What are the best PC games that don't revolve around killing people?

Portal is known for its humor. Even years after it's been out in the world people are still quoting and referencing it in everyday situations. See More

Top Pro

Humorous telling of a dark story

Top Con

Portal mechanics not used much to their best ability

Certain parts of the game sees the player using portals to manipulate sentry guns that fire rockets in order to progress in that stage, Mechanics like this make for a really enjoyable way to manipulate ones environment but sadly are not used too often. See More

TranquilPersephone's Experience

Boring as hell See More

Top Pro

The game leaves clues to a deeper story

Throughout both Portal games there are hints left in various forms that fill in more of the story, including information about Chell's personal history. See More

Top Con

Outdated graphics

The game was released in 2007, making it somewhat of an older title, because of this the graphics will not be on par with modern releases. See More

Top Pro

Innovative gameplay

Portal has won multiple awards for innovative design. Using a first person view and portals that allow one to traverse a room through one placed in one location to the other placed in another location to solve puzzles was and still is a very unique game design. See More

Top Pro

Created one of the most memorable characters in gaming history - GLaDOS

GLaDOS, or Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System, is the main antagonist of Portal games. She is voiced by Ellen McLain with the voice later processed to sound closer to how a text-to-speech program would synthesize a voice. GLaDOS initially functions as a guide to the player and is only later revealed as a manipulative, narcissistic, sinister and passive-aggressive character that wants to kill the protagonist. GLaDOS is the main force that moves the humorous yet dark narrative of Portal series with her remarks being simultaneously hilarious and terrifying. See More

Top Pro

Character-driven

Even though the only organic sentient being in this game is the player's character, this game features some of the most memorable and intriguing characters in fiction or in gameplay. GladOS obviously, but also the drone robots that sweet-talk the player to a sudden death (and then forgive you when you dismantle them), the clues left behind by former test subjects, the abandoned hints of what the lab used to be like. It tells a story without telling a story, and immerses you more than most other games can ever hope to achieve. See More

Top Pro

Made people fall in love with an inanimate, virtual object

The game made people emotionally attach to The Weighted Companion Cube and feel uncomfortable when later forced to incinerate it. See More

Top Pro

Merges first-person shooting mechanics with platforming and puzzle-solving

Portal uses an engine that was meant for a first person shooter and creates puzzles that need solved through various stage with the use of platforming. While not the very first game to merge platforming with and FPS the puzzle aspects make it unique in that no other game had done this specific combination yet. See More

Top Pro

Making it halfway and completing unlocks new content

Getting to the halfway point in Portal will unlock challenge maps and finishing the main story will unlock advanced chambers. See More

Top Pro

The sequel contains an AI powered by a potato

If that is not funny, then nothing is. See More

For a game that is meant to have large amounts of time spent in it, the music is quite relaxing, which is nice as it does not get on the players nerves. See More

Stardew Valley

Top Pro

Catchy and relaxing music

Top Con

Large amount of grind

While it is the bread and butter of the gameplay, the amount of work that needs done from the start is quite a lot and so you will be doing the same thing over and over again. The whole farm is dilapidated, meaning everything needs cleaned up, weeds need cleared, rocks need cleared, tress need cleared, the whole house needs rebuilt. this amount of what are basically chores may not appeal to all as it is quite a feat to take on. See More

Eric Waters's Experience

I have over 700 hours logged onto Stardew Valley, and I don't regret a single one of them. It is a charming, relaxing, meditative, fun, and creative game that is absolutely worth your time. What's more, there's a thriving and friendly modding community, which lets you customize and expand the game to a staggering degree. See More

Specs

Genre:Farming Simulation, Role-Playing

Co-Op:Online and Local, up to 4 players

The game is reported to taking over 10 hours for one season in the game, of which their are four season in a year. Which means it can take 40 hours just to get though the first year in the game, of which there can be many. This means a user can easily sink in 100s of hours into the game, making for quite a bargain for a $15 game. See More

Top Pro

Long playtime

Top Con

Lacks polish in some areas

Menus feel odd in that some controls work in some areas while not in other such as item management when using chests. There is also a lack of information in the game on how to do things, which means the player must figure it out through trial and error. While this is much like an old school game it would be nice to have a few things explained in order to not miss anything important in the game like certain festivals. See More

