Wrestling is thought to have existed before even the Ancient Egypt era. In fact, Egyptian artwork from around 2,000 BC depicts the act of wrestling and displays some of the wrestling moves we still see today.
Meanwhile, modern professional wrestling began between the 19th and 20th centuries. Since then, the sport has grown to have a massive worldwide following. It has also developed into a vast industry that has filtered into many other areas, including gaming.
Below, we’ll uncover the best wrestling games of all time—from physical to video to slot games that let you try your luck.
Physical Games
Wrestling is, of course, a very physical sport. We would, therefore, be amiss if the top games on this list weren’t ones that get you off the couch and sparring with another friend.
The two games listed below are fun to play when trying to beat your opponent but are also recommended by wrestling organizations to help aid your wrestling development.
Fox Tail
You’ve probably seen a rendition of this game before. Two people take a long sock, cloth, or any strip of material and tuck it into the back of their shorts—making it look like they have a tail. The game’s object is to steal your opponent’s tail without letting them get a hold of yours.
This game is fun as you try to avoid your attacker, but it also helps develop your footwork as you angle to get the best shot at grabbing their tail. Moreover, it focuses on the proper stance you should have when wrestling.
Bone Fight
Bone fight is simply another name for one of the most classic and beloved games around—tug of war. It pits you head-to-head with somebody or even lets you play in a group with multiple people on either side of the rope or fabric you’re using as a “bone.”
Playing this game helps develop strength as you try to overcome the opposing party, but it also trains you to find the best and most solid footing. Especially considering a game of bone fight can easily be lost should your footing fail you.
Video Games
No list of the best wrestling games would be complete without the mention of the fantastic wrestling video games out there. These games let you live as famous and infamous wrestlers and compete in many pro wrestling competitions from the comfort (and safety!) of your couch.
Def Jam: Fight for New York
Released by EA Games in 2004, Def Jam: Fight for New York is an older game developed for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube. However, don’t let the age of this fantastic game make you think that it can’t hold its own against modern titles.
The game drops you in the middle of the Big Apple and lets you play as notorious rappers like Xzibit, Snoop Dogg, and Sean Paul. With a fantastic backing track, Def Jam exposes you to wrestling, kickboxing, MMA, and old-school traditional street smackdowns.
Fire Pro Wrestling World
Hitting the scene in 2017, Fire Pro Wrestling World was developed by Spike Chunsoft and released on PlayStation 4 and PC. It is a simple 2D game that doesn’t feature any spectacular graphics, especially considering it was released in 2017. However, the gameplay and mechanics make this one of the funnest wrestling games to play.
What makes it even better is that it uses New Japan Pro Wrestling personalities and has a fantastic story mode that will keep you enthralled.
Slot Games
There are endless slots and online casinos that are available to Canadians and other players worldwide. Amongst these are a handful of fantastic games with a wrestling theme. These slots let you get in on the fight and enjoy entertaining graphics alongside a chance to win impressive prizes.
André the Giant
Anybody who loves wrestling should know who Andre the Giant is. The fully named André René Roussimoff was a beloved French wrestler significantly larger than almost anyone else. He is also the central theme of a great slot game by famous developer NextGen Gaming.
The slot uses a 5×3 reel configuration and has 25 pay lines that you can win on. It also features André as a wild that substitutes for all symbols except the scatter. He also likes to expand whenever he appears on reels two or four. After he takes over the entire reel, it is easy to get some decent wins.
Getting three scatters will also trigger the game’s Battle Bout Bonus feature. Here, you’ll be granted 10 free spins that let you pay without having to pay. It is also possible to retrigger your free spins while playing. The game has an RTP (return to player) rate of 95.65%.
Nacho Libre
Released by iSoftBet, Nacho Libre is a tribute to the famous Mexican wrestler made famous after being portrayed by Jack Black in the 2006 movie of the same name. The slot game offers as much entertainment as the movie but also allows you to increase your wallet size vastly.
Like most slots, the game uses a 5×3 grid. It offers 10 pay lines to win on, which is made easier because certain symbols fill up an entire reel. Wilds substitute for any other symbol and carry a double multiplier applied to any win with a wild in it.
There is also the chance to trigger a bonus round if you receive three or more scatter symbols. The bonus offers two free spin options. The first grants you 15 free spins with expanding wilds. Although the second gives just 10 free spins, it also applies a triple multiplier to any win.
