Amazing PC Games With Low System Requirements

It becomes abundantly clear from playing PC games that graphics aren’t everything. Many of the most streamed games on Twitch have low PC requirements, which isn’t a coincidence. Sometimes developers sacrifice gameplay quality for graphics. It’s an unfair tradeoff, but it’s a stark reality.

Someone can pour hundreds of hours into these games until their laptop or desktop computer overheats. With a quality PC build, people can play most of these games on maximum settings or increase the frame rate on lower settings. Note that many of the best low-spec PC games are also playable on macOS.

BattleBit Remastered

Steam User Rating: 89%

Players who love the Battlefield franchise but may not have a proper setup to enjoy it on PC can turn to BattleBit Remastered. This Roblox-style shooter looks deceptively simple from the outside but actually features some incredibly tight, entertaining, and fluid FPS gameplay.

Players will be able to jump in with friends and join massive online battles with 254 players at a time, greatly eclipsing the amount in a standard Battlefield-style server, thanks to their much lower graphical requirements. BattleBit Remastered is a fantastic way to scratch the FPS itch and doesn’t require a high-end PC to enjoy.

Hotline Miami

Steam User Rating: 97%

Hotline Miami follows a nameless protagonist who receives cryptic messages that are generally interpreted as “go here and kill everyone.” Set in the late ’80s, the top-down shooter is drenched in neon lights and video game eccentricities that inspire players to not give much consideration to the reasons behind their actions. As the killer shoots their way through a building’s floors, they leave behind a trail of blood, guts, and bonus points.

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Straightforward as the formula sounds on paper, Hotline Miami contains quite a bit of depth, both in the way stages need to be approached and the narrative that drives the slaughter. Perhaps more importantly, the game is a lot of fun to play, and it has not aged a bit since its 2012 debut. Hotline Miami is not just one of the best low-end PC games but also one of the greatest projects of all time.

The Forest

Steam User Rating: 95%

Eric wakes up on a treacherous island without his son, and he soon comes to realize that surviving a plane crash was the easy part of this adventure. A survival horror game, The Forest incorporates most of the standard elements associated with the genre, including crafting tools, building shelter, and finding food. Eric must also deal with the locals who happen to be cannibals, although they are not necessarily evil (or good).

The Forest is a must-play for survival or horror fans. While not especially striking in the visual department, its gameplay and story are rock-solid. A sequel called Sons of the Forest launched in February 2023, but that requires more juice under a computer’s hood.

Portal 2

Steam User Rating: 98%

Valve does a fantastic job optimizing its games, with pretty much all of them playing well on low-end PCs. Portal 2 is no exception, although the game can look pretty fantastic with high-end graphics. But even “watered down,” and with the settings on low, Portal 2 is one of the most engaging and entertaining puzzle adventures ever produced. Most players come to experience the hilarious storyline and stellar voice action, only to be completely gripped by Portal’s unique brand of gameplay.

What’s even better is that Portal 2 can be enjoyed with a friend, thanks to an entirely separate cooperative storyline. This means there’s twice as much to see and do in Portal 2, and it should all run smoothly with low requirements.

Among Us

Steam User Rating: 92%

It’s hard sometimes to find enjoyable multiplayer games that feature very low-end requirements but there are some serious gems out there. Among Us is a great example that video games don’t need insanely complex graphics or gameplay elements to be a blast. With its cute 2D art style and mini-game-like structure, Among Us offers players a fun gameplay loop that is accentuated by a multiplayer mechanic that makes it even more engaging.

Not only will players enjoy the “tasks” sprinkled around each map, but they’ll also need to keep away from a player-slaying imposter, while also maintaining their innocence.

Disco Elysium

Steam User Rating: 93%

Released in 2019 before receiving an updated version two years later, Disco Elysium is among the most decorated RPGs of the last decade. ZA/UM’s game follows an amnesiac detective who is assigned a murder case, one that quickly spirals out of control while also revealing different facades of the protagonist.

Presented from an isometric angle, Disco Elysium is reminiscent of old-school ’90s RPGs that prioritize world-building and dialogue over action. Set in cyberpunk-esque universe, the story dives into the political ideologies that shape the world’s various cultures, and the player’s choices impact the protagonist’s thought patterns and beliefs. Disco Elysium is a story-driven experience with fantastic writing, unforgettable characters, and genuinely impactful choices. Ultimately, the RPG is not for everyone, but that has nothing to do with its accessible specs.

