The Best Games for PC

So how do you categorize a beast like gaming on the PC? With decades of titles to pluck from (and the first port of call for most indie titles, too), there’s so much to choose from. Gaming on your PC adds the benefits of (nearly always flawless) backward compatibility and console-beating graphical performance — if you’ve got the coin for it. We’ve tried to be broad with our recommendations here on purpose. There are so many great games out there for your PC, consider these some starting points. Mid-2020, we’re adding Half Life: Alyx and Persona 4.

Beat Saber

Beat Saber is a euphoric gaming sensation that makes the most of virtual reality. You’ll swing your unofficial lightsabers at incoming boxes, slicing and slamming them to the beat of the soundtrack. Similar to iconic rhythm-rail-shooter, Rez, which has its own VR iteration, Beat Saber often makes you feel like you’re creating the music as you hit your cues. We might have had initial reservations on the soundtrack at launch but new tracks and customizations continue to add to the challenge. There’s even a level creator for PC players, making this the definitive version.

When you fire up Epic Games Store, Steam, Xbox, or any of the other digital marketplaces for PC games, you’ll be faced with many purchasing options. Feel like leveling characters in a role-playing game? Disco Elysium: The Final Cut and The Witcher III: Wild Hunt got what you need. In the mood to knuckle up against online opponents? A fighting game like Guilty Gear Strive or Tekken 7 will do you good. In short, the PC gaming space is deep and varied. Don’t get frozen by choice, though; use this guide to help you make a swift and wise purchasing decision.

 

Please recognize, however, that this is not a historical examination of the most groundbreaking PC games. Simply put, this an ever-expanding collection of entertaining titles you should buy if you own a gaming desktop or gaming laptop.

To clarify, games don’t need to have been released within the calendar year to qualify for this roundup. Any game that’s still available and still considered excellent when ranked against the best of today is eligible. We think that’s the most useful approach to helping you decide which video games deserve space on your PC’s hard drive, and which aren’t worth consideration even when their prices are cut by 85 percent during a Steam sale.

In our newest update, we’ve added three games: Dying Light 2: Stay Human, Elden Ring, and The King of Fighters XV.