Top Pro

There is always more to do

Just like in the real world, operating a farm is a lot of work, especially if one is set on expanding said farm. The game works just like this in that the player is always driven to expand on what they have, be it growing more crops, raising more animals or just improving ones house and equipment. This makes for a game that drives the player to keep playing just a little bit longer to get just one more thing done. See More

Top Con

Can get really repetitive

Living on a farm is a lot of work, so you'll have to repeat the same tasks quite often. This includes tilling land, planting seeds, chopping trees, and many other farm related activities. While it's normally pretty fun and relaxing, it can get incredibly tedious during long play sessions, especially if you're just trying to progress. See More

Top Pro

You have freedom to choose to play one aspect of the game or all of them

Such as farming, fishing, mining, forestry, exploration and meeting people. This allows for many elements to explore in the game that expands the gameplay but also allows for freedom of choice in what to do and when to do it. See More

Top Con

Townspeople schedule is difficult to keep up with

The game asks the player to meet everyone in town, while there is mini map that shows where townspeople are, certain townsfolk are missing from this map such as shop keepers. This makes it difficult to keep up with who is where. See More

Top Pro

Good selection of game options

The games options see resolution support, controller and keyboard support, of which the controller support even has a rumble feature (for those that have controllers with rumble support). Keyboard support also has built in key-bind support, for those that do not have a separate key-bind support app. See More

Top Pro

Weather system that forces the player to adapt

Each day in the game may feature different weather depending on the season in the game. From rain to snow to natural disasters, each forces the player to adapt their workload to that days forecast. This keeps the player on their toes and forces them to plan for events to make sure they have the needed supplies for when different disasters happen. See More

Top Pro

Convenient auto save feature

There is no manual saving in the game, it auto saves when sleeping or or moving on to the next day. This is convenient as the player does not need to remember to save, which could lead to accidental lost data. This system also prevents the player taking advantage of the randomly generated mines, as it could be too easy to exploit for rare items. See More

Top Pro

Great freedom in designing your farm

When creating your own farm you aren't just limited to plowing fields for planting crops. You can also dig wells, put down fences, and even build various structures such as barns or stables. This allows you to build a farm that firmly matches your goals and sense of aesthetics. See More

Top Pro

Great soundtrack

When you work on your farm, go fishing, explore or just walk around the town you'll be accompanied by a really nice soundtrack. It's sometimes upbeat, sometimes soothing, and sometimes even melancholic, with every track matching each location and season perfectly. There's also a wide variety of instruments used, including a piano, accordion, banjo, synths, and many others. This allows you to listen to the soundtrack for hours without getting tired of it. Sometimes it's very hard to believe Stardew Valley and its soundtrack was produced by just one person. See More

Top Pro

Deep customization options

There is quite a lot that can be crafted in the game, from fence posts to chicken coops. Discovering how to build these and then deciding where to place them is one of the best parts of the game as you can build/design a farm to your liking. See More

Top Pro

Fantastic developer

Concerned Ape, who made every aspect of the game by himself, is a great guy. There's a whole dev team behind the game now, and they're still adding and polishing the game. See More

Top Pro

New multiplayer mode

One of the most recent updates added multiplayer support over the network. It's a fun and relaxing bonding experience running a farm together with a friend or significant other. See More

Top Pro

May get Mac and Linux port

Currently the game only runs on Windows machines, but the developer has stated that a Mac and Linux port are among their top priorities. See More

Top Pro

Very fulfilling to play

Stardew Valley is a very simple game where you're free to do anything and everything at your own pace. This includes building your farm, planting and harvesting crops, and exploring the world among many other things. It will feel enjoyable no matter how fast or slow you do it. This coupled with the colorful/pleasing art style and the great soundtrack makes it an extremely pleasing experience. See More

Top Pro

A great mix of genres

While Stardew Valley is primarily a farming simulator, it also has social interaction elements and combat elements. The social interaction elements allow you to interact with people around the town. You can befriend them, get quests from them, hang out with them, and even find a significant other to go out with and eventually marry. It can be very addictive to max out your relationship with everyone. The combat elements are introduced when you unlock the dungeon, allowing you to battle creatures such as slimes, golems, and even mummies. While the combat is pretty simple, having you just swing your weapon, it's very satisfying to whack away at enemies. If farming ever starts feeling stale you can try either of these to mix it up, allowing you to keep the game fresh for a longer time. See More

