2022 is over midway over, and regardless of some notable delays, it has been a powerful 12 months for PC video games. The discharge calendar for large price range video games like Starfield has taken a beating, however there’s nonetheless been rather a lot to rejoice in 2022: a slick port of Monster Hunter Rise, gleeful destruction engine Teardown, lovely cat platformer Stray, and, after all, Elden Ring.
This checklist is particularly our reply to the query “What new PC video games ought to I play proper now?” with picks pulled from the most effective PC video games of the 12 months, outdated favorites we expect now is an effective time to revisit, and a few 2022 hidden gems. It is a reflection of what the PC Gamer staff is taking part in proper now, not a listing of the all-time finest video games ever, though there will be overlap. (Our highest assessment rating of 2022 is a 95%. Only a few video games have scored larger than that in PC Gamer’s almost 30-year historical past.)
For a extra complete checklist of nice PC video games previous and current, try our annual High 100 (opens in new tab) checklist of the most effective video games on PC. Now we have some recent picks for the most effective Steam Deck video games (opens in new tab) if in case you have one among Valve’s handhelds on the way in which.
We additionally keep on high of the 12 months’s calendar with our information to the brand new video games of 2022 (opens in new tab), organized by month.
Some excellent news associated to this checklist: The graphics card scarcity is lastly easing up, which suggests it is now doable to construct a brand new gaming PC for a non-outrageous value. Now we have a information to assembling an entry-level gaming PC (opens in new tab) for round $750, however going pre-built can also be an choice if you wish to leap straight into gaming. Now we have some suggestions for pre-built PCs (opens in new tab), too.
Icon key
Reference these emojis to slender down what you are on the lookout for in our collection of the most effective PC video games.
- 💻 = Appropriate for low-end PCs
- 🙋♀️ = Singleplayer
- 🙋♀️🙋♀️ = Multiplayer
- 🎮 = Greatest with a controller
- 🆓 = Free-to-play
What we’re taking part in now
These are the video games the PC Gamer staff is at present taking part in: the up-to-the-minute (or a minimum of, month) stuff on our Steam fast launch menus. You’ll be able to see all of our latest recreation evaluations right here.
Better of the most effective
These video games aren’t all piping sizzling out of the oven, however some issues get higher with age. They’re the cream of the crop on PC, both scoring 90%+ in a assessment or showing on our checklist of the High 100 PC video games (opens in new tab). Should you simply need a rattling high quality PC recreation from the final a number of years, test these out.
- Disco Elysium (92%) 🙋♀️💻: Our 2019 Sport of the 12 months and #1 finest PC recreation for 2 years operating.
- Valheim 💻🙋♀️🙋♀️: A survival sandbox that rekindled our love for chopping, mining and constructing with trendy, savvy streamlining.
- Whole Warfare: Warhammer 3 (90%) 🙋♀️🙋♀️: A superb closing act with the sequence’ most ingenious and strange factions but.
- Unusual Horticulture (90%) 🙋♀️💻: An exquisite and engrossing detective recreation filled with mysteries, puzzles, crops, and intrigue.
- Slay the Spire (92%) 🙋♀️💻: The deckbuilding roguelike all others aspire to beat.
- God of Warfare (90%) 🙋♀️🎮: The very best recreation on PS4 is now among the finest video games on PC.
- Monster Hunter: Rise (90%) 🙋♀️🙋♀️💻: Arguably the best entry in Capcom’s flagship sequence, and a recreation that merely by no means stops giving.
- Forza Horizon 5 (90%) 🙋♀️🙋♀️🎮: Even a marginal enchancment on the most effective racing sequence round is value celebrating.
- Chivalry 2 (91%) 🙋♀️🙋♀️: A superb mixture of excessive talent and low comedy, and the most effective medieval fight recreation on the market.
- Wildermyth (90%) 🙋♀️🙋♀️💻: Narrative design as genetic engineering, it’ll dwell in your head like an imaginary buddy.
- Crusader Kings 3 (94%) 🙋♀️🙋♀️💻: The king is lifeless, lengthy dwell the king!
- Minecraft (96%) 💻🙋♀️🙋♀️: Construct something you may think about, so long as it is made from cubes.
- Hitman 3 (90%) 🙋♀️: The artwork of assassination, polished as finely as Agent 47’s head.
The very best aggressive multiplayer video games proper now
The very best PC video games by style
Discover our collection of the most effective PC video games only a bit too broad? Maybe you understand you are after a gripping story, or an intense racer, or the type of sim you may spend an entire weekend taking part in like a second job. Our style lists have curated suggestions for RPGs, racing, technique, and extra. Verify ’em out:
