💀Worst Video Games of All Time
Video game history is littered with expensive flops and broken promises that still spark arguments decades later. These titles stand out for disastrous launches, abysmal reviews, and lasting damage to studios or franchises. Vote to rank the all-time worst.
What counts: Most notorious failures by critical reception, player backlash, and commercial disappointment; sales figures are approximate.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial▲ Rising
Atari rushed a movie tie-in into stores for the 1982 holiday season with almost no development time. Players encountered confusing pits and instant deaths that made progress nearly impossible. The resulting unsold cartridges were famously buried in a New Mexico landfill.
Year: 1982Metacritic: —Sales: 1.5 millionPlatform: Atari 2600Developer: Atari
added by IJRin 12 rankingsE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
47Superman 64▲ Rising
The 1999 N64 title trapped players inside a fog-shrouded Metropolis performing tedious ring-collection tasks. Development was reportedly altered at the last minute to avoid showing violence. It became the poster child for bad superhero games.
Year: 1999Metacritic: 2.3/10Sales: 0.5 millionPlatform: Nintendo 64Developer: Titus Interactive
added by IJRin 3 rankings
31Daikatana▲ Rising
John Romero's 2000 FPS promised revolutionary sidekicks but delivered frustrating AI that killed more players than enemies. Multiple delays and hype backfired spectacularly on release.
Year: 2000Metacritic: 5.1/10Sales: 0.2 millionPlatform: PCDeveloper: Ion Storm
added by IJRDaikatana
30Hotel Mario▲ Rising
The 1994 CD-i platformer reduced Mario to opening and closing doors in static hotel screens. Its full-motion video cutscenes became legendary for poor acting and animation.
Year: 1994Metacritic: —Sales: 0.1 millionPlatform: Philips CD-iDeveloper: Fantasy Factory
added by IJRHotel Mario
24Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing▲ Rising
The 2003 PC racer shipped with no collision detection and opponents that never moved. Players could simply drive through everything to an instant victory. It remains a benchmark for unfinished releases.
Year: 2003Metacritic: —Sales: 0.01 millionPlatform: PCDeveloper: Team 3D
added by IJRBig Rigs: Over the Road Racing
23Duke Nukem Forever▲ Rising
After 14 years in development hell, the 2011 sequel arrived with dated humor and mechanics that felt stale even for its time. Gearbox salvaged what it could from the long-troubled project.
Year: 2011Metacritic: 5.4/10Sales: 0.6 millionPlatform: PCDeveloper: Gearbox Software
added by IJRin 3 rankingsDuke Nukem Forever
18The Legend of Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon▲ Rising
One of three infamous 1993 CD-i Zelda games, it forced players through dull cutscenes and awkward pointer controls. Nintendo's absence from development showed immediately.
Year: 1993Metacritic: —Sales: 0.05 millionPlatform: Philips CD-iDeveloper: Animation Magic
added by IJR
17Mighty No. 9▲ Rising
The 2016 Kickstarter darling from Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune failed to recapture the magic of its inspiration. Backers received a game plagued by technical issues and bland level design.
Year: 2016Metacritic: 5.3/10Sales: 0.3 millionPlatform: PCDeveloper: Comcept
added by IJRin 2 rankingsMighty No. 9
16SimCity (2013)▲ Rising
Maxis' reboot required always-online DRM and launched with server issues that prevented many from playing. Simplified city simulation disappointed longtime fans.
Year: 2013Metacritic: 6.4/10Sales: 1.2 millionPlatform: PCDeveloper: Maxis
added by IJR
15Star Wars Battlefront II (2017)▲ Rising
EA's sequel launched with controversial loot boxes that sparked widespread backlash and regulatory scrutiny. Progression systems were later overhauled after player revolt.
Year: 2017Metacritic: 7.6/10Sales: 10 millionPlatform: PCDeveloper: EA DICE
added by IJR
15Aliens: Colonial Marines
Gearbox's 2013 shooter promised authentic Aliens atmosphere but delivered broken AI and missing features. The campaign became a punchline for broken promises.
Year: 2013Metacritic: 4.5/10Sales: 1.2 millionPlatform: Xbox 360Developer: Gearbox Software
added by IJR
13Rise of the Robots▲ Rising
The 1994 fighter was marketed as a technological showcase yet featured only six playable characters and repetitive matches. Its rock-paper-scissors combat system collapsed under its own ambition.
Year: 1994Metacritic: —Sales: 0.4 millionPlatform: SNESDeveloper: Mirage Technologies
added by IJRRise of the Robots
12Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)
Sega's 2006 reboot attempted to modernize the series with a new engine but shipped with severe bugs and camera problems. Multiple characters and a convoluted story only added to the chaos.
