iRankGames

Best 2D Fighting Games

This is the ranking of the best 2d fighting games, sorted by iRank score: a 0-100 metric blending Steam reviews, IGDB ratings (community and critic), Metacritic, OpenCritic and the iRankGames community votes into a single number. Unlike opinion-based editorial lists, this order is computed from real data and applies a Bayesian shrinkage adjustment so games with few reviews can't inflate the top of the chart. Super Smash Bros. Melee, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate lead the chart — the highest-rated titles in the genre according to our data. The top-25 average iRank is 88/100, out of 68 games catalogued. The ranking updates continuously as new reviews and votes come in.

Top 3

The best 2d fighting games game is Super Smash Bros. Melee (94.4/100). Close behind: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Full ranking

68 games cataloguedUpdated July 2026

Ranked by iRank Score

TimeTekker
Fighting2D Fighter
SoloPvPMeleeRangedHardcore
Steam👍 91%· 70
Year 2018Dev Artii GamesPlaytime ~1hOn PC · Apple Macintosh · Linux
Slap City
Fighting2D Fighter
MultiplayerSoloCo-opOfflineMelee
Steam👍 95%· 2.9KRAWG👍 79%· 29IGDB85· 1
Year 2018Dev LudosityPlaytime ~3hOn PC
Nidhogg
Fighting2D Fighter
OfflineMultiplayerSoloPvPMelee
Steam👍 90%· 7.8KRAWG👍 87%· 361MC81IGDB84· 6OC81· 36
Year 2014Dev MesshofPlaytime ~3hOn PC · PS · Apple Macintosh

More to consider

Related rankings

Frequently asked questions

What is the best 2d fighting game?
According to the iRankGames ranking, Super Smash Bros. Melee (94.4/100) tops the list. Close behind are Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
How is this ranking calculated?
Each game receives an iRank score (0-100) blending several weighted sources: Steam reviews, IGDB community + critic ratings, Metacritic, OpenCritic and the iRankGames community votes. The sort order additionally applies a Bayesian shrinkage adjustment: games with few reviews get pulled toward the genre average so small samples can't game the top of the chart.
How many 2d fighting games are in this ranking?
50 games appear in this list (filtered by minimum popularity, excluding DLC, expansions and unclassified shovelware).
What makes a good 2d fighting game?
The highest-rated entries in this genre tend to share design coherent with subgenre conventions, tight controls, balanced challenge-and-reward loops, and an active player base that sustains their reception across multiple platforms. Examples in this ranking: Super Smash Bros. Melee, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.