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What are the greatest PC games ever made?
This is one of the most debated questions in gaming history.
Our scoring system: We rate each game across five dimensions — Gameplay, Story, Innovation, Longevity and PC Experience — for a final score out of 10.
🏆 The Top 50 Greatest PC Games Ever Made
🥇 #1 — Disco Elysium (2019)
Genre: RPG / Narrative Adventure
Our Score: 10/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The most original RPG ever created. ZA/UM built a game with no combat — only conversations, skill checks and moral decisions that define who you are. A broken detective waking up with no memory in a city collapsing under political and philosophical weight. No video game has ever matched this level of writing, ideological complexity and narrative freedom. A PC exclusive masterpiece that could only exist on this platform.
🥈 #2 — Half-Life 2 (2004)
Genre: FPS / Action
Our Score: 10/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The game that changed everything. Valve didn't just redefine the first-person shooter — it redefined what a video game could say and how it could say it. The Source engine physics, the Combine AI and City 17 remain benchmarks more than twenty years later. The gravity gun alone is one of the greatest single game mechanics ever conceived.
🥉 #3 — Baldur's Gate 3 (2023)
Genre: Turn-Based RPG
Our Score: 10/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Larian Studios delivered the definitive RPG of the 21st century. Hundreds of hours of content that genuinely differs with every playthrough, absolute decision freedom, brilliant writing and a D&D system adapted to perfection. BG3 didn't just win Game of the Year — it changed the industry's expectations of what an RPG could be forever.
#4 — Half-Life (1998)
Genre: FPS
Our Score: 9.8/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Before Half-Life 2 there was the original that founded everything. Black Mesa, Gordon Freeman and the Headcrabs changed forever how stories were told in video games. The first FPS with real narrative flow, no loading screens, no interruptions — a seamless world that felt alive for the first time.
#5 — The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015)
Genre: RPG / Open World
Our Score: 9.8/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
CD Projekt Red created the gold standard of open-world RPGs. A living universe with side quests that surpass the main stories of most other games. Geralt of Rivia became one of the most memorable characters in entertainment history. The Blood and Wine expansion alone is worth the full price of admission.
#6 — BioShock (2007)
Genre: FPS / Narrative
Our Score: 9.7/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rapture is one of the most iconic settings ever designed. Irrational Games fused horror, Ayn Rand's political philosophy and first-person action into an experience no player ever forgets. "Would you kindly?" entered the hall of fame of gaming's greatest narrative twists the moment it was spoken.
#7 — Portal 2 (2011)
Genre: Puzzle / Comedy
Our Score: 9.7/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The most ingenious game ever made. Valve combined physics, dark humor and brilliant narrative design into a puzzle game that works just as well solo as in co-op. GLaDOS and Wheatley are two of the most charismatic characters in modern gaming. Every single puzzle feels like a eureka moment.
#8 — Grand Theft Auto V (2015)
Genre: Open World
Our Score: 9.6/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The most profitable entertainment product in history. Rockstar built Los Santos as a living, breathing city — a savage satire of American culture told through three completely different protagonists. Its PC version, enhanced with mods and 4K support, remains the definitive way to experience it over a decade later.
#9 — Mass Effect 2 (2010)
Genre: RPG / Action
Our Score: 9.6/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The greatest science fiction narrative ever told in a video game. BioWare created a decision system spanning an entire trilogy, with characters so well written that players remember them as if they were real people. The final suicide mission remains one of gaming's most emotionally charged set pieces.
#10 — The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011)
Genre: RPG / Open World
Our Score: 9.5/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The RPG that refuses to die. Fifteen years after release, Skyrim remains one of the most played games on Steam thanks to a mod community that permanently transforms it. Few game worlds have generated this much nostalgia, and few developers have been rewarded with this level of loyalty.
#11 — Elden Ring (2022)
Genre: Souls / Open World
Our Score: 9.5/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
FromSoftware took their signature formula to an open world co-designed with George R.R. Martin. The result was the most unanimously celebrated GOTY in recent memory. Demanding, mysterious and breathtakingly beautiful — every boss encounter feels like a boss encounter should.
#12 — Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn (2000)
Genre: RPG
Our Score: 9.5/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The most influential Western RPG ever made. BioWare set the narrative standard of the genre in 2000 that Larian Studios reclaimed twenty years later. Jon Irenicus remains the greatest villain in RPG history — elegant, calculating and genuinely terrifying.
