Updated September 2026
This is the ranking of the best Sim Racing Games, sorted by NextGameLike Score: a 0-100 metric blending Steam reviews, IGDB ratings (community and critic), Metacritic, OpenCritic and the NextGameLike 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. Forza Horizon 4, Forza Horizon 5 and Euro Truck Simulator 2 lead the chart — the highest-rated titles in the genre according to our data. The top-25 average NextGameLike Score is 85/100, out of 70 games catalogued. The ranking updates continuously as new reviews and votes come in.
Top 3
Top of “The 20 Best Sim Racing Games (2026)”: Forza Horizon 4 (89.7/100). Close behind: Forza Horizon 5 and Euro Truck Simulator 2.
Ranked by NextGameLike Score · 70 games catalogued
Players and critics agree on Forza Horizon 4, which is rarer than it sounds in Sim Racing Games. It holds the best critic score on the whole list, 92/100. That is why it tops the ranking.
No argument here: Forza Horizon 5 wins over players and critics alike. It is the newest on the list (2021), and has already earned its place. That puts it at number 2.
Euro Truck Simulator 2 is one of the few Sim Racing Games where players and critics say the same thing. It is the most reviewed of the 20: 917,854 Steam reviews. Enough for the podium: number 3.
Critics were lukewarm on BeamNG.drive; players were not. No other entry of the 20 has a higher share of positive reviews: 97%. That gets it into the top 10, at number 4.
Critics were lukewarm on American Truck Simulator - Oregon; players were not. Number 5, inside the top 10.
American Truck Simulator is here because of its players — they are who it won over. That gets it into the top 10, at number 6.
F1® 2020 is one of the few Sim Racing Games where players and critics say the same thing. Number 7, inside the top 10.
No argument here: Motorsport Manager wins over players and critics alike. That gets it into the top 10, at number 8.
GT Legends is one of the few Sim Racing Games where players and critics say the same thing. Number 9, inside the top 10.
DiRT Rally is one of the few Sim Racing Games where players and critics say the same thing. Number 10, inside the top 10.
Critics were lukewarm on FlatOut; players were not. It sits at 11 of 20.
No argument here: Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit wins over players and critics alike. It sits at 12 of 20.
Superflight is carried by its players more than by its reviews. It sits at 13 of 20.
CarX Drift Racing Online is here because of its players — they are who it won over. It sits at 14 of 20.
My Summer Car is here because of its players — they are who it won over. It sits at 15 of 20.
GTR 2 FIA GT Racing Game earns its place on presence rather than on a score. It sits at 16 of 20.
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec has little in the way of ratings and a great deal of standing. It is the oldest game in the ranking (2001) and still here. It lands at 17 of 20.
Players and critics agree on F1® 2021, which is rarer than it sounds in Sim Racing Games. It sits at 18 of 20.
Brick Rigs is here because of its players — they are who it won over. It sits at 19 of 20.
Players and critics agree on Car Mechanic Simulator 2021, which is rarer than it sounds in Sim Racing Games. It lands at 20 of 20.