The PC is one of the oldest platforms for gaming and that gave us a bit of a challenge when making a list of best PC games. With a long history of games that are still playable, we had to account for way too many games to make this list. We followed our standard process to make a list of the top 25 PC games, which are listed below in alphabetical order. We looked at review aggregator websites such as Metacritic and OpenCritic to get a rough list of the top-rated PC games of all time. Then we pooled suggestions from Gadgets 360 staff members to include some of our all-time favourites, and finally narrowed it down to 25 games in what was a rather difficult process. We didn’t include games for Mac or Linux in this list but some of these games are available on those platforms too. Without further ado, here’s our list of the best PC games of all time.
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BioShock
BioShock fused political and philosophical thought with over the top action as you set deranged drug-addled foes alight with fire from your finger tips in an erstwhile underwater paradise called Rapture. You’ll explore unbelievable, yet fully realised, vistas, uncover plot points via recorded messages or the odd cut-scene, gun down enemies with an assortment of fire-arms or use plasmids that let you electrify or incinerate your enemies, or even summon a swarm of bees to devastate your opponents.
The story still holds up and if it didn’t exist we wouldn’t have had a sequel (and the amazing Minerva’s Den DLC) or BioShock: Infinite or Gone Home (made by the folks who brought us Minerva’s Den). Nonetheless, all the historical ramifications in the world pale in comparison to facing off against a Big Daddy for the first time. Oh and unleashing a swarm of bees on unsuspecting foes never gets old. Fun fact: India never did get the game even remotely on time, thanks to a confusion on who was distributing it. Fun fact: two BioShock games were developed in India.
Download: BioShock (Rs. 999)
Civilization VI
Civilization VI is one of the best turn-based strategy games for the PC. From the birth of human civilisation to colonising Mars, this game will take you through the journey of humanity — an alternate history if you will. Its excellent strategic elements allow you to forge a path to victory via combat, religion, science, or culture. This time around it’s easier to win without military expansion and that makes Civ VI more than just mindless killing. We also love the background score that picks up appropriately as you advance through the ages and hits a crescendo as your civilisation peaks.
Download: Civilization VI (Rs. 2,499)
Civilization VI is one of the best games for the PC
Company of Heroes
Real-time strategy as a genre has never been as good as it was back in the late 90s and 00s. Company of Heroes is just one of the many excellent RTS games of that era and it deserves its place in this list. Not only did Company of Heroes accurately recreate World War II battles, it also allowed you to focus on the combat by making resource gathering pretty simple. Instead of allocating half of your units to resource gathering, you simply take control of a few strategic points to gather resources. This way you can focus on combat, which is very well-balanced and the story mode is incredibly well directed too.
Download: Company of Heroes (Rs. 565)
Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2
Why do all of the greatest strategy games have names that start with C? Coincidence, probably. Back when Electronic Arts actually used to make some of the world’s best games, it released an RTS that has stood the test of time — Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2 is Age of Empires on steroids. While this game primarily has two factions for you to play as, its outrageous single-player campaign is totally worth experiencing. It has some excellent cut-scenes interspersed with epic battles between Allied and Soviet forces, and the best part is that you get to play as both factions during the single-player campaign. This one has definitely earned its place in the list of best PC games.
Download: Command and Conquer: The Ultimate Collection (Rs. 999, includes all games in this franchise)
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
As far as multiplayer games go, few first-person shooter games come close to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. With equally balanced sides (terrorists and counter-terrorists) and a huge competitive scene, CS: GO is the kind of game that’s hard to get tired of. It has a lot of game modes to keep you hooked (involving bombs, hostages, etc.) and its matchmaking system ensures that new players don’t feel intimidated.
Download: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (Rs. 565)
Deus Ex
The epitome of the thinking man’s shooter, Deus Ex allows players to progress through its expertly-designed levels and fantastic, conspiracy-fuelled story through any means necessary including pacifist, stealth, and violent methods. Thanks to a focus on open-ended gameplay and role-playing mechanics there’s a lot to love about this 2000 classic. Low system requirements coupled with the presence of some graphical mods go a long way in extending the life of the game. Keep in mind that you need Windows to run this, even though a Mac version was available back at the time of its original release.
Download: Deus Ex (Rs. 319)
Deus Ex is one of the best PC games ever made
Diablo 3
At launch Diablo 3 was ridiculed for Error 37 — a crippling fault that ensured fans of the action role-playing game couldn’t play the game. Years later, Blizzard has turned one of its biggest failings into a fantastic experience for seasoned veterans and newbies alike thanks to plenty of events. While the lack of a new expansion after the superlative Reaper of Souls is a blight on its record, little else comes in the way of recommending Diablo 3 as one of the best PC games thanks to its polished controls, stellar art direction, and addictive loop of monster slaying and loot collection that doesn’t get old even if you’re playing its campaign for the hundredth time.
Download: Diablo 3 (roughly Rs. 1,400)
Divinity: Original Sin 2
Divinity: Original Sin 2 balances freeform adventuring inspired by tabletop RPGs of yore with a tremendous cast and slick story backed up by solid writing. Don’t let the ‘2’ in the title fool you though, you don’t need to play the last game to understand this one and its open-ended nature makes it one of those games you a criminal amount of time into.
