Every Hitman game, ranked
All 8 Hitman games we hold, spanning 2002 to 2021: 6 ranked by the GamingPickz Score and plotted below, the rest listed in release order so nothing in the series is missing. Together they carry 168,004 Steam reviews.
Where to start
- For the best-reviewed: HITMAN 2 (GamingPickz Score 8.1), the highest-rated entry we can score.
- For canon order: begin with Hitman 2: Silent Assassin (2002) and follow the release-order timeline below.
- For the money: Hitman 2: Silent Assassin gives the most score per dollar right now.
The Hitman games on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueThe same 6 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.
6 games have both
Axes are fitted to these 6 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
- 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.
Every game by critic score
The grid above is built from Steam data, so it can only place the Hitman 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)
6 best Hitman games, ranked
Ordered by GamingPickz Score. Every figure links back to the source that produced it.
HITMAN 2 at a glance Released 2018 Studio IO Interactive A/S Player sentiment 91% positive of 74,796 Critics 82/100 Price Not listed Steam Deck verified Install size 60 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 91% shrinks to 91.0 on 74,796 reviews, then blends with the 82 critic aggregate, giving 8.1.
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.
- 2
Hitman: Absolution
Best for: Players who trust other players over critics
7.9GamingPickz Scorehigh confidenceHitman: Absolution at a glance Released 2012 Studio Nixxes Software Player sentiment 93% positive of 63,506 Critics 79/100 Price $19.99 Steam Deck playable Install size Not stated Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 93% shrinks to 92.9 on 63,506 reviews, then blends with the 79 critic aggregate, giving 7.9.
Worth checking first- Players rate it well above critics, 93 against 79. Usually a sign it improved after launch, or that it delivers something reviewers undervalued.
- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
- 3
Hitman: Blood Money
Best for: A consistently well-received pick in this category
7.9GamingPickz Scorehigh confidenceHitman: Blood Money at a glance Released 2006 Studio Feral Interactive Player sentiment 94% positive of 16,066 Critics 82/100 Price $9.99 Steam Deck playable Install size Not stated Accessibility 0 declared features Raw 94% shrinks to 93.8 on 16,066 reviews, then blends with the 82 critic aggregate, giving 7.9.
Worth checking first- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
- 4
Hitman 2: Silent Assassin
Best for: A consistently well-received pick in this category
7.3GamingPickz Scoremedium confidenceHitman 2: Silent Assassin at a glance Released 2002 Studio Not recorded Player sentiment 82% positive of 4,890 Critics 87/100 Price $8.99 Steam Deck playable Install size Not stated Accessibility 0 declared features Raw 82% shrinks to 82.1 on 4,890 reviews, then blends with the 87 critic aggregate, giving 7.3.
Worth checking first- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
- 5
Hitman: Contracts
Best for: A consistently well-received pick in this category
7.1GamingPickz Scoremedium confidenceHitman: Contracts at a glance Released 2014 Studio Io-Interactive A/S Player sentiment 87% positive of 3,658 Critics No aggregate Price $8.99 Steam Deck unsupported Install size 2 GB Accessibility 0 declared features Raw 87% shrinks to 86.7 on 3,658 reviews, giving 7.1. 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- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
- Valve rates it Unsupported on the Steam Deck.
- 6
Hitman: Codename 47
Best for: A consistently well-received pick in this category
6.4GamingPickz Scoremedium confidenceHitman: Codename 47 at a glance Released 2007 Studio IO Interactive A/S Player sentiment 71% positive of 5,088 Critics 73/100 Price $7.99 Steam Deck playable Install size 0.39 GB Accessibility 0 declared features Raw 71% shrinks to 71.9 on 5,088 reviews, then blends with the 73 critic aggregate, giving 6.4.
What the data supports- Small install at 0.39 GB.
Worth checking first- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
Only the 6 Hitman 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 Hitman game we can score is HITMAN 2 at 8.1. The lowest is Hitman: Codename 47 at 6.4, a 1.7-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, 2002 to 2018. The later entries score higher than the earlier ones: the series has been trending up.
Cheapest way in, and best value
- Cheapest right now: Hitman: Codename 47 at $7.99. Prices are read live from Steam and move.
- Best value: Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, 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 Hitman entries on Steam:
- Verified: HITMAN 2
- Playable: Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, Hitman: Blood Money, Hitman: Codename 47, Hitman: Absolution
- Unsupported: Hitman: Contracts
Platforms across the series
Where the 8 Hitman games have landed, counting every entry we hold:
| Platform family | Entries |
|---|---|
| PC | 8 of 8 |
| PlayStation | 3 of 8 |
| Xbox | 3 of 8 |
| Nintendo | 3 of 8 |
| Mobile | 2 of 8 |
The Hitman series, game by game
Every Hitman 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.