Tomb Raider

Steam User Rating: 96%

Crystal Dynamics’ Tomb Raider reboot will be celebrating its 10-year anniversary soon. While the sequels surpass the 2013 game in a number of ways, Lara Croft’s first “contemporary” adventure is arguably the most consistently great, and the game does not outstay its welcome. Anyone looking for an action-packed game with good visuals, fun gameplay, and a passable storyline will find what they are looking for in this title.

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Tomb Raider is well-optimized on PC, and the game is likely to run on most (relatively) modern systems. On low settings, the game can be played on a laptop with Intel HD Graphics 3000 and a halfway decent processor. Lara might lag on occasion, but she will run.

Subnautica

Steam User Rating: 96%

Compared to some other low-spec PC games, Subnautica requires slightly more juice under the hood, which is to be expected of a 2018 open-world release. However, Unknown Worlds’ game entered early access in 2014, and its system requirements are more in line with projects from that era. Consequently, this title is a great option for users with budget computers who are searching for an immersive 3D experience with a reasonably-sized map for exploration.

Crash-landing on planet 4546B, Ryley Robinson finds herself alone in a world consisting primarily of water. In order to survive and perhaps find a way off this rock, the protagonist must scour the ocean for resources, a process that is just as likely to produce beautiful or nightmarish sights.

Kerbal Space Program

Steam User Rating: 95%

A space flight sim, Kerbal Space Program has been around in some form since 2011, although its official release did not happen until 2015. Do not be fooled by the quirky mascots into believing this is an accessible and casual game as that is far from the case. Kerbal Space Program strives for realism, and players need to know what they are doing if they want a successful lift-off, let alone complete a full trip.

Even though the gameplay is difficult to master, the journey tends to be fun regardless of whether a mission ends in triumph or failure. Kerbal Space Program has an active online community that has crafted tons of great mods and is likely to keep the game active for a long time, even with a sequel announced for 2023.

Loop Hero

Steam User Rating: 93%

Loop Hero is a fantastic strategy game with a unique premise and some serious nostalgic vibes. Featuring a chiptune soundtrack and some SNES-era graphics, this procedurally-generated RPG world doesn’t take extensive PC hardware to run well. That said, players with high-end PCs shouldn’t sleep on this title just because it looks and feels like a retro release.

The world of Loop Hero is complex, giving players the opportunity to “influence a world” rather than simply control a character. They’ll need to place down cards, create paths, manage resources, and “strategize for the future.” It’s challenging, deceptively simplistic, and a good change of pace for players looking for something to tease their brains.

Killer Is Dead

Steam User Rating: 77%

Grasshopper Manufacturer’s Killer is Dead garnered a mixed reception upon release, mostly thanks to its similarities to the developer’s more popular No More Heroes games and some rather awful mini-games. However, the hack and slash title’s positives still shine roughly a decade following its debut. Firstly, the game’s stylized graphics have aged beautifully, arguably better than most mid-tier 2013 releases with more realistic visuals. Secondly, and more importantly, Killer is Dead‘s combo-driven combat is incredibly fun, and it holds up well on repeat playthroughs.

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Killer is Dead was never a very demanding game, and in 2023, most low-spec laptops are likely to be able to run it. Due to its unique art style, the title still looks decent even when its graphics settings are set to as low as possible.

Batman: Arkham Asylum

Steam User Rating: 96%

Batman: Arkham Asylum, City, and Origins are all good games for low-end PCs, and they come with the added bonus of being quite cheap. Arkham Asylum might drop players in a smaller-scale playground than its successors, but this translates to a strong and focused campaign. Visually, the 2010 game has aged extremely well, thanks in part to its Gothic and stylish architecture.

Arkham Asylum is one of the greatest and most influential action games of all time. Rocksteady’s combat system inspired projects like Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, Mad Max, and Remember Me, and none of those titles are as great as Arkham Asylum.

Fallout: New Vegas

Steam User Rating: 96%

Fallout 1-3 and New Vegas are safe picks for RPG fans with low-end computers. Although naturally dated in certain ways, all four games have timeless strengths, with Fallout 1 and 2‘s storytelling aging particularly well. Fallout 3 is still probably Bethesda’s strongest entry in the series, and mods have greatly extended the game’s lifespan.

