Without a generational divide, the PC gaming library just keeps growing. With such an ever-expanding list to choose from, we focused on the best PC games to play right now. Some of these games, like Balatro and Helldivers 2, are recently released gems. Others are live-service games or multiplayer favorites that have stood the test of time, like Destiny 2. Our list of the best PC games spans across a wide variety of genres, so at least a few of these games will pique your interest.
PC gaming is quite different from consoles, as your mileage with each game on this list will vary based on your rig. That said, many of the games on this list don’t require the latest and greatest graphic cards–they merely help these great games look even better. And if you happen to have a Steam Deck, a lot of these games are playable on Valve’s impressive handheld PC. We have a separate list of Steam Deck recommendations for games that play great there. We regularly reevaluate and update this list, so you can always use it as a resource to find some fresh recommendations.
We’ve linked to Steam listings where possible for these games, but it’s worth noting that you can often find better deals on storefronts such as Fanatical and GOG. We’ve included links to those stores, too. Also, some of our picks are available on PC Game Pass, Microsoft’s subscription service.
If you’re thinking about upgrading your PC or starting a new build to play some of these games at higher settings, make sure to check out our step-by-step guide for building a gaming PC. We also have a dedicated list focused on the best Steam Deck games to play right now. If you’re looking for accessories for your rig, check out our roundups of the best gaming keyboards, gaming mice, and PC gaming headsets.
Alan Wake 2
Another chapter in the mind-bending Remedy universe, Alan Wake 2 picks up right where the cult classic left off more than a decade ago. Alan is trapped in the Dark Place and his only way out is to write his own story. His campaign takes place alongside a concurrent one with FBI agent Saga Anderson, and the two complimentary campaigns can be played together in any order. The lightly spooky elements of the first game turn much darker here, for a horror experience full of unforgettable moments.
Read our Alan Wake 2 review.
Balatro
A deceptively simple concept with an incredible degree of replay value, Balatro is based around the familiar rules of poker. You’ll build a hand of pairs or a flush and then accrue points based on it. But using that simple framework as a jumping pad, the roguelite card game lets you edit the rules of the game on the fly using special Joker cards, Arcane spells, and Planet cards that boost your multipliers. Building out a strategy as you work your way through increasingly difficult “blinds” with higher points requirements is satisfying for how it lets you feel like you’re breaking the game in half, only to have the game come back at you that much harder the next time. When that inevitably happens, you need to think on your toes and modify your deck throughout the run to deal with new challenges. Jokers that may have seemed useless before can result in a sudden ah-ha moment of recognition as you take advantage of their unique strategies. And every time you make it to the end–or more likely, fail–it’s hard not to start up another hand and do it all again.
Read our Balatro review.
Baldur’s Gate 3
The triumphant return of a legacy CRPG series is also one of the best games of 2023. While Baldur’s Gate 3 is also available to play on PS5, the PC version is the clear leader thanks to its intuitive keyboard-and-mouse controls–and it’s a welcome return to form for longtime Baldur’s Gate fans. This fantasy tale is set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, but the most incredible part is how it approximates actually playing a game of D&D, with all the freedom that entails. You can tackle problems and navigate the world with an almost overwhelming amount of choice and agency, making it easy to get lost for hours and then start all over again with a new character.
Before Your Eyes
One of the most original games of recent memory, Before Your Eyes has a simple premise that hinges on your ocular organs controlling the entire experience through a webcam. It’s a short jaunt of a game that chronicles the life of a recently deceased person that you play as, but the catch here is that every time you blink, time moves forward. It’s a terrific idea, incredibly well-implemented, and ties in perfectly with themes of memories, life, and storing those precious moments within ourselves. Unusual but packing a heavyweight emotional punch, you won’t want to take your eyes off of this game for a single instant.
See our Before Your Eyes review.
The Case of the Golden Idol
The Case of the Golden Idol is a throwback to classic point-and-click adventure games and an exacting puzzle game. You investigate scenes and then piece together what happened in a linear story narrative by placing names and verbs in their proper places. And if the original release whets your appetite for more, developer Color Gray games has spun off additional “Golden Idol Mysteries” DLC–new stories and mysteries with the same narrative-building mechanic.