Top Pro

Active modding community

There's an active modding community that has created a massive volume of custom sprite sets, in-game art, and gameplay tweaks. You can customize to your heart's content. See More

As the story progresses the characters attitudes and emotions change in response to the ever evolving story. This makes fro what is a very well written game that makes the story and characters seem genuinely real. See More

To the Moon

Top Pro

Well written characters

Top Con

Gameplay is lackluster

The actual gameplay of the game consists of tile flipping and a few other mini type games. See More

Specs

The main story is actually told backwards, ala the movie Memento. While not the most original concept, still a cool way to tell a story. In the end there is quite the happy ending that will result in many tears being shed. See More

Top Pro

Cute story told backwards with an unexpected happy ending

Top Con

Too long

The game is wonderful but it does get dull after a whle. See More

Top Pro

Play If you want to Cry 😭

The story will make you cry 😭. Many (Including me) cried after finishing the game. See More

Top Con

Too short

Averaging play at around 4 hours to complete the game is quite short, good thing there are a bunch of free DLCs released that extend the gameplay. See More

Top Pro

Amazing soundtrack

The physics engine does a reasonably accurate job of replicating the fundamentals behind both orbital dynamics and rocket design, so by going through the tutorials and experimenting, you're actually learning some real rocket science. See More

Kerbal Space Program

Top Pro

Teaches orbital dynamics & rocket design fundamentals in an accessible manner

Top Con

Steep learning curve

Kerbal Space Program is not really a pick up and play title. There is much to learn before grasping the core concepts of the game. It literally requires you to learn rocket science. See More

Specs

There's a plethora of mods available that can change every single aspect of the game. See More

Top Pro

Huge modding scene

Top Con

Graphics are not the most detailed

The graphics of KSP are not the most detailed but they work nonetheless. See More

Top Pro

In constant development

KSP is a shining example of early release done right. The currently available game is fun to play, and the developers are constantly adding new major additions. See More

Top Con

Some visuals are poorly done

While the rockets, buildings, and even the Kerbals look pretty good, the environments and particle effects are a bit lacking. See More

Top Pro

Construction sandbox for building and launching rockets

Kerbal at its core is a rocket building and launching sandbox. See More

Top Pro

Fun sandbox mode to experiment with rocket designs

The rocket designer lets you experiment with as many different rocket designs as you can think up. The designer is based on components such as engines, fuel cells, structural elements and various other items such as parachutes. See More

Top Pro

You just can't get bored with it and you will learn a lot.

A "physics" game about space. Build rockets, space planes, space stations, rovers, landers, probes. Explore planets, moons, capture asteroids. With the addition of mods you can even test warp drive, set up a communications network, colonize a planet, mine for resources and much much more. It can even simulate our solar system (the in-game one is very similiar, although smaller to encourage new players. Learn orbital mechanics. Inspire yourself to learn about space and space travel history of human. This game is not only fun - it is inspiring. The game is under heavy development but is already playable (and gives a ton of fun!). Works very well under Linux (64bit as well). See More

Top Pro

NASA working on a mission pack for the game

While not released yet NASA is working on a mission pack for the game. See More

Top Pro

Motivates you to learn

Kerbal Space Program puts into perspective how amazing the advancement of the human race is. It inspires you to learn our history, how we got here, and what we can do proceed. See More

Top Pro

Tons of stuff to do

Build rockets, space planes, space stations, rovers, landers, probes. Explore planets, moons, capture asteroids, set up a communications network, colonize a planet, mine for resources and much more. It can even simulate our solar system. See More

Top Pro

Excellent construction sandbox for building and launching rockets

KSP at its core is a rocket building and launching sandbox. When creating a rocket you can place engines, fuel cells, structural elements, and even parachutes, allowing you to build a rocket in any shape and size. The end result can even look like a giant doughnut, which might be difficult to get it into outer space. Even if you fail, the entirety of the process is really enjoyable. See More

FEZ goes beyond just being a great puzzle platformer, but also has a very clever storyline and game world with a mysterious bygone civilization that fits perfectly with the mysterious puzzles of the game. See More

