The Best RPGs of All Time, Ranked

The best RPG of all time is Elden Ring, the 96-rated action RPG that reshaped open-world design. It shares the top of the Metacritic table with Baldur’s Gate 3 and Mass Effect 2, both 96, while The Witcher 3 remains the gold standard for open-world storytelling. Whether you want an action RPG, a story-rich CRPG or a stylish JRPG, the top pick for each is below.

Below are the best role-playing games ranked by Metacritic score, with release year and subgenre. Scores are the lead-platform critic aggregate; where games tie, the more influential RPG is placed higher. The list runs from 1990s classics to 2024’s Metaphor: ReFantazio, one of the best-reviewed JRPGs in years.

The best RPGs of all time, ranked

Ranked by Metacritic as of 2026. Year is the original release; subgenre marks the style of RPG.

Why the RPG is gaming’s deepest genre

No genre spreads as wide as the RPG. Elden Ring and Dark Souls turn role-playing into punishing action; Baldur’s Gate 3, Disco Elysium and Planescape: Torment build entire games out of choice and dialogue; Persona 5 Royal and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth carry the JRPG torch with style and spectacle. That range is why the top of the chart is so crowded — these games barely resemble each other, yet all earn near-perfect scores. Two of the very best anchor guides of their own: our best Baldur’s Gate 3 classes and best Elden Ring weapons and builds.

The RPGs that define the genre

Four games at the summit of role-playing.

Elden Ring also headlines our best open-world games ranking, and if you prefer an ever-updating RPG world, our best Genshin Impact characters guide covers who to build in that action-RPG gacha.

Best RPG by type

Straight to the top pick for the kind of role-playing you want.

Many of these classics also sit on our best-selling video games of all time list — the RPG is as commercially dominant as it is critically adored.

Best RPG games FAQ