Acclaimed Video Games
The top 1,000 most recommended games across 902 critic lists from 140 publications.
Updated: January 21, 2026
Most Acclaimed Video Games of 1981
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#1 Donkey Kong (1981) (#126)
Ikegami Tsushinki, Nintendo | ARC, NES | Platform | ~18m | 33 lists
#2 Galaga (1981) (#153)
Namco Limited | ARC | Shooter | ~48m | 24 lists
#3 Defender (1981) (#260)
Shockwave, Williams Electronics | ARC, A26 | Shooter | ~48m | 19 lists
#4 Ultima / Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness (1981) (#460)
California Pacific Computer, Sierra On-Line | A2, A8 | Role-Playing | ~6h | 10 lists
#5 Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord (1981) (#536)
Sir-tech Software | 7, NES, MAC | Role-Playing | ~25h | 10 lists
#6 Frogger (1981) (#625)
Konami | ARC | Action | ~36m | 8 lists
#7 Centipede (1981) (#659)
Atari | ARC, 3, A8, C64 | Shooter | ~18m | 9 lists
#8 Tempest (1981) (#736)
Atari | ARC, 4 | Shooter | ~54m | 7 lists
#9 Warlords (1981) (#845)
Atari | ARC, A26 | Action | ~12m | 5 lists
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