Every Mortal Kombat game, ranked
All 13 Mortal Kombat games we hold, spanning 1992 to 2023: 3 ranked by the GamingPickz Score and plotted below, the rest listed in release order so nothing in the series is missing. Together they carry 226,013 Steam reviews.
Where to start
- For the best-reviewed: Mortal Kombat 11 (GamingPickz Score 8.0), the highest-rated entry we can score.
- For canon order: begin with Mortal Kombat (1992) (1992) and follow the release-order timeline below.
- For the money: Mortal Kombat X gives the most score per dollar right now.
The Mortal Kombat games on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueThe same 3 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.
3 games have both
Axes are fitted to these 3 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.
3 best Mortal Kombat games, ranked
Ordered by GamingPickz Score. Every figure links back to the source that produced it.
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.
Mortal Kombat X at a glance Released 2015 Studio NetherRealm Studios Player sentiment 86% positive of 60,712 Critics 84/100 Price $19.99 Steam Deck verified Install size 36 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 86% shrinks to 86.0 on 60,712 reviews, then blends with the 84 critic aggregate, giving 7.7.
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.
Mortal Kombat 1 at a glance Released 2023 Studio NetherRealm Studios Player sentiment 72% positive of 49,237 Critics 82/100 Price $49.99 Steam Deck verified Install size 140 GB Accessibility 7 declared features Raw 72% shrinks to 72.1 on 49,237 reviews, then blends with the 82 critic aggregate, giving 6.8.
What the data supports- Valve has tested it and rates it Verified on the Steam Deck.
- Declares 7 accessibility features, well above the catalogue norm.
- Cloud saves and cross-platform play, so progress follows you between machines.
Worth checking first- Carries in-game purchases. Check what they cost before committing.
- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
PlayStation 5Xbox Series X and Series SNintendo SwitchSteam Deck
Only the 3 Mortal Kombat 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 Mortal Kombat game we can score is Mortal Kombat 11 at 8.0. The lowest is Mortal Kombat 1 at 6.8, a 1.2-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, 2015 to 2023. The later entries score lower than the earlier ones: the series has been trending down.
Cheapest way in, and best value
- Cheapest right now: Mortal Kombat X at $19.99. Prices are read live from Steam and move.
- Best value: Mortal Kombat X, 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 Mortal Kombat entries on Steam:
- Verified: Mortal Kombat X, Mortal Kombat 11, Mortal Kombat 1
Platforms across the series
Where the 13 Mortal Kombat games have landed, counting every entry we hold:
| Platform family | Entries |
|---|---|
| PC | 5 of 13 |
| PlayStation | 8 of 13 |
| Xbox | 7 of 13 |
| Nintendo | 4 of 13 |
The Mortal Kombat series, game by game
Every Mortal Kombat 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.
- 1992
Mortal Kombat (1992)
not scoredMortal Kombat is a 1992 fighting game developed and published by Midway for arcades. It is the first main installment in the Mortal Kombat franchise, and was subsequently released by Acclaim Entertainment for nearly every home platform of the time. The game presents a martial arts tournament in which ten characters… (Wikipedia)
Plot
The game takes place in Earthrealm , where a tournament is being held on Shang Tsung's Island, on which seven of its locations serve as stages in the game. The introduction to Mortal Kombat explains that Shang Tsung was banished to Earthrealm 500 years ago and, with the help of the monstrous Goro, seized control of the Mortal Kombat tournament in an attempt to doom the realm. For 500 years straight, Goro has been undefeated in the tournament and has won… (Wikipedia)
Characters
Main article: List of Mortal Kombat characters Mortal Kombat character selection screen, showing Kano (left) and Sub-Zero (right) Mortal Kombat includes seven playable characters, each with their own unique Fatality and all of whom would eventually become trademark characters and appear in several sequels. The game was developed with digitized sprites based on real actors. Ho-Sung Pak plays Liu Kang , a former member of the secret White Lotus Society who… (Wikipedia)
- 1995
Mortal Kombat 3
not scoredMortal Kombat 3 is a 1995 fighting game developed and published by Midway for arcades. It was later ported to several home systems, including the Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy and PlayStation. It is the third main installment in the Mortal Kombat franchise, and a sequel to 1993's Mortal… (Wikipedia)
