Life game we hold, in release order. Each description is the game's own, from Steam where it has a listing and Wikipedia for the older entries, never ours.
- 1998
Half-Life
8.9Named Game of the Year by over 50 publications, Valve's debut title blends action and adventure with award-winning technology to create a frighteningly realistic world where players must think to survive. Also includes an exciting multiplayer mode that allows you to play against friends and enemies around the world. (Steam)
- 1999
Return to the Black Mesa Research Facility as one of the military specialists assigned to eliminate Gordon Freeman. Experience an entirely new episode of single player action. Meet fierce alien opponents, and experiment with new weaponry. Named 'Game of the Year' by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences. (Steam)
Plot
Setting Opposing Force is set in the same location and timeframe as that of Half-Life , taking place at a remote New Mexico laboratory called the Black Mesa Research Facility . In Half-Life , the player takes on the role of Gordon Freeman , a scientist involved in an accident that opens an interdimensional portal to the borderworld of Xen , allowing the alien creatures of Xen to attack the facility. The player controls Freeman in an attempt to escape the… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Opposing Force received mainly positive reviews, holding a score of 85. 45% on the review aggregator site GameRankings . In the United States, the game sold 108,008 copies by the end of 1999. (Wikipedia)
- 2001
Made by Gearbox Software and originally released in 2001 as an add-on to Half-Life, Blue Shift is a return to the Black Mesa Research Facility in which you play as Barney Calhoun, the security guard sidekick who helped Gordon out of so many sticky situations. (Steam)
Plot
Setting Blue Shift is set in the same location and time frame as that of Half-Life , taking place at a remote New Mexico laboratory called the Black Mesa Research Facility . In Half-Life , the player takes on the role of Gordon Freeman , a scientist involved in an accident that opens an interdimensional portal to the borderworld of Xen , allowing the alien creatures of Xen to attack the facility. The player guides Freeman in an attempt to escape the… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception The PC version received "mixed or average reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic . In a review for IGN , critic Tal Blevins noted that Blue Shift s gameplay "is pretty much what we've come to expect out of Half-Life " by blending action and puzzle solving, stating that the latter "were all logical and well done, although some of the jumping puzzles were frustrating". Though IGN praised the game for maintaining the… (Wikipedia)
- 2001
Half-Life: Decay
not scoredHalf-Life: Decay is a multiplayer-only expansion pack for Valve's first-person shooter Half-Life. Developed by Gearbox Software and published by Sierra On-Line, Decay was released as part of the PlayStation 2 version of Half-Life in 2001. It is the third expansion pack for Half-Life, and like its predecessors, Decay… (Wikipedia)
Plot
Characters and setting Colette Green (left) and Gina Cross in Decay ; the models used in the game had a significantly higher level of detail than in previous Half-Life titles. Decay is set in the same location and timeframe as Half-Life . Half-Life takes place at a laboratory called the Black Mesa Research Facility , situated in a remote desert in New Mexico . (Wikipedia)
Characters
Colette Green (left) and Gina Cross in Decay ; the models used in the game had a significantly higher level of detail than in previous Half-Life titles. Decay is set in the same location and timeframe as Half-Life . Half-Life takes place at a laboratory called the Black Mesa Research Facility , situated in a remote desert in New Mexico . (Wikipedia)
Reception
Decay received a weak but overall positive reception from the video games industry's critics. Writing for GameSpot , Doug Radcliffe argued that Decay was "impressive", praising the design of puzzles required players to work together, as well as the way in which the ranking system discouraged players from competing against each other. GameSpy' s David Hodgson was more reserved in his views of the game; although describing it as "great fun", he noted that… (Wikipedia)
- 2004
Half-Life 2
9.0Reawakened from stasis in the occupied metropolis of City 17, Gordon Freeman is joined by Alyx Vance as he leads a desperate human resistance. Experience the landmark first-person shooter packed with immersive world-building, boundary-pushing physics, and exhilarating combat. (Steam)
Plot
