10.Baba Is You
Baba Is Youstarts out simple, letting you swap the rules of how the game world works. You have nouns like “wall,” “rock,” and the titular “Baba.” Combine these with verbs like “push” or “win” to complete the level.
Eventually, the game becomes devilishly difficult, and you may find yourself suddenly thinking of the solution to a puzzle while you’re brushing your teeth. Even better, it will run on basically any computer released in the past 10 years.
9.West of Loathing
Kingdom of Loathingwas a web-based RPG that lampooned MMORPGs at a time when there were more of them in the world than justWorld of WarcraftandFinal Fantasy XIV.
West of Loathingtakes the humor and charm of that game and turns it into a single-player experience. If you think modern RPGs take themselves too seriously, you need to playWest of Loathing.
8.Slay the Spire
Slay the Spiretakes two additive types of games—roguelikes and card games—and combines them to make one super-addictive game. This single-player deck builder will appeal to fans of card games and computer games alike.
With more than 250 cards, 150 different items, and 50 combat encounters, there is plenty of game here. Make sure to set aside some time, because you’ll be spending a lot of it with this game.
Related:The Best Digital Card Games Worth Playing This Year
7.Blazing Chrome
Blazing Chrometakes the best parts of the olderContragames and SNK’sMetal Sluggames, throws them in a blender, and then puts sunglasses on the results to make it extra cool.
The game offers up non-stop action, relentless difficulty, and plenty of retro charm. If you’ve worn out the cartridges on your old-school side-scrolling shooters, you’ll want to buyBlazing Chromeimmediately.
6.Moonlighter
Moonlighterisn’t the first game to let you play as a shopkeeper, but it might be the best. During the day you do your normal business, putting items on sale, recruiting assistants, and upgrading your shop. At night, everything changes.
Will, the main character ofMoonlighter, secretly dreams of being a hero. When you’re not busy running your shop, you’re raiding dungeons for all the loot you can carry.
5.Enter the Gungeon
If you’re looking for the endless replayability of a Rogue-like with the frenetic action of a shooter,Enter the Gungeonmay be your new favorite game.
You’ll shoot your way through procedurally generated levels, finding new, more powerful weapons along the way. You’ll need them too. This game is tough as nails, and it stays that way no matter how well-equipped you may be.
4.Factorio
Have you always wanted to run a factory? No? Well that doesn’t matter, because even if you have no interest in factories,Factoriocan still have you hooked once you dive into the game.
As the name implies,Factoriois a game about automating factories to produce items to create other factories and so on.
The game has the “just five more minutes” quality that theSim Citygames had at their best. Make sure to set aside more time than you plan on when you sit down to place this.
Related:The Best City Building Games on PC, Ranked
3.Undertale
You’ve probably heard ofUndertaleat this point, but if you haven’t, it’s a charming game that is a mix ofEarthbound-style humor and storytelling with a unique combat system.
Attacking is similar to the timing-based attacks found in RPG’s like Nintendo’sMario & Luigiseries, while defense is more like a bullet-hell shooter.
You can play through the game multiple times for different endings, and there is plenty to see on the way.
Related:Why indie games are better than AAA games
2.Stardew Valley
If you loved the oldHarvest Moongames but wished they had more dungeon diving and combat,Stardew Valleyis the perfect game for you. Quietly released in 2016, the game was an instant hit and has only gained in popularity in recent years.
Stardew Valleyis now available on nearly every platform, but it still feels most at home on the PC. The good news is you don’t need much in the way of hardware to run it.
1.Into the Breach
When it was released in 2012,FTLwas an instant hit. In 2018, developer Subset Games returned withInto the Breach, a tactical mech game that keeps the punishing difficultyFTLwas known for while advancing the studio’s storytelling chops.
To help tell that story, Subset Games enlisted the help of writer Chris Avellone, who you may know from his work onStar Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords,Neverwinter Nights 2and the legendaryFallout 2.
Part tactics game, part combat puzzle,Into the Breachis not a game to be missed.
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