9 Best Borderlands Games in 2025: Unmatched Looter-Shooters

The best Borderlands game can mean something different to every player. Some love the wild humor, others enjoy the loot grind, and many want the most exciting co-op action. The Borderlands series has become a big name in the looter-shooter genre, known for its wild characters, colorful worlds, and endless supply of crazy weapons. 

In this guide, I ranked all the Borderlands games so you can quickly see which one fits your style. Each game brings its own best parts to the table, giving fans plenty of reasons to keep coming back. Some of the titles, like Borderlands 4, aren’t out yet, so consider those sections more of an early preview than a final verdict. I’ll update this list with a full Borderlands 4 review once the game is officially out.

Our Top Picks for Best Borderlands Game

The Borderlands universe has a lot of great entries, but a few stand out above the rest. These top three games showcase the series’ strongest points, like fun battles, clever humor, and characters you won’t forget. Here are our picks:

1. Borderlands 2 (2012) – A sequel that made everything better from the first game. Borderlands 2 has funny lines, playable characters people still remember, and a loot system that keeps you hooked. Playing with friends is still exciting today, and the story mixes humor and action really well.
2. Borderlands 3 (2019) – An adventure that takes you back to Pandora and beyond. Borderlands 3 introduces new characters, massive open-world areas, and lots of new guns. The game brings fresh challenges and big, exciting battles with a story full of laughs.
3. Tales from the Borderlands (2014) – This game focuses on story and characters. It is full of humor, emotion, and smart choices. It’s great for players who love the Borderlands world but want a story-first adventure without lots of shooting.

Keep scrolling to see the full list of every Borderlands game ranked from best to least, so you can find the perfect one for your next adventure.

9 Best Borderlands Games – Adventures Full of Loot and Laughs

The Borderlands series is full of crazy action, funny characters, and tons of loot to collect. Each game has something special, from wild stories to exciting co-op battles with friends. These picks highlight the best Borderlands game moments fans love. 

How many of these best Borderlands game titles have you played?

1. Borderlands 2 [Best Classic Borderlands Game]

Borderlands 2 is a game that anyone who’s played Borderlands will immediately recognize. It brings you back to the planet Pandora, a place filled with bandits, monsters, and endless loot. 

You play as one of the new Vault Hunters, teaming up to fight through wild battles and face the cruel but hilarious villain, Handsome Jack. This amazing game has a colorful, cartoon-like look, fast action, and tons of weapons that make every fight exciting.

The best part about Borderlands 2 is how much there is to do. You can explore huge maps, find crazy loot, and work with friends in co-op mode. 

The game also has many funny characters and side quests that keep things fresh. Players love how every gun feels different, and there’s always something new to discover.

My Verdict: Borderlands 2 mixes sharp humor, non-stop action, and one of gaming’s most unforgettable villains. It’s the best Borderlands game for fans who want both a great story and endless loot.

2. Borderlands 3 [Best Open-World Borderlands Game]

Borderlands 3 takes you back to Pandora and beyond, offering massive open-world areas, tons of weapons, and fast-paced co-op battles. You play as one of the new Vault Hunters, hunting down dangerous enemies while collecting crazy loot. 

This is definitely one of the funniest games around, keeping you laughing even while you blast your way through enemies. The game keeps the cartoon-like, colorful visuals of the series but adds more detailed environments and bigger maps to explore.

The combat is exciting, and the game gives you lots of freedom to try different character builds and strategies. Fans on Reddit and review sites praise the huge variety of guns, the updated mechanics, and the fun co-op experience. The story continues the saga with plenty of humor, wild characters, and epic boss fights.

My Verdict: Borderlands 3 is the best Borderlands game for fans who love big worlds, crazy weapons, and action-packed adventures.

3. Tales from the Borderlands [Best Story-Driven Borderlands Game]

Tales from the Borderlands is a story-driven game set on Pandora between Borderlands 2 and Borderlands 3. You play as Rhys, a Hyperion worker, and Fiona, a clever con artist, whose paths cross in a funny and exciting adventure. You’ll meet familiar characters like Handsome Jack and some new faces, all with their own stories and hilarious antics. 

The game focuses on talking with characters, making choices, and solving light puzzles instead of fighting lots of enemies. Your choices affect how the story goes, giving the game a lot of replay value.

The game keeps the colorful, cartoon-style look of Borderlands, but the slower pace lets you enjoy the jokes, emotional moments, and memorable characters. Players on Reddit and critics praise it for smart writing, clever humor, and staying true to the Borderlands world. Every choice matters, which makes each playthrough feel fresh and fun.

My Verdict: Tales from the Borderlands is the ideal game for players who want a strong story with humor and great characters.
 

4. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel [Best Moon-Adventure Borderlands Game]

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel takes place on the moon of Elpis, away from Pandora. This game fills in the story between Borderlands 1 and Borderlands 2, showing how Handsome Jack became the villain. 

You play as one of Jack’s crew members and explore weird lunar landscapes full of bandits, aliens, and hidden loot. With low gravity and oxygen systems, every fight feels different and adds new ways to move and shoot.

The gameplay is all about fighting enemies, collecting better weapons, and learning more about Jack’s past. The moon setting gives the game a unique look, with glowing landscapes and wild sci-fi designs.

Players enjoy the mix of humor, space combat, and the chance to see a darker side of Handsome Jack before he became the villain everyone knows.

My Verdict: Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is perfect for players who want to learn more about Jack’s story while enjoying gravity-defying combat and a fresh setting.

5. Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands [Best Fantasy-Themed Borderlands Game]

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands takes the classic Borderlands action and flips it into a chaotic fantasy adventure. Guided by Tiny Tina herself, you dive into a tabletop RPG world filled with castles, goblins, dragons, and plenty of loot. The game mixes fast first-person shooting with magic spells, melee combat, and dice rolls that add unexpected twists to every encounter.

The game’s bright, cartoon-like visuals and Tina’s nonstop commentary make the journey both funny and unpredictable. Players love the endless loot variety, the creative spells, and the chance to customize their hero in ways that feel fresh compared to past Borderlands games.

My Verdict: Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is a wild mix of fantasy role-playing and Borderlands chaos, perfect for players who love loot, spells, and a good laugh.

6. New Tales from the Borderlands [Best Narrative Borderlands Game]

New Tales from the Borderlands continues the story-driven adventure style made famous by Telltale. Instead of fast shooting, this game focuses on choices, dialogue, and cinematic storytelling. 

You’ll guide new characters through emotional and funny moments, where every decision can shape the outcome of the story. The game has the familiar Borderlands look, bright colors, comic-style visuals, and over-the-top humor, mixed with a more dramatic tone.

This game is best for players who enjoy strong characters and stories filled with twists, laughs, and drama. While the pace is slower than the mainline Borderlands games, fans praise its humor, personality, and social-driven storytelling.

My Verdict: New Tales from the Borderlands is a great pick for fans who want to dive deeper into the Borderlands world with a fresh story and characters.

7. Borderlands [Best Original Borderlands Game]

Borderlands, the original game, was the game that started it all, introducing players to Pandora, a dangerous and dusty world full of bandits, monsters, and endless treasure. As one of four Vault Hunters, you set out to find a mysterious alien Vault while blasting through enemies and collecting loot. The mix of first-person shooting with RPG-style leveling was brand new at the time, making this game stand out.

The art style is bold and comic book–like, giving it a unique look that still feels fresh today. You spend most of your time fighting through enemy camps, picking up better guns, and teaming up with friends in co-op mode. Many fans still praise how addictive the loot system felt, with every chest opening like a surprise gift.

My Verdict: Borderlands set the stage for one of gaming’s best franchises. It’s perfect for players who want fast gunplay, RPG progression, and a world full of wild adventures.

8. Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep: A Wonderlands One-shot Adventure [Best Short-Form Borderlands Game]

Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep is a short but wild Borderlands adventure where Tiny Tina takes over as Dungeon Master in a fantasy-themed tabletop game. Instead of the usual wastelands, you’ll battle skeletons, orcs, and dragons while exploring castles and dungeons. The game blends Borderlands’ over-the-top humor with fantasy magic, giving it a fresh look while keeping the same crazy gunfights.

Even though it’s smaller than the main games, this one-shot adventure is packed with laughs, wild battles, and plenty of loot to chase. Fans love how it feels like playing Borderlands inside a Dungeons & Dragons session, with Tiny Tina’s chaotic storytelling shaping the world as you go.

My Verdict: This one-shot is perfect for players who want a shorter Borderlands story filled with humor and non-stop action, while also introducing some incredible fantasy game elements into the whole mix.

9. Borderlands 4 [Best Next-Gen Borderlands Game]

Note: This is an early look, not a full Borderlands 4 review.

Borderlands 4 takes the looter-shooter series to the next level with new planets, new Vault Hunters, and a story that comes after the events on Pandora. The game keeps its crazy action, lots of loot, and funny moments, but the graphics are sharper and more detailed thanks to next-gen consoles.

You will enjoy fast shooting, fun co-op missions, and tons of weapons to try. Each world is big and full of secrets, from bright cities to dangerous alien lands. Side quests, hidden chests, and cool surprises make exploring fun and rewarding.

Early previews and fan talks show that Borderlands 4 will keep its classic humor while adding more interactive worlds and new movement options like grappling hooks. The co-op play is also getting big upgrades, with drop-in and drop-out features, easier lobbies, fast travel to friends, personal loot, and level scaling so everyone can play together smoothly.

The excitement for Borderlands 4 comes from its bigger worlds, smoother combat, and new story. There are more ways to customize your character and weapons, new multiplayer modes, and plenty of crazy action. It looks like the best Borderlands game yet for both new players and longtime fans.

My Verdict: If the final build lands like it should, I’ll publish a full Borderlands 4 review with hands-on impressions. For now, Borderlands 4 looks like a next-gen Borderlands game with more loot, more fun, and more chaos than ever before.

FAQs

What is the best Borderlands game?

Many fans consider Borderlands 2 the best because of its story, humor, and iconic villain, Handsome Jack. It also has a massive amount of content and replayability, and it still holds up perfectly well today.

How many Borderlands games are there?

There are four main Borderlands games, plus spin-offs like Tales from the Borderlands and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands. These titles have captivated players with their unique humor, fast-paced combat, and unforgettable characters, making the series a fan favorite.

When did Borderlands 1 come out?

Borderlands 1 launched in October 2009, introducing players to Pandora and the looter-shooter style that defined the series. It quickly became a hit, thanks to its unique mix of humor, exploration, and fast-paced combat.

What is Borderlands about?

Borderlands follows Vault Hunters searching for hidden alien vaults on Pandora while fighting bandits, corporations, and monsters in a wild, chaotic world.

What type of game is Borderlands?

It’s a looter-shooter that blends first-person shooting with RPG progression. You complete quests, level up, and collect endless weapons, all the while enjoying some hilarious satirical writing.

Who made Borderlands?

The Borderlands series was created by Gearbox Software and published by 2K Games. Gearbox‘s innovative approach to first-person shooters, combined with a distinctive art style and humor, has made Borderlands one of the most popular franchises in gaming.