Thousands of games release on Steam alone each year, beckoning to you from algorithmic recommendation engines, the bottom halves of TikTok videos, and the review sections of websites like PC Gamer. So how the heck do you decide which are the best PC games to play right now?
We figure the best way to help is to tell you what we're playing. Chances are, if PC Gamer's staff of 30+ videogame enthusiasts and network of contributors is putting hundreds of hours into a new game, it's something you might enjoy, too.
We also hope to expose you to indie gems that might only have captured the attention of one or two of us, but have really captured it.
Recent high scores
September 2026: The first half of the year was a bit quiet, but suddenly we have a lot to heartily recommend: Big Walk, Onimusha, Star Wars Zero Company, and The Blood of Dawnwalker in particular.
The Blood of Dawnwalker (83)
Released: September 2026 | Steam
"The Blood of Dawnwalker is a resolutely miserable horror RPG with some great ideas of its own, though it doesn’t always have the courage to follow them through."
Onimusha: Way of the Sword (83)
Released: September 2026 | Steam
"A sublime mix of classic Capcom action and weighty physical swordfighting. The only enemy it can't overcome is its own pacing."
Star Wars Zero Company (90)
Released: August 2026 | Steam
"A new all-timer Star Wars game and a stunning debut for Bit Reactor."
Big Walk (90)
Released: August 2026 | Steam
"A joyous jaunt through a gentle world full of thoughtfully-designed puzzles."
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (84)
Released: August 2026 | Steam
"Metal Gear Solid 4 is a singular sequel that must be seen to be believed, and now it's right at home on PC."
Fields of Mistria (89)
Released: August 2026 | Steam
"A fresh face for farm sims that brings the magic back with the best-written cast I've seen from the genre."
More games we've been playing
- Esoteric Ebb: One of the best RPGs of the year (Steam)
- Slay the Spire 2: More deckbuilding brilliance (Steam)
- Paralives: Finally a new life sim we like! (It is buggy, though.) (Steam)
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: The most acclaimed RPG of 2025 (Steam)
- Baby Steps: Bleak and hilarious (Steam)
- Abiotic Factor: Half-Life, but a survival game. Excellent. (Steam)
High scores: 90% and up
If we score a game 90% or higher in our review, we think it's stupendously good. Here are the games that joined the 90-and-up club in 2025. (There are none so far in 2026.)
- Caves of Qud: 94 (Review | Steam/GOG)
- Promise Mascot Agency: 94 (Review | Steam)
- Blue Prince: 92 (Review | Steam)
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2: 90 (Review | Steam/GOG)
- Keep Driving: 90 (Review | Steam)
- Monster Train 2: 91 (Review | Steam)
- The Alters: 90 (Review | Steam/GOG)
- Abiotic Factor: 92 (Review | Steam)
- Hollow Knight: Silksong: 90 (Review | Steam)
- Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor: 90 (Review | Steam)
- Silent Hill f: 90 (Review | Steam)
- Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles: 91 (Review | Steam)
- Escape from Tarkov: 90 (Review | Steam)
- Cairn: 91 (Review | Steam)
- Nioh 3: 90 (Review | Steam)
- Mewgenics: 92 (Review | Steam)
- Resident Evil Requiem: 92 (Review | Steam)
- Esoteric Ebb: 90 (Review | Steam)
- Marathon: 90 (Review | Steam)
- Xenonauts 2: 91 (Review | Steam)
- Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred: 90 (Review | Steam)
- Mina the Hollower: 90 (Review | Steam)
- Derelict Star: 90 (Review | Steam)
- Doom: The Dark Ages – Revelations: 90 (Review | Steam)
- Big Walk: 90 (Review | Steam)
- Star Wars Zero Company: 90 (Review | Steam)
All-time greats
Below are the top 10 games from the latest edition of PC Gamer's yearly Top 100 list, which was published in October 2025.
Whereas the list on this page is entirely focused on what to play right now and mainly features newer games, our Top 100 also considers historical significance.
The selection changes year-to-year not just because there are new games we want to include, but also because our collective tastes change as people join or leave the team, or because we've reevaluated a classic since the last vote.
The games that fell out of the top 10 this year are: Doom (1993), Minecraft, Persona 5 Royal, and Half-Life 2. New to the top 10 are: Dwarf Fortress, Crusader Kings 3, Caves of Qud, and Red Dead Redemption 2.
- Baldur's Gate 3: Our 2023 Game of the Year and a brilliant RPG (Steam/GOG)
- Disco Elysium: Our 2019 Game of the Year and former #1 game (Steam/GOG)
- Dwarf Fortress: There's nothing quite like this fantasy civilization sim (Steam)
- Crusader Kings 3: There's also nothing quite like this historical sim series (Steam)
- Stardew Valley: Still our favorite farming/life sim (Steam/GOG)
- Caves of Qud: A ridiculously deep roguelike (Steam/GOG)
- Balatro: The poker roguelike sensation was our 2024 Game of the Year (Steam)
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: Set a high bar for open world RPGs (Steam/GOG)
- Elden Ring: Another day, another FromSoftware masterpiece (Steam)
- Red Dead Redemption 2: Rockstar's classic western (Steam)
More resources and lists
Looking for more recommendations? We've got you covered.
- Steam Curator page: See our recommendations directly on Steam
- 2025 Game of the Year awards: Our favorite games of last year
- New games of 2026: What's ahead in PC gaming
- Gaming PC build guides: You'll need some hardware for all these games
- Steam sale dates: Find out when these games will be cheapest
- The best Steam Deck games: Great games for handhelds
- The best laptop games: Great games for laphelds
- The best free games on Steam: Can't beat the price
- The best indie games on PC: Also many of the best games period
- 14 underappreciated recent games: Great games you might've missed
Best games by genre
Find our selection of the best PC games just a bit too broad? Our genre lists have curated recommendations for RPGs, racing, strategy, and more.
