PC gamers have so many options when it comes to titles to play, which is a big problem. With decades of games to choose from (and the first port of call for most indie titles, too), the options are endless. You also get the benefit of (almost always flawless) backwards compatibility and console-beating graphical performance – if you have the money for it, when you’re building your perfect kit or choosing a high-powered gaming laptop.
The whole idea of what a gaming PC is and where you can play it is also changing with the rise of handheld gaming PCs like the Steam Deck. We’ve deliberately tried to be comprehensive with our recommendations here; here are the best PC games you can play right now.
The best PC games to play right now
Neva is a great platformer. It stars Alba, a seasoned warrior with a cloud of silver hair, and her wolf companion, Neva, who grows from a cub to a fierce warrior as the seasons progress. Alba and Neva are deeply connected – there’s a button that Alba presses to call out “Neva” when she’s in various forms of distress – and together they’re on a mission to free the world from an evil black decay.
Apart from a powerful narrative arc, Neva is a light and sensitive platformer, with dodge and slash mechanics, and its puzzles are satisfying to solve. The game comes from Nomada Studio, the indie team behind Gris, and it’s a testament to their artistry, mechanical fidelity, and sense of emotional storytelling.
Neva is filled with magical realism, mixing the familiar with the impossible in a format that resembles a living children’s book. Otherworldly terror creeps in at the edges of each scenario and the game’s animations are anime-smooth. Neva looks incredible and it plays just as beautifully – a rare and powerful combination. Just like Alba and Neva.
Alan Wake 2 is a gripping police drama, a paranormal thriller and a Nordic rock opera – but mostly, it’s a great game. It’s a third-person survival horror experience about two people whose worlds are colliding: FBI Special Agent Saga Andersson and renowned author Alan Wake, who has been lost in purgatory for 13 years.
Players switch between Saga and Alan as they investigate a series of ritualistic murders linked to Alan’s past, fighting dark ghosts and traversing warped realities. Saga’s Mind Place and Alan’s Writer’s Room provide players with a place to connect clues and unlock new parts of the story, while a flashlight and a pistol round out the action sequences.
Alan Wake 2 tells an introspective tale of murder, demons and old gods, and includes all the moody psychological flair that Remedy Entertainment is known for. The original Alan Wake is also worth booting up, but Alan Wake 2 is perfectly accessible to new players and is fine to play straight through.
I no longer have a Steam Deck — I have a Balatro machine. Balatro is a ridiculously replayable poker game with multiple special decks, magical tarot cards, and weird jokers that change the way each hand plays out. It’s a virtual poker game where a high card can score more points than a royal flush, and trillions and billions of points can be scored with a single hand. But swap out a joker, and your score shoots into the thousands.
Balatro’s addictive magic stems from its streamlined design (courtesy of solo developer LocalThunk) and its inherent variety, where jokers and upgrade cards play off each other in extremely satisfying ways. Or they destroy your whole run. That’s Balatro, baby.
And just to clarify, there’s nothing particularly scary about Balatro. I think some people initially confused it with Inception – that’s also a great card-based game, but has a horror backdrop – and that connotation still revolves around Balatro. Rest assured, aside from a few jokers with creepy smiles, this is a brilliantly designed game of cards.
Despite a few bugs and silly animations, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is endlessly charming. The game’s tone is just right, it honestly offers moments of beauty and Troy Baker’s impersonation of Harrison Ford is a treat to watch, let alone embody.
In fact, every actor in the game is superb, and its writing, audio and direction feel like classic Spielberg and Lucas. Only this time it’s all in first person, courtesy of Wolfenstein studio MachineGames.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle offers an entertaining mix of puzzle-solving, exploration, stealth and combat, but the best part of this game is its cinematic elements. With The Great Circle, MachineGames leans into Indiana Jones’ innate charm, highlighting his satire and the wild, unbelievable scenarios expected in popcorn action movies.
It’s one of the most beautiful games ever made, it’s a lot of fun to play, and it’s a better Indiana Jones movie than Crystal Skull. Plus, it lets you punch a lot of Nazis in their stupid faces, and that’s always entertaining.