PC Gamer

Released:2018Developer:FatsharkHumble Store

Despite therecent departureof 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 Blizzards collectible card game. Decks likeOdd RogueandEven Paladinare relatively cheap to craft and easy to play, while if you prefer slower, more complex matches,CubelockandTaunt Druidare the kind of decks that youre recommended to make a cup of coffee before queuing. For those of you with ladder anxiety or a limited budget, Hearthstones 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.

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Acer blitzes the gaming market with new systems, monitors, and peripherals

Page 2:RPGs,survival games, and strategy games

Page 1:Competitive games, singleplayer shooters, and action games

If you can, play with a team of friendsits far more fun (and effective) to coordinate on a headset than deal with randoms over text chat. If you bounce off of LoL,Dota 2is of course extremely popular as well, and both are free-to-play, so give it a shot.

Like Vermintide 1, Vermintide 2 takes on the format of Valves classic co-op shooter, Left 4 Dead. Each hero is generally capable but vulnerable on their own. Among the swarms of rats are elite enemies that specialize in ambushing individual players, leaving them helpless until a comrade rescues them. The mutual need for protection makes Vermintide unusually dependent on good teamwork, and sharp spatial awareness and generous instincts are better for survival than perfect aim.

Released:2015Developer:PsyonixHumble Store

Page 4:MMOs, local multiplayer games, and platformers

If youre looking for a more comprehensive list which includes our favorite games from the past few decades, check outour yearlyTop 100 listor our list of themost important PC games. And for more of our recent recommendations, check ourreviews section.

Released:2016Developer:Arkane StudiosHumble Store

Each level takes place in one of these public spaces, and all of the people and things in it follow their own schedules, ticking over like an intensely complicated gearwork clock. Sneaking around guards or finding a disguise to walk right in gives Agent 47 a chance to watch, spot vulnerabilities, and set a trap. Finding just the right moment to stick a wrench in the gears and slip away while the clock explodes is a real pleasure, and there are dozens of ways to assassinate each target, so you can do it again and again.

The remarkable thing about Doom is how eagerly it embraces ridiculous ideas as long as theyre 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.

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Released:2017Developer:PUBG Corp.Humble Store

Released:2017Developer:EpicOfficial siteFree-to-playOur review

Not sure what game to buy next? On this list youll find the best PC games were playing right nowrecent singleplayer hits, thriving esports, and a few modern classics that would improve any game library. Well 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, were shooting for a practical answer to the question: What new PC game should I get?

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, its great fun to knock through the Online modes bespoke heists, and owning a business feels pretty cool too. There are plenty of ways to play this game forever, includingall of these great mods.

Hitmans Agent 47 has been taking contracts and knocking off targets in games for almost 20 years, but the2016 editionis the best the series has ever been. To get close to his targets, 47 has to infiltrate large public spaces full of people and infrastructure: a Paris fashion show in a mansion,a coastal Italian townfull of tourists, an exclusive Japanese day spa brimming with celebrities.

On the next page: The best RPGs,survival games, and strategy games…

Released:2017Developer:Ubisoft MontrealHumble Store

The best immersive sim around, with sprawling, complicated levels that are wonderful to unpack, as well as a couple of high-concept missions that youll never forget. Its like Arkane made a sequel based on how much everyone loved Lady Boyles Last Party in Dishonoredmost of the levels here are just as good. The option to play as two characters, with their own version of the story and sets of powers, offers even more replay value.

The prequel to the entire Assassins Creed series is also one of the best gamesinthe 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. Its a wondrous place to explore and discover.

Released:2016Developer:IO InteractiveHumble Store

See our full list of thebest FPS games.

What started as a sterile PUBG imitation has evolved into the Minecraft generations arena shooter. Fortnites building system rewards good aim and an eye for architecture equally, extending battle royale shootouts from green pastures to impromptu skyscrapers slapped together in a minute. With ridiculously frequent updates from Epic Games that introduce new weapons, traps, tools, and skins, Fortnite is easily worth the price of admission, and even then, worth the time it takes to master such an obtuse, irregular building system.

The best and only synthesis of hockey and soccer than you can play with rocket-powered battle cars. Where most esports rely on gunplay or clicky top-down wizardry, Rocket League is all physics and speed. Simply put, youre trying to smash a giant soccer ball into a goal with a car. But the cars can jump, and flip, and fly into the air once you get the hang of it (which will take a while). Even after three years, Rocket League players are still inventing new moves and tricksif theres a skill ceiling, no ones bumped it yet. Its intimidating and your first matches will probably be rough as you learn to steer and backflip and ride the walls, but since there are so many other new players at any given time, as well as training modes and bot matches, you can still get up to speed even if youre entering the arena late. Note that while you can play Rocket League with a mouse and keyboard, and some good players do, most prefer a controller.

