We’re halfway through 2022, and despite some significant delays, it’s been a good year for PC gaming. The release calendar for big-budget games like Starfield has been beaten, but there’s still plenty to celebrate in 2022: a sleek port of Monster Hunter Rise, a gleeful destruction engine, Teardown, and adorable cats. platformers of Stray, and of course Elden Ring.
This list is a concrete answer to the question, “Which new PC games should I play?” just now?” includes the best PC games of the year, old favorites that feel like a good time to revisit now, and hidden gems of 2022. This is what the PC gamer team is currently playing. It’s a reflection of what’s going on, it’s not a list, it’s the best game of all time, albeit with some overlap (95% highest review score for 2022. In nearly 30 years of PC gamer history, Few games scored higher than that.)
For a more comprehensive list of great PC games, past and present, check out our annual Top 100. (opens in new tab) List of the best games on PC. We have a fresh pick of the best Steam Deck games (opens in new tab) If you have one of Valve’s handhelds on the way.
Also, stay on top of the yearly calendar with our guide to new games for 2022 (opens in new tab)organized by month.
Some good news related to this list: the graphics card shortage is finally easing. That means you can now build a brand new gaming PC at an exorbitant price. We have a guide for building an entry-level gaming PC. (opens in new tab) At around $750, pre-building is also an option if you want to jump right into the game. Here are some recommendations for prebuilt PCs. (opens in new tab)that too.
icon key
Browse through these emojis to narrow down what you’re looking for in our selection of the best PC games.
- 💻 = suitable for low-end PCs
- 🙋♀️ = single player
- 🙋♀️🙋♀️ = Multiplayer
- 🎮 = best with a controller
- 🆓 = Free to Play
what i’m playing now
These are the games that the PC gamer team is currently playing. The latest (or at least one month old) game in the Steam quick launch menu. See all recent game reviews here.
the best of the best
These games don’t all heat up right out of the oven, but some get better with age. The best games for PC, with scores of 90% and above in reviews and on the top 100 PC games lists. (opens in new tab)If you just want some great PC games from the last few years, check these out.
- Disco Elysium (92%) 🙋♀️💻: Game of the Year 2019 and #1 Best PC Game for 2 years in a row.
- Valheim 💻🙋♀️🙋♀️: A survival sandbox that rekindles our love of chopping, mining and building with stylish, sleek streamlining.
- Total War: Warhammer 3 (90%) 🙋♀️🙋♀️: A fantastic finale with the series’ most original and unusual faction.
- Weird Gardening (90%) 🙋♀️💻: A beautiful and addictive detective game full of mystery, puzzles, plants and intrigue.
- Defeat the spire (92%) 🙋♀️💻: Roguelike deck building aspires to beat everyone else.
- God of War (90%) 🙋♀️🎮: The best PS4 game turned into one of the best PC games.
- Monster Hunter: Rise (90%) 🙋♀️🙋♀️💻: Arguably the best entry in Capcom’s flagship series, and a game that never stops giving.
- Forza Horizon 5 (90%) 🙋♀️🙋♀️🎮: Even small improvements to the best racing series around are worth celebrating.
- Chivalry 2 (91%) 🙋♀️🙋♀️: A great medieval combat game that perfectly blends high tech with understated comedy.
- Wilderness myth (90%) 🙋♀️🙋♀️💻: Narrative design is genetically engineered and lives on in your head like an imaginary friend.
- Crusader Kings 3 (94%) 🙋♀️🙋♀️💻: The King is dead, Long live the King!
- Minecraft (96%) 💻🙋♀️🙋♀️: You can make anything you can imagine, as long as it’s made of cubes.
- Hitman 3 (90%) 🙋♀️: An assassination as finely honed as Agent 47’s head.
Best Competitive Multiplayer Game Today
Best PC games by genre
Is our selection of the best PC games a little too broad? Perhaps you know that you want a sim with a compelling story, an intense racer, or a sim who can spend an entire weekend playing like another job. The genre list is curated with recommendations for RPG, racing, strategy, and more. Check them out:
