Ranking by year

The best games of 2004.

137 games compete in this selection. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater tops it with 1,861 points: the ranking comes from player votes alone, and moves with every duel settled.

  1. 1 Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater 2004 · Action-adventure 1,861
  2. 2 Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King 2004 · JRPG 1,820
  3. 3 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas 2004 · Action-adventure 1,811
  4. 4 Half-Life 2 2004 · FPS 1,808
  5. 5 The Sims 2 2004 · Simulation 1,803
  6. 6 Pikmin 2 2004 · Strategy 1,800
  7. 7 Halo 2 2004 · FPS 1,794
  8. 8 The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap 2004 · Action-adventure 1,793
  9. 9 Spider-Man 2 2004 · Action-adventure 1,790
  10. 10 Pokémon Emerald Version 2004 · JRPG 1,788
  11. 11 Doom 3 2004 · FPS 1,780
  12. 12 Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords 2004 · Action RPG 1,777
  13. 13 Need for Speed: Underground 2 2004 · Racing 1,776
  14. 14 Metroid: Zero Mission 2004 · Metroidvania 1,776
  15. 15 Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door 2004 · RPG 1,770
  16. 16 Metroid Prime 2: Echoes 2004 · Metroidvania 1,769
  17. 17 Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2004 · Action RPG 1,764
  18. 18 Rome: Total War 2004 · Strategy 1,749
  19. 19 Garry's Mod 2004 · Simulation 1,725
  20. 20 Pokémon FireRed Version 2004 · JRPG 1,715
  21. 21 Prince of Persia: Warrior Within 2004 · Platformer 1,707
  22. 22 World of Warcraft 2004 · RPG 1,705
  23. 23 Half-Life: Source 2004 · FPS 1,687
  24. 24 Counter-Strike: Source 2004 · FPS 1,681
  25. 25 Pokémon LeafGreen Version 2004 · JRPG 1,666
  26. 26 Super Mario 64 DS 2004 · Platformer 1,665
  27. 27 Burnout 3: Takedown 2004 · Racing 1,665
  28. 28 Far Cry 2004 · FPS 1,660
  29. 29 Fable 2004 · Action RPG 1,658
  30. 30 Silent Hill 4: The Room 2004 · Horror 1,650
  31. 31 Star Wars: Battlefront 2004 · FPS 1,646
  32. 32 Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories 2004 · Action RPG 1,624
  33. 33 Jak 3 2004 · Action-adventure 1,623
  34. 34 Counter-Strike: Condition Zero 2004 · FPS 1,614
  35. 35 Kirby & the Amazing Mirror 2004 · Platformer 1,607
  36. 36 Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal 2004 · Platformer 1,604
  37. 37 Unreal Tournament 2004 2004 · FPS 1,603
  38. 38 Killzone 2004 · FPS 1,601
  39. 39 Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2004 · Strategy 1,591
  40. 40 The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures 2004 · Action-adventure 1,588
  41. 41 Sid Meier's Pirates! 2004 · Action RPG 1,586
  42. 42 Hitman: Contracts 2004 · TPS 1,580
  43. 43 Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 2004 · Fighting 1,569
  44. 44 Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2004 · JRPG 1,569
  45. 45 Colin McRae Rally 2005 2004 · Racing 1,568
  46. 46 Sly 2: Band of Thieves 2004 · Platformer 1,565
  47. 47 Counter-Strike: Condition Zero Deleted Scenes 2004 · FPS 1,562
  48. 48 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 2004 · Platformer 1,561
  49. 49 Syberia II 2004 · Point-and-click 1,552
  50. 50 Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones 2004 · Strategy 1,551
  51. 51 WarioWare: Touched! 2004 · Arcade 1,551
  52. 52 Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne 2004 · RPG 1,550
  53. 53 Thief: Deadly Shadows 2004 · Action-adventure 1,548
  54. 54 Gran Turismo 4 2004 · Racing 1,547
  55. 55 Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow 2004 · TPS 1,546
  56. 56 Sacred 2004 · Action RPG 1,540
  57. 57 Battlefield Vietnam 2004 · FPS 1,538
  58. 58 FlatOut 2004 · Racing 1,535
  59. 59 Mega Man X8 2004 · Platformer 1,531
  60. 60 Half-Life 2: Deathmatch 2004 · FPS 1,529
  61. 61 BloodRayne 2 2004 · Beat 'em up 1,526
  62. 62 Dragon Quest 2004 · JRPG 1,525
  63. 63 Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II 2004 · Action RPG 1,522
  64. 64 Second Sight 2004 · Action-adventure 1,521
  65. 65 Katamari Damacy 2004 · Puzzle 1,519
  66. 66 Tony Hawk's Underground 2 2004 · Sports 1,518
  67. 67 RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 2004 · Simulation 1,517
  68. 68 Mortal Kombat: Deception 2004 · Fighting 1,513
  69. 69 The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth 2004 · Strategy 1,512
  70. 70 Painkiller 2004 · FPS 1,505
  71. 71 Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War 2004 · Simulation 1,505
  72. 72 Mega Man Zero 3 2004 · Platformer 1,500
  73. 73 The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky 2004 · JRPG 1,498
  74. 74 Sonic Advance 3 2004 · Platformer 1,496
  75. 75 Neighbours from Hell 2: On Vacation 2004 · Action-adventure 1,496
  76. 76 Cave Story 2004 · Metroidvania 1,494
  77. 77 Mario Power Tennis 2004 · Sports 1,494
  78. 78 Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse 2004 · JRPG 1,493
  79. 79 Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2004 · Platformer 1,488
  80. 80 ObsCure 2004 · Horror 1,487
  81. 81 Dofus 2004 · RPG 1,484
  82. 82 Shadow Hearts: Covenant 2004 · JRPG 1,483
  83. 83 Zoo Tycoon 2 2004 · Strategy 1,483
  84. 84 Evil Genius 2004 · Strategy 1,478
  85. 85 Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault 2004 · FPS 1,477
  86. 86 Yume Nikki 2004 · Horror 1,477
  87. 87 Red Dead Revolver 2004 · TPS 1,473
  88. 88 X-Men Legends 2004 · Action RPG 1,472
  89. 89 Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes 2004 · Action-adventure 1,468
  90. 90 Myst IV: Revelation 2004 · Point-and-click 1,468
  91. 91 Mario Party 6 2004 · Card & Board 1,468
  92. 92 Catwoman 2004 · Action-adventure 1,466
  93. 93 Feeding Frenzy 2004 · Arcade 1,463
  94. 94 OpenTTD 2004 · Sandbox 1,463
  95. 95 Metal Slug Advance 2004 · Platformer 1,459
  96. 96 Shrek 2 2004 · Platformer 1,458
  97. 97 Donkey Kong Jungle Beat 2004 · Platformer 1,458
  98. 98 The Punisher 2004 · TPS 1,455
  99. 99 Metal Gear Acid 2004 · Card & Board 1,455
  100. 100 Worms Forts: Under Siege 2004 · Strategy 1,455

