The Best PC Games To Play In 2026

These are our selections for the very best PC games. Without a generational divide, the PC gaming library just keeps growing, so we focused on the best PC games to play right now. Some of these games, like The Séance of Blake Manor and Hollow Knight: Silksong, are recently released gems. Others are live-service games or multiplayer favorites that have stood the test of time. 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. We regularly reevaluate and update this list to make sure our recommendations are current, and you can find previously removed games–which still come highly recommended–at the bottom of the list.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. 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 2Another 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. See at Humble Arc RaidersArc Raiders is an extraction shooter quite unlike anything you've played before. It relies on player interaction to forge its deepest stories, with decisions on whether to trust or betray other Raiders made by the second. The world as you know it has ended, replaced by AI overlords and a catastrophic climate. Humanity now resides in Speranza, where some citizens choose to become raiders, returning to the dangerous overworld to scavenge for life-saving and life-enhancing resources. From a third-person perspective, you'll suit up with weapons and items of your choice before dropping into a PvPvE landscape to seek out quests, challenges, and then return safely. Or not. Enemy robots attack on sight, and other players can choose hostility. It's up to you whether you help or hinder your fellow raiders.Read our Arc Raiders review. See at Fanatical Baby StepsBaby Steps is an infuriating game by design. You'll either love it for delivering moments of genuine triumph over seemingly insurmountable odds, or you'll want to hurl it into the nearest bin after you make a single misstep that erases hours of progress. It's a weird, frustrating, and unforgettable experience–a literal walking simulator where you guide a 35-year-old onesie-wearing manchild to his destiny. Consistently hilarious and heartfelt with its themes, it's the kind of game that revels in causing you grief while also urging you to go outside and touch some IRL grass. See at Fanatical BalatroA 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 aga

These are our selections for the very best PC games. Without a generational divide, the PC gaming library just keeps growing, so we focused on the best PC games to play right now. Some of these games, like The Séance of Blake Manor and Hollow Knight: Silksong, are recently released gems. Others are live-service games…

These are our selections for the very best PC games. Without a generational divide, the PC gaming library just keeps growing, so we focused on the best PC games to play right now. Some of these games, like The Séance of Blake Manor and Hollow Knight: Silksong, are recently released gems. Others are live-service games or multiplayer favorites that have stood the test of time. Our list of the best PC games spans across a wide variety of genres, so at least a few of…