Children of the Sun
Children of the Sun is a dark, atmospheric puzzle game centered around a sniper with a single bullet. As you seek revenge on the cult who destroyed your life and attempt to track down their mysterious leader, you skulk around their compounds searching for an angle before taking your shot. The puzzle aspect comes from what happens next, as each shot that connects to a cultist or explosive object lets you choose its next path. Trial and error to find the right path gets increasingly complex as the game adds new magic bullet effects like the ability to slightly arc a shot as it travels, or even reverse direction in mid-air. Though the campaign is on the short side, it’s very satisfying to meticulously plan your route through a stage, making a puzzle-shooter experience unlike any other.
Read our Children of the Sun review.
Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 had a divisive launch that by all accounts failed to live up to the lofty expectations placed on it. But CD Projekt Red didn’t abandon the game, instead issuing a steady stream of updates culminating in September 2023’s massive 2.0 update that overhauls many major systems, while also integrating the new Phantom Liberty DLC. The Cyberpunk of today is a sharper, more focused action-RPG with a greater variety of skills that let you navigate Night City your own way. The Phantom Liberty expansion received a 10/10 in our review, adding new systems and a compelling new story featuring Idris Elba. Best of all, it’s still a gorgeous showpiece for your PC rig.
Destiny 2: The Final Shape
Destiny 2 has been going strong for years, but with the release of The Final Shape, the first major story arc has reached its conclusion. That makes now the best time to play, since you can see the full story through with the closing chapter of this first saga. Even putting aside the narrative hooks, though, the game has constantly improving and polishing its modes to make a spectacular variety of things to do. You can explore the story, play cooperatively with friends, take parts in raids, compete in the Crucible, and more. The classes are well differentiated and offer plenty of opportunities to experiment and find your perfect build, and Bungie takes care to tweak and balance its weapons to make sure any of style of gunplay has a home. If you haven’t checked out Destiny 2 in a while, now is a good time to give it another shot.
Read our Destiny 2: The Final Shape review.
Disco Elysium
When it comes to writing, Disco Elysium is perhaps unrivaled. Developed and published by ZA/UM in 2019, Disco Elysium places you in the role of a detective suffering from amnesia and a serious bout of alcoholism. His quest to unravel a baffling murder and the details of his life that he’s forgotten takes you on an absolutely stunning adventure that thrives on its choice-based gameplay and exquisite dialogue. Disco Elysium balances humor and serious life dilemmas with astounding grace, and the freedom it gives you to shape the narrative and your interactions with its many colorful characters you meet allows you to make this detective story your own. Its gorgeous world is teeming with life, and viewing it from the eyes of a nameless cop with memory issues makes it all the more immersive. It earned a rare 10/10 from GameSpot, and we can safely say there’s nothing else exactly like it in modern PC gaming.
See our Disco Elysium review.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
Elden Ring was our Game of the Year in 2022, and ever since we’ve been waiting to explore even more of The Lands Between. From Software delivered with Shadow of the Erdtree, a massive expansion that almost overwhelms with its sheer scope. Elden Ring’s lore has been expanded in thoughtful and surprising ways, letting you dive as deep into the story as you care to by exploring a world rife with secrets to uncover. Combat is just as difficult as ever, with an inventive balance system that lets you continue to play with your current character without being immediately overpowered. That lets you experience the thrill of overcoming new obstacles all over again, with a wide array of new weapons to master.
See our Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree review.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
It’s true that since its release in 2012, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has been ported to just about every platform that can play games, including Amazon Alexa speakers and smart refrigerators. But the king of all Skyrim versions is the one on PC, and it’s not even close. That’s because the PC version gives you access to years of mods created by the Skyrim community. From adding serious RPG story content to providing ridiculous possibilities like replacing all dragons with Thomas the Tank Engine, the PC version of Skyrim adds nearly endless options to an already expansive, enormous game. You absolutely should play Skyrim on PC if you haven’t, and you absolutely should mod it to see how the game has become so much more than it was when it was released. Skyrim is also available with Xbox Game Pass for PC.
