25 Must-Play PC Games for the Ultimate Gaming Experience

IGN's Top 25 Modern PC Games of 2025: A Subjective Celebration

2025 is here, and IGN revisits its list of the 25 best modern PC games. This isn't an objective ranking; subjective preferences inevitably influence game rankings. This list reflects the collective opinion of IGN's PC gaming team, using a Face-Off tool to consolidate individual rankings. It aims to highlight beloved games and encourage exploration of titles you might have missed.

Many excellent recent PC games didn't make the top 25, a testament to the sheer volume of great games and diverse perspectives. The list focuses on "modern" PC games (released or significantly updated since 2013). Classic titles like Doom, Half-Life 2, and Skyrim are excluded, but can be found on IGN's Top 100 Games of All Time list.

Remember, this is our perspective. Share your top 25 using IGN's Playlist tool! The list was last updated February 13, 2025.

Games Under Consideration:

These highly-rated 2024 and 2025 games are too new for ranking but will be considered in future updates:

• Civilization 7
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
• Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector
• Dynasty Warriors: Origins
• Mouthwashing
• Marvel Rivals
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
• Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
• STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl
• Life is Strange: Double Exposure
• Dragon Age: The Veilguard
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
• Sonic X Shadow Generations
• MechWarrior 5: Clans
• Metaphor: ReFantazio
• Silent Hill 2 Remake
• Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
• Black Myth: Wukong

The Top 25: (Descriptions significantly shortened for brevity)

25. Undertale: A delightfully inventive RPG that subverts expectations.

24. Balatro: A clever deck-building roguelite with wild card combos.

23. Crusader Kings 3: Accessible historical grand strategy with compelling human stories.

22. Hitman: World of Assassination: A collection of replayable assassination scenarios.

21. Doom (2016): A fantastic reboot of the classic, focusing on frenetic combat.

20. Final Fantasy VII Remake: A stunning action RPG reimagining of a classic.

19. Resident Evil 4 Remake: A masterful modernization of a horror classic.

18. God of War: A fantastic reinvention of the classic series, now on PC.

17. Nier: Automata: A unique action-RPG with a compelling dystopian story.

16. Final Fantasy XIV: A fantastic Final Fantasy game and a top-tier MMO.

15. Red Dead Redemption 2: A massive and detailed open-world western adventure.

14. Outer Wilds: A captivating space exploration game with a time loop mechanic.

13. Hollow Knight: An excellent Metroidvania with a challenging but rewarding world.

12. XCOM 2: War of the Chosen: High-stakes tactical combat with a compelling narrative.

11. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: A deep and expansive RPG with a compelling story.

10. Cyberpunk 2077: A visually stunning open-world RPG with a compelling story.

9. Stardew Valley: A relaxing and addictive farming simulator with RPG elements.

8. Grand Theft Auto V / GTA Online: A massive and detailed open world with endless possibilities.

7. Satisfactory: A satisfying factory-building game with a focus on automation.

6. Half-Life: Alyx: A groundbreaking VR shooter that sets a new standard for VR.

5. Slay the Spire: A highly replayable roguelike deck-builder with engaging combat.

4. Disco Elysium: A unique RPG with deep dialogue and compelling characters.

3. Hades: A masterclass in roguelite design with exhilarating combat and a compelling story.

2. Elden Ring: A challenging but rewarding open-world action RPG.

1. Baldur's Gate 3: A massive and ambitious RPG with deep storytelling and tactical combat.

Top 25 Games Summary Images:

Upcoming PC Games (2025):

• Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii - February 20, 2025
• PGA Tour 2K25 - February 28, 2025
• Monster Hunter Wilds - February 28, 2025
• Split Fiction - March 6, 2025
• WWE 2K25 - March 14, 2025
• Assassin's Creed Shadows - March 20, 2025
• Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game - March 25, 2025
• Inzoi - March 28, 2025
• South of Midnight - April 8, 2025
• Doom: The Dark Ages - May 14, 2025

This list represents IGN's opinion. What are your top PC games? Share your thoughts!