Every Judge Dredd Video Game Ranked, From Worst To Best

Published Sep 1, 2026, 10:00 PM EDT Jared is a writer, editor, and Communications Studies graduate who loves popular nerd culture (almost anything to do with Marvel, DC, Star Wars, or The Lord of the Rings) and the interactive storytelling medium. Jared's first console was the PS1, wherein he fell for Spider-Man, Spyro the Dragon, and Crash Bandicoot. Sign in to your ScreenRant account It wouldn’t be an exaggeration or an insult to say that the popularity of the Judge Dredd IP is not what it once was. It’s a fantastic brand that is frankly underutilized in modern-day entertainment, relishing rich, heavily politically charged themes like police brutality and oppression in its dystopian, totalitarian setting. Arguably the most ubiquitous or popular depiction of Judge Dredd—beyond the realm of comics, at least—is Dredd, which was released 14 years ago. As for Judge Dredd video games, the well is particularly shallow. The closest that fans have to a Judge Dredd game today would be something in a gloomy, cyberpunk sci-fi vein, like Cyberpunk 2077, though it’d require a lot of unofficial modding and role-playing in order to truly turn one of those games into the experience of being a Mega-City One street judge who famously acts as judge, jury, and executioner all rolled into one brutal lawman. If nothing else, the Judge Dredd games we do have are sparse and niche, demonstrating that there is a ton of untapped potential that will continue to be neglected until the franchise gets a much-deserved renaissance, hopefully soon. 8 Judge Dredd (1986) Released for the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum by developers Doug Palmer and Neil Brennan and publisher Melbourne House, Judge Dredd (1986) is a shoot-’em-up platformer. As the first Judge Dredd game, and on such antiquated hardware, there’s not much to say about it besides the fact that it was the franchise’s crucial, prototypical guinea pig. Games have come an awfully long way since, even if we’re still waiting for a truly spectacular Judge Dredd game a whopping 40 years later. 7 Judge Dredd (1997) Released as an arcade game and for PlayStation by developer Gremlin Interactive and publishers Gremlin Interactive, Acclaim Entertainment, and Activision, Judge Dredd (1997) is a light-gun rail-shooter arcade game. This Judge Dredd game was a universal disappointment, if not universally detested, and does little for either the Judge Dredd IP or the on-rails light-gun genre. A silver lining is that this game was the last one to suffer from the franchise’s horrible tendency to stick to the most banal naming convention and simply call each game “Judge Dredd,” one after another. 6 Judge Dredd (1991) Released for the Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum by developer Random Access and publisher Virgin Mastertronic, Judge Dredd (1991) is a shoot-’em-up platformer. This game is commendable for being the first to experiment with dynamic, inspired mechanics rooted in the lore of the comic, which was helpful in immersing players in its worldbuilding. For instance, it had a crime rate gauge that players couldn’t let get out of hand, wherein certain actions would cause it to increase more rapidly, and allowed players to ride Judge Dredd’s Lawmaster motorcycle. 5 Judge Dredd: Crime Files Released for Android and iOS by developer No Yetis Allowed and publisher Rebellion, Judge Dredd: Crime Files—not to be conflated with Judge Dredd: Case Files, the graphic novel collection—is an RPG with a card-based combat system. What Judge Dredd: Crime Files nails more than anything is its stories, which are marinated in Judge Dredd’s dark atmosphere. A AAA, story-driven Judge Dredd game in this day and age could be magical, showcasing numerous crime/case files with players’ exploits as a judge who must make challenging decisions concerning each arrest and pursuit of a criminal. Besides Judge Dredd: Crime Files’ impressive narrative, however, it has the same microtransaction pitfalls that are a staple in many mobile games like it, and gameplay itself can be a chore. 