We were hardly starved for new things to play after 2023—Baldur's Gate 3, Starfield, and Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty alone are enough to keep anyone busy for the foreseeable future—but 2024 is showing no signs of slowing down for the sake of backlog control. Show As we exit the somewhat quiet holiday season, we've already got our first surprise phenomenon of the year in Palworld, and some big new releases like Tekken 8 and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, both of which you'll find on this list. This list is specifically our answer to the question "what new PC games should I play right now?" with picks pulled from the best recent PC games, a few old favorites we think now is a good time to revisit, and some hidden gems. It's a reflection of what the PC Gamer team is playing right now, not a list of the all-time best games ever, although there'll be overlap. For a more comprehensive list of great PC games past and present, check out our annual Top 100 list of the best games on PC. We have some fresh picks for the best Steam Deck games if you have one of Valve's handhelds on the way. We also stay on top of the year's calendar with our guide to the new games of 2024, organized by month. Some good news related to this list: The graphics card shortage eased up a while back, which means it's now possible to build a new gaming PC for a non-outrageous price. We have a guide to putting together an entry-level gaming PC for around $750, and we have some recommendations for pre-built PCs, too.  Icon keyReference these emojis to narrow down what you're looking for in our selection of the best PC games.
What we're playing nowThese are the games the PC Gamer team is currently playing: the up-to-the-minute (or at least, month) stuff on our Steam quick launch menus. For more, check out all of our recent game reviews as well as last year's GOTY winners. More great PC games(Image credit: ZA/UM) These games aren't all piping hot out of the oven, but some things get better with age. They're the cream of the crop on PC, either scoring 80%+ in a review, winning one of our GOTY awards, or appearing on our list of the Top 100 PC games. If you just want a damn fine PC game from the past several years, check these out.
The best competitive multiplayer games right nowThe best PC games by genre(Image credit: Playground Games) Find our selection of the best PC games just a bit too broad? Perhaps you know you're after a gripping story, or an intense racer, or the kind of sim you can spend a whole weekend playing like a second job. Our genre lists have curated recommendations for RPGs, racing, strategy, and more. Check 'em out:
Sign up to get the best content of the week, and great gaming deals, as picked by the editors. Tyler grew up in Silicon Valley during the '80s and '90s, playing games like Zork and Arkanoid on early PCs. He was later captivated by Myst, SimCity, Civilization, Command & Conquer, all the shooters they call "boomer shooters" now, and PS1 classic Bushido Blade (that's right: he had Bleem!). Tyler joined PC Gamer in 2011, and today he's focused on the site's news coverage. His hobbies include amateur boxing and adding to his 1,200-plus hours in Rocket League. |