See our The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim review.
Final Fantasy 14 Online
The Final Fantasy series is known for having a strong focus on storytelling with colorful characters who get into over-the-top battles, and the MMO Final Fantasy XIV manages to stay true to what the series is all about. Though you might assume the familiar Final Fantasy tenets of storytelling and strong character moments would be absent in an online game, FFXIV is one of the more story-driven MMOs out today. Final Fantasy XIV is the franchise’s second crack at an MMO, and it features a sprawling story about rebellion, equality, and friendship that manages to hit the same highs of the franchise’s best single-player games. Though MMOs have a reputation for being inaccessible and time-consuming, Final Fantasy XIV offers an excellent gateway for lapsed and new MMO players to jump into–and it’s also a fantastic Final Fantasy game in its own right.
See our Final Fantasy 14 reviews for A Realm Reborn and its expansions.
Forza Horizon 5
Few games get the absolute thrill of driving a ridiculously fast car the way that the Forza Horizon series does, and its latest chapter is another example of pure petrolhead bliss. Shifting to the warm climate of Mexico, Forza Horizon 5 sticks to its template and hits top gear right from the start with its selection of vehicles, activities, and a constant sense of reward for being a speed demon. Beyond its superb gameplay, Forza Horizon 5 also takes time to emphasize a personal connection between man and machine, as it balances epic showcase events with personal moments of reflection and car culture.
God of War
Even if it took a few years, the wait for one of the best PlayStation games on the market to hit PC was well worth it. While previous God of War games emphasized gratuitous violence and a character with the personality of a very angry cardboard box, Sony’s reinvention of Kratos helped create a more nuanced and layered hero. That doesn’t mean that there wasn’t a satisfying amount of carnage to engage in, though, as developer Sony Santa Monica expanded on Kratos’ brutal abilities in methodical ways and gave him plenty of new tools to play with in a Nordic sandbox.
See our God of War review.
Hades 2
Hades 2 is still in early access, and only available on PC so far. But out of the gate it’s already a fantastic experience. Hades 2 builds on everything that Supergiant established in the first game, offering an experience that is both familiar and new at once. You play as Melinoe, brother of former protagonist Zagreus, as you attempt to destroy Chronos, the Titan of time. New weapons and abilities, combined with a new resource management system, make it a joy to experiment with new combinations as you attempt your runs over and over. The experience feels very close to complete already, but if you’d prefer, the original Hades is still available, usually inexpensive, and just as good as ever.
See our Hades 2 review.
Helldivers 2
This follow-up from Arrowhead Game Studios was a surprising success, not least because it was so different from the original game that inspired it. Helldivers 2 takes the hordes of enemies from the top-down first game and makes it a third-person shooter, and the new perspective works beautifully. Squadding up with your friends leads to tense survival moments and hilarious mishaps in equal measure as you fulfill objectives and call down Stratagems on your foes. And like the first game, there’s a galaxy-sprawling meta-game at play, as you and every other Helldiver fights to free territory controlled by vicious bugs and robots. This was also a rare Sony Interactive game published simultaneously on PC alongside its PS5 release, with optional cross-play, which likely helped it find and sustain an active player base.
Read our Helldivers 2 review.
Hitman: World of Assassination
IO Interactive’s grand World of Assassination trilogy reached its final chapter in 2021, as Hitman 3 built on the efforts made by its predecessors to create a perfectly executed experience. Bigger, bolder, and more cunning than ever, Agent 47’s journey around the world saw him explore an opulent Dubai skyscraper, solve a murder mystery in an ancient British mansion, and turn a train into a slaughterhouse as he worked his way through each cabin. Each destination offers not only some devilishly delicious ways to eliminate targets, but also plenty of room for experimentation that leads to hilarious and grim demises for anyone who gets in your way.
See our Hitman 3 review.
