Arcade games have long been dedicated to quantifying player skill, creating a clear and compelling hierarchy of proficiency. The most fundamental and iconic tool is the High Score System. This simple numerical value, accumulated through in-game actions, provides a direct and universal measure of a player's success in a single play session. It is the purest form of assessment, encouraging replayability as players strive to beat their personal best.

Building upon the high score is the Leaderboard, a competitive extension that ranks players against each other. Originally displayed on the physical arcade cabinet for local competition, modern online leaderboards create a global arena for players to compare their skills, fostering a powerful sense of community and rivalry.

Beyond these classic systems, modern arcade games often employ detailed Gameplay Metrics. These are analytics tracked behind the scenes, such as accuracy percentage (e.g., in shooting games), completion time for levels or laps, and the number of collectibles gathered. These metrics offer a more nuanced view of a player's strengths and weaknesses.

Another critical tool is the Combo or Multiplier System. This mechanic assesses a player's ability to maintain a high level of performance consistently without errors. By rewarding consecutive successful actions with score multipliers, it directly measures and incentivizes skillful flow-state gameplay and risk management. Finally, the most direct assessment is the Clear Time or Speedrun Time, especially in level-based arcade games. Here, raw efficiency and mastery of the game's mechanics are the sole focus, with the clock being the ultimate judge of skill.