Every year, PC Gamer drop their Top 100 Games list, giving me pause to reflect on my own backlog priorities… and feel a little ashamed for never finishing Dishonored 2.
Baldur’s Gate 3 sits at the top spot for a second year running — and while their methodology (quality, importance, hotness, playability) is solid, I can see the influence of personal favourites (RPGs and roguelikes are always well represented) year on year. So I’ve cut out the “you had to be there” games, (sorry Dwarf Fortress), balanced the genres, and given credit to cultural impact — games that shaped entire genres, and created my own version. With a bit of help from ChatGPT…
We’ve kept the same scoring model, but swapped out the “critical darlings” for games I’ve either played myself or recognise as having a significant impact on the industry. The result is a list that’s equal parts cultural landmark, historical respect, and instantly accessible fun.
The Method
We used PC Gamer’s 60/15/15/10 scoring breakdown:
- Quality (60%) – Does it play well today?
- Importance (15%) – Historical and cultural impact.
- Current Hotness (15%) – Is it still relevant right now?
- Playability (10%) – Can you jump in without modifying a config.sys file (or 40 hours of YouTube guides telling you how to do that)?
Top PC Games (2025 Edition)
So here’s how our final list shook out — ranked, scored, and with a commentary you didn't ask for.
The high-water mark for Ezio’s adventures (and some would say the entire series). It shows its age now, but still sets the standard for Ubisoft's open-world gaming formula.
24. Skyrim
It’s a “modder’s favourite child.” Vanilla Skyrim is a bit creaky. But a few tweaks make this RPG a timeless masterpiece.
Peak sci-fi storytelling, pacing, and character arcs. The "dirty dozen" final mission still gives me sweaty palms.
The hero shooter blueprint. Cartoony, fun, and still supported by Valve!
The last great RTS to dominate esports and LAN parties. The competitive landscape has evolved, but this OG was flawless.
20. Minecraft
It wasn't just a game; it was a creative platform, a classroom tool, and a cultural landmark. And everyone’s played it at least once.
The competitive FPS yardstick. I would have picked 1.6 as that was the last iteration I invested time in, but this is now the most-watched shooter on the planet.
This game defined loot-chasing. Full transparency - I've not played a Diablo. But modern ARPGs have based themselves on this template.
The original game gave us fluid storytelling methods. HL2 added physics-based storytelling that still influences shooters. The recent RTX glow-up is a nice placeholder until we get a chance to finish the story.
Bullet time and gritty noir made it iconic, and it still holds up shockingly well for a 25-year-old title.
Retro pixel art + rogue-lite + space disaster sim. The ultimate “one more run” indie.
Even if you never played it (I haven't), you felt its presence. A social phenomenon that defined the MMO era.
The game that saved city-builders from extinction. SimCity’s crown is safe here.
The most approachable Paradox grand strategy, and a medieval family drama simulator. My lad's 1000+ hours and his history degree swear by it.
The original immersive sim. It lets you actually play the game your way (before that became a marketing bullet point).
The perfect blend of puzzles, humour, and co-op genius. My only failure as a father is that none of my family has played this yet.
Pocket-sized chaos that reinvented handheld gaming for PC gamers. Five minutes in somehow turns into three hours gone.
I'm told it's modern RPG perfection. Where every quest feels personal, and every choice is meaningful. I've bounced off it twice, so something must be wrong with me.
The most balanced Civ entry. It's complex but approachable. Probably the most played game in my library (outside of my Steam library).
This was my gateway into personal gaming. It's the reason FPS games took over the ’90s. Still fast, still brutal, still fun.
A sprawling RPG epic that raised the bar for open-world writing and worldbuilding. Everyone around me says I still need to put some real time into it to appreciate the level of detail truly.
Tense, tactical brilliance that makes every decision count. The War of the Chosen DLC elevates it to legendary.
3. Balatro
The game that made deck-building cool for everyone. Simple concept, infinite mastery. It permanently lives on my desktop, phone, tablet and will be added to the arcade when I introduce a touchscreen!
Adult storytelling at its finest — funny, tragic, and razor-sharp in equal measure.
A monument to craftsmanship. Every inch of the world feels hand-made, every moment worth savouring. Played it through multiple times.
Kick out Civ V for Civ IV? Swap TF2 for Overwatch? Do away with it all and stick to Runscape? Join me on Bluesky to keep the debate alive until PCG returns again next year.