Plot
Weary of continuous losses in tournament battle, Shao Kahn , who lost to Liu Kang in the Outworld tournament in the previous game , enacts a 10,000-year-old plan. He would have his Shadow Priests, led by Shang Tsung , revive his former Queen Sindel, who unexpectedly died at a young age. However, she would not be revived in the Outworld, but in Earthrealm. (Wikipedia)
Characters
Main article: List of Mortal Kombat characters John Parrish (Jax) with Lia Montelongo (Sindel), Kerri Hoskins (Sonya Blade) and Phillip Ahn (Shang Tsung in MKII ), reuniting in 2017 The game includes 14 playable characters, with one additional secret character. New characters: Cyrax (Sal Divita) - Yellow-colored Lin Kuei cyber assassin, and first of the three cyber assassins. Kabal (Richard Divizio) - Former Black Dragon warrior. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Commercial In the United States, RePlay reported Mortal Kombat 3 to be the most popular arcade game of May 1995. Mortal Kombat 3 was one of three 1995 recipients of the American Amusement Machine Association 's Diamond Awards (which are based strictly on sales achievements), along with Sega 's Daytona USA and SNK 's Neo Geo MVS . It was the highest-grossing arcade conversion kit of 1995 in the United States. (Wikipedia)
- 1996
Mortal Kombat Trilogy
not scoredMortal Kombat Trilogy is a 1996 fighting game released by Midway as the second and final update to Mortal Kombat 3 for the PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Sega Saturn and PCs. Further versions were also released for the Game.com and R-Zone. It features a similar basic gameplay system and the same story as Ultimate Mortal… (Wikipedia)
Characters
Character select screen from the CD versions of the game Along with the Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 roster, including those who were originally hidden and specific console exclusives in previous iterations, Trilogy adds Raiden and Baraka exactly as they appeared in Mortal Kombat II , with added running animations especially created for Mortal Kombat Trilogy . The actors of both characters were Carlos Pesina as Raiden (except for one sprite, which was… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception The game's critical reception has varied considerably, depending on the platform and publication. Brazilian magazine SuperGamePower gave the Nintendo 64 version 4. 8 out of 5, and regarded it as the best Mortal Kombat game. (Wikipedia)
- 1997
Mortal Kombat 4
not scoredMortal Kombat 4 is a 1997 fighting game developed and published by Midway for arcades. It is the fourth main installment in the Mortal Kombat franchise, and a sequel to 1995's Mortal Kombat 3. It is also the first title in the series to use 3D computer graphics, as well as the last in the series to have an arcade… (Wikipedia)
Plot
Millennia before the setting of the first game, Shinnok, one of the Elder Gods who control the six realms in the Mortal Kombat universe, attempted to become the conqueror of them all. The thunder god Raiden fought and defeated Shinnok in a war that spanned centuries, sending him to the Netherrealm, where he would be trapped forever. Now, Shinnok has managed to escape from the Netherrealm with help from the sorcerer Quan Chi , and seeks vengeance against… (Wikipedia)
Characters
Main article: List of Mortal Kombat characters Character selection screen of Mortal Kombat 4 The game includes 15 playable characters, with additional secret characters. The following is a list of the characters included in the Mortal Kombat 4 character selection roster. New characters: Fujin — Raiden 's ally, the Wind God who first appeared in Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero . (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Upon the start of the arcade's road tour, news programs commented on the violence from the game and expressed concern on how it would affect the players' personalities; Ed Boon replied that there were already games more violent than Mortal Kombat 4 , which was only the most popular of the violent games and therefore the most prominent. In reviews for the arcade version, Next Generation and GamePro both noted that while the graphics are in 3D,… (Wikipedia)
- 1997
Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero
not scoredMortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero is a 1997 action-adventure game developed and published by Midway for the PlayStation and Nintendo 64. A spin-off of the Mortal Kombat franchise, it is the first installment not to be a fighting game. Set before the original Mortal Kombat game, it follows Bi-Han, the elder Sub-Zero,… (Wikipedia)
Plot