FEZ

Top Pro

Mysterious world with lots of depth

Top Con

Can be confusing

Specs

The core mechanic of FEZ is the ability to spin the world around you in 3D, and then traverse the resulting terrain in 2D. You can only interact with what you can see from your perspective in 2D. See More

Top Pro

Clever 2D rotation game mechanic

Top Con

No clear progress tracking

Player will have trouble figuring out "where to go" even if you exit the game for a day or two. See More

Top Pro

Brilliant puzzles

Fez has some deviously hard puzzles and mysteries that will require you to gather clues from around the world to solve them. See More

Top Con

Frequent crashes on PC

PC version of the game has stability issues. Luckily, FEZ autosaves often so no much progress is lost when the game crashes. See More

Top Pro

Amazing soundtrack

Written by Disasterpeace, the fantastic soundtrack deepens the game and provides spot-on atmosphere. See More

Top Pro

Great atmospheric soundtrack

Soft synth sounds mixed with chiptunes makes for an enjoyable soundtrack that evokes a feeling of nostalgia while creating a fitting atmosphere that complements the graphics. See More

Top Pro

Charming graphics and world

The characters are interesting and expressive and the world they inhabit varies between vibrant forests and villages, foreboding caves, rainy cityscapes, and more. See More

At a total of 36 square kilometers of area to use (compared to Sim Cities 4), there is quite a bit of room to build and play. See More

Cities: Skylines

Top Pro

Large scale

Top Con

Resource heavy

If your computer doesn’t have decent specs, don’t expect to be able to run this game smoothly. See More

CptCommanche's Experience

This is the city-building game I have always wanted. Has everything you would expect, plus a huge number of mods that can help you make your city exactly the way you want. See More

Specs

There is a depth of field effect that will blur distant buildings, which mimics Sim City's diorama effect. It can of course be adjusted with a slider as to how much or little to use. See More

Genre:City Simulation

Top Pro

Depth of field

Top Con

Confusing sub-systems that are never explained can hinder a city's growth.

Things like population age ratios and transportation inefficiencies can disable even very large and reasonably designed cities. These concepts are never explained. See More

Kobold's Experience

Better than Simcities and the tragedy that is origin. See More

Top Pro

Simple and easy to learn game mechanics

Top Con

Can be difficult to glean what one has done wrong in game

Cities: Skylines has difficulty letting the player know what they have done wrong, which results in a lot of head scratching. See More

Top Pro

Easy on the eyes, very beautiful to play

Not everything has to be on a grid. If you want a weird oval shaped loop, don't worry you can do it. See More

Top Pro

DLC adds actually game mechanics to shake up gameplay

AKA adds replay value. See More

Top Pro

Steam workshop + built-in mod management

Mods can really give it that night life like vibe. Or turn everyone into Santa, cause why not. See More

Top Pro

Rewarding to learn how the game works

The game gives you goals to reach. Reaching each one requires learning more about the game, and sometimes it requires starting new cities to plan things differently, but it is generally quite fun to attempt. See More

Top Pro

Steady stream of new content via DLCs

DLCs are optional, they do go on sale. Plus when a new DLC is released a bit of the content is released into the base game. See More

Top Pro

Large amount of workshop mods & assets

With almost 150 thousand assets and mods, you can completely change the gameplay and look of the game. See More

Once the player progresses far enough into the game there are plot thread wrap-ups that seem a bit too convenient and overly rushed. See More

Firewatch

Top Con

Tremendous build up in story, only to have a lackluster finale

Top Pro

Unique story telling through conversation between Henry and Delilah

There are two leads with each being voice acted in a believable way in how they interact. The relationship presented in the story is given credence due to how well it is acted. See More

Specs

Genre:Narrative, Adventure, Walking Sim

Top Con

Short game

It maxes out at 5 hours of play, which is a bit short, though it is priced fairly for the time one gets. See More

Top Pro

Adds interaction to the "walking simulator" genre

Unlike many walking simulator game the player is allowed to interact more with the environment than expected. User can repel down ropes, collect caches of items and even adopt a pet. See More

Top Con

Story feels a bit weak

Once the player progress far enough into the game there are moments that are left unexplained that were once thought to be important as well as wrap ups that seem a bit too convenient. See More

