Every Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell game, ranked
All 6 Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell games we hold, spanning 2002 to 2013: 5 ranked by the GamingPickz Score and plotted below, the rest listed in release order so nothing in the series is missing. Together they carry 38,547 Steam reviews.
Where to start
- For the best-reviewed: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory (GamingPickz Score 7.9), the highest-rated entry we can score.
- For canon order: begin with Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (2002) and follow the release-order timeline below.
The Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell games on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueThe same 5 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.
5 games have both
Axes are fitted to these 5 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
- Nintendo
- 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 Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell 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)
5 best Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell games, ranked
Ordered by GamingPickz Score. Every figure links back to the source that produced it.
- 1
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
Best for: A consistently well-received pick in this category
7.9GamingPickz Scoremedium confidenceTom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory at a glance Released 2005 Studio Not recorded Player sentiment 93% positive of 5,797 Critics 92/100 Price $9.99 Steam Deck unsupported Install size Not stated Accessibility 0 declared features Raw 93% shrinks to 92.4 on 5,797 reviews, then blends with the 92 critic aggregate, giving 7.9.
Worth checking first- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
- Valve rates it Unsupported on the Steam Deck.
- 2
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
Best for: A consistently well-received pick in this category
7.7GamingPickz Scoremedium confidenceTom Clancy's Splinter Cell at a glance Released 2002 Studio Not recorded Player sentiment 88% positive of 4,023 Critics 91/100 Price $9.99 Steam Deck playable Install size Not stated Accessibility 0 declared features Raw 88% shrinks to 87.6 on 4,023 reviews, then blends with the 91 critic aggregate, giving 7.7.
- 3
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist
Best for: Playing with other people
6.7GamingPickz Scoremedium confidenceTom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist at a glance Released 2013 Studio Ubisoft Toronto Player sentiment 79% positive of 21,615 Critics No aggregate Price $19.99 Steam Deck playable Install size Not stated Accessibility 0 declared features Raw 79% shrinks to 79.1 on 21,615 reviews, giving 6.7. No critics data, so that weight was redistributed across the rest rather than counted as zero.
- 4
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction
Best for: Playing with other people
6.7GamingPickz Scoremedium confidenceTom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction at a glance Released 2010 Studio Ubisoft Montreal Player sentiment 72% positive of 5,173 Critics 83/100 Price Not listed Steam Deck playable Install size Not stated Accessibility 0 declared features Raw 72% shrinks to 72.8 on 5,173 reviews, then blends with the 83 critic aggregate, giving 6.7.
Worth checking first- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
- 5
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent
Best for: A smaller game its players are unusually fond of
4.9GamingPickz Scoremedium confidenceTom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent at a glance Released 2006 Studio Ubisoft Shanghai Player sentiment 35% positive of 1,939 Critics 80/100 Price $9.99 Steam Deck playable Install size Not stated Accessibility 0 declared features Raw 35% shrinks to 43.3 on 1,939 reviews, then blends with the 80 critic aggregate, giving 4.9.
Worth checking first- Critics rate it well above players, 80 against 43. Worth reading why before buying.
- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
Only the 5 Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell 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 Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell game we can score is Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory at 7.9. The lowest is Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent at 4.9, a 3.0-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 2013. The later entries score lower than the earlier ones: the series has been trending down.
Cheapest way in, and best value
- Cheapest right now: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell at $9.99. Prices are read live from Steam and move.
- Best value: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, 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 Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell entries on Steam:
- Playable: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist
- Unsupported: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
Platforms across the series
Where the 6 Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell games have landed, counting every entry we hold:
| Platform family | Entries |
|---|---|
| PC | 5 of 6 |
| PlayStation | 3 of 6 |
| Xbox | 4 of 6 |
| Nintendo | 5 of 6 |
The Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell series, game by game
Every Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell 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 world of cinematic stealth action with Splinter Cell, the game that propelled the genre to cult status. You are Sam Fisher, an elite covert agent in the NSA's top-secret division: Third Echelon. (Steam)
Plot
The first game explains that "Splinter Cell" refers to an elite recon -type unit of single covert operatives (such as Sam Fisher) who are supported in the field by a high-tech remote team. In the first three games ( Splinter Cell , Pandora Tomorrow , Chaos Theory ), terrorists are planning attacks, usually by use of information warfare , which Fisher, an operative for Third Echelon, a secret branch of the NSA, must prevent. The missions range from… (Wikipedia)
Characters
The characters of the games, as well as the organization Third Echelon, were created by J. T. Petty . (Wikipedia)
Reception
By the end of 2004, sales of the Splinter Cell series totaled 9. 6 million units. By October 2005, the series' global sales had surpassed 12. (Wikipedia)
- 2004
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow
Metacritic 93Infiltrate secure locations across the globe in this stealth-action thriller. Uncover a global conspiracy and stop a deadly bio-terror attack in the second game of the award-winning Splinter Cell series. (Steam)
