Best places to live ranking

293 duels later, By the sea or ocean is still #1 in the Landscape ranking, with In the mountains close behind.

By the sea or ocean claims the top spot with 1333 ELO points, but In the mountains trails by just 15 points at 1318 ELO. The real divide emerges lower down: a 78-point gap separates In the mountains from In the countryside at rank 3, marking the sharpest drop in the ranking. The surprise lies not at the summit but at the bottom, where Near a volcano languishes at rank 6 with 1016 ELO points and a 23% win rate. The community clearly prefers gentler natural settings over dramatic volcanic terrain, relegating this geological spectacle to last place despite its raw power.

This ranking draws on 293 duels contributed by 28 players across 6 contenders, updated on 12 October 2026. In the city holds rank 5 with 1140 ELO points, suggesting urban environments offer little solace compared to nature's varied landscapes. In the forest occupies the middle ground at rank 4 with 1164 ELO points and a 50% win rate. The tight race at the top and the decisive rejection of volcanic settings reveal a community that finds peace in accessible, familiar landscapes rather than extreme environments. Cast your vote to shape where the world seeks tranquility.

Updated on October 12, 2026

How this ranking is computed

Every duel won lifts a contender and every loss drops them, by an amount that depends on the opponent's strength: beating the leader is worth more than beating the last. It is an ELO, the same principle as in chess. Duels are not drawn at random — an adaptive entropy sort puts the least predictable match-ups first, which settles the ranking far faster than a full round robin. A worldwide ranking is only published past 30 completed plays. Known limit: a contender who has faced few opponents keeps an approximate score, and the bottom of the table moves more than the podium.

How our rankings are made →