Download: Divinity: Original Sin 2
Doom
Doom fuses old school run and gun sensibilities with modern day graphics, and stellar level design. It doesn’t have a deep and thoughtful plot, but when you’re having so much fun shooting demons in the face, it doesn’t matter. Particularly on PC when its easy to maintain a butter-smooth 60fps.
Download: Doom (Rs. 1,599)
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Dota 2
No list of best PC games would be complete without Dota 2. This MOBA may pale in comparison to League of Legends in terms of revenue, but its popularity, consistent support from Valve, and a teeming community make it the choice for most. It’s deep, complex, and has a host of fascinating characters that warrant your consideration. Plus, it does free-to-play right. You never feel like you have to spend money in Dota 2 to progress, rather you just might loosen your purse strings in shame, given how generous Valve has been with content for the game.
Download: Dota 2 (Free)
Fallout New Vegas
A great soundtrack, nuanced conversation system, and a world that feels more lived-in and immersive than anything else we’ve experienced in the Fallout universe, developer Obsidian’s take on the Fallout series is still the pinnacle of the franchise. Throw in a host of mods and a DRM-free release on GOG, and there’s little reason not to lose yourself in the wastelands of Nevada, California, and Arizona.
Download: Fallout New Vegas (roughly Rs. 1400)
Forza Horizon 3
The racing game genre would’ve been poor if not for Microsoft’s continued investment into the Forza franchise. Forza Horizon 3 is easily the best arcade racing game of this generation and it’s so good that it manages to edge out stiff competition from games such as Need for Speed: Most Wanted (the original one) too. Forza Horizon 3 has everything you’d expect from a great arcade racing game — outrageous stunts, insane speed bursts, a phenomenal world for you to explore, wide variety of cars and events, and some fantastic expansions such as the Hot Wheels DLC.
Download: Forza Horizon 3 (Rs. 3,390)
GTA V
Whichever platform Grand Theft Auto V was released on, it excelled in. The game is insanely good and Rockstar has done a great job in keeping its quality top-notch across platforms. GTA V has an iconic single-player campaign with criss-crossing stories and multiple protagonists, some great writing and storytelling, and most importantly, excellent side-quests that add to the main story. If you don’t like Michael and Franklin, you can always play the game for Trevor.
Download: GTA V (Rs. 1,385)
Mass Effect 2
Role-playing games are among our favourite genres in gaming and Mass Effect 2 is still one of the best examples of the modern science fiction RPG. It builds upon the setting and universe of the first game to weave a timeless narrative that pits all sentient life forms against evil machines called Reapers. All of the main species in the game had such amazing stories tied to them — the tough Krogan dealing with genocide, intelligent salarians who first hired and then fired the Krogan, the Rachni queen, the Quarians and the Geth, and the Turians — to name a few.
All of this is backed up by polished gameplay mechanics, allowing you to get into cover or summon black holes to ensnare your foes with ease. Even though its paragon/ renegade system of black and white decisions hasn’t aged very well, Mass Effect 2’s story and combat are still exemplary. The developers also took some risky game design decisions that led to the death of a few important characters if you weren’t careful, which is rarely seen in games anymore.
Download: Mass Effect 2
Minecraft
Minecraft is another game that has made it to our list of best games on more than one platform and it deserves its place in each such list. Minecraft is not like most games that give you a set starting and ending point. A game where you craft items to survive, this game has inspired players to spend long hours crafting beautiful monuments and even to create a working computer inside the game. Minecraft is not for everyone, but if you are into building the world of your dreams in a video game, this is the best option for you.
Download: Minecraft (Rs. 1,274)
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Overwatch
Multiplayer shooting games don’t get much better than Overwatch. This game has made it to our best Xbox games list and the one where we list the best PS4 games as well. Overwatch goes beyond simple “team 1 vs team 2” shooting mechanic by introducing some fabulous ultimate moves for characters, focusing on a diverse cast of characters where team balance depends on having players pick a healing character and one that sets up defensive turrets. Its cartoonish heroes aren’t just cardboard cutout characters as the game has a pretty deep lore which adds a lot to the overall experience.
Download: Overwatch (roughly Rs. 1,400)
For multiplayer, Overwatch is the best PC game
Portal 2
Dark humour, AI running amok, and of course puzzles aplenty. Perhaps the last single-player game we’ll ever see from Valve, Portal 2 is a well-paced romp through physics-based obstacles galore. With Half-Life 3 vapourware, it’s as good a game as any for Valve to end its single-player ambitions with. And if its first-person puzzle trappings have grown on you, check out the excellent Talos Principle.
Download: Portal 2 (Rs. 349)
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Elder Scrolls franchise has set the benchmark for open-world role-playing games, with Skyrim putting you in the boots of an adventurer that shouts evildoers off a cliff and punches dragons in the face. It comes with a wealth of quest lines and more than its share of factions, and gives you so much to do that you will not get bored, a 100 hours in and we’re still finding new things to do in the game. There’s the Skyrim Special Edition too with reworked arts and effects, volumetric god rays, dynamic depth of field and official mod support – allowing users to place their own content in the game world. It also comes with three add-ons to the base game – the Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn DLCs. It also comes with all of the bugs of the original game for good measure. From the two, we prefer the original release due to the sheer number of mods for it and that it run on lower specced machines with ease.
Download: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Rs. 2,670)
Super Meat Boy
PC games have a long history of great platformers but few reached the level that Super Meat Boy did. This game is very difficult to master and requires a controller for the best experience, but it’s the perfect example of a game that rewards those who don’t give up. In Super Meat Boy, you play as Meat Boy, who’s trying to save his girlfriend Bandage Girl from the evil Dr. Fetus. To do this, you navigate through level after level of ridiculously difficult obstacles and see your character die countless times. When your character (you can choose to play as other characters such as Commander Video from Bit.Trip as well) dies, the game immediately lets you try the level again with no “Game Over” screen in between. This keeps you hooked and makes you want to give the level another shot when the going gets tough. Super Meat Boy’s controls are excellent and it never feels like the game is cheating to ramp up the difficulty, making it one of the best PC games around.
Download: Super Meat Boy (Rs. 479)
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
If you like open-world role-playing games, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is as good as it gets. PC gamers have the unique advantage of having all three games in this series on the platform and that means the decisions you made in the first two games affect the story in the third. The Witcher 3 has enough story content for you to spend 200 hours or more in-game and none of it feels like padding, and that’s before taking into account its two expansion packs. As you take Geralt of Rivia’s tale through to its conclusion, you’ll find yourself hooked to its story and thrilled by its combat. The unique combination of melee combat and magic, along with your trusted horse buddy Roach makes the game a lot of fun to play. Unlike most other RPGs, The Witcher series is known for putting you through a bunch of morally ambiguous choices and that makes it challenging to play if you want the best possible ending.
Download: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (Rs. 2,800)
An outstanding RPG, The Witcher 3 is also one of the best PC games
The Orange Box
The only compilation to make it to this list, The Orange Box is probably the most well-known collection of games on PC. Featuring Valve’s Half-Life 2 (along with two DLCs), Team Fortress 2, and Portal, this collection has some insanely highly rated games on board. For those who know nothing about these games — Half-Life 2 is the greatest first-person shooter ever made. When it released in 2004, it was praised for how well it blended great storytelling with an awesome FPS experience and that’s true to this day even though Valve has pretty much abandoned making single-player games.
Team Fortress 2 is a free-to-play multiplayer FPS with a tonne of content which makes money mostly thanks to in-game hats, but it was a premium game in the beginning making it one of the earliest successes of the concept of games as a service in addition to having balanced gameplay that’s inspired the likes of Overwatch. Portal is one of the best first-person puzzle games ever made, and anyone who doesn’t play it is missing out on a great experience. If you like these games, Half-Life and Portal 2 are also worth checking out.
Download: The Orange Box (Rs. 529)
Total War: Warhammer
The Total War series is known for two things — accurate recreation of historical battles and complex strategy gameplay. Total War: Warhammer does away with the former and replaces it with battles from the Warhammer universe. This gives a nice high fantasy touch to battles while still retaining what the franchise is known for in terms of gameplay. Total War: Warhammer is one of the best entries in the series and among the best turn-based strategy games overall. It may be a bit intimidating to those who aren’t used to complex strategy, but for purists this is just great.
Download: Total War: Warhammer (Rs. 1,999)
Undertale
Undertale uses rudimentary graphics that wouldn’t be out of place in the 8-bit era of consoles, yet it manages to display emotion far better than most photorealistic AAA titles. There’s an emphasis on non-violence but you’ll frequently find yourself in combat. If you’ve played RPGs before, you’ll appreciate Undertale immensely more than someone who hasn’t, due to its remixing of genre tropes in an almost satirical fashion. Weird and brilliantly subversive, this is one title in our list of best PC games you shouldn’t miss out on.
Download: Undertale (Rs. 369)
Vallhalla
Thanks to its quirky storytelling Vallhalla or VA-11 HALL-A as it’s called is a highly engaging experience wrapped in retro aesthetics. Some may argue that its simplified gameplay being subservient to narrative does little to make it a game in the modern, mainstream sense. However, it succeeds in presenting a slice of life in a dystopian future and drives home the point that not every video game has to have you as its central character. They can just be as fun with you serving its heroes copious amounts of alcohol as a bartender.
Download: Vallhalla (Rs. 459)
XCOM Enemy Unknown
XCOM Enemy Unknown is an addictive mix of combat and base management that has you playing till the early hours of the morning. Combined with the fact that you forge your squad of heroes from ragtag novices to elite killing machines makes it all the more painful when you lose one of them in battle as they never come back. It helps that it’s exceptionally optimised to run on PCs that aren’t the latest and greatest, and eases you in to its slick turn-based strategy with aplomb.
Download: XCOM Enemy Unknown (Rs. 1,499)
Which are your favourite PC games? Let us know via the comments.
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