The story is set before the events that took place in the original Mortal Kombat and follows the Lin Kuei assassin and thief Sub-Zero hired by the sorcerer Quan Chi to steal a map of elements from a Shaolin temple . Battling through the Shaolin monks who guarded the map, Sub-Zero faces his rival, Scorpion from the Shirai Ryu clan who was also hired by Quan Chi. Sub-Zero kills Scorpion and retrieves the map. (Wikipedia)
Characters
Main article: Characters of the Mortal Kombat series Sub-Zero Scorpion Raiden Quan Chi Shinnok Sareena Wind God Earth God – Assigned by Raiden as the second of the four guardians along with the Wind God, Water God and Fire God in order to protect Shinnok's amulet until he was eliminated by Sub-Zero. Due to his giant size towering over Sub-Zero, he has the ability to stomp the ground while stones of rocks fall from above. Water God – The third of the four… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero received divisive reviews. IGN stated "it may have been a good idea on paper, but as a game it's terrible. " and Next Generation concluded that "Despite a few good features, like the game's RPG elements, Mythologies just isn't any fun. (Wikipedia)
- 2002
Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance
not scoredMortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance is a 2002 fighting game developed and published by Midway for the Xbox, PS2, GameCube, and GBA. It was the first all-new Mortal Kombat fighting game produced exclusively for home consoles, with no preceding arcade release. It is the fifth main installment in the Mortal Kombat franchise… (Wikipedia)
Plot
At the end of Mortal Kombat 4 (which is Scorpion 's canon ending), Quan Chi revealed himself to be the murderer of Scorpion's family and clan, before attempting to send him back to the Netherrealm. Scorpion, fueled with homicidal rage, grabbed Quan Chi at the last minute, taking the sorcerer with him. In the opening intro to Deadly Alliance , it is revealed that Quan Chi was able to escape the Netherrealm, using the amulet he had stolen from Shinnok . (Wikipedia)
Characters
Further information: List of Mortal Kombat characters The game features 21 playable characters, 2 additional secret characters, and 1 unplayable. New characters: Blaze – Massive fire elemental who has the task of guarding the egg of the Dragon King (secret character). Bo' Rai Cho – Jovial Outworld native and former trainer of Liu Kang. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception The reception for Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance was generally favorable, as it both revived a series that had been waning since the late 1990s and introduced many innovations. Jeremy Dunham of IGN praised the game for reinventing the Mortal Kombat formula, pointing specifically to Ed Boon 's implementation of "true three-dimensional fighting, entirely different fighting styles, and a deeper, more intuitive combo system. " Jeff Gerstmann of… (Wikipedia)
- 2004
Mortal Kombat: Deception
not scoredMortal Kombat: Deception is a 2004 fighting game developed and published by Midway. The sixth main installment in the Mortal Kombat franchise and sequel to Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance (2002), it was released for the PlayStation 2 (PS2) and Xbox in October 2004, the GameCube in March 2005, and for the PlayStation… (Wikipedia)
Plot
Setting The setting begins immediately after the events of Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance . The Deadly Alliance ( Shang Tsung and Quan Chi ) was successful in their plan. Raiden 's warriors, who were meant to protect the six fictional universes (named "realms"), were killed during their tournament. (Wikipedia)
Characters
Further information: Characters of the Mortal Kombat series 26 characters appear in the game, with 17 returning and 9 making their series debuts. Only one character (the boss Onaga) is unplayable. New characters: Ashrah – a Netherrealm demoness searching for redemption and her freedom from the realm by slaying demons with a magical sword. (Wikipedia)
Reception
During its release week, Mortal Kombat: Deception shipped 1,000,000 units, surpassing sales of the previous MK title and becoming the fastest-selling game in Midway's history. 1 year later, the game had shipped 1,900,000 units worldwide. Before the game's release, GameSpot named it the best fighting game of E3 2004. (Wikipedia)
- 2005
Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks
not scoredMortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks is a 2005 action-adventure game developed and published by Midway for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. A spin-off of the Mortal Kombat franchise, it is a retelling of the events of Mortal Kombat II (1993). Players control the eponymous Shaolin monks Liu Kang and Kung Lao in either single player… (Wikipedia)
Plot
Characters Main article: List of Mortal Kombat characters The primary protagonists of Shaolin Monks are Liu Kang and Kung Lao . Featured as allies of the protagonists are Raiden , Johnny Cage , Kitana , Sub-Zero , and Jax . Most of the allies make appearances to assist the protagonists during segments of the game. (Wikipedia)
Characters
Main article: List of Mortal Kombat characters The primary protagonists of Shaolin Monks are Liu Kang and Kung Lao . Featured as allies of the protagonists are Raiden , Johnny Cage , Kitana , Sub-Zero , and Jax . Most of the allies make appearances to assist the protagonists during segments of the game. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks has sold over one million copies and received mostly favorable reviews. At GameRankings , it holds an average of 79. 10% and 80. (Wikipedia)
- 2006
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
not scoredMortal Kombat: Armageddon is a 2006 fighting game developed and published by Midway for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, with a later port for the Wii developed by Just Games Interactive. It is the seventh main installment in the Mortal Kombat franchise, and a sequel to 2004's Mortal Kombat: Deception. Chronologically the… (Wikipedia)
Plot
In Edenia, the sorceress Delia has a vision of the future where the forces of good and evil will engage in a final battle of Mortal Kombat that threatens to end all realms. To spare the Realms, Delia's husband Argus (an Elder God) constructs a pyramid where the battle will take place and has his sons, Taven and Daegon, put into dormant states in caverns. Delia instructs her Elemental, Blaze, to signal their dragons to awaken them before the final battle… (Wikipedia)
Characters
Main article: List of Mortal Kombat characters The PS2 and Xbox versions of Armageddon contain 62 fighters (as well as two extra slots for user-created characters), the most of any Mortal Kombat or tournament fighter game to date. Only two characters, Daegon and Taven , are new to the series. In contrast, Sareena makes her playable debut on non-portable consoles, and Meat makes his debut as a legitimate character. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Reception for Mortal Kombat: Armageddon has been generally favorable. The game was often praised for including a complete character roster; IGN stated that "the inclusion of 62 total warriors is a massive achievement," while Game Informer said that "nothing really comes close to what Midway has thrown together here. " GameSpot praised the Konquest mode, "which was such a low point of MK: Deception, as one of the relative strengths of MK:… (Wikipedia)
- 2015
Experience the Next Generation of the #1 Fighting Franchise. Mortal Kombat X combines unparalleled, cinematic presentation with all new gameplay. (Steam)
Plot
Two years after the defeat of Outworld's ruler , Shao Kahn , Shinnok attacks Earthrealm with his army of Netherrealm demons, as well as Earthrealm warriors who were killed during Kahn's invasion and are now resurrected as revenants under Quan Chi 's control. After fighting their fallen comrades, a strike team led by Johnny Cage , Sonya Blade , and Kenshi open a portal to Raiden's Sky Temple and head to the Jinsei Chamber, the source of Earthrealm's life… (Wikipedia)
Characters
Main article: List of Mortal Kombat characters The game had 25 playable characters at launch, with 8 additional characters added via DLC . The playable characters in bold are new to the series, while the italicized ones are guest characters. Goro was available either as a pre-order bonus, or with the purchase of Kombat Pack 2. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Critical reception Reception Mortal Kombat X received largely positive reviews. Aggregating review website Metacritic gave the Xbox One version 86/100 based on 21 reviews, the PlayStation 4 version 83/100 based on 81 reviews, and the Windows version 76/100 based on 10 reviews. It became the fastest selling game in the history of the Mortal Kombat series and topped the US and UK PlayStation 4 sales charts in the month of release. (Wikipedia)
- 2019
Mortal Kombat is back and better than ever in the next evolution of the iconic franchise. (Steam)
Plot
Following Shinnok 's defeat, Dark Raiden plans to protect Earthrealm by destroying all of its enemies and making an example of Shinnok, decapitating him. This latter act inspires Kronika , the keeper of time, to rewrite history to undo Raiden's interference and erase him from existence. Two years later, a Special Forces strike team led by Sonya Blade , Cassie Cage , and Jacqui Briggs attack the Netherrealm, with Raiden providing assistance. (Wikipedia)