New Vegas serves as a middle-ground between Fallout‘s isometric and 3D eras, combining the complex world-building and quest design of the former with the modern sensibilities of the latter. Obsidian’s RPG can be enjoyed without any mods, although that scene should not be ignored either.

HoloCure – Save The Fans!

Steam User Rating: 99%

Auto-action roguelikes in the style of Vampire Survivors are basically all great picks for low-spec PC gaming since they are as untaxing on hardware as possible. And, the subgenre has produced a fair few impeccable titles beyond just Vampire Survivors. One project that came out of nowhere but quickly rose to the top of the pile was HoloCure – Save the Fans!, a fan-made release revolving around HoloLive’s Vtubers. Now, this description might put off people who are not interested in that side of pop culture, but the game is surprisingly accessible to non-fans.

Ultimately, at its core, HoloCure is a colorful, creative, and addictive roguelike that comes with a surprisingly robust selection of characters that play quite differently from each other. Most importantly, HoloCure is free-to-play, meaning it comes with absolutely no risk. While a work in progress, the current version is still packed to the brim with content, and players can easily spend hours on end just trying to unlock all the playable Vtubers.

Age Of Empires 2 Definitive Edition

Steam User Rating: 94%

Compared to most other low-spec games recommended in this article, Age of Empires 2 Definitive Edition requires slightly more power under the hood; however, the 1999 original game and its HD version are also readily available and can be run on a toaster. A contender for the greatest strategy title of all time, AOE 2 combines city building and war management to create a deep and potentially endless experience.

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Besides a graphical upgrade, the Definitive Edition primarily sticks to implementing quality-of-life improvements, most of which enhance the gameplay in small but welcome ways. There are also a few new campaigns and modes, so this package is not simply a more beautiful version of a timeless classic.

Darkest Dungeon

Steam User Rating: 91%

Those who enjoy punishing gameplay and strategy elements should put Darkest Dungeon at the top of their list. This gritty, macabre RPG is downright unfair at times, hitting players with strings of bad luck and RNG-generated madness. Even the smartest and most prepared players can find themselves hopelessly clinging to life at the hands of Darkest Dungeon‘s mechanics.

Thanks to its charming 2D aesthetic and side-scrolling action, Darkest Dungeon doesn’t require an immense amount of PC power to run smoothly. A lack of complex particle effects paired with its hand-drawn and sometimes simplistic graphics allows players with low-end PCs to join in on the fun. It also features a pretty dedicated modding community, so there’s a lot of customization to be found.

Undertale

Steam User Rating: 96%

There’s a lot of debate found throughout the gaming world on whether games need expressive graphics and gameplay to be considered truly great. Undertale firmly plants itself as an Indie release that proves that a game can have a fantastic story, fun gameplay, and engaging characters with minimal graphics and effects.

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Toby Fox created an incredibly imaginative world that spawned a massive cult following thanks to its colorful cast of characters, incredible soundtrack, and fast-paced dodge-based gameplay elements. Anyone who hasn’t played Undertale is seriously missing out and its ability to run well on even the lowest of low-end PCs gives almost anyone a chance to experience it.

Stardew Valley

Steam User Rating: 98%

Farming games, like tycoon games, are typically great for low-end devices. The goals of the game are simple on the surface, but with layers and layers of depth to keep players engaged. And, of course, it’s hard to mention the genre without bringing up the best title: Stardew Valley. This game wears a lot of different hats over the core farming gameplay loop, and it executes everything it tries to do well.

In terms of running games on low-end computers, the minimum requirements for Stardew Valley include Windows Vista as the operating system, among other quaint settings. If that doesn’t indicate the fact this game can run on anything, I don’t know what else will. It’s frequently on sale, so PC game players both hardcore and casual have no excuse to not pick up Stardew Valley.

Slay The Spire

Steam User Rating: 97%

Slay the Spire is one of the best roguelites of all time and basically shaped what became the deck-building subgenre. The game is simple and easy to learn but with so much depth in building decks that each character can play radically differently between each attempt. For example, the mage analog in The Defect can use its elemental orbs to succeed or can pick up a bunch of Claws and rip enemies apart. It’s so much fun to experiment, and getting an overpowered run is an amazing dopamine hit.

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For low-end PCs, the game’s style is what carries it over the edge. It doesn’t look like a typical card game, but it certainly runs like one. Even the slowest of PCs can get the game going without too much effort. For fans of the genres Slay the Spire flirts with, it’s definitely worth it to check out.

