The best PC games in 2024 are those that make the most of the powerful hardware they’re available on, and the vast and varied library that can be downloaded. Because of this, you never really know where you’ll end up, whether it’s amidst quirky indies, mind-churning strategy games, or just ports of the latest and greatest launches. There’s a lot to love, and a lot of routes PC gaming can offer.
For fans of using a keyboard and mouse, PC Gaming just clicks. Whether that’s due to the technical advantages that the best graphics card can offer or love of some of the weirder and more esoteric games on the market, there’s no denying the PC is a strong choice for primary platform. Especially now you can play most of these games on the Steam Deck or just plug in one of the best PC controllers and play games with higher framerates, resolutions, and features such as ray-tracing, DLSS, and HDR. Also, while I’m biased, if you know your way around a mouse then the PC is the best place to play first-person shooters too. Sorry, but it’s true.
So whether you have a tricked-out PC gaming setup or looking for games to play on your productivity laptop, we’ve put together a list of the best PC games you can find right now. Of course, not every game is for every person, but there are definitely at least one or two titles on there for you.
Best PC games
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Elden Ring took the gaming world by storm when it first arrived, and for good reason. FromSoftware’s latest punishment simulator has all the familiar touchstones of a soulslike, but expanded out into an open world with a story crafted by Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin, so you know it’s not going to pull any punches.
Why we Love it
Elden Ring is FromSoftware at its most playful, gleefully throwing out every idea it can conjure up to pull players through The Lands Between. It abandons the tight framework of its predecessors in favor of a more sprawling, overwhelming open world.
The PC version of Elden Ring is now stable, and seriously impresses in its visuals and performance. Now that some of the initial bugs and wrinkles have been squashed and ironed out, it’s unquestionably one of the best games, if not the best, that the studio has ever put out.
As devoted fans of the studio’s work since the original Demons’ Souls on the PS3, we don’t offer that kind of praise lightly, but like the Souls-like genre itself, you gotta earn it, and FromSoftware unquestionably does with Elden Ring.
Why we Love It
Few games can pull off a successful musical number, but not only does Alan Wake 2 nail it, it does it so well it’s far and away the most memorable moment in the game.
Alan Wake 2 is absolutely terrifying. Remedy returns to the horror franchise it created after 13 years away, except while Alan Wake was an action thriller, Alan Wake 2 is a terrifying dive into survival horror, with several situations that will make your skin crawl.
A beautiful game with a fascinating story, in addition to some rock hard puzzles. The well-written characters and reality-bending cutscenes should give you more than enough reason to play through the game, but the tense combat also makes this a compelling entry into the stealth genre.
Why we love it
Baldur’s Gate 3 is a fine contender for one of the best video game RPGs ever made. It’s the most ambitious RPG out there, and the painstakingly accurate rendition of Dungeons & Dragons will delight fans. A must-play, even if some frustrations with D&D’s format might grate.
One of the best RPGs in recent years, Baldur’s Gate 3 invites you to explore a rich fantasy world full of a mind-boggling array of possibilities. A traditional RPG in the mold of Dragon Age: Origins, and the original Baldur’s Gate series, Baldur’s Gate 3 has you control a group of adventurers, stopping for occasional bouts of turn-based combat as you make your way through the bright and often wacky world.
The game boasts hours of cinematics, offering a level of directorial ambition that rivals many of the other entries on this list. The main story is an immersive, high-fantasy adventure worthy of even the best Dungeons and Dragons campaign, while the combat mechanics give even the best PC strategy games a run for their money.
Tekken 8 is a drastic step up in a well-established fighting game series, and with new mechanics, visuals, and characters, there is a huge amount to mark this game as one of the best PC games currently available. Although fighting games can be a bit of a mixed bag on PC, anyone looking to get into them should start here, and you won’t look back.
Why we love it
Every hit in Tekken 8 feels like it packs genuine weight behind it, and whether you’re stringing together a ten hit combo or a simple starter you still feel much more than a capable fighter due to the animation.
Visually, Tekken 8 is an incredibly impressive game, and you’re bound to be pulled in by its incredible animations and detailed environments. In addition to this, practice and online mode has never felt so accessible, opening up the doors to all willing players regardless of any past experience with the series. Both story modes, The Dark Awakens and Arcade Quest, will get you up to speed with the history of the game and the mechanics you’ll need to master to get set up online too.
Why we love it
Heaps of replay value, and a surprisingly robust story make Hades a must-play for fans of the roguelike genre. You’ll fall in love, forge bitter rivalries, and fight your father in this action-packed indie game.
Supergiant Games made a name for itself thanks to the great reception that Pyre, Transistor, and Bastion received. Now, fans of the studio have a new entry to add to the studio’s pantheon of great games: Hades. Hades uses the same isometric view of the other games and tells the story of Hades’ son, Zagreus, as he tries to escape the underworld.
This roguelike dungeon crawler has a few new features up its sleeve. Not only can you romance some characters for extra bonuses, but dying in the game doesn’t start you at the last checkpoint. When you die, you might start at the beginning but you’re not starting over. You’re able to upgrade your character and weapons to improve your chances of escaping with each subsequent death. This leads to a sense of progression that makes for a very addictive game.
Why we love it
Forza Motorsport’s Car EXP system rewards you for learning tracks and getting better at racing. This means you’ll feel like you’re actually progressing, but also helps you to get yourself racing online too without it being too terrifying.
Forza Motorsport sees developer Turn 10 Studios bring the sim-racing series back into the spotlight, six years after the previous entry launched. Now that the eighth entry in the Motorsport line-up is finally here, it’s providing a refreshing change of pace from the Horizon subseries.
Forza Motorsport offers a racing model that’s easy to pick up and accessible to all players, while offering a huge range of difficulty options, assists and accessibility settings to help you tailor an experience that’s all yours. It’s also one of the most visually striking sim racers to date, providing players with a game that’s as pretty as it is fun to play.
There’s a chunk of authentic-feeling real-world tracks, a ton of cars and more car customising than you can shake a wrench at. If you’re a petrolhead or just supercar-curious, this is probably the best racing game for you.
Why we love it
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth boasts equal parts entertaining story as it does entirely heart-wrenching story. From the very beginning you’ll be charmed by its characters and before long you may shed a tear or two. Essentially, once its got its claws in you, its here to stay.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is the newest addition to the incredibly well-loved series, and frankly, even if you’ve never played a Yakuza or Like a Dragon game before, you should start now. Infinite Wealth does offer a lot of “for the fans” content, which you’d expect from a story that has been essentially 20 years in the making, but there’s also a lot to get new players up to speed and feeling like they’ve been part of the series the whole time.
In addition to its bulky main story, Infinite Wealth boasts an huge amount of side content. So, there’s more than enough to sink your teeth into if you’re looking for a decently sized PC game to occupy your time. Be warned though, getting into Yakuza and Like a Dragon is a slippery slope, and once you’ve finished this game you may find yourself circling back to see what all the hype was about in the first place.
Doom Eternal takes everything from the Doom (2016) and turns it up to 11. The game is intense; visually, and sonically overwhelming, and is exactly what you would expect a fever dream inspired by Doom would feel like.
Why we love it
Doom Eternal reinvents the series without abandoning its classic foundations. It has all the blood-pumping, gore-packed fun we expect from a Doom game, while adding a bunch of new RPG-like elements we didn’t even know we needed. This is one not to be missed.
The game offers a seamless first-person shooter where you trek into hell to battle an assortment of never-ending demons and reclaim an overrun earth. Refilling your health sometimes requires quite literally tearing monsters apart, and there is some need to be creative with your weapon choice, depending on what demon you’re facing. However, this game is all about creating havoc and rushing into battle as loud and as brash as possible.
Not only is Doom: Eternal a hell of a ride, but it’s also a gorgeous-looking game that takes advantage of the newest hardware. And, it’s a 2v1 multiplayer mode where one player takes control of the “slayer” and faces off against two more player-controlled demons.
Helldivers 2 is a recent addition to our list of the best PC games to play in 2024, and has solidified its status with some excellent updates post-launch. Helldivers 2 send squads of four to hostile planets filled with either bile-spewing bugs or laser-eyed robots. You’ll deploy powerful super weapons as you move from objective to objective, dying a whole lot in the process.
There are many reasons why Helldivers 2 has taken the gaming world by storm this year. It has excellent third-person shooting, hilarious friendly fire mechanics as well as a progression system that rewards players for completing missions on increasingly nightmarish difficulties. Thanks to this wide difficulty system, Helldivers 2 isn’t as brutal as it might seem at first blush. By learning how to play as a team, you’ll quickly rise through the ranks, employing everything from space lasers to hulking mechs.
You can enable crossplay to join PS5 players, or stick to PC if you’d prefer. We recommend playing with a controller, given how the special abilities are triggered, making them much easier, and faster to deploy using a d-pad. Regardless of how or where you play Helldivers 2, you and your pals will be in for a very good time indeed.
Best PC games: FAQs
Is it worth getting PC Game Pass?
Game Pass on both console and PC is a fantastic way to try new titles that you may not pick up otherwise, and there’s a significant library to explore which is everchanging. We’ve got a list of the best Xbox Game Pass games, in case you want a little extra guidance on which games to pick up, but generally, we would recommend the subscription service to anyone who’s looking to get a little more bang for their buck.
What is the most sold PC game?
As of 2024, the most popular/most-sold game on PC is Minecraft. The sandbox survival title has been incredibly popular since its initial release in 2011, with millions of players have been enjoying its content since. Despite its popularity, we haven’t included it on our list due to the game being available across all major platforms, and while it is a fantastic game, we wanted out list to spotlight what we consider to be the titles that make the most of a PC gaming experience.
How we made our best PC games list
The team behind TechRadar Gaming has spent thousands of hours testing out the best PC games, so we know exactly which titles are worth recommending, and which titles are worth giving a miss. Between us, we have interests in almost all genres, so any title you’re considering picking up has more than likely been played by a member of the team at some point.
Because of just how long we’ve spent jumping in and out of games of all kinds, we’ve got opinions you can trust. Our experience means our picks have been carefully considered, so there’s bound to be something you enjoy within one of our best lists.
If you’re looking for other ways to make the most of your PC, it’s worth checking out the best multiplayer games on PC, alongside the best Game Pass games and the best single-player games.