The best PC games of 2024

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(Image credit: Bethesda)

I love the best PC games like I love oxygen. While I’ve been a console player for thirty years, I’ve also been building my own gaming rigs for a couple of decades now. In my opinion, PC gaming is untouchable when it’s at its best. And when Henry Cavill posts videos of himself building his own desktops because he loves PC gaming, who am I to disagree with actual Superman? 

The really great thing about the best PC games is that they come in so many guises. Traditional genres like RTS titles and park management sims are complimented by amazing open-world epics and blistering first-person shooters. 

From indie smash hits like Kerbal Space Program to the near peerless Old West scope of Red Dead Redemption 2, there really is a genre of games to accommodate all players in the PC space; whether you’re playing on one of the best gaming PCs, Steam Deck OLED or our picks of the best gaming laptops. The best PC titles can be enjoyed on all manner of hardware, and with handheld PCs becoming ever more popular, PC gaming has never been more flexible or accommodating for demanding daily commutes.

Below, I’ll guide you through what I think are the best PC games you can buy in the here and now, with a range of amazing titles that span everything from compelling arcade racers to terrifying horror titles involving the most famous sci-fi monster in movie history. 

The best PC games

Classic PC games to play today

Given the scope of PC gaming, there's a vast amount of classic games to play. Some may feel a bit ropey or dated to play today, but here's a quick list of games you should play if you want to go a little retro with your PC gaming.  

  • Half-Life Source and Half-Life 2
  • Deus Ex
  • Rome: Total War
  • Diablo 2 
  • Baldur's Gate 2 
  • Dragon Age Origins 
  • Age of Empires 2 
  • WarCraft 3 
  • Team Fortress 2 
  • Bioshock
  • Company of Heroes
  • Homeworld 

How to choose the best PC games

A good starting point for picking the best PC games out is to go by genre. While these are by no means strict criteria for what is and isn't included in certain games, it'll help you get a general idea of what each game is about.

For more detailed research, look up some reviews to see what the critics and fans make of a certain game. If you're lucky, there will be an option to try out a free demo version of a game, so you can experience a limited amount of content and then make your mind up.

You should also consider how much time you want to invest in playing a game. Story-driven games tend to be much shorter than the average RPG for example, and games featuring multiplayer allow for potentially infinite value if you're prepared to invest the time in mastering them. Consider these few pointers when making a purchase, and you'll always pick something you'll really enjoy.

Dave Meikleham
UK Computing Editor

Dave is a computing editor at Tom’s Guide and covers everything from cutting edge laptops to ultrawide monitors. When he’s not worrying about dead pixels, Dave enjoys regularly rebuilding his PC for absolutely no reason at all. In a previous life, he worked as a video game journalist for 15 years, with bylines across GamesRadar+, PC Gamer and TechRadar. Despite owning a graphics card that costs roughly the same as your average used car, he still enjoys gaming on the go and is regularly glued to his Switch. Away from tech, most of Dave’s time is taken up by walking his husky, buying new TVs at an embarrassing rate and obsessing over his beloved Arsenal. 

With contributions from
  • Neifist
    This is why I come here for real reviews. Not one Blizzard or activision game on the list. They don't make games anymore, just cashgrabs. Diablo 4 was garbage, overwatch 2 released end of 2022 and honestly the bad steam reviews are way better than the game. It's become a sea of Myst all over. I worked in a Software Etc when that came out and people flocked in because of paid false ads. I can say I stopped more than 500 people from buying it, and almost every copy I did sell was returned with a Yup you were right. So glad Toms reviews aren't for sale.
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