Michael Shapiro (2007) and Merle Dandridge (2019) provided their voices to the characters of G-Man and Alyx Vance respectively After the alien invasion at the Black Mesa Research Facility , a multidimensional alien empire known as the Combine has conquered Earth. Approximately twenty years after being placed in stasis, Gordon Freeman is inserted into a train bound for City 17 by the G-Man ( Michael Shapiro ). Helped by the undercover Resistance member… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Half-Life 2 received widespread acclaim upon release. On Metacritic , it received an aggregate score of 96 out of 100 for the PC version, based on 81 reviews, while the Xbox version received 90 out of 100 based on 35 reviews. 1UP , GameSpy , The Cincinnati Enquirer , The New York Times and VideoGamer. (Wikipedia)
- 2004
Winner of over 50 Game of the Year awards, Half-Life set new standards for action games when it was released in 1998. Half-Life: Source is a digitally remastered version of the critically acclaimed and best selling PC game, enhanced via Source technology to include physics simulation, enhanced effects, and more. (Steam)
Plot
At the underground Black Mesa Research Facility , the theoretical physicist Gordon Freeman participates in an experiment on a crystal of unknown origin. This triggers a "resonance cascade", which greatly damages the facility and teleports in hostile alien creatures. Eli Vance tells Freeman to get to the surface and find help. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Critical reception Reception On the review aggregation website Metacritic , Half-Life has a score of 96 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim". Computer Gaming World s Jeff Green said it was "not just one of the best games of the year. It's one of the best games of any year, an instant classic that is miles better than any of its immediate competition, and—in its single-player form—is the best shooter since the original Doom . (Wikipedia)
- 2004
Fast multiplayer action set in the Half-Life 2 universe! HL2's physics adds a new dimension to deathmatch play. Play straight deathmatch or try Combine vs. Resistance teamplay. Toss a toilet at your friend today! (Steam)
Reception
Half-Life 2: Deathmatch was well-received upon its release, with reviewers praising its inclusion of the gravity gun. GameSpot lauded the game for the Source engine's "impressive use of physics" and the available selection of maps. IGN paid similar compliments to the title, also speaking highly of the "fast play style that [ Half-Life 2: Deathmatch ] produces. (Wikipedia)
- 2005
Half-Life 2: Lost Coast
not scoredHalf-Life 2: Lost Coast is an additional level for the 2004 first-person shooter game Half-Life 2. Developed by Valve, it was released on October 27, 2005, as a free download for owners of Half-Life 2 on Steam. Players control Half-Life protagonist Gordon Freeman as he travels up a coastal cliff to destroy a Combine… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Lost Coast was generally well received by video game critics. 1UP. com enjoyed the amount of detail, including the graphics, puzzles, and intelligent enemies, saying, "Valve just packed more atmosphere into a tiny snippet than most shooters muster, period. (Wikipedia)
- 2006
Half-Life Deathmatch: Source is a recreation of the first multiplayer game set in the Half-Life universe. Features all the classic weapons and most-played maps, now running on the Source engine. (Steam)
Plot
At the underground Black Mesa Research Facility , the theoretical physicist Gordon Freeman participates in an experiment on a crystal of unknown origin. This triggers a "resonance cascade", which greatly damages the facility and teleports in hostile alien creatures. Eli Vance tells Freeman to get to the surface and find help. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Critical reception Reception On the review aggregation website Metacritic , Half-Life has a score of 96 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim". Computer Gaming World s Jeff Green said it was "not just one of the best games of the year. It's one of the best games of any year, an instant classic that is miles better than any of its immediate competition, and—in its single-player form—is the best shooter since the original Doom . (Wikipedia)
- 2006
Half-Life 2: Episode One
Metacritic 87Half-Life 2: Episode One is a 2006 first-person shooter game developed and published by Valve for Windows. It continues the story of Half-Life 2 (2004). As the scientist Gordon Freeman, players must escape City 17 with Gordon's companion Alyx Vance. Like previous Half-Life games, Episode One combines shooting, puzzles… (Wikipedia)
