Looking for a great new game? Here's what we're playing in 2018.
Not sure what game to buy next? On this list you'll find the best PC games we're playing right now—recent singleplayer hits, thriving esports, and a few modern classics that would improve any game library. We'll continue to update this list as new games release, removing older favorites and replacing them with our latest obsessions. Rather than an ever-expanding list that reaches deep into the past, we're shooting for a practical answer to the question: 'What new PC game should I get?'
If you're looking for a more comprehensive list which includes our favorite games from the past few decades, check out our yearly Top 100 list or our list of the most important PC games. Need a new system to play these games on? Here's our advice on what kind of gaming PC you should get.
Overwatch
Released: 2016 | Developer: Blizzard | Battle.net | Our review
With Overwatch's colorful characters and bright, inclusive world, Blizzard brought the world of team-based hero shooters to an entirely new market. Teams of six take the roles of tank, DPS, and healer to battle over objectives, not just who can get the most kills. It's a game that rewards—if not requires—teamwork. And with a growing cast of now 27 heroes to choose from, there's a character to fit just about any play style.
Hearthstone
Released: 2014 | Developer: Blizzard | Official site
Despite the recent departure of game director Ben Brode, he of the flannel shirt and megaton laughter, Hearthstone nonetheless finds itself in good health right now. The release of The Witchwood expansion in April, combined with the annual rotation of the Standard format, means that this is a great time to dip into Blizzard's collectible card game. Decks like Odd Rogue and Even Paladin are relatively cheap to craft and easy to play, while if you prefer slower, more complex matches, Cubelock and Taunt Druid are the kind of decks that you're recommended to make a cup of coffee before queuing. For those of you with ladder anxiety or a limited budget, Hearthstone's most recent two sets have also included some brilliant solo stuff. Dungeon Run in Kobolds & Catacombs and Monster Hunt in The Witchwood let you jam cards against a series bonkers AI bosses without the pressure of a turn timer or a real person spamming salty emotes.
Battlefield 1
Released: 2016 | Developer: DICE | Official site | Our review
The World War 1 setting let DICE cut down on the vast customisation offered by Battlefield 4, resulting in a tighter, more action-oriented shooter that still features all of the spectacle the series is known for. Each round of BF1 is a cacophonous mix of action and tactical maneuvering, elevated by DICE's peerless sound design. Everything from the ping of your bolt-action rifle to the thunderous roar of a tank sounds amazing, and helps create panic and tension throughout. In terms of sheer, chaotic, player-driven spectacle, Battlefield is the best.
Doom (2016)
Released: 2016 | Developer: id | Humble Store, Steam | Our review
The original Doom—back in 1993—is the most influential shooter of all time. With a pedigree like that, 2016's Doom reboot could have coasted by on the family name, had some fun, and called it a day. Instead, Doom surprised us all by being a spectacular shooter in its own right. More than that, Doom abandoned a lot of the storytelling conventions and cutscenes we've come to associate with modern games: about 30 seconds into the first level, the main character physically throws the plot across the room and shoots a demon in the face. Doom has a singular purpose, and if you're not a gun or a demon's face, it doesn't care to know you.
The remarkable thing about Doom is how eagerly it embraces ridiculous ideas as long as they're fun. Punch a demon until extra ammo pours out? Yes. Infinite stream of high-explosive rockets? Absolutely. The entire game is a crescendo, a heavy metal guitar solo that just gets louder and louder. Speaking of heavy metal, that soundtrack? Phwoar. What a game.
Grand Theft Auto 5
Released: 2015 | Developer: Rockstar North | Humble Store, Steam | Our review
GTA 5 runs beautifully on PC, and its open world is still the best of any game, a gorgeous sprawl that replicates everything we associate with Los Angeles: the flat heat, the atmosphere, the fact that the city is so damn big. The campaign is the series' best ever, punctuated by ambitious heist missions involving all three protagonists. It's a lot of fun to spend time in this world.
If you want to take things further, GTA Online is waiting for you with an absolute ton of stuff to do. Not all of it is amazing, but with a few friends, it's great fun to knock through the Online mode's bespoke heists, and owning a business feels pretty cool too. There are plenty of ways to play this game forever, including all of these great mods.
Assassin's Creed: Origins
Released: 2017 | Developer: Ubisoft Montreal | Humble Store, Steam | Our review
Dishonored 2
Released: 2016 | Developer: Arkane Studios | Humble Store, Steam | Our review
The prequel to the entire Assassin's Creed series is also one of the best games in the series. Set in Egypt during the time of Greek and Roman influence, the open world of Origins is staggering both in size and beauty, an amazingly detailed sandbox filled with bustling cities and towns, fertile farmlands and vast barren deserts, rocky mountain peaks and shining seas. It's a wondrous place to explore and discover.
Combat is an improvement over earlier Creed games, and you're given a host of enjoyable tools and weapons that allow you to slink, slither, and stab your way through the world. Bayek is one of the strongest characters Ubisoft has created, and even after all these years of Creed games, witnessing the birth of the Assassins is a real thrill. (It's also one of the most demanding games around.)
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Released: 2015 | Developer: CD Projekt RED | GOG| Our review
The Witcher 3 follows Geralt, the world's grumpiest monster-slaying bounty hunter, as he fights and magics his way across a medieval fantasy world. It tells a well-written, clever story, but more importantly, The Witcher 3 is the best open-world RPG you can explore right now (and quite possibly the best there's ever been).
The Witcher 3 is great mostly because it's so full of things to do. It's a huge world chockablock with ghouls, vampires, and wraiths—and the people can be pretty nasty, too. The size and depth of the world gives every quest context, an anchor that feels like it stretches back into history. Investigating a haunted farmhouse, for example, turns up clues about the type of spectre involved. Choosing the right weapon and brewing up a special potion feel like steps in a centuries-old ceremony. The Witcher 3 is a triumph of worldbuilding.
Besides the world, Geralt himself is the star of the show. He's frequently dour and funny and jaded, and he's an appealing character to spend time with. Some of the storylines will mean more to long-time fans of the Witcher books and games, but even without playing the earlier games in the Witcher series, The Witcher 3 is worth several hundred hours of your time.
Dark Souls 3
Released: 2016 | Developer: FromSoftware | Humble Store, Steam | Our review
What Dark Souls 3 lacks in originality—like the Souls games before it, it's an action-RPG that takes you through a baroque, dying world filled with monsters and opaque storytelling—it makes up for in polish. It's by far the smoothest of the series, gorgeous and stable on PC, and that translates to faster, more vicious enemies that will murder you without mercy. But you're also a bit more nimble this time around, keeping the notorious Souls challenge intact but rarely feeling unfair. And like all the Souls games, there's so much here if you plunge into the RPG depths: classes and magic systems, shortcuts and speedrun options, gear upgrading and NPC storylines to follow if you can make the right choices. Conquering Dark Souls 3 once will easily keep you busy for 50 hours, but if it gets its hooks in you, you could keep playing it for years.
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