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If you’re new to PC gaming, you might be wondering what the best PC games are. There are so many games available to play on PC, so it can be daunting to figure out where to begin. That’s especially true if you’ve already tried out the best Steam games on Switch because you’ll already have a taste of that good life.
So, grab your best gaming mouse, turn on your best gaming monitor, and strap yourself in for a list of the best PC games around. Also, keep in mind that a lot of these can be modded too, which is where the real joy of PC gaming tends to kick in.
The Best PC Games At A Glance
- Best Action RPG: Elden Ring – $59.99 from Steam
- Best RPG: Divinity: Original Sin 2 Definitive Edition – $39.99 from Steam
- Best Battle Royale: Fortnite – Free on Epic Games
- Best for Readers: Disco Elysium – $39.99 from Steam
- Best for Creatives: Minecraft – $29.99 from Minecraft
- Best Roguelike: Hades – $24.99 from Steam
- Best Free-to-Play: Genshin Impact – Free on Epic Games
- Best Card Game: Monster Train – $24.99 from Steam
- Best MMO: Final Fantasy XIV – $19.99 from Steam
- Best Oddity: Vampire Survivors – $4.99 from Steam
- Most Influential: Dwarf Fortress – $29.99 from Steam
- Best Strategy Game: Total War: Warhammer 3 – $59.99 from Steam
- Best Sports Game: Rocket League – Free on Epic Games
- Best Story: Red Dead Redemption 2 – $59.99 from Steam
- Best VR Game: Half-Life: Alyx – $59.99 from Steam
Elden Ring
Best Action RPG
Elden Ring is the best FromSoftware game, and FromSoftware games are some of the best in the world. Elden Ring takes the brutal but rewarding combat found in the likes of Dark Souls and translates it into a haunting and addicting open-world that constantly dares you to find something new. There are random dragons to fight, more weapons than you’ll probably ever find, and some of the coolest bosses we’ve ever seen.
Divinity: Original Sin 2 Enhanced Edition
Best CRPG
Divinity: Original Sin 2 Enhanced Edition is quite simply the best CRPG ever made. Larian Studios use a mix of reactive story-telling, one of the best combat systems ever found in a turn-based game, and intensely funny writing to make sure you’ll stick through this game. Not only that, but it has co-op for up to four players, and even custom content if the story doesn’t fill you up.
Fortnite
Best Battle Royale
The number one victory royale might be a bit much for some people with its constant stream of crossovers and absurdly bright visuals, but it’s genuinely one of the greatest games ever made. You can play with friends against loads of other people, choose to try out the PvE mode for a change of pace, and probably play as your favorite Marvel superhero too.
Disco Elysium
Best for Readers
Disco Elysium is a lot. Seriously, if you’re not ready for reading, this isn’t going to be for you, but if you like roleplaying and a truly sublime story, then this is the game you want. You play as a detective who can die in the first five minutes of the game by sitting in a chair wrong, so you know you’re in for a good time here. You can play through multiple times and get different reactions too, which is a nice bonus.
Minecraft
Best for Creatives
Minecraft is the kind of game you can play every day for ten years and still find new things to get excited about. Trust us; there are people who have been playing it that long. You just boot up the game, it generates a new world, and then you can adventure, build, fight, or do pretty much whatever you want. It’s also co-op, which makes it a great game for younger players.
Hades
Best Roguelike
Hades has you playing as Zagreus, son of Hades, as you try and escape Hades by beating up your dad, Hades. It’s an action roguelike with blisteringly fast combat, a deeply touching story that’s told in a way that other roguelikes can only dream of and has more hot gods to flirt with than anyone could ever complain about. Also, you can pet Cerebus, and the soundtrack absolutely slaps.
Genshin Impact
Best Free-to-Play
Genshin Impact got a lot of stick when it launched for being a rip-off of Breath of the Wild. That’s already putting it in good stead, but since then its mix of elementally-driven combat, awesome characters, and surprisingly hard-hitting story has captured the hearts of millions. It’s free too, but be wary of the monetization if you’re not good with impulse spending.
Monster Train
Best Card Game
Monster Train isn’t as well known as something like Slay the Spire, but it’s just as, if not, more fun to play. You take control of a train trying to save Hell from freezing over. On the way, you need to use cards to protect the last spark from invading angels. You get to customize and tweak your cards themselves and your deck as you go, and it’s an excellent “one more go” kind of game.
Final Fantasy XIV Online
Best MMO
Look, you’ve probably seen memes about the fact that you get dozens of hours of gameplay in Final Fantasy XIV for free, but they’re true. It also happens to be one of the most incredible MMO games of all time, and the Final Fantasy lore is all over the place for die-hard fans of the series too. It will literally cost you nothing to try it out, so just try it out.
Vampire Survivors
Best Oddity
Vampire Survivors is a fairly hands-off game. All you need to do is move around to dodge enemy attacks and try and attack yourself, but that’s all handled automatically. You just need to keep leveling up and getting stronger, and as you do, try to choose the right weapons and upgrades to survive as long as you can and keep unlocking new secrets. It’s like Pringles in game form.
Dwarf Fortress
Most Influential
Dwarf Fortress is one of the most important games of all time because without it, we’d probably not have the likes of Terraria or Minecraft. It has you taking control of a colony of dwarves and trying to guide them as far as you can. It’s a deep management game with a lot to juggle, and it’s also just been officially released, so now’s a great time to jump in.
Total War: Warhammer 3
Best Strategy Game
Total War: Warhammer 3 is the pinnacle of the Total War series. It’s full of all of the nastiness that makes Warhammer so enticing, but funnels all of that into a deep strategy game that’ll take you ages to understand. There are loads of different armies to try and control, campaigns to play, and even PvP as well. If that sounds good to you, then this could be the only game you ever play from now on.
Rocket League
Best Sports Game
Rocket League is a game where you control a car with rockets on it that can fly (if you know how) and have to hit a ball into a goal. It sounds so silly, but it’s been a staple for many players since it launched over six years ago. It’s absurdly good fun, easy to learn but hard to master, and the mix of game modes and modifiers makes it a riot for all ages. It’s also free, which is always a good thing.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Best Story
Red Dead Redemption 2 is actually a prequel to the first Red Dead Redemption, and it has you learning about Dutch’s gang. It’s a mostly harrowing and enthralling tale of a group falling apart, nature running it’s course, and the cold-hard reality of living in the Wild West. It’s also fun to play somehow, despite all of that doom and gloom.
Half-Life: Alyx
Best VR Game
Half-Life: Alyx is the closest thing VR has to an absolute must-play game. It has you running around an increasingly twisted world, fighting off alien horrors with some gravity gloves and literally anything you can get your hands on. It’s beautiful to walk around in, so immersive that you can use pens to teach maths on windows, and just a blast from start to finish.