The 10 Worst Video Games of 2022

by Jason Dietz, Metacritic Features Editor – December 13, 2022

The gallery on this page ranks the lowest-scoring games released for any platform between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022. Games are ranked by Metascore (as of December 12, 2022) prior to rounding, and any titles with fewer than 7 reviews from professional critics are excluded. (In other words, these bad games are all major enough to get reviews from multiple publications.)

If a single title would have landed on the list multiple times due to low scores on more than one platform, we only included the lowest-scoring version.

7 of 11 photo by Assemble Entertainment

43 #4: XEL (Switch)

A 3D, open-world platformer set in a mysterious world that blends sci-fi and fantasy elements, Xel may get a few points for visuals and its original story. But don't mistake Xel for Zelda: The former is so unpolished and frustrating that few gamers will have much fun playing it. And the problems aren't just on Switch: A PC version received similarly poor reviews.

“I think there’s a solid game here under all the technical issues, but it’s hard to say. XEL’s combat and time-based puzzles are satisfying, the setting and narrative are engaging, and its aesthetically charming. But until those issues are addressed, XEL is largely unplayable. I’ve spent way more time dealing with those issues than I have playing the game. I’d like to revisit it in the future, assuming it gets fixed." —Hey Poor Player

Where To Buy