Far Cry 3

Steam User Rating: 89%

Debuting in 2012, Far Cry 3 is more than a decade old by this point. In Ubisoft’s long history of open-world releases, few garnered as much praise or were as influential as Far Cry 3. A critical and commercial success, the FPS drops players on Rook Islands, a gorgeous but highly dangerous archipelago that does not take kindly to outsiders.

Featuring an iconic villain in Vaas and a decent protagonist in Jason Brody, the campaign holds up reasonably well. Although expanded upon by its sequels, Far Cry 3‘s gameplay is still fun today. The gunplay is responsive, while the exploration benefits from taking place on a big but not overwhelming map.

Fortnite

Metascore: 81

Plenty of things contributed to Fortnite‘s success. Epic capitalized on the battle royale craze just as it was picking up steam, arguably producing the subgenre’s definitive IP. This mode’s free-to-play status attracted people who might have been on the fence about dropping cash on something like PUBG. The gameplay is intuitive and addictive for both the battle royale mode and Save the World, while Fortnite‘s love for cross-promotion has prolonged its existence in the public eye.

All those components helped cement the license as a juggernaut, however, the importance of the PC game’s low specs should not be underestimated. Fortnite has become the de facto “casual” game because of its accessibility, not only in terms of its content but also availability. Essentially, almost anyone can play this (highly popular) release.

Genshin Impact

Metascore: 84

Another extremely popular free-to-play release, Genshin Impact is an action RPG that utilizes a gacha system for unlocking characters. Set in Teyvat, the game has been steadily expanding its world, story, and roster of characters, and the future is bright for Mihoyo’s project. Now, Genshin Impact requires a bit more under the hood than most other low-spec PC games mentioned in this article, but the requirements are shockingly manageable for what is an open-world experience filled with content.

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Even if its graphics or map density cannot compare to games like The Witcher 3 or Grand Theft Auto 6, Genshin Impact is still visually appealing and offers quite a variety of variety in its locations and storytelling.

Dusk

Steam User Rating: 97%

Steam is flooded with retro shooters, and most do not have high technical barriers for entries. Prodeus, Ultrakill, HROT, Amid Evil, and Cultic are all very good FPS games that harbor back to old-school projects like Doom and Blood, which are also options for anyone who wishes to revisit the classics rather than their spiritual successors. Out of all these releases, Dusk is arguably the pick of the bunch, offering three fantastic campaigns that are gruesome, intense, and fantastically designed.

While adhering to the standards of ’90s shooters, Dusk also fully embraces horror, arguably more so than any of its contemporaries. The episodic structure allows the game to shake up its setting and enemies, ensuring things do not get repetitive. Most importantly, Dusk‘s nails its weapons and gunplay.

Torchlight 2

Steam User Rating: 93%

Released in 2012, Torchlight 2 attracted attention for providing a traditional hack and slash experience during a time when they were hard to come by. It is hardly surprising that a decade-old game can be run on the PC equivalent of a toaster, especially one that was not even intensive when it debuted. Regardless of its age, Torchlight 2 is still a fantastic dungeon crawler and a must-play for anyone itching to pick up as much loot as digitally possible.

The RPG’s cartoonish art style is timeless in a similar way to how the early Borderlands games look set to always be pleasant to the eyes. More importantly, Torchlight 2‘s gameplay also seems to be immune to aging, provided a player enjoys its classic approach to combat.

Spelunky

Steam User Rating: 92%

Spelunky is one of the definite indie titles on both PC and console. In terms of influence, the game should be considered in the same league as The Binding of Isaac, Cave Story, and Super Meat Boy. It’s a game designed with infinite ways to make the player struggle, but just as many ways to help the player succeed. Sometimes the chips don’t fall in favor of Spelunky Guy, but when they do, it’s so worth it.

The sequel, Spelunky 2, delivers more of the same, but it may require a somewhat more modern system to get working. Spelunky‘s HD port on Steam, on the other hand, can still run on Windows XP. The game operates smoothly and is still as engrossing as ever.

The Witcher 2: Assassins Of Kings

Steam User Rating: 90%

While The Witcher 3 requires a fairly hefty PC to run, the same cannot be said about the older entries in the franchise. Considering the original sequel debuted in 2011, The Witcher 2‘s low PC requirements are not that unexpected; however, the RPG is also very well optimized. Quite a few non-gaming modern laptops are likely to meet the game’s recommended criteria, resulting in a decent experience rather than just a serviceable one.

