The 25 Best PC Games to Play Right Now
The 25 Best PC Games to Play Right Now
IGN's picks for the 25 best modern PC games to play right now.
The PC gaming landscape has shifted in recent years, both in terms of technological advancements in graphics cards and gaming PCs and in the makeup of IGN's PC gaming staff and contributors. As a result, outside of some real stalwarts, our list of the best modern PC games is substantially different compared to years past.
To be clear, this list does not attempt to pick out the “best” or “most influential” PC games ever made. It’s also not a list of the most popular games out there, or a list that seeks to represent the top games of every genre. No, this is a list of 25 games that we, the IGN editors and contributors, collectively recommend the most, based on our tastes, and all from within the past 10 years. Though that doesn't mean we don't still recommend playing Baldur's Gate 3 right now.
25. Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020)
Microsoft Flight Simulator is the closest thing we've had to a near-perfect recreation of the real world in the virtual space, and new updates keep inching it even closer. Using real-time Bing data to allow you to fly to and from any place on the entire planet has raised the bar for simulations to heights never seen before.
Accessible to anyone, or as realistic as you want, this is open-world at its most literal. Free-flying around the globe, participating in landing challenges at some of the world's most famously difficult airports, or just sightseeing, Microsoft Flight Simulator is an unparalleled achievement. Don't forget to grab one of the best PC joysticks to make this flight-sim experience that more immersive.
24. Sid Meier's Civilization VI
You can’t go too far wrong with any of the main games from Sid Meier’s seminal Civilization series, but after updates and expansions, Civilization VI has taken a seat as one of the finest. Like all five iterations before it, Civ VI lets you pave your people’s way from nomadic tribes to sprawling near-future empire in competition or cooperation with neighbors, this time guided by narration from the undying Sean Bean himself.
But here, a distinctive approach to city building in which major structures like specialized districts and Wonders are placed on their own tiles gives it a fresh flavor, and the climate change mechanics add new long-term environmental considerations throughout and hazards that manifest in the late game. It’s also come as close as any game in the series to giving its AI leaders definitive and interesting personalities (which is not to say they’re perfect!).
Firaxis confirmed that Civilization 7 is in the works. This announcement comes after former head of studio Steve Martin and Marvel’s Midnight Suns and XCOM director Jake Solomon departed the studio, leaving former COO Heather Hazen to lead the company.
23. Dota 2
MOBAs have earned a reputation for being dense and difficult to learn, but immensely strategic for those who put in the time. Spend some quality time with Dota 2 and you’ll understand why. Though all matches take place on one map, and there’s only one objective, its 100+ characters and thousands of item combinations make each round feel unique.
Because every second matters, matches are always exciting even when they seem slow. Are you farming gold? Are you scouting the enemy? Or crossing the map to help out a teammate? Or heading back to base to heal? Its complexity can scare players off, but those who stick through it will be rewarded with some of the most strategic gameplay around.
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