Gaming continues to become more accessible with time, and it's standard practice nowadays to release new games on multiple platforms — PC, consoles, handhelds and mobile. It's actually much rarer for a title to be available exclusively on PC, but this is still common practice for multiplayer titles with a focus on eSports, or titles by indie developers that don't easily have the means to port their game. There are also some games that are simply experienced best with a keyboard and mouse or are otherwise difficult to port from PC to other platforms.
While most PC-exclusive games are either heavily multiplayer-focused or indie games, there's still a ton of variety between them. PC-exclusive games cover everything from fast-paced competitive shooters like Valorant and MMOs like Lost Ark to more mindless games like Chillquarium, that let players relax and slowly grow a collection over time. PC games also offer much more mod support, greatly extending many games' lifetimes past what they otherwise would be on a console.
Related
20 Best Free-To-Play Video Games For Low-End PCs
With PC games like Warframe and Brawlhalla, there's no shortage of great games to play on low-end systems.
10 Buy Packs Of Colorful Fish To Raise, Display And Sell In Chillquarium
A Relaxing Game That Revolves Around A Cycle Of Buying, Raising And Selling Fish
Released almost a year ago on Sept. 6, 2023, Chillquarium is a creature collector and idle clicker game by Ben Reber. In a simple yet satisfying loop, players use completely free, in-game currency to buy packs of fish that vary in rarity. Using mouse clicks, a single-click option or closing the game and allowing real-time to pass, players' fish will grow, and then can be sold to purchase more packs or kept on display.
There are over 150 unique fish for players to collect and decorate their aquarium tanks with, and multiple rare color variants for each fish to keep collectors coming back. As recently as early June, a new pack of fish was added as a completely free update, and Chillquarium is still semi-actively supported by its creator. Ben Reber currently has a similar bird-themed game in the works that will also likely be a PC exclusive, Wing Haven, with no current official release date.
9 Valorant Took The Gaming World By Storm Since Its Release In 2020
Flashy, Strategic Combat and Well-Designed Characters Combine In This Riot Games Hero Shooter
Related
10 Best Controllers For PC Gaming, Ranked
PC gaming can be a worthwhile and customizable experience; players have a plethora of great controllers at their disposal.
Valorant was released on Jun. 2, 2020, and has quickly become one of the most popular multiplayer games of the last few years. A 5v5 tactical shooter, Valorant is a team-focused game where players take turns in up to thirteen rounds of attack-and-defend. Players only get one life per round, meaning every decision has to be made carefully, as it's easy to end up sitting on the sidelines for most of the round otherwise.
The agents that inhabit Valorant's world are all colorful, fluid and fun to play, each with a unique gameplay style. Every one of Valorant's maps adds diversity to gameplay, and it's easy to see how Riot Games' competitive-focused shooter was in development for six years before release. Valorant places focus on eSports and the more competitive side of gaming, but there are also more casual modes for players to unwind in.
Valorant
Shooter
Systems
- Top Critic Rating:81/100 Critics Recommend:86%
- Platform(s)
- PC , PlayStation 5 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S
- Released
- June 2, 2020
- Developer(s)
- Riot Games
- Publisher(s)
- Riot Games
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Language, Violence
8 Scavenge Moons And Collect Resources With Friends While Trying To Survive In Lethal Company
A Co-Op Survival Horror Game That's Perfect For Chaotic Nights With Friends
About a week before Halloween, on Oct. 23, 2023, Lethal Company released and quickly became a co-op survival horror hit. Players take on the role of a contracted worker, hired to make a profit for the Company by scavenging resources from abandoned moons. Sessions last for three ten-minute in-game days, and then players sell their collected resources to the Company, at risk of being blasted into merciless space if they fail to meet their quota.
Designed to be played with friends, Lethal Company by default can be played with up to four people, though mods allow for even bigger groups. Players must work together to survive the tense atmosphere, and layouts are procedurally generated, so no two playthroughs are exactly the same. While some reviews cite that the novelty of Lethal Company starts to wear off after a dozen or so hours, thanks to being on the PC, there are a plethora of mods to keep things fresh.