Overshadowed as it might be by its more decorated successor, The Witcher 2 is nevertheless a fantastic game by most metrics. Rather than open-world, the RPG’s campaign is divided into semi-explorable regions, each one containing side quests along with the main story beats. Unsurprisingly, CD Projekt Red’s tight writing is in full display throughout The Witcher 2, and an argument could be made that this entry’s central storyline is better than the one in its sequel.

Alien: Isolation

Steam User Rating: 92%

The gaming industry has tried its hand at a lot of Alien projects over the years, a few of which are even decent. While the majority of these titles take inspiration from the more action-oriented Aliens and Aliens vs. Predator, the franchise’s strongest game turns to the 1979 original movie for tips on how to craft a proper sci-fi horror experience that could terrify genre veterans. A direct sequel to the film, Alien: Isolation centers around Ellen Ripley’s daughter as she tries to discover what happened to her mother. Naturally, Amanda finds herself stuck in a space station that happens to have a Necromorph problem.

Alien: Isolation nails the most important thing about the franchise: the Necromorph is a genuine threat. Throughout most of the campaign, Amanda is very much the prey, and she spends her time trying to hide away from the deadly creature stalking her. Graphically, Creative Assembly designed a fairly impressive game that is not too taxing on the system, which makes sense since the space station is a rather desolate place.

Hollow Knight

Steam User Rating: 97%

The 2010s saw the independent scene reach dizzying new heights. Each year seemed to produce an indie game that could match AAA projects in most areas besides their budget. Hollow Knight is one such masterpiece, and the game’s brilliance attracted a passionate and large fanbase that is eagerly awaiting its sequel, Silksong. Naturally, 2D Metroidvanias should never require an RTX 4090 to get a solid 60 fps, and the genre has produced plenty of low-spec classics; however, Hollow Knight still manages to stand out from the crowd.

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Visually, the game is nothing short of striking. Hallownest is a hauntingly gorgeous world that is deceptively massive; in fact, the latter extends to Hollow Knight in general. Team Cherry’s title is absolutely overflowing with secrets, weapons, side quests, and bosses, to the point that a playthrough can easily last around 50 hours. It is all high-quality stuff as well.

Celeste

Steam User Rating: 97%

2D platformers are a dime-a-dozen in the independent scene. They come around so often, they do have a habit of blending together; consequently, if a game manages to stand out from the crowd, that must mean it is extra special. Celeste is one of those releases. Matt Makes Games’ title follows Madeline as she tries to scale the eponymous mountain, a journey that serves as a metaphor for her own experiences with things like depression.

Celeste is a very difficult game, which makes sense considering the mature themes it tries to tackle. For the most part, platformers tend to prioritize gameplay over story, but this 2018 project is something of an exception since it melts the two together in a way that causes them to be intrinsically linked.

Kenshi

Steam User Rating: 95%

Initially created by one person (Chris Hunt), Kenshi is an ambitious indie title that has been around for more than a decade. The project takes cues from strategy, survival, and role-playing games, combining them to create a package with basically no peers. Although not much of a looker, Kenshi‘s rough aesthetic fits its Mad Max-esque universe, all the while ensuring that most modern computers should be able to run the game without much issue.

Kenshi strips the open-world concept down to its fundamentals. Players are dropped into a sandbox and essentially given no direction or story to follow; basically, they are left to their own devices. While overwhelming at first, this level of freedom is the game’s best overall feature, and it can create an addictive escape from reality.

Team Fortress 2

Steam User Rating: 93%

Team Fortress 2 is free-to-play on the Steam Store, and the game still continues to sit somewhere near the top of the platform’s most-played titles. It’s a multiplayer first-person shooter from Valve, the famed developers that brought the world Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Half-Life, and Portal. Games like Overwatch might not exist if it weren’t for TF2.

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Even if someone has a basic integrated graphics card like the Intel HD Graphics 630, they will probably meet the minimum and recommended requirements for Team Fortress 2. Although it’s aged since its release in 2007, the gameplay holds up well.

Gang Beasts

Steam User Rating: 84%

Nowadays, quite a few of the most popular casual games come with a low barrier for entry. Gang Beasts is a silly physics-based multiplayer title that sees players trying to push each other toward certain doom. Boasting vibrant graphics, Boneloaf’s game is a crowd-pleaser capable of entertaining both casual and hardcore gamers.

Gang Beasts does not require much power under the hood, and the game is likely to be playable on most modern laptops regardless of whether they are intended for gaming or not. As this is solely a multiplayer package, anyone seeking a solo experience should look elsewhere.

Call Of Juarez Gunslinger

Steam User Rating: 95%

Released in 2013, Call of Juarez Gunslinger is a Western shooter split into short chapters revolving around famous figures from history. Silas Greaves saunters into a saloon filled with patrons who are (mostly) willing to hear his wild tales, some of which sound too outlandish to be true.

Although hardly a graphical powerhouse, Gunslinger‘s visuals have aged shockingly well, and the same could be said for its gunplay. Although repetitive at times, the campaign shakes things up just enough to keep things interesting. The narrator’s big personality also enhances these stories.

Postal 2

Steam User Rating: 96%

The Postal series has produced its share of terrible games (Postal 3), but there is a reason Running with Scissors’s franchise is still around more than two decades after its debut. A lot of the goodwill acquired by the license can be credited to Postal 2, arguably the only genuinely decent entry in the series prior to 2022’s Brain Damaged.

As the infamous Postal Dude, players lead their lives in a relatively normal town; however, they can decide to turn things on their heads whenever they want. Postal 2 is unapologetically violent and irreverent, but it is also entertaining.

Warframe

Steam User Rating: 86%

Warframe has been around since 2013, and the game has evolved significantly over the last decade. Since the very start, Digital Extremes’ free RPG delivered fast-paced combat that ranked among the online sphere’s best options; however, it took a while for the package around the battle system to blossom into something special. Nowadays, Warframe has the content to back up its mechanics.

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Now, that’s not to say the RPG has no flaws, as it is very grind-heavy and does a pretty terrible job of easing in newcomers. However, Warframe can be generally enjoyed without spending a dime, which is not something that can be said for every free-to-play game.

Project Zomboid

Steam User Rating: 94%

Project Zomboid has been in early access for nearly a decade, but despite all that time in the oven, the game has continued to consistently sit among Steam’s most successful releases. The 2D horror title takes place in a grueling open-world where the main goal is survival, although there is a backstory for those who wish to do so. However, the gameplay loop revolves entirely around collecting resources to build the necessary equipment to persevere as long as possible in a post-apocalyptic universe.

Although not much of a looker, Project Zomboid‘s presentation gets the job done and does not distract from the gameplay. The game was not especially difficult to run when it debuted in the early 2010s, and it is now firmly established as one of the best low-end PC games on the market.

Diablo 3: Reaper Of Souls

Metascore: 87

Compared to other major 2023 releases like Street Fighter 6, Hogwarts Legacy, Resident Evil 4, Dead Space, and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Diablo 4 is forgiving when it comes to minimum specs. Nevertheless, a player needs at least a GTX 660 and an i5 2500K to get the game running, which will eliminate most people who do not have a gaming-leaning desktop or laptop. If an action RPG cannot quite get Blizzard’s project running, they can always just check out Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls.

While the original version of Diablo 3 garnered a lot of criticism, the Reaper of Souls iteration is generally well regarded, to the point that it should have been the entry’s launch state. Although not a looker by traditional standards, the game’s visuals hold up rather well, provided the cartoonish visuals hit the mark with a player.

Sonic Mania

Steam User Rating: 94%

Sonic the Hedgehog has led a rough life. Nowadays, Sega’s legendary mascot has a resume filled with both masterpieces and bottom-of-the-barrel junk, and the latter have dominated the discourse over the last two decades. Despite its many failures, when the franchise gets a project right, it tends to hit a home run. Sonic Mania is almost unquestionably the license’s best title of the current century, and it was developed by a team that previously worked on fangames.

The developers’ experience shines through the game’s retro visuals, tight level design, great music, and classic gameplay. Sonic Mania pays homage to the Blue Blur’s Genesis era in a way that feels fresh rather than a complete retread, although that might have to do with the fact Sega had largely ignored 2D Sonic except for a few levels in games like Sonic Generations.

Cities: Skylines

Steam User Rating: 93%

Any city-building fan has likely dropped hundreds of hours into 2015’s Cities: Skylines, a game that proved to be one of the genre’s best releases of the 2010s. These types of titles have a reputation for being inaccessible; however, in recent years, developers have taken strides to lower the bar for entry.