Inscryption
At first glance, Inscryption looks like a mixture of tabletop card games with a healthy dose of deckbuilding thrown in for good measure as you risk your very life in a high-stakes game of survival. Throw in some roguelite progression, mystery, and a creepy art direction, and you’ve got the perfect mix for a game that hides more mesmerizing content beneath its surface. Absolutely strange while it deals out its ideas, that weirdness makes Inscryption the type of game that’ll stay in your head long after you’ve played your last card.
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes defies easy categorization. While it is clearly a puzzle game, it frequently twists the medium on its head. It encourages you to use a notebook in real life to help track its many secrets and interlocking pieces, which all unfold into a marriage of design and narrative that need to be seen firsthand. The puzzles can be challenging, but they’re consistently satisfying and help drive you forward to the next one. This is a can’t miss.
Read our Lorelei and the Laser Eyes review.
Microsoft Flight Simulator
If soaring through the air and flying around the world is a dream of yours, there’s no better game than Microsoft Flight Simulator. You can fly out of almost any airport in the world, including smaller airports in quieter towns, and go literally anywhere on Earth–though landing may be difficult in places like the Grand Canyon and Mount Everest. Microsoft used satellite imagery to recreate the world in-game, and it’s improving both the game and map all the time. If there was ever a reason to invest in a flight stick or yoke system, it’s Microsoft Flight Simulator. The game is available via Xbox Game Pass for PC.
See our Microsoft Flight Simulator review.
Monster Hunter Rise
After Monster Hunter World set a new benchmark for what the Capcom series was capable of, Monster Hunter: Rise had some big dragon leather boots to fill. Monster Hunter Rise is a showcase of what happens when you take the lessons learned from something new and apply it to an older example of Monster Hunter greatness, as the newest game in the series expertly shifted back to all-out action. Originally designed for the Nintendo Switch, Rise’s port to PC came with a ton of free post-launch content, graphical upgrades, and performance enhancements that make this version the definitive edition of an already fantastic game.
See our Monster Hunter Rise review.
Pacific Drive
On the list of great PC games, Pacific Drive is both fairly new and quite weird, which is funny since it’s also firmly planted in the New Weird genre alongside stuff like Welcome To Night Vale, The SCP Foundation, and Remedy’s Control. Built as a rougelite at heart, Pacific Drive has you going on numerous runs through the Olympic Exclusion Zone, a sectioned-off mass of forest roads in the Pacific Northwest, all while you dodge head-scratching (and often spooky) supernatural elements like crash test dummies that move when you aren’t looking at them and buzzsaws that skim the roads like the shark skims the waters in Jaws. Its super-deep systems, intoxicating atmosphere, and incredible audio design combine to create a one-of-a-kind survival game.
Read our Pacific Drive review.
Resident Evil 4
Capcom’s venerable Resident Evil series has been progressively producing remakes of its classic library, but none of them held the expectations and weight of Resident Evil 4. It’s long been regarded as one of the best survival-horror games of all time, and a trendsetter for the action-focused style of the genre. Capcom approached this remake especially cautiously, giving it a light touch of upgrades that make the whole experience feel modern without losing its soul. It’s also never looked more beautiful, so you can see the horrific monstrosities of Las Plagas with newfound fidelity.
Return of the Obra Dinn
Return of the Obra Dinn is a meticulous puzzle box revolving around a grisly scene. When a missing ship mysteriously reappears with all of its passengers and crew dead, you’re dispatched as an insurance adjuster tasked with uncovering the causes of death for each one aboard. What follows is a massively connected logic puzzle as you uncover scenes of life aboard the ship alongside clues as to each of their identities and fatalities. This is all delivered in a stark lo-fi black-and-white presentation that remains perfectly readable in motion.
Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance
Shin Megami Tensei fans have needed a Nintendo Switch to play SMTV, until very recently. Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance is now available on other platforms including PC, but this is much more than a simple port. The enhanced version adds loads of new content, like additional story details and new narrative surprises to let you get the most out of your relationships with human and demons alike. It also includes better navigation tools to address one flaw of its original version. This is the definitive version of what was already a deep and engrossing narrative RPG.