Lethal Company
Horror
Systems
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Released
- October 23, 2023
- Developer(s)
- Zeekerss
- Publisher(s)
- Zeekerss
- Engine
- Unity
- How Long To Beat
- 8 hours
- Number of Players
- 1-4
- Steam User Rating
- 97%
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Playable
- How Long To Beat (Completionist Runs)
- 29 hours
7 Holocure: Save The Fans! Doesn't Require Knowledge Of Vtubers To Enjoy
A Vampire Survivors-Like Game With Even More Characters And Depth Than The Original
Inspired by Vampire Survivors, HoloCure: Save The Fans! is an unofficial, completely free fan game that still gets updates from KayAnimate, its creator. Originally only available through a website download, HoloCure! can now easily be accessed on Steam. There are currently a whopping thirty-eight playable characters, each with their own fully unique abilities, and more planned in the future. Holocure! includes characters from the EN, JP and Indonesian branches of Hololive.
There are both normal, timed stages with a final boss to defeat and an endless mode where players test their survivability and compete against others for leaderboard rankings. One of HoloCure's updates also added the Holo House, an area where players can fish, farm, cook, and interact with the over three dozen characters available. For a free, fan-made game, there's a ton of love and depth in HoloCure.
HoloCure - Save the Fans!
Roguelike
Systems
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Released
- August 17, 2023
- Developer(s)
- KayAnimate
- Publisher(s)
- KayAnimate
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unsupported
6 ULTRAKILL Takes Inspiration From The Biggest Shooter Hits Of The 1990s
A Fast-Paced, Flashy Love Letter To Classic Shooters Like Quake And Doom
Related
10 Best FPS Game Campaigns
While most first-person shooter games are best known for their multiplayer environment, many have fantastic single-player campaigns as well.
ULTRAKILL released in Sept. 2020, as a love letter to classic, fast-paced and visually enthralling shooters. A self-described ultraviolent retro FPS, ULTRAKILL also includes a flashy skill system that gains more effects as players achieve higher scores. Racking up these stylish combos earns points that can be spent between missions, and ULTRAKILL'S levels have plenty of secrets and optional challenges within for players to discover.
Besides its phenomenal gunplay,ULTRAKILL also places heavy emphasis on movement, and plenty of enemy attacks to constantly evade. Players take on the role of V1, a combat robot that's powered by blood, mowing down enemies with explosive attacks to replenish themselves and survive. ULTRAKILL receives major updates once or twice a year, in addition to a handful of bug fixes, and is still in Early Access because its developer believes that's the best way to keep improving.
Ultrakill
FPS
Systems
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Released
- September 3, 2020
- Developer(s)
- Arsi "Hakita" Patala
- Publisher(s)
- New Blood Interactive
- How Long To Beat
- 5 Hours
- Steam User Rating
- 98% (October 25, 2023)
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Verified
5 Choose How To Play And Conquer The Galaxy In Dyson Sphere Program
Build An Empire Across The Stars In This Simulation Game Set In Space
Dyson Sphere Program is a sandbox game set in space, where players are engineers hired by COSMO, tasked with harnessing energy from stars to power the world's most important supercomputer. Dyson Spheres float around stars and take their energy for personal use, and players slowly build up their reach from small, humble beginnings to an empire that spans the galaxy.
Automation is the key to setting up Dyson Spheres for success, with players working to find the best ways to mine each planet's unique minerals and turn them into seamless, resource-generating machines. Players will also have to set up routes between various planets, in order to move required resources to the right places. Dyson Sphere Program is all about efficient, creative building, as players slowly but surely expand their interstellar empire.
Dyson Sphere Program
Simulation
Systems
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Released
- January 21, 2021
- Developer(s)
- Youthcat Studio
- Publisher(s)
- Gamera Game
- Engine
- Unity
- How Long To Beat
- 65 Hours
4 Lost Ark Finally Made Its Way To The West In 2022
Free-To-Play MMORPG With Cute, Colorful Characters And Responsive Combat
Lost Ark launched overseas in 2019, but wasn't widely accessible until 2022 and is still one of the best free-to-play MMO options that's only available on PC. Lost Ark boasts fast, flashy combat with intensive bosses that players can fight using over two dozen unique classes. Those who like challenging MMORPG bosses that take several real-world hours or longer to learn will love the depth and complexity present in Lost Ark, but there's also a ton of solo or PvE content for those who don't want to do raids.
Combat and character customization are two of the most important aspects of MMORPGs, both of which Lost Ark nails. Split between five archetypes, there are various supports and melee or ranged DPS, for players to try out — with new, even flashier classes routinely being added. While many of Lost Ark's cooler customization options are paid items, there are also ways for free-to-play players to purchase them as well, as long as they're okay with a long grind.