Top Con

Heavy swearing

Extremely frequent use of swear words. See More

From the beautiful design of the 2D cartoon graphics to the level design, soundtrack and multiplayer, Rayman Legends is on par with the best of platformers. See More

Rayman Legends

Top Pro

One of the best platformers released in years

Top Con

No online multiplayer

In this day and age it is disappointing to see a multiplayer game released that does not support online. For a company like Ubisoft this kind of cost should not be an issue which makes it puzzling as to why such a standard feature is missing. See More

Specs

Genre:Platformer

Co-Op:Local Wireless

Up to four local players can play sharing a single screen at the same time in Rayman Legends. Something that is often not the norm on PC but is seeing more new releases that support it. This is great for those with Steam Machines or living room PCs that want to be able to play with friends locally in one room. See More

Top Pro

Local co-op that is good for single room group play

Top Con

Jump is floaty

The jump action feels a bit floaty which may take a bit to get use to. Normally platformers will offer tighter controls, which people tend to get used to making games that stray from that more difficult or just not something that appeals. See More

Top Pro

Visually impressive boss stages

The visual mechanics in the boss stages are pretty impressive as they use 3d rendering but still hold to the 2D graphical look of the game. This allows for bosses that weave in and out of stages as well as attacks that can come from the foreground or background depending on where the boss is located. See More

Top Pro

Daily and weekly online challenges

There are daily and weekly online challenges that users can compete in, against their friends or just the high scores listed. See More

Top Pro

All powers unlocked from beginning

Unlike Rayman Origins, Legends has all of Rayman's powers unlocked from the beginning. Players are able to jump float, wall run and attack starting at the first level. See More

Top Pro

Creative missions

There are some great missions that are made creatively, like the last mission of every stage, which allows you to play with perfect soundtracks and gameplays. See More

Top Pro

Fun cute characters

The cartoony design of the characters is animated smoothly and looks great on screen. For each their design is cute an amusing while also showing differentiating characteristics. See More

Top Pro

Up to four player local Co-Op so you can help children through hard parts

Up to four local players can play sharing a single screen at the same time in Rayman Legends which is great for when kids get stuck on hard parts as another sibling or parent can jump in and help them out. See More

World of Goo is pleasing to look at. Most of the time it's very colorful and joyful, but it changes from time to time to reflect different parts of the world. Nevertheless, it is stylistically well presented throughout the game. See More

World of Goo

Top Pro

Beautiful visual style

Top Con

No co-op mode

The PC version does not include the co-op mode that was included in the Wii Ware version. See More

Specs

Genre:Puzzle (physics-based)

Co-Op:None

Controller Support:No

Top Pro

Excellent physics engine

Physics in-game take into account gravity, wind, weight of different goo-balls, structural integrity of your architectural solutions to create an addictive, "let me try this one more time"-type of gameplay. See More

Top Pro

Great variety in puzzles

A lot of attention has been put into creating interesting levels with great pacing and variety throughout the game. See More

Top Pro

A twisted tale

As you start playing there doesn't seem to be much of a story. A few philosophical messages left behind by the Sign Painter and a cut-scene here or there. But as you progress through the game you unearth different details about a slightly disturbing world. See More

Top Pro

Good music track inside game

One of the main themes of the game is the illusion of choice that's presented in games. While a player can make a vast number of decisions in the game, the narrator reminds the player he can only make decisions that the game allows him to and how the game manipulates the player into making them. The narrator points out that not just common choices such as what path to take to get from point A to point B, how to approach a certain situation or what ethical choices are available are limited to the game's designers having thought of and implemented those aspects of the game, but decisions such as purposeful suicide, not taking action, disobeying instructions and even turning off the game are only there if the game allows them to be there. See More

The Stanley Parable

Top Pro

Discusses the illusion of choice in games

Top Con

More an interactive story than an actual game

The Stanley Parable is not much of a game in the strictest sense but more an interactive story or interactive "art". See More

Specs

Genre:Adventure, Interactive Story

Excellently crafted, hilarious writing delivered by a well spoken, charismatic British narrator. Kevan Brighting has become somewhat of a cult success since the game due to its cult like status which just shows how deserving he is due to how well done the narration of the game is done. See More

Top Pro

Exceptional narration

