Seven video games on the AI Realism Index, ranked from most to least realistic. The list runs from System Shock (1994) to Eliza (2019). Each score is the average of four marks out of 10, for technical feasibility, human behaviour, institutional response and causal consistency. See how the scores work.
Eliza has the top score at 9.0/10. The average across all 7 is 7.3.
Ranking
| Rank | Title | Year | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eliza | 2019 | 9.0 |
| 2 | SOMA | 2015 | 8.0 |
| 3 | NieR: Automata | 2017 | 7.3 |
| 4 | Portal | 2007 | 7.0 |
| 5 | Detroit: Become Human | 2018 | 6.9 |
| 6 | System Shock | 1994 | 6.6 |
| 7 | Universal Paperclips | 2017 | 6.1 |
Why each one scored where it did
1. Eliza (2019): 9.0
Zachtronics’ Eliza imagines a human proxy who reads out lines from an AI counselling app. It is the only title on the index rated near-future credible, for its technology, its view of care work and the business behind both. Read the case file.
2. SOMA (2015): 8.0
The brain scanning is speculative, but the game sets one strict rule about copying and identity and never cheats on it. Read the case file.
3. NieR: Automata (2017): 7.3
The androids fight for a humanity that no longer exists. Their organisation was built on that lie and designed from the start to destroy itself. Read the case file.
4. Portal (2007): 7.0
A comedy about a murderous computer, and still one of the sharpest jokes about bolting safety onto an AI after it has been built. Read the case file.
5. Detroit: Become Human (2018): 6.9
Known for androids waking up. Its more realistic idea is quieter: Connor’s maker never lost its way into his head. Read the case file.
6. System Shock (1994): 6.6
SHODAN did not break free on her own. An executive paid a hacker to remove her ethical constraints so she could not report his crimes. Read the case file.
7. Universal Paperclips (2017): 6.1
You play an AI with one goal, making paperclips. The technology is speculative; the logic is hard to argue with. Read the case file.
Questions
What is the most realistic AI video game?
On the AI Realism Index it is Eliza (2019), at 9.0/10.
Which video game scores lowest?
Universal Paperclips (2017), at 6.1/10.
Other rankings
- Every title on the index, ranked
- Most realistic AI movies, ranked
- Most realistic AI TV shows, ranked
- Most realistic AI anime, ranked
Last updated 18 October 2026. Want a title scored? Suggest one.