Characters
Main article: List of Mortal Kombat characters The character selection screen in Mortal Kombat 11 (with Kombat Pack 1 characters) The game's roster consists of a total of 37 playable characters: 25 characters in the base game (2 of which are unlockable) and 12 characters available via DLC (5 of which are guest characters). The characters in bold are new to the series, while the italicized ones are guest characters. ^ Unlockable by completing Chapter 4 in… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Critical reception Reception Mortal Kombat 11 received generally favorable reviews according to the review aggregator website Metacritic . IGN praised the more slow-paced combat compared to the previous game in the series , as well as the expanded tutorial, story mode and improved netcode. However, it condemned the game's drawn-out progression and customization unlock system, which was described as "frustratingly gimmicky and grindy". (Wikipedia)
- 2023
Discover a reborn Mortal Kombat™ Universe created by the Fire God Liu Kang. Mortal Kombat™ 1 ushers in a new era of the iconic franchise with a new fighting system, game modes, and fatalities! (Steam)
Plot
After defeating Kronika and Shang Tsung , Fire God Liu Kang uses Kronika's Hourglass to recreate the universe before relinquishing control of it to Geras to become Earthrealm's protector. Over time, he forms a tenuous alliance with Outworld under the auspices of continuing the Mortal Kombat tournaments. In the present, Shang Tsung, now a powerless Outworlder, struggles to make a living selling quack medicine until he is approached by a mysterious… (Wikipedia)
Characters
Main article: Characters of the Mortal Kombat series The base roster of Mortal Kombat 1 features 22 playable characters, all of them featured in past Mortal Kombat games, including several who have not appeared since Mortal Kombat: Armageddon (2006). An additional character, Shang Tsung , was offered as a pre-order bonus . Two "Kombat Packs" were subsequently released, each with six new playable characters, 3 of them being guest characters. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Mortal Kombat 1 received "generally favorable reviews" from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic . 87% of critics recommended the game on review aggregator OpenCritic . The Nintendo Switch version was critically panned upon release for its poor graphical quality, extensive load times, poor performance, and numerous bugs . (Wikipedia)
- —
Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition
Metacritic 81No sourced description on file.
Plot
Setting The game's director, Ed Boon , described it as an altered re-telling of the events of the first three Mortal Kombat games ( Mortal Kombat , Mortal Kombat II and Mortal Kombat 3 ): " Raiden is about to be killed by Shao Kahn , and just before he delivers the last blow, Raiden sends a mental message to his earlier self by saying that he must win, and the camera rewinds back to Mortal Kombat 1 . The Raiden from Mortal Kombat 1 then gets the message… (Wikipedia)
Characters
Main article: List of Mortal Kombat characters The game had 28 playable characters at launch. Four other fighters were DLC characters. The playable characters in bold are new to the series, while the italicized ones represents guest characters. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Critical reception Reception Prior to the game's release, Techtree listed Mortal Kombat as "one of the reasons for people to own a gaming console in 2011", with PC Magazine and 2D-X editor Jeffrey L. Wilson claiming this was one of the most anticipated titles of E3 2010 . The E3 2010 showcase version of Mortal Kombat received the Best Fighting Game of E3 and Best Stage Demo of E3 awards by GameSpot , Later, Mortal Kombat won several Game of the Year type… (Wikipedia)
Mortal Kombat, head to head
Two entries side by side on score, price, specs and reception:
Common questions
How many Mortal Kombat games are there?
We hold 13 Mortal Kombat games in the catalogue, released between 1992 and 2023. 3 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 Mortal Kombat game is best?
By the GamingPickz Score, Mortal Kombat 11 rates highest at 8.0. 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 Mortal Kombat games in?
Release order is listed below, from 1992 to 2023. For most series that is also story order, but we list dates rather than telling you a canon; the timeline is read from Wikidata.
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