Plot
Alyx Vance talks with Isaac Kleiner outside the Citadel. The new HDR rendering and Phong shading effects are visible. In City 17 , Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance ( Merle Dandridge ) have destroyed the Citadel's reactor. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Response to Episode One was generally positive. Reviewers praised it for having more intricate, well paced gameplay than Half-Life 2 . The interactivity, particularly in the form of Alyx and her reactions to the player's actions and story events, was also praised. (Wikipedia)
- 2007
Half-Life 2: Episode Two
Metacritic 90Half-Life 2: Episode Two is a 2007 first-person shooter game developed and published by Valve. Following Episode One (2006), it is the second of two episodic games that continue the story of Half-Life 2 (2004). The player controls Gordon Freeman, who travels through the mountains surrounding City 17 to a resistance… (Wikipedia)
Plot
The Combine have opened an interdimensional portal in place of the destroyed Citadel, to summon reinforcements and defeat the Resistance. Outside City 17 , Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance escape the wreckage of a train they used to flee the city. They proceed to a transmission station , where they make contact with Dr. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Half-Life 2: Episode Two received an average score of 90. 68% based on 22 reviews on the review aggregator GameRankings . On Metacritic , it has an average score of 90 out of 100 based on 21 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". (Wikipedia)
- 2020
Half-Life: Alyx is Valve’s VR return to the Half-Life series. It’s the story of an impossible fight against a vicious alien race known as the Combine, set between the events of Half-Life and Half-Life 2. Playing as Alyx Vance, you are humanity’s only chance for survival. (Steam)
Plot
Earth has been conquered by the alien Combine , who have implemented a brutal police state . In City 17, Alyx Vance ( Ozioma Akagha ) and her father Eli (James Moses Black) are arrested by Combine forces as part of a crackdown on the Resistance. The Resistance member Russell ( Rhys Darby ), an inventor, rescues Alyx and warns her that the Combine are planning to transport Eli to Nova Prospekt for interrogation. (Wikipedia)
Characters
Merle Dandridge reprised her role as Alyx for initial recording sessions in March 2019, but after playtests indicated that Alyx needed a younger voice, Ozioma Akagha was cast in September 2019. Akagha avoided using irritation in her performance, as "you don't want someone in your head that sounds irritated with you". Additional actors include James Moses Black as Eli, replacing Robert Guillaume , who died in 2017, and Rhys Darby as Russell, who added… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Half-Life: Alyx received "universal acclaim", according to the review aggregator website Metacritic . According to the review aggregator OpenCritic , it was recommended by 97% of critics. By April 2020, it was one of the 20 highest-rated PC games on Metacritic. (Wikipedia)
Half-Life, head to head
Two entries side by side on score, price, specs and reception:
Half-Life vs other series
How Half-Life stacks up against other series in the same genre, as a whole:
Also: Half-Life vs Amnesia, Half-Life vs Dead Island, Half-Life vs F.E.A.R., Half-Life vs Max Payne, Half-Life vs Quake, Half-Life vs A Plague Tale, Half-Life vs BioShock, Half-Life vs Danganronpa, Half-Life vs Deep Rock Galactic, Half-Life vs Infestation, Half-Life vs Killing Floor, Half-Life vs Left 4 Dead, Half-Life vs Little Nightmares, Half-Life vs Outlast, Half-Life vs Portal, Half-Life vs POSTAL, Half-Life vs SUPERHOT, Half-Life vs The Stanley Parable, Half-Life vs Thief, Half-Life vs World War, Half-Life vs Zombie Army
Common questions
How many Half-Life games are there?
We hold 12 Half-Life games in the catalogue, released between 1998 and 2020. 8 of them carry enough Steam data to rank; the rest are listed in release order below, including console-only entries with no Steam listing.
Which Half-Life game is best?
By the GamingPickz Score, Half-Life 2 rates highest at 9.0. That is a composite of player sentiment, the critic aggregate and popularity, computed the same way for every game, not our opinion. The full ranking is above.
What order should I play the Half-Life games in?
Release order is listed below, from 1998 to 2020. For most series that is also story order, but we list dates rather than telling you a canon; the timeline is read from Wikidata.
More franchises
Browse every game franchise ranked the same way, or head to the full grid.