Cities: Skylines represents this endeavor better than any of its contemporaries. Along with being ported to most modern consoles, the game is very beginner-friendly, all the while still offering a fair amount of depth.

Hades

Steam User Rating: 98%

Supergiant’s Hades is comfortably among the most popular roguelites on the market, and it serves as a good entry point for newcomers to the genre. The narrative follows Zagreus, the eponymous god’s son who wants to leave the Underworld and make his way to Olympus. However, his father rejects this plan, and he intends to not make the journey easy for the young prince. As a roguelite, Hades‘ loop revolves around replaying the same stages; however, unlike many similar games, defeat does not result in a complete reset. Instead, Zagreus’ story develops naturally following a failure, so there is a constant sense of progression during the first 20 hours or so.

Boasting a gorgeous art style and fast-paced hack and slash combat, Hades knocks its presentation out of the park. Although an indie release, Supergiant’s title is so polished and visually striking that it outshines most AAA projects; however, unlike the latest gaming blockbusters, Hades does not require a high-end PC. In fact, the game is really not demanding.

Barotrauma

Steam User Rating: 93%

If Earth’s deep waters can inspire chills, then a distant moon’s seas are the stuff of nightmares. Barotrauma taps into humanity’s innate fear of the unknown by locking players in a submarine and tasking them with exploring an ocean riddled with creatures that would not look out of place in a Lovecraftian story. Blending survival horror with RPG elements, Barotrauma‘s brilliance really shines through when co-op is in play. Undertow’s game supports up to 16 players, all of whom would be assigned roles within the submarine.

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Although certainly indie in presentation, the project nonetheless looks great and stylish, and it manages to produce some real scares despite being presented from an angle that does not facilitate horror particularly well. Barotrauma is an intense, suffocating experience that will test a team’s communication, competence, and foresight, and its low barrier of entry when it comes to specs means that most people should be able to tag along for the ride.

Minecraft

Metascore: 93

Many of the most popular video games have low PC requirements. It’s not always about frame rate or graphics, which is why a game like Minecraft is widespread.

This block-building game is nothing short of a phenomenon, and a huge part of its appeal is its accessibility. Minecraft is a game for everyone, and that is reflected in both its creativity-driven content and its undemanding PC requirements.

League Of Legends

Metascore: 78

Whether someone is a League of Legends or a Dota 2 player, they can’t deny that the former has left a huge impact on the gaming world. League of Legends is a MOBA that can be difficult for newcomers to jump into, especially after the game has been on the market for so long, but players won’t need an especially jacked PC to get the title running.

LoL is an entity onto itself; a beast of a game that dominates lives and continuously evolves. It might not cost money or hardware, but LoL demands time.

Papers, Please

Steam User Rating: 97%

An indie darling released in 2013, Papers, Please utilizes a minimalist presentation to tell a harrowing story about war, sacrifice, and guilt. Set in a fictional state that is at odds with other countries, players control a border agent who must examine the documents of migrants trying to cross over. Simultaneously a nameless cog in the machine and an entity capable of dictating the lives of countless people, players will steadily come to understand the responsibility placed on their shoulders.

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Letting the wrong person through or denying someone who should have been accepted comes with dire consequences in the form of a salary penalty. While this might not sound like a big deal, the agent needs to use their measly income to keep their family fed and alive.

Left 4 Dead 2

Steam User Rating: 97%

Left 4 Dead 2 will never die, or that at least seems to be the case. Valve’s co-op shooter has been out for more than a decade, and the game’s popularity has hardly waned. Four players must work together to blast their way through creative levels overflowing with zombies, some of which are quite creative.

Even in 2009, Left 4 Dead 2 was not a particularly taxing game; consequently, modern systems should not have any trouble running this title on minimum or even maximum settings.

Valorant

Metascore: 80

Although Valorant was released in 2020, the game has surprisingly low PC requirements. This low-end favorite is jumping on the scene as one of Twitch’s most streamed games. Its mass appeal is likely because of its low PC requirements and because it’s free-to-play. By using the Unreal Engine, developer Riot Games could focus on improving gameplay instead of building on the game’s graphics.

It goes to show that better graphical fidelity doesn’t trump all. Valorant has addictive gameplay, and Riot is continually adding new content. A budget laptop likely has the necessary hardware to run this explosively popular game.

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