#13 — Civilization VI (2016)
Genre: Turn-Based Strategy
Our Score: 9.4/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Just one more turn" elevated to an art form. Firaxis modernized the formula with the district system, forcing geographic strategic decisions that add layers of depth without losing accessibility. The Rise & Fall and Gathering Storm expansions turned it into the best Civ entry since IV.
#14 — Diablo II (2000)
Genre: Hack & Slash / RPG
Our Score: 9.4/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Blizzard invented the modern hack-and-slash with the first Diablo and perfected it with the second. A gameplay loop so addictive that twenty years later Blizzard launched a full remaster — and millions of players returned instantly. The grandfather of the entire ARPG genre.
#15 — StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty (2010)
Genre: Real-Time Strategy
Our Score: 9.4/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The game that turned real-time strategy into a global professional sport. Blizzard built a system of three perfectly balanced races with a campaign that holds up as one of the best single-player strategy experiences ever made, and a multiplayer that generated a thriving esports ecosystem lasting over a decade.
#16 — Red Dead Redemption 2 (2019)
Genre: Open World / Adventure
Our Score: 9.4/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rockstar reached the peak of open-world realism. Every detail of the Wild West — how clothes get wet in the rain, how horses remember your behavior, how NPCs have their own daily routines — makes RDR2 the most immersive open-world experience ever created. Arthur Morgan is among gaming's greatest protagonists.
#17 — Minecraft (2011)
Genre: Sandbox / Survival
Our Score: 9.3/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The best-selling game in history with over 300 million copies. Mojang created an infinite canvas where the only limit is the player's imagination. It has spawned a parallel industry of educational content, creative builds and competitive play unlike anything else in gaming.
#18 — BioShock Infinite (2013)
Genre: FPS / Narrative
Our Score: 9.3/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Columbia floating in the clouds is one of the most ambitious level designs in gaming history. Irrational Games delivered a narrative about American exceptionalism, racism and time travel that ends with one of the most disturbing finales in the medium. A worthy successor to the original that dared to be completely different.
#19 — Divinity: Original Sin II (2017)
Genre: Turn-Based RPG
Our Score: 9.3/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The game that paved the way for Baldur's Gate 3. Larian Studios proved that a turn-based RPG with absolute freedom was not only possible but deeply desirable in the modern market. Every origin character has a fully realized story, and the co-op experience is among the best in gaming.
#20 — Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition (2012)
Genre: Souls / Action RPG
Our Score: 9.2/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
FromSoftware introduced PC gaming to the Souls philosophy: dying is learning. Lordran's interconnected level design is arguably the most brilliantly constructed game world ever built. It established an entire subgenre and a fundamentally different philosophy of game design.
#21 — Persona 5 Royal (2020)
Genre: JRPG / Visual Novel
Our Score: 9.2/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Atlus brought to PC the most stylish JRPG ever created. Tokyo as you've never seen it, deeply written characters, a legendary soundtrack and a time management system that makes every day a meaningful decision. The Phantom Thieves are among the most beloved casts in RPG history.
#22 — Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty (2023)
Genre: RPG / Action
Our Score: 9.2/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
After a catastrophic launch in 2020, CD Projekt Red transformed Night City with the 2.0 update and Phantom Liberty into one of the finest action RPG experiences on PC. A story of redemption — both for V and for the studio itself. Night City is now the richest urban open world ever built.
#23 — Company of Heroes (2006)
Genre: Real-Time Strategy
Our Score: 9.2/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Relic Entertainment revolutionized the WWII RTS with a cover system, dynamic terrain and supply lines that no competitor has matched since. The most tactically deep real-time strategy game ever set in the Second World War — and still playable and rewarding nearly twenty years later.
#24 — Stardew Valley (2016)
Genre: Simulation / Management
Our Score: 9.1/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Built entirely by one person over four years, Eric Barone delivered the greatest farming simulation game ever made. 35 million copies sold, a community as active as its first day, and an emotional warmth that few big-budget productions manage to achieve. The ultimate testament to what one dedicated developer can accomplish.