4 Judge Dredd vs. Zombies Released for Android and iOS by developer and publisher Rebellion, Judge Dredd vs. Zombies is a free-to-play, top-down shooter. You’d be forgiven if you heard the name of this game and assumed that it was, in some way, a Judge Dredd crossover with Plants vs. Zombies. It’s not extraordinary by any stretch of the imagination, but one thing it has going for it is that it presents players with a Judge Dredd game that boasts a unique gameplay genre. If a modern-day Judge Dredd game on proper consoles was influenced by Judge Dredd vs. Zombies, it’d be neat to see it mutate into something like The Callisto Protocol’s top-down roguelike spin-off, [REDACTED]. Plus, it’s from the same studio that made the definitive best Judge Dredd game to date, Rebellion (brand owner of Judge Dredd and 2000 AD), giving it tangential brownie points and a seal of authenticity. As a mobile game adapting an already relatively obscure IP, you’d also be forgiven if you never knew it existed. It doesn’t help that almost every Judge Dredd game of substance is at least 23 years old, either. 3 Judge Dredd (1995) Released for Super NES, Genesis, Game Boy, Game Gear, and PC by developer Probe Software and publisher Acclaim Entertainment, Judge Dredd (1995) is a run-and-gun side-scroller game. Unlike every other Judge Dredd game, this one is largely based on the eponymous movie starring Sylvester Stallone, though many of its environments are based on the comics, as well. Interestingly, Judge Dredd (1995) gives players the option to either kill or arrest criminals. Kills aren’t penalized, and yet arrests are incentivized more for the rewards players earn when an enemy suffers enough damage and surrenders. Sadly, there was never a game adaptation of Dredd. 2 Judge Dredd: Dredd vs. Death Released for GameCube, PC, PS2, and Xbox by developer Rebellion and publishers Vivendi Universal Games International and Evolved Games, Judge Dredd: Dredd vs. Death is an FPS game. The law meter is perhaps the most interesting mechanic in any Judge Dredd game (an evolution of the 1995 game’s crime rate meter, no doubt), tipping one way or another based on players’ actions and literally making levels impossible to beat if players let it deplete completely. This helps fully simulate role-playing as a judge, with players being forced to abide by strict in-game rules of the law when apprehending criminals. A ‘boomer shooter’ through and through, Dredd vs. Death was also the last Judge Dredd video game we’ve received that wasn’t a Java, pinball, or mobile-exclusive title. It was released in 2003, which is a crying shame when there’s so much more that could be excavated from the franchise in a modern AAA game. 1 Honorable Mention: Midway’s Judge Dredd (The Arcade Game That Never Was) Midway Games’ Judge Dredd arcade game was never officially released and cannot technically be counted among the best and/or worst Judge Dredd games as a result. That said, a playable prototype of Midway’s Judge Dredd game was accessible via emulation, and therefore, we don’t have to wrack our brains too much in order to picture how it might’ve taken shape. The game itself was classic Midway beat-’em-up fare. Nonetheless, it’s a shame this arcade game and Midway’s take on the iconic judge were never fully released. If it had, maybe we’d be living in an alternate reality right now where a series of Judge Dredd games by NetherRealm (formerly Midway) launched between and alongside entries of Mortal Kombat. Ironically, the best chance we have of seeing Judge Dredd in a AAA game in the future might be if he appears as a Mortal Kombat DLC guest character from NetherRealm, unless the stars align and wholesale interest in the IP is somehow refurbished, in general. Moreover, with Karl Urban having played Johnny Cage in the movie Mortal Kombat II, it would be extraordinary if he lent his likeness to a NetherRealm adaptation of Judge Dredd, inspired by Urban’s portrayal of the titular character in Dredd. Judge Dredd First Film Judge Dredd Cast Sylvester Stallone, Armand Assante, Diane Lane, Rob Schneider, Max Von Sydow, Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Headey Created by John Wagner, Carlos Ezquerra Latest Film Dredd Movie(s) Judge Dredd, Dredd Character(s) Judge Dredd, Rico, Judge Hershey, Chief Justice Fargo, Judge Anderson, Ma-Ma Madrigal, Judge Cal, Judge Death The Judge Dredd franchise is based on the dystopian law enforcement character Judge Dredd, who originated from the British comic series 2000 AD in 1977. Created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra, Judge Dredd serves as both judge and executioner in the futuristic and crime-ridden Mega-City One. The franchise blends science fiction with dark satire, critiquing totalitarianism and authoritarian justice systems. Over time, Judge Dredd has evolved into a multimedia franchise that includes comics, films, and video games, with two major film adaptations: Judge Dredd (1995) starring Sylvester Stallone and Dredd (2012) starring Karl Urban.