Lost Ark
MMORPG
Systems
- Top Critic Rating:82/100 Critics Recommend:85%
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Released
- December 4, 2019
- Developer(s)
- Smilegate RPG
- Publisher(s)
- Amazon Games
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op , Online Multiplayer
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- How Long To Beat
- 150+ Hours
3 Pizza Tower Is A Fast-Paced, Visually Distinct Platformer With A Unique Premise
A Creative Platformer With An Expressive Art Style About A Tower-Scaling Pizza Chef
Related
10 Best Platformer Games of the 2020s (So Far), Ranked
The 2020s have already welcomed a number of can't-miss platformer games that combine enjoyable gameplay and memorable storytelling.
Taking inspiration from the Wario Land series and 90s cartoons, Pizza Tower is a hectic, visually unique platformer with five unique levels to explore, and tons of hidden secrets to unearth. With his restaurant at stake, chef Peppino Spaghetti sets off on a mission to destroy the Pizza Tower for good. Pizza Tower doesn't push players to play a certain way but rather caters to both those who want to zip through levels for the fastest time and those who want to slow down and explore every inch of the map.
Each of Pizza Tower's levels is split into multiple sections, most have secret items, and there are even two secret levels to delve into. As players go through the various levels, they'll collect dozens of adorable Toppings that reward players with extra points, and enable purchase of boss fights. Pizza Tower was released in early 2023 and received a major content update in March of this year that adds an extensive New Game Plus mode, from an entirely different perspective.
Pizza Tower
Platformer
Systems
- Top Critic Rating:91/100 Critics Recommend:100%
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Released
- January 26, 2023
- Developer(s)
- Tour De Pizza
- Publisher(s)
- Tour De Pizza
- How Long To Beat
- 7 Hours
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Verified
2 Friday Night Funkin' Tackles Relationship Troubles With The Power Of Rhythm
A Rhythm Game With Exceptional Mod Support And Community Presence
Initially released on Newgrounds in 2020, Friday Night Funkin' has become one of the most recognizable rhythm games in recent years. There's also a downloadable version and a plethora of community-made mods available online to extend and enhance the player experience, with Friday Night Funkin's creator openly supporting mods and making it easy to do so. The protagonist and their girlfriend just want to be left alone, but her family doesn't approve of their relationship, and they'll have to dance and sing their way to the peaceful time together they desire.
The base game of Friday Night Funkin' consists of eight weeks, including one tutorial week and one weekend. Week One faces players off against their girlfriend's antagonistic father, who used to be a rockstar, teaching them the game's basic mechanics before throwing them into more fast-paced fights. Uniquely, instead of playing out a song solo like typical rhythm games, Friday Night Funkin' directly pits players against the antagonist of the week. A full version of the game with over three times the content of Friday Night Funkin's base game has been fully funded on Kickstarter and is speculated for release during 2025 or 2026.
Friday Night Funkin
Rhythm
Systems
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Released
- October 5, 2020
- Developer(s)
- The Funkin' Crew Inc.
- Publisher(s)
- The Funkin' Crew Inc.
1 Mine Resources, Build Factories, And Protect Them From Hostile Aliens In Factorio
Although There Is A Switch Port, The PC Version Is A More Polished, Definitive Release
After a long, four-year early-access period, Factorio was officially released on PC in 2020. Development on Factorio began all the way back in 2012, and there's still a huge DLC update planned to launch later this year in October 2024. Players take on the role of an engineer, who must build a rocket to escape after crash-landing on an alien planet, but the hostile creatures who live there aren't happy about their planet's natural resources being sapped. Even though building a rocket is Factorio's primary objective, gameplay continues well past the 'victory' screen, letting players build up their factories to their hearts' content.
Factorio isn't technically a PC exclusive, as a port for the Nintendo Switch launched in 2022. However, players cite the controls as lackluster, as there's lots of scrolling and menu navigation that makes gameplay much slower than Factorio's PC counterpart. The Switch version also doesn't have mod compatibility, one of Factorio's biggest strengths. There are tons of quality-of-life mods that change or improve how certain features function, while others completely alter Factorio's base gameplay loop for a fresh experience.
Factorio
Simulation
Real-Time Strategy
Systems
- Top Critic Rating:82/100 Critics Recommend:92%
- Platform(s)
- PC , Switch
- Released
- August 14, 2020
- Developer(s)
- Wube Software
- Publisher(s)
- Wube Software
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Violence
- Metascore
- 90