#25 — Hollow Knight (2017)
Genre: Metroidvania
Our Score: 9.1/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Team Cherry, a team of just two people, created the richest and most melancholic metroidvania in history. Hallownest is a subterranean world of visual and mechanical depth that puts productions with budgets a hundred times larger to shame. Every room tells a story.
#26 — The Orange Box (2007)
Genre: Compilation (Half-Life 2, Portal, TF2)
Our Score: 9.1/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The greatest value-for-money package in gaming history. Valve packed Half-Life 2 and its two episodes, Portal and Team Fortress 2 into a single product. Each of those games deserves a spot on this list in its own right. Nothing before or since has matched this level of generosity.
#27 — Grim Fandango Remastered (1998/2015)
Genre: Point-and-Click Adventure
Our Score: 9.1/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tim Schafer and LucasArts created the definitive peak of the adventure game genre. Manny Calavera navigating the Land of the Dead with noir humor, jazz and literary references is an experience only PC gaming could have gestated. The remaster made it accessible to a new generation without touching what made it timeless.
#28 — Quake (1996)
Genre: FPS
Our Score: 9.0/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
id Software delivered the first fully 3D FPS in history, with a multiplayer that founded competitive shooter esports and a Lovecraftian atmosphere no shooter has since replicated. The movement speed and fluidity of Quake remain a reference point for the entire genre three decades later.
#29 — Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition (2019)
Genre: Real-Time Strategy
Our Score: 9.0/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A 1999 classic resurrected with a remaster that the community still plays actively in international tournaments. The greatest historical strategy game ever built, with twenty civilizations that feel genuinely different in both style and mechanics. Some games age like wine — AoE II is one of them.
#30 — Doom (1993)
Genre: FPS — Founder of the Genre
Our Score: 9.0/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
There is no modern shooter without Doom. id Software didn't just create a genre — they created an industry, a software distribution model (shareware) and a modding culture that is still alive thirty years later. The percentage of PCs that have had Doom installed exceeds that of many operating systems.
#31 — Celeste (2018)
Genre: Precision Platformer
Our Score: 9.0/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A game about climbing a mountain that is actually about mental health, anxiety and self-acceptance. Maddy Thorson built one of the most finely tuned control systems in platformer history, with level design that rewards skill without cruelly punishing mistakes. One of the most emotionally resonant games ever made.
#32 — XCOM 2 (2016)
Genre: Turn-Based Tactical Strategy
Our Score: 8.9/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The best turn-based tactical strategy game ever made. Firaxis turned defeat into narrative — losing a named soldier after twenty missions generates emotional investment that few games achieve. Every campaign tells a different story of resistance, sacrifice or collapse.
#33 — Counter-Strike 2 (2023)
Genre: Competitive FPS
Our Score: 8.9/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
No game has dominated competitive PC shooting like Counter-Strike. Over twenty years of history, the longest-running PC esport in the world, and a multiplayer balance refined to near-perfection across multiple iterations. CS2 brought it into the modern era while preserving everything that made it great.
#34 — Hades (2020)
Genre: Roguelike / Action
Our Score: 8.9/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Supergiant Games perfected the roguelike with a narrative system that advances with every death. Zagreus escaping the Underworld is the most satisfying gameplay loop in the genre, with writing and a soundtrack that surpass most big-budget productions. Every run feels different; every run feels worthwhile.
#35 — NieR: Automata (2017)
Genre: Action RPG / Philosophical Narrative
Our Score: 8.9/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Yoko Taro and PlatinumGames created one of gaming's most ambitious philosophical narratives — a meditation on consciousness, purpose and humanity told through androids fighting a proxy war. Its multiple endings recontextualize everything you thought you understood. 2B became an instant gaming icon.
#36 — The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe (2022)
Genre: Interactive Narrative / Meta
Our Score: 8.8/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A game that questions the very nature of video games. Galactic Cafe created an experience that is simultaneously funny, philosophical and deeply unsettling. Every decision you make — or refuse to make — has unexpected narrative consequences. A unique experiment that could only exist as an interactive medium.
#37 — Dota 2 (2013)
Genre: MOBA
Our Score: 8.8/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Valve built the deepest and most demanding MOBA on the market. The International, its annual tournament, has featured prize pools exceeding $40 million. Dota 2 accumulates more total playtime on Steam than virtually any other title — a testament to the bottomless depth of its 150+ hero roster.