Filter, combine and travel back in time in the full ranking

Other rankings

Best games of 2000 The best games of 2001 Top games of 2002 Best games of 2003 The best games of 2005 Top games of 2006 Top games of 2007 Best games of 2008 Top games of 2009

In detail

The best games of 2004, what this ranking says

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater leads this selection with 1,861 ELO points, ahead of Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The 137 games competing in it have played 26,933 duels.

This selection in figures
Games competing in this selection 137
Duels played by those games 26,933
Game in the lead Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004)
Score of the leading game, in ELO points 1,861
Point gap between 1st and 10th 73
Best represented genre Platformer
Last reading November 3, 2026

The best game of every genre in 2004

A selection is not read in one block: here is what leads each of its brackets.

The best game of every genre in 2004
Genre Games competing In the lead ELO score Duels played
Action-adventure 13 Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater 1,861 687
JRPG 9 Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King 1,820 190
FPS 17 Half-Life 2 1,808 2,594
Simulation 6 The Sims 2 1,803 321
Strategy 9 Pikmin 2 1,800 106
Action RPG 13 Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords 1,777 522
Racing 8 Need for Speed: Underground 2 1,776 428
Platformer 18 Prince of Persia: Warrior Within 1,707 366
TPS 6 Hitman: Contracts 1,580 215
Fighting 7 Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 1,569 145

What moved this week

The ranking changes with every duel settled. Over the past seven days, the score of 98 games in this selection moved.

What moved this week
Game Points gained in 7 days ELO score
Painkiller +62 1,505
X-Men Legends +61 1,472
Jak 3 +58 1,623

The most contested match-ups

These pairs of games have faced each other more than any others in this selection.

The most contested match-ups
Wins Against Duels played Win rate
Half-Life 2 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas 72 50%
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Need for Speed: Underground 2 17 71%
Half-Life 2 Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater 7 57%
Half-Life 2 Counter-Strike: Source 6 67%
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Colin McRae Rally 2005 5 100%

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.

Understand the method in detail →

FAQ

What players ask

What is the best game of 2004?

According to community votes, the best game of 2004 is Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, with 1,861 ELO points in the world ranking. It stands ahead of Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and its place is replayed with every duel.

How many games of 2004 are ranked?

137 games of this selection take part in the duels, and they have played 26,933 of them so far. The full site catalogue is much wider: only games kept for their fame enter the running.

Which game of 2004 is climbing right now?

Painkiller is the strongest climb in this selection over the past seven days, with 62 ELO points gained. Over the same period, the score of 98 games in the selection moved.

Vote on a duel