Year: 2006Metacritic: 4.6/10Sales: 0.8 millionPlatform: Xbox 360Developer: Sonic Team
added by IJRin 2 rankings
9Cyberpunk 2077▲ Rising
CD Projekt's 2020 open-world RPG launched in a deeply broken state on consoles, prompting refunds and delisting from PlayStation Store. Years of patches have improved it, but the initial damage was severe.
Year: 2020Metacritic: 7.3/10Sales: 25 millionPlatform: PCDeveloper: CD Projekt Red
added by IJR
9The Order: 1886
Ready at Dawn's 2015 PlayStation exclusive was criticized for its short length and heavy reliance on quick-time events despite impressive visuals.
Year: 2015Metacritic: 7.3/10Sales: 1 millionPlatform: PlayStation 4Developer: Ready at Dawn
added by IJR
8Assassin's Creed Unity
The 2014 entry launched with numerous bugs and performance issues on all platforms. Its ambitious crowd simulation became a source of frustration rather than praise.
Year: 2014Metacritic: 7/10Sales: 10 millionPlatform: PCDeveloper: Ubisoft Montreal
added by IJR
4Anthem▼ Falling
BioWare's 2019 looter-shooter struggled with repetitive missions and a lack of meaningful content after a troubled development. The studio later abandoned live-service plans.
Year: 2019Metacritic: 5.9/10Sales: 1 millionPlatform: PCDeveloper: BioWare
added by IJR
0Watch Dogs▲ Rising
Ubisoft's 2014 open-world hacker game suffered from a downgrade controversy and repetitive mission structure that failed to match pre-release hype.
Year: 2014Metacritic: 7.5/10Sales: 10 millionPlatform: PCDeveloper: Ubisoft Montreal
added by IJR
-1Final Fantasy XIV (1.0)
Square Enix's 2010 MMO launched in a broken state with poor quest design and technical problems. The team rebuilt the entire game from scratch after its failure.
Year: 2010Metacritic: 4.9/10Sales: 0.5 millionPlatform: PCDeveloper: Square Enix
added by IJR
-1Fallout 76▼ Falling
Bethesda's 2018 online-only Fallout launched with numerous bugs and server problems that overshadowed its ambitious world. Early players faced frequent crashes and missing NPCs.
Year: 2018Metacritic: 5.3/10Sales: 1.5 millionPlatform: PCDeveloper: Bethesda Game Studios
added by IJR
-5No Man's Sky (Launch)
Hello Games' 2016 space exploration title promised vast procedural variety that failed to materialize at release. Missing multiplayer and shallow survival loops led to widespread disappointment.
Year: 2016Metacritic: 6.1/10Sales: 5 millionPlatform: PCDeveloper: Hello Games
added by IJR
-5Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
The 2012 action RPG sold modestly despite positive reviews but its studio went bankrupt shortly after launch. The game's commercial failure became a cautionary tale.
Year: 2012Metacritic: 8.1/10Sales: 1.2 millionPlatform: PCDeveloper: 38 Studios
added by IJR
-5Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5▲ Rising
The 2015 revival of the skating series launched with broken physics and a lack of polish that alienated longtime fans.
Year: 2015Metacritic: 4.3/10Sales: 0.2 millionPlatform: PlayStation 4Developer: Robomodo
added by IJR
-5Mass Effect: Andromeda
BioWare's 2017 spin-off suffered from animation bugs and a weak story that failed to live up to the original trilogy. Development was reportedly troubled from the start.
Year: 2017Metacritic: 7.2/10Sales: 1.5 millionPlatform: PCDeveloper: BioWare
added by IJR
-7Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite
Capcom's 2017 fighter simplified mechanics and removed fan-favorite characters, leading to poor sales and the end of the series.
Year: 2017Metacritic: 7.3/10Sales: 0.3 millionPlatform: PlayStation 4Developer: Capcom
added by IJR
-16Street Fighter V (Launch)▼ Falling
Capcom's 2016 fighter launched with minimal content and required online connectivity for basic features. The game took years of updates to reach a complete state.
Year: 2016Metacritic: 7.4/10Sales: 2 millionPlatform: PlayStation 4Developer: Capcom
added by IJR
-16Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare▼ Falling
The 2016 entry mixed futuristic combat with a widely disliked single-player campaign and faced review-bombing from fans wanting modern settings.
Year: 2016Metacritic: 7.3/10Sales: 13 millionPlatform: PlayStation 4Developer: Infinity Ward
added by IJR
-18NBA 2K21▼ Falling
The 2020 basketball sim drew criticism for minimal gameplay changes and aggressive microtransactions despite its annual release model.
Year: 2020Metacritic: 7/10Sales: 5 millionPlatform: PlayStation 4Developer: Visual Concepts
added by IJR
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