Read our Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance review.
The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe
Only The Stanley Parable, a nearly unexplainable game where things get regularly weird and meta, could get away with hiding what amounts to a sequel within the frame of an expanded re-release of the original game. Like the original title, the strange and hilariously distracted nature of The Stanley Parable is something that you have to experience for yourself, as words simply do not do it justice. With the Ultra Deluxe edition, you’re getting an experience that feels like a game within a game, adding the illusion of freedom and other surprises along the way. It’s nothing short of a clever and thought-provoking examination of video games and the relationship that we have with them.
See our The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe review.
Stardew Valley
It starts with an old broken-down farm and a handful of seeds. You clear out the weeds and rocks until you get tired, and then you do it again. You get into the rhythm of daily life–visiting friends, watering crops, occasional light spelunking. Before you know it, it’s been 75 hours and you’re mostly managing your complex irrigation system and planning for next season’s harvest. Stardew Valley is a friendly, relaxing experience that also somehow manages to be endlessly addicting. Fans know the feeling of assuring themselves they’ll play just one more day before bed. And while it’s appeared on just about every platform, PC often gets the first chance to test all of the little quality-of-life tweaks and new features that come with patches. Most recently, the massive Stardew Valley 1.6 update put a nice bookend on the game while developer ConcernedApe prepares for the next project, The Haunted Chocolatier.
See our Stardew Valley review.
The Talos Principle 2
The follow-up to the philosophical first-person puzzle game is once again a contemplative experience that raises big questions even as you stay occupied with a series of clever puzzles. The philosophical underpinnings create a sense of expansive mystery as you explore deep existential questions and unravel the nature of the world. The first game was an unexpected treat but The Talos Principle 2 shows that developer Croteam can still create a delightful puzzle box even when we think we know what to expect.
Valorant
The initial response to Valorant was that it’s basically a mashup where Overwatch meets Counter-Strike–and yeah, that’s pretty accurate. That’s also a good thing, because Valorant draws on many of the strengths of those games to make something unique. It focuses on the round-based demolition-style game mode with two teams of five (attackers and defenders) on balanced maps with specific lanes and sightlines and an extremely fast time-to-kill. However, each agent (or character) has their own unique abilities that add another strategic layer to combat. Team composition plays a major role, and each agent affects what the team is capable of in each high-stakes situation. It’s intense and demanding, but so rewarding.
Valorant is still early in its lifespan. But we’ve seen content updates and changes in its first year and it’s been quite successful, so you can expect the game to get more support moving forward. If a competitive FPS with layered tactics, precise gunplay, and intense moments is your thing, Valorant is worth a try.
See our Valorant review.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
One of the best RPGs of all time, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt brings the incredible story of Geralt of Rivia to a close. The Witcher 3 puts Geralt on a quest to find Ciri, a witcher in training who’s like a daughter to him. He reconnects with old flames, friends, and adversaries as he searches far and wide for her. Of course, there’s an abundance of side quests and characters to meet along the way, which will undoubtedly keep you busy for hours. Many of these quests require you to slay monsters, a witcher’s main trade, and you’ll have to prepare accordingly to defeat them by sword, witcher magic, and potions. All this–and we didn’t even get into the two excellent expansions–makes The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt an essential PC game.
See our The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt review.
Removed Games
In our effort to curate the very best in PC games, sometimes we trim older games to make room for our latest recommendations. We don’t want to forget those entirely, so this is where you’ll find all of our previously removed games. All of these come highly recommended as well.
5/7/2024: Cocoon, Divinity: Original Sin 2, Loop Hero, Pizza Tower, Project Zomboid, Viewfinder
7/1/2024: Apex Legends, Civilization 6, Control, Counter-Strike: GO, Deathloop, Dota 2, League of Legends, Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Grand Theft Auto 5, Halo Infinite, Minecraft, Portal 2, Rainbow Six Siege, Red Dead Redemption 2, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew, Starfield, Tunic, XCOM 2