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The best games of 1986.
19 games compete in this selection. The Legend of Zelda tops it with 1,857 points: the ranking comes from player votes alone, and moves with every duel settled.
- 1 The Legend of Zelda 1986 · Action-adventure 1,857 +1
- 2 Castlevania 1986 · Platformer 1,615 −87
- 3 OutRun 1986 · Racing 1,558 −60
- 4 Rampage 1986 · Beat 'em up 1,557 −339
- 5 Arkanoid 1986 · Arcade 1,543 +602
- 6 Bubble Bobble 1986 · Platformer 1,513 −434
- 7 Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels 1986 · Platformer 1,506 −1,150
- 8 Dragon Warrior 1986 · JRPG 1,491 +16
- 9 Alex Kidd in Miracle World 1986 · Platformer 1,487 −497
- 10 Kid Icarus 1986 · Platformer 1,479 −861
- 11 King's Quest III: To Heir is Human 1986 · Point-and-click 1,450 −575
- 12 Gauntlet II 1986 · Beat 'em up 1,445 +113
- 13 Salamander 1986 · Shoot 'em up 1,442 −158
- 14 Wonder Boy 1986 · Platformer 1,425 +313
- 15 Rygar 1986 · Platformer 1,425 −339
- 16 Hudson's Adventure Island 1986 · Platformer 1,403 −583
- 17 Space Quest: The Sarien Encounter 1986 · Point-and-click 1,403 −422
- 18 Ikari Warriors 1986 · Shoot 'em up 1,374 −256
- 19 Defender of the Crown 1986 · Strategy 1,323 +17
Other rankings
In detail
The best games of 1986, what this ranking says
The Legend of Zelda leads this selection with 1,857 ELO points, ahead of Castlevania and OutRun. The 19 games competing in it have played 2,098 duels.
| Games competing in this selection | 19 |
|---|---|
| Duels played by those games | 2,098 |
| Game in the lead | The Legend of Zelda (1986) |
| Score of the leading game, in ELO points | 1,857 |
| Point gap between 1st and 10th | 378 |
| Best represented genre | Platformer |
| Last reading | November 3, 2026 |
What moved this week
The ranking changes with every duel settled. Over the past seven days, the score of 18 games in this selection moved.
| Game | Points gained in 7 days | ELO score |
|---|---|---|
| Arkanoid | +38 | 1,543 |
| Wonder Boy | +17 | 1,425 |
| Gauntlet II | +6 | 1,445 |
How this ranking is established
No jury, no press score, no sales figures: two games face off, players vote, and every vote updates an ELO score. This page is a view of the world ranking, never a standing kept apart.
FAQ
What players ask
What is the best game of 1986?
According to community votes, the best game of 1986 is The Legend of Zelda, with 1,857 ELO points in the world ranking. It stands ahead of Castlevania and OutRun, and its place is replayed with every duel.
How many games of 1986 are ranked?
19 games of this selection take part in the duels, and they have played 2,098 of them so far. The full site catalogue is much wider: only games kept for their fame enter the running.
Which game of 1986 is climbing right now?
Arkanoid is the strongest climb in this selection over the past seven days, with 38 ELO points gained. Over the same period, the score of 18 games in the selection moved.