- 2002
Enter the realm of a retired assassin, forced back into action by treason. You may be a hired killer but you still have a sense of loyalty and justice. Visit the dark recesses of a world corrupted by crime, greed, degradation and dishonor. And a past that catches up with you. (Steam)
Plot
Following the events of Hitman: Codename 47 (2000), two men investigate the massacre left by Agent 47 at the facility of his creator, Dr. Ort-Meyer, in Romania. One of them recognizes the former assassin on video footage of the events, and decides that they must "hire" him. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Hitman 2: Silent Assassin received "generally positive" reviews, according to review aggregator platform Metacritic . GameSpot gave it a score of 8. 6/10, saying that it "fixes virtually all of the problems of its predecessor" and is still an "outstanding" game. (Wikipedia)
- 2006
Money Talks. Silence Pays. Prepare to Make a Killing. When assassins from Agent 47's contract agency, The ICA, are eliminated in a series of hits, it seems a larger, more powerful agency has entered the fray. Sensing he may be a target, 47 travels to America, and prepares to make a killing. (Steam)
Plot
American journalist Rick Henderson visits the estate of former FBI Director Alexander Leland "Jack" Cayne, in hopes of interviewing him over an attack at the White House and his career. However, Cayne reveals that the interview was merely a ruse, and that Rick was invited to be given the details concerning a far greater story – the full details on cloned hitman Agent 47 , a contract killer for the International Contract Agency (ICA), a global organisation… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Hitman: Blood Money reviews Hitman: Blood Money received "generally positive" reviews across all platforms, according to review aggregator platform Metacritic . GameSpot reported that diverse imaginative scenarios gave Blood Money its share of violent thrills. GameSpy praised the expanded scope and options in each level, such as making kills appear as accidents, saying the game provided enough choices to encourage players to play missions multiple… (Wikipedia)
- 2007
As the enigmatic Hitman, you must use stealth and tactical problem solving to enter, execute and exit your assignment with minimum attention and maximum effectiveness. For a price, you have access to the most devious devices, but how you use them will determine if you retire as a millionaire or get permanently retired. (Steam)
Plot
The game opens in 1999, as a mysterious man code-named "Project 47" awakens in the basement of a sanatorium to an unidentified man talking over a loudspeaker. Under the man's guidance, 47 completes a training course that tests his athletic, firearms, and assassination skills, before killing the guards and escaping from the sanatorium, much to his observer's joy. A year later, 47 has joined the International Contract Agency (ICA) – a global organization… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Hitman: Codename 47 received "mixed or average reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic . Jim Preston of NextGen called it "A deeply flawed masterpiece that will, nonetheless, reward forgiving gamers. " Jake The Snake of GamePro said, "Though Rambo wannabes will feel pinned down by the game's realism, this captivating title oozes with enough seedy atmosphere and tense action to satisfy the most jaded gamer. (Wikipedia)
- 2012
The original assassin is back! Betrayed by the Agency and hunted by the police, Agent 47 finds himself pursuing redemption in a corrupt and twisted world. (Steam)
Plot
Genetically engineered assassin Agent 47 ( David Bateson ) is ordered by the International Contract Agency (ICA), to kill his former handler Diana Burnwood ( Marsha Thomason ), who, for unknown reasons, has betrayed the organisation: Diana had sabotaged funding streams and publicized their database, bringing undesired attention to the Agency. 47 infiltrates Diana's Chicago estate and reluctantly shoots her in the bathroom. Whilst bleeding out, Diana… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Critical response Reception Hitman: Absolution received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic . Positive reviews came from GamesRadar+ , calling it "one of the strongest entries in the series to date", and Game Informer , who wrote that "devising a strategy, using the environment and disguises to your advantage, and leaving before anyone knows you're there are the hallmarks of a perfect hit, and Absolution proves Agent… (Wikipedia)
- 2014
Enter the world of a HITMAN - a world of crime, sin and greed. Delve into the mind of Agent 47 and encounter his greatest adversaries, completing the work that made him so brutally efficient and shaped him as an assassin. Eliminate your targets by any means necessary. There are no rules... only the contract, signed in blood. (Steam)
Plot
On 17 March 2004, around two years after the events of Silent Assassin , Agent 47 is shot and critically wounded while carrying out a mission in Paris , France, for his employers, the International Contracts Agency (ICA). Returning to his hotel room, he reflects on his past , beginning with his escape from Romanian special forces after killing his creator, Dr. Otto Ort-Meyer, at his own facility. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Hitman: Contracts received mostly positive reviews. Critics praised the improved gameplay elements, graphics, soundtrack, darker tone and atmosphere, while criticism was directed towards the familiarity and the lack of significant changes and additions from the previous game. Although GameSpot s Greg Kasavin liked that some of the missions from Hitman: Codename 47 are featured here with graphical enhancements, he did feel it was a "cheap move. (Wikipedia)
- 2018
- 2021
Hitman 3
Metacritic 70Hitman 3 is a 2021 stealth game developed and published by IO Interactive. It is the eighth main installment in the Hitman video game series, the sequel to 2018's Hitman 2, and the third game in the World of Assassination trilogy. Concluding the story arc started in 2016's Hitman, the game follows genetically… (Wikipedia)
Plot
During the events of Hitman 2 , Agent 47 and his handler, Diana Burnwood, defect from the International Contract Agency (ICA) and join forces with rogue mercenary Lucas Grey to track down Providence, a secretive alliance of corporate executives, politicians, and industrialists collectively wielding political, military, and economic influence. In the game's final mission, the trio kidnap Arthur Edwards, Providence's intermediary known as the Constant, who… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Critical reception Reception Hitman 3 received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator platform Metacritic . It has been considered by some critics to be the best entry in the series and one of the greatest stealth games of all time. The game was praised for its gameplay loop, creativity, and level design. (Wikipedia)
- —
HITMAN
not scoredNo sourced description on file.
Hitman, head to head
Two entries side by side on score, price, specs and reception:
Hitman vs other series
How Hitman stacks up against other series in the same genre, as a whole:
Also: Hitman vs Baldur's Gate, Hitman vs Bloons TD, Hitman vs ENDLESS Space, Hitman vs Europa Universalis, Hitman vs Hearts of Iron, Hitman vs Kingdom Rush, Hitman vs Men of War, Hitman vs Stronghold Crusader, Hitman vs Victoria
Common questions
How many Hitman games are there?
We hold 8 Hitman games in the catalogue, released between 2002 and 2021. 6 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 Hitman game is best?
By the GamingPickz Score, HITMAN 2 rates highest at 8.1. 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 Hitman games in?
Release order is listed below, from 2002 to 2021. 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.