How Does Video Game Canon Rank Games?

Video Game Canon ranks games with a single number called the C-Score, and lower is better. The score combines two things: how high a game typically places on "best games" lists (its Average Ranking) and how often it appears on those lists at all (its Appearance Frequency). A game that shows up on nearly every list and places near the top will have the lowest C-Score and therefore the highest rank.

The C-Score Formula

The site states the formula directly:

Average Ranking + (100 – Appearance Frequency) = C-Score

• Average Ranking is the game's mean position across every list it appears on.
• Appearance Frequency is the percentage of all lists that include the game.
• 100 – Appearance Frequency converts frequency into a penalty: the rarer a game is, the larger this number becomes.

Because both terms are added, a low total requires both frequent appearances and strong placements. A game that wins a few lists but is absent from most will carry a large frequency penalty and rank lower than its peak placements might suggest.

Worked Example: Tetris

The site's own example makes the mechanics concrete. In the most recent update, Tetris:

• Appears on 94.94% of all lists (Appearance Frequency)
• Has an Average Ranking of 17.44

Plugging those in:

17.44 + (100 – 94.94) = 22.51

That 22.51 is the lowest C-Score of any game, which is why Tetris sits at the top of the Canon. Note the frequency penalty here is tiny (5.06) because Tetris is on almost every list — the score is driven mostly by its average placement.

What Qualifies as a Source List

The ranking is only as good as the lists feeding it, so the site applies inclusion rules. Each list must:

• Include at least 50 titles
• Have some form of editorial oversight (pure reader polls or fan votes are excluded)
• Place no restrictions on release dates or platforms

The current Canon is a statistical meta-analysis of 80 Best Games lists published between 1985 and 2025, covering more than 1,000 games that appeared on at least one list.

How to Read a C-Score

The practical takeaway: the C-Score rewards consensus, not just peak praise. A game that many critics rank decently can outrank a game that a few critics rank first. When you see a Canon position, check both components — a strong rank can come from ubiquity as much as from high placements.