The best PC games right now
2022 is almost half over, and it's already been a strong year for PC games despite some major delays kicking big games down the road. The triple-A release calendar has taken a beating, it's true, but we've still had several worthy additions to our selection of the best PC games since the start of the year: a slick port of Monster Hunter Rise, gleeful destruction engine Teardown, foxy adventure Tunic, and, of course, Elden Ring.
Elden Ring casts a long shadow—it's probably the game we're going to keep coming back to all year long. But if you're looking for more recommendations of what to play right now, as spring turns to summer and the schedule of big releases looks a bit barren, we have some ideas.
This is our answer to the question “What new PC games should I play right now?” with picks pulled from the best PC games of the year, old favorites we think now is a good time to revisit, and some 2022 hidden gems. It's a reflection of what the PC Gamer team is playing right now.
(Image credit: Paradox)
2022 games: This year's launches
Best free PC games: Freebie fest
Best laptop games: Low-specs
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, specifically, 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 2022, organized by month.
As of this spring it seems like the graphics card shortage is finally easing up, which means you may actually be able to build a new PC again. We have a guide to putting together an entry-level gaming PC for around $750, but going pre-built is also an option if you want to jump straight into gaming. We can recommend some pre-built PCs, too.
Icon key
Reference these emojis to narrow down what you're looking for in our selection of the best PC games below.
? = Suitable for low-end PCs?♀️ = Singleplayer?♀️?♀️ = Multiplayer? = Best with a controller? = Free-to-play
What we’re playing now
These 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.
Elden Ring (90%) ??♀️?♀️
Surprise, surprise: The latest fantasy gauntlet from Dark Souls creator FromSoftware is brilliant. The real treat of this enormous RPG is that it’s so open-ended, you can easily start up a second or third run to carry you through the quiet summer months.
Norco (94%) ?♀️?
A “profoundly somber and bitingly funny” point-and-click adventure game set in a sci-fi dystopia known as South Louisiana. “A must-play for anyone interested in narrative-driven games,” we said in our review.
Tunic (86%) ?♀️
The charming style of a classic Zelda, but with sharper teeth: “difficult combat and meaningful exploration make Tunic a retro-inspired modern marvel,” our reviewer said. And it has its own language and Fez-like puzzles to crack, if you’re clever enough.
Lost Ark (78%) ?♀️?♀️?
The hot new MMO of the year. “Ambitious to a fault, it offers a vast and spectacular fantasy adventure elevated by a stunning combat system and an astonishing sense of scale,” Rick said in our review.
Wordle (80%) ?♀️??
Like everyone else, our mornings are now devoted to this simple but satisfying word puzzle game that offers a new challenge daily. We all know a lot of 5-letter words now.
Best of the best
(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 90%+ in a review or appearing on our list of the Top 100 PC games. If you just want a damn fine PC game from the last several years, check these out.
Disco Elysium (92%) ?♀️?: Our 2019 Game of the Year and #1 best PC game for two years running. Valheim ??♀️?♀️: A survival sandbox that rekindled our love for chopping, mining and building with stylish, savvy streamlining.Total War: Warhammer 3 (90%) ?♀️?♀️: A brilliant final act with the series’ most inventive and unusual factions yet.Strange Horticulture (90%) ?♀️?: A beautiful and engrossing detective game packed with mysteries, puzzles, plants, and intrigue.Slay the Spire (92%) ?♀️?: The deckbuilding roguelike all others aspire to beat.God of War (90%) ?♀️?: The best game on PS4 is now one of the best games on PC.Monster Hunter: Rise (90%) ?♀️?♀️?: Arguably the greatest entry in Capcom’s flagship series, and a game that simply never stops giving.Forza Horizon 5 (90%) ?♀️?♀️?: Even a marginal improvement on the best racing series around is worth celebrating.Chivalry 2 (91%) ?♀️?♀️: A brilliant mix of high skill and low comedy, and the best medieval combat game out there.Wildermyth (90%) ?♀️?♀️?: Narrative design as genetic engineering, it will live in your head like an imaginary friend.Crusader Kings 3 (94%) ?♀️?♀️?: The king is dead, long live the king!Minecraft (96%) ??♀️?♀️: Build anything you can imagine, as long as it’s made of cubes.Hitman 3 (90%) ?♀️: The art of assassination, polished as finely as Agent 47’s head.
The best competitive multiplayer games right now
Apex Legends (93%) ??♀️?♀️
One of our favorite current battle royale games. The map is fantastic, the ‘ping’ communication system is something every FPS should have from here on, the guns and movement are great fun (no wallrunning, but sliding down hills feels great).
Hunt: Showdown ?♀️?♀️
Quietly one of the best multiplayer games you can play today. Morgan elaborated on why last year: “When enjoyed with friends, Hunt is one of those games that seems to magically manufacture special moments.”
Rainbow Six Siege (90%) ??♀️?♀️
Siege might lack the sharp hit detection and purity of CS:GO, but it’s a more accessible and modern FPS that rewards clever timing and coordinated teamwork as much as aim.
The best PC games by genre
(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)
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:
Best FPS gamesBest MMOsBest racing gamesBest RPGsBest strategy gamesBest survival gamesBest battle royale gamesBest cyberpunk games
