Picking our best single-player PC games wasn’t easy. As much fun as it can be to knuckle down into a multiplayer match on Call of Duty or run dungeons on World of Warcraft, there are some unrivaled single-player gaming experiences out there, and the PC is one of the best places to have them.
Here are some of our favorite single-player PC games, from classics that stand the test of time to new titles sure to blow your socks off.
Narrowing the list down was a challenge so we made a long list of around 30 games that seemed worthy of inclusion, then sorted by Metacritic score to create the final list.
Deus Ex (2000) – 90 Metacritic Score
Despite being the oldest game on our list, Deus Ex is the poster child for standing the test of time. A pioneer of the immersive sim genre, it blew the socks off gamers at the time who had never seen such freedom in a game and continues to set the bar for player autonomy.
The original is only available if you’ve got a CD-ROM copy, but the Game of the Year edition is on Steam and is an excellent version of an excellent game.
Developer: Ion Storm
Publisher: Eidos Interactive
Half-Life 2 (2004) – 96 Metacritic Score
Half-Life 2’s innovations in immersive storytelling paved the way for modern gaming, and on top of that, it has some of the best action set pieces and level design in games.
Anyone who has ever wielded the iconic Gravity Gun will never forget the giddy joy of flinging random objects around, and Chapter 6, We Don’t Go To Ravenholm, is still one of gaming’s scariest levels.
Developer: Valve
Publisher: Valve
Portal (2007) – 90 Metacritic Score
Portal took the world by storm with its irreverent humor, engrossing story, and fun but challenging puzzles.
Little did Valve know that they released a game that launched a thousand (and then some) memes. The influence the game had on pop culture is immeasurable, and people are still making “the cake is a lie” jokes over 15 years later.
Of course, it wouldn’t have had the sticking power without being an incredible puzzle game, with an excellent and simple core concept.
Developer: Valve
Publisher: Valve
Bioshock (2007) – 96 Metacritic Score
Bioshock has one of the greatest storytelling twists of all time – up there with The Shining and The Prestige. But it’s not only the incredible plot and storytelling that cements its place in the pantheon of greats.
The gameplay is frenetic, with a fun range of weapons at the player’s disposal. The satisfaction of freezing a Splicer and then smashing it into pieces with your wrench never gets old.
We must also mention the ruined, art-deco, underwater city of Rapture, where the game is set. The breathtaking opening sequence which sees the player journey to this majestic yet horror-filled world immediately hooks players in. Despite its age the game holds up really well.
Developer: 2K Boston/2K Australia
Publisher: 2K
Skyrim (2011) – 96 Metacritic Score
Skyrim has almost transcended games. Sure there’s no cash-grab live-action movie or quick-buck follow-up, but it has become a comfort and a place of home for many people.
The game’s scale was gobsmacking when it came out, and still feels huge today.
While it isn’t without flaws (especially when compared to modern titles) Skyrim is an extremely fun game to sink a few hours into, even now. And there are always more mods out there.
Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Hollow Knight (2017) – 90 Metacritic Score
Hollow Knight is the quintessential indie darling, and rightly so. Not every game could summon legions of fans out of the woodwork at every gaming announcement live stream chanting the name of its long-awaited sequel. But Hollow Knight deserves it.
Tricky platforming, challenging combat, and a Metroidvania-driven exploration all wrapped around some deep, weird lore. Community mods and challenges including randomizers and bingo sheets have given it even more staying power.
Developer: Team Cherry
Publisher: Team Cherry
Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018) – 97 Metacritic Score
Red Dead Redemption 2 shines as an open world that truly earns the right to be called an open world.
There is so much to do across the gigantic map, from points of interest to emergent gameplay and stories arising from passing NPCs.
On top of that, the story is an extremely high caliber and it’s very easy to become attached to Arthur Morgan, whether you agree with his choices or not, which makes the ending land all the harder.
Developer: Rockstar Games
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Disco Elysium (2019) – 91 Metacritic Score
Disco Elysium is a game that feels like it shouldn’t work, but it works so well. Story-driven to the exclusion of all else, Disco Elysium borrows from point-and-click and roleplaying games in service of its dystopian world and alcoholic, amnesiac protagonist.
The world is deeply realized, the characters are exceptionally well characterized, and the writing is second to none. It’s a real shame studio ZA/UM was beset with issues and the chances of a follow-up are next to nothing. We’ll just have to treasure what we do have.
Developer: ZA/UM
Publisher: ZA/UM
Persona 5 Royal (2020) – 95 Metacritic Score
Persona 5 Royal brings its A-game in every category. The story is excellent, the characters are interesting and engaging, and the gameplay is deep and varied.
Combat in the game has a ton of tactics available, and the story is engrossing. The soundtrack also absolutely slaps. Even if you don’t typically enjoy JRPGs, this game is so stylish and well-made that it is worth a try, especially while we wait for Persona 6.
Developer: ATLUS
Publisher: SEGA
Elden Ring (2022) – 96 Metacritic Score
Even before you factor in the incredible DLC, Elden Ring is a mind-blowing achievement in gaming. The world is vast, and opens out before you in a way that makes you keep asking ‘How is there still more to explore?’
The story is mysterious and opaque, leaving tons of room for interpretation. And the combat, which is the focal point of the game, is some of the best in any game, ever.
Myriad styles of combat and weapons are available for you to choose from, all just as fun and viable as the next.
You can play just the main path in 45 hours, or you can spend 120 hours combing over the entire map and beating each one of the 165 bosses. Elden Ring is unparalleled at what it does.
Developer: FromSoftware
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Baldur’s Gate 3 (2023) – 96 Metacritic Score
Baldur’s Gate 3 is hands down one of the best single-player gaming experiences available today. It’s a once-in-a-generation level masterpiece of storytelling and gameplay.
The characters are supremely well-written – they each have their own backstories, motives, and interior lives, and getting to know them feels incredibly real.
The gameplay is based on the tabletop roleplaying game Dungeons and Dragons, but adapted to videogaming in a fun and fair way, leaving huge amounts of freedom for players to tackle problems as they see fit. The system also has an absolute stack of character options, with many abilities to choose from.
The differences that arise from player choices are noticeable and integrate seamlessly into the ongoing story. Even if you’re not usually a fan of turn-based combat, you owe it to yourself to try Baldur’s Gate 3, even if it’s just so you can smooch Karlach.
Developer: Larian
Publisher: Larian
Honorable Mentions
A few games didn’t make the main list but are so good they deserved a mention at least. If you’re looking for even more of the best single-player PC games, check out these.
Alien: Isolation – 79 Metacritic Score: horror at its finest
Prey – 79 Metacritic Score: a modern immersive sim with incredible enemy design
Fallout: New Vegas – 84 Metacritic Score: some of the best post-apocalyptic media available today
FTL: Faster Than Light: 84 Metacritic Score: space exploration roguelike with fun, unique gameplay
Outer Wilds – 85 Metacritic Score: beautiful exploration and puzzles that will make you cry at banjo music
Cyberpunk 2077 – 86 Metacritic Score: with the Phantom Liberty update, one of the best RPGs out there
Xcom 2 – 88 Metacritic Score: turn-based strategy with brutally punishing gameplay
Civilization 6 – 94 Metacritic Score: modern 4-X at its best
Minecraft – 82 Metacritic Score: the game that never ends where you can build anything you can imagine
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