Plot
In March 2006, the United States establishes a military presence in the newly-independent country of East Timor to train its military . Several anti-separatist Indonesian guerrilla militias oppose East Timor's formation, one of which is Darah Dan Doa (English: Blood and Prayer ) led by Suhadi Sadono, an individual trained by the CIA to fight communism in the region, who has grown resentful of U. S. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow received "universal acclaim" from critics for the Xbox version, while the PC, PS2, and GameCube received "generally favorable" reviews, and the Game Boy Advance received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator website Metacritic . In addition, Rotten Tomatoes gave the game a score of 100% "Fresh Rating" for the Xbox version; a 95% "Fresh Rating" for the PS2 version; a 90% "Fresh Rating" for the… (Wikipedia)
- 2005
Experience one of the most critically acclaimed stealth-action games of all time. Uncover a conspiracy that hits close to home and stop World War III. (Steam)
Plot
In June 2007, tensions are running high between China , North Korea , South Korea , and Japan due to Japan's formation of an Information Self Defense Force (I-SDF). Considering this to be a violation of Article 9 of the post-World War II Constitution and blaming the I-SDF for information warfare attacks against their countries, Chinese and North Korean forces establish a blockade in the Yellow Sea against Japanese shipping. As Japan is an ally of the… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory received "universal acclaim" from critics for the Xbox and PC versions, while the PlayStation 2, N-Gage, and GameCube versions received "favorable" reviews, and the 3DS and DS versions received "mixed" reviews, according to review aggregator website Metacritic . A 2013 IGN review described Chaos Theory as a "peak" in the series. Shawn Elliott of 1UP. (Wikipedia)
- 2006
In the sequel to the 2005 Game of the Year, Splinter Cell: Double Agent, play as legendary covert operative Sam Fisher, infiltrate a ruthless terrorist organization, and destroy it from within. (Steam)
Plot
The two main versions of the game feature different plot lines. They share many of the same locations, but with completely different level designs and in a different order. Before the events of Splinter Cell: Essentials , Sam Fisher must deal with the recent loss of his daughter to a drunk driving crash. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Reception of the game ranged from positive to mixed. GameRankings and Metacritic gave it a score of 89. 31% and 89 out of 100 for the Xbox version; 85. (Wikipedia)
- 2010
An investigation into his daughter’s death unwittingly leads former agent Sam Fisher to discover he’s been betrayed by his prior agency, the Third Echelon. Now a renegade, Fisher finds himself in a race against time to thwart a deadly terrorist plot that threatens millions. (Steam)
- 2013
In this stealth-action thriller, a terrorist group known as the Engineers launches the Blacklist, a series of escalating attacks on US interests. Only one man can stop them: legendary covert agent Sam Fisher. (Steam)
Plot
Characters Blacklist again features Sam Fisher ( Eric Johnson ), a former Third Echelon Splinter Cell who is now the spymaster and commander of the newly installed Fourth Echelon. The game also sees the return of Fisher's old ally, Anna "Grim" Grímsdóttir ( Kate Drummond ), and new characters such as Isaac Briggs (Dwain Murphy) and Charlie Cole ( David Reale ). Several supporting characters from Conviction reappear, including Victor Coste (Howard… (Wikipedia)
Characters
Blacklist again features Sam Fisher ( Eric Johnson ), a former Third Echelon Splinter Cell who is now the spymaster and commander of the newly installed Fourth Echelon. The game also sees the return of Fisher's old ally, Anna "Grim" Grímsdóttir ( Kate Drummond ), and new characters such as Isaac Briggs (Dwain Murphy) and Charlie Cole ( David Reale ). Several supporting characters from Conviction reappear, including Victor Coste (Howard Siegel), Patricia… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Pre-release Although Joystiq's Mike Schramm praised Blacklist s early screenshots and videos for removing Conviction s monochromatic visuals, its new voice actor was not received well by most of fans. Ubisoft responded with a statement that Ironside was not returning as Fisher because an actor "physically capable" of a motion-capture performance was needed, and Johnson was hired for the role. Critical reception Reception Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell:… (Wikipedia)
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, head to head
Two entries side by side on score, price, specs and reception:
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell vs other series
How Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell stacks up against other series in the same genre, as a whole:
Also: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell vs Sniper Ghost Warrior, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell vs Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell vs Baldur's Gate, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell vs Brothers in Arms, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell vs Call to Arms, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell vs Day of Defeat, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell vs Insurgency, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell vs Kingdom Rush, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell vs Payday, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell vs Red Dead Redemption, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell vs Red Orchestra, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell vs Sanctum, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell vs Sea of Thieves, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell vs Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six
Common questions
How many Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell games are there?
We hold 6 Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell games in the catalogue, released between 2002 and 2013. 5 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 Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell game is best?
By the GamingPickz Score, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory rates highest at 7.9. 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 Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell games in?
Release order is listed below, from 2002 to 2013. 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.