#38 — Terraria (2011)
Genre: 2D Sandbox / Adventure
Our Score: 8.8/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
With over 58 million copies sold, Terraria is the most successful 2D game in PC history. Re-Logic has delivered decades of free updates that transformed it into one of the most content-rich games per dollar spent in the entire market. An endless adventure that rewards curiosity at every depth.
#39 — God of War (2022)
Genre: Action / Adventure
Our Score: 8.8/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Santa Monica Studio brought their Norse masterpiece to PC with a technically outstanding port. The relationship between Kratos and Atreus is the finest father-son narrative in gaming history, built around a combat system that balances brutality and precision in equal measure.
#40 — Dwarf Fortress — Steam Edition (2022)
Genre: Simulation / Roguelike
Our Score: 8.7/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Bay 12 Games spent decades building the most complex simulation in video game history. The 2022 Steam edition finally brought it to a mainstream audience with accessible graphics, revealing what hardcore players already knew: DF is the game with the deepest systemic simulation ever created. Every fortress is a unique tragedy waiting to unfold.
#41 — Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (2025)
Genre: Turn-Based RPG
Our Score: 8.7/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The breakout game of 2025. Sandfall Interactive, a small French indie studio, delivered the RPG of the year with a stunning artistic direction, an innovative combat system blending turn-based mechanics with real-time inputs, and an emotionally powerful narrative about loss and memory. A landmark debut.
#42 — Vampire Survivors (2022)
Genre: Bullet Heaven / Roguelite
Our Score: 8.7/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Poncle created with a minimal team the most addictive indie phenomenon since Stardew Valley. A game that costs less than a coffee and has consumed more player hours than productions with budgets a thousand times larger. It single-handedly founded a new subgenre and inspired dozens of imitators.
#43 — Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal (2001)
Genre: RPG / Expansion
Our Score: 8.7/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The perfect conclusion to the saga that defined the Western RPG. Throne of Bhaal delivered one of gaming's greatest narrative payoffs — the culmination of a story stretching across hundreds of hours with an ending worthy of the journey.
#44 — The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine (2016)
Genre: RPG / Expansion
Our Score: 8.6/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The greatest DLC expansion ever created. Toussaint is a realm so alive and beautiful that many players consider this expansion preferable to the base game. CD Projekt Red set the standard for paid downloadable content quality — rich, generous and worth every cent.
#45 — Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (2025)
Genre: Historical RPG
Our Score: 8.6/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Warhorse Studios exceeded every expectation with a sequel that doubles the size of the original and elevates medieval historical fidelity to near-academic levels. No magic, no dragons — just 15th century Bohemia rendered with extraordinary authenticity and a protagonist whose growth across two games is genuinely moving.
#46 — Balatro (2024)
Genre: Roguelite / Deckbuilder
Our Score: 8.6/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The best-selling and most acclaimed indie of 2024. LocalThunk created a poker-based deck-building game with an addiction curve that rivals the best in the genre. Over one million positive reviews on Steam within months of launch. A masterclass in elegant, expandable game design.
#47 — Half-Life: Alyx (2020)
Genre: FPS / Virtual Reality
Our Score: 8.6/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Valve demonstrated with Half-Life: Alyx what virtual reality can achieve when taken seriously. The best VR game in history by a considerable margin — an experience so immersive and well-designed that it justified the entire medium. The hardware requirement is the only barrier between this and a perfect score.
#48 — Hades II (2025)
Genre: Roguelike / Action
Our Score: 8.5/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Supergiant Games surpassed the original's Early Access reception with a sequel that builds confidently on its legacy. Melinoë pursuing Chronos is a continuation that respects the first Hades while forging its own identity — new weapons, new gods and new narrative layers that reward every run.
#49 — Hollow Knight: Silksong (2025)
Genre: Metroidvania
Our Score: 8.5/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
One of the most anticipated games in indie history finally arrived. Team Cherry delivered with Hornet as protagonist a new world even larger than Hallownest, an expanded combat system and the same melancholic atmosphere that made the original a masterpiece. Worth every year of the wait.
#50 — Blue Prince (2025)
Genre: Puzzle / Mystery
Our Score: 8.5/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The most surprising puzzle game of 2025. Dogubomb created a procedurally generated mansion exploration game where every room placement decision changes the shape of the entire estate. A cerebral, layered mystery that rewards patience and lateral thinking in equal measure.
📊 Our Full Scores at a Glance
| # | Game | Year | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Disco Elysium | 2019 | 10/10 |
| 2 | Half-Life 2 | 2004 | 10/10 |
| 3 | Baldur's Gate 3 | 2023 | 10/10 |
| 4 | Half-Life | 1998 | 9.8/10 |
| 5 | The Witcher 3 | 2015 | 9.8/10 |
| 6 | BioShock | 2007 | 9.7/10 |
| 7 | Portal 2 | 2011 | 9.7/10 |
| 8 | Grand Theft Auto V | 2015 | 9.6/10 |
| 9 | Mass Effect 2 | 2010 | 9.6/10 |
| 10 | Skyrim | 2011 | 9.5/10 |
| 11 | Elden Ring | 2022 | 9.5/10 |
| 12 | Baldur's Gate II | 2000 | 9.5/10 |
| 13 | Civilization VI | 2016 | 9.4/10 |
| 14 | Diablo II | 2000 | 9.4/10 |
| 15 | StarCraft II | 2010 | 9.4/10 |
| 16 | Red Dead Redemption 2 | 2019 | 9.4/10 |
| 17 | Minecraft | 2011 | 9.3/10 |
| 18 | BioShock Infinite | 2013 | 9.3/10 |
| 19 | Divinity: Original Sin II | 2017 | 9.3/10 |
| 20 | Dark Souls PTDE | 2012 | 9.2/10 |
| 21 | Persona 5 Royal | 2020 | 9.2/10 |
| 22 | Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty | 2023 | 9.2/10 |
| 23 | Company of Heroes | 2006 | 9.2/10 |
| 24 | Stardew Valley | 2016 | 9.1/10 |
| 25 | Hollow Knight | 2017 | 9.1/10 |
| 26 | The Orange Box | 2007 | 9.1/10 |
| 27 | Grim Fandango Remastered | 1998/2015 | 9.1/10 |
| 28 | Quake | 1996 | 9.0/10 |
| 29 | Age of Empires II: DE | 2019 | 9.0/10 |
| 30 | Doom | 1993 | 9.0/10 |
| 31 | Celeste | 2018 | 9.0/10 |
| 32 | XCOM 2 | 2016 | 8.9/10 |
| 33 | Counter-Strike 2 | 2023 | 8.9/10 |
| 34 | Hades | 2020 | 8.9/10 |
| 35 | NieR: Automata | 2017 | 8.9/10 |
| 36 | The Stanley Parable: UD | 2022 | 8.8/10 |
| 37 | Dota 2 | 2013 | 8.8/10 |
| 38 | Terraria | 2011 | 8.8/10 |
| 39 | God of War | 2022 | 8.8/10 |
| 40 | Dwarf Fortress: Steam Ed. | 2022 | 8.7/10 |
| 41 | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | 2025 | 8.7/10 |
| 42 | Vampire Survivors | 2022 | 8.7/10 |
| 43 | Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal | 2001 | 8.7/10 |
| 44 | The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine | 2016 | 8.6/10 |
| 45 | Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 | 2025 | 8.6/10 |
| 46 | Balatro | 2024 | 8.6/10 |
| 47 | Half-Life: Alyx | 2020 | 8.6/10 |
| 48 | Hades II | 2025 | 8.5/10 |
| 49 | Hollow Knight: Silksong | 2025 | 8.5/10 |
| 50 | Blue Prince | 2025 | 8.5/10 |
🕹️ Why PC Is the Greatest Gaming Platform
The PC is not just another platform — it is the richest, most diverse and most historically significant gaming ecosystem ever built:
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🛠️ Unlimited mods — communities that extend game life for decades
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💾 Historical compatibility — play 1993 classics alongside 2026 releases on the same machine
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💰 Lower prices — Steam, GOG, Epic and Humble Bundle offer discounts impossible on consoles
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🖥️ Maximum visual quality — ray tracing, 4K, 144Hz, HDR, ultrawide — always one step ahead
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🎮 Total freedom — mouse, keyboard, controller, joystick, HOTAS, steering wheel — any input works