Find easy Fortnite Battle Pass points between a bench, ice cream truck, and helicopter

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. Its a lot of fun to spend time in this world.

There are five heroes to play, and each has three subclasses and a long list of possible weapons and specialty skills. Every successful mission rewards players with random weapons and loot, and a surprisingly deep crafting system helps players customize their heroes. Random matchmaking to find groups is fine, but Vermintide 2 is a real joy when played with friends, like a corporate team-building exercise with swords and axes.

Vermintide 2 takes place in Warhammers filthy fantasy setting, a grim medieval alternative to Warhammer 40ks grim sci-fi universe. Warhammer Fantasy is particularly defined by its apocalypse, its ragnark: the Vermintide, where a wave of ratmen and evil vikings will end all of civilization. Now the end times have come, and its up to four heroes to save the world by punching each and every rat in the face individually.

With Overwatchs 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. Its a game that rewardsif not requiresteamwork. And with a growing cast of now 27 heroes to choose from, theres a character to fit just about any play style.

The original Doomback in 1993is the most influential shooter of all time. With a pedigree like that, 2016s 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 weve 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 youre not a gun or a demons face, it doesnt care to know you.

Released:2015Developer:Rockstar NorthHumble Store

Released:2016Developer:idHumble Store

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The 2016 Doom is a modernization of the classic, whereas Dusk is a throwback. Its still in Early Access, but its already a great time, especially if you have any nostalgia for DOS-era shooters like Doom and Quake. Its got it all: finding color-coded keys and secret chambers, a metal soundtrack, and high-speed strafing with dual-wielded shotguns while blasting the faces off of demons. An ideal way to spend an afternoon.

Crucially, too, Dishonored 2 offers more non-lethal ways to play if youre not a perfect stealth player. Being able to block enemy sword attacks, get them into a chokehold, shove them over then boot them in the face, knocking them out, is the best fun. Likewise, using Emilys domino ability to knock out multiple enemies at once feels incredibly empowering. And thats just one of many ways you can play.

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 DICEs 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.

Check out our list of thebest open world games, too.

Counter-Strikes sexier cousin. Siege might lack the sharp hit detection and purity of CS:GO, but its a more accessible and modern FPS that rewards clever timing and coordinated teamwork as much as aim. Sieges learning curve is a result of all the stuff (characters, gadgets, elaborate maps, and guns) thats been added since December 2015, but eventually you find yourself picking operators, map spots, and roles that youre comfortable with. Ubisoft continues to support Siege, dropping four major updates per year along with regular fixes.

Released:2014Developer:BlizzardOfficial site

100 murderous hopefuls skydive onto an abandoned island, grab whatever weapons and ammo they can find, and fight to the death. Rinse and repeat. Though the concept wasnt new (PlayerUnknown himself is responsible for multiple battle royale modes and mods), PUBG made the battle royale genre into the phenomenon that it is today. As a third- or first-person shooter, PUBG is more realistic and less arcadey than Fortnite. The joy of it is how it forces players to move and take risks as an ever-shrinking forcefield funnels surviving players toward each other until a winner climbs out of the wreckage. Every instant of every game is a flood of important decisions to make, and any one of themeven a minor onecould lead to your doom.

Released:2015Developer:Ubisoft MontrealHumble Store

Page 3:Puzzle games, great stories,simulations and city-builders

MOBAs are hard, rewarding competitive games because they demand teamwork, quick reaction times, and knowledge of beginning, middle, and endgame phases that vary with the role you play. And if youre going to play one, LoL is the best place to start. League of Legends has had remarkable staying power as one of the most popular games in esports for a couple simple reasons. One, it strikes just the right balance of depth and approachability for a MOBA. A gargantuan roster of heroes means you could spend years learning the ins-and-outs of the game, but mechanically its less demanding than Dota 2, and more involved than Heroes of the Storm. Two, Riot Games hasnt been afraid to make significant changes to the map, characters, and other systems over the years, so theres always something new to learn.

Combat is an improvement over earlier Creed games, and youre 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. (Its alsoone of the most demanding games around.)

Released:2009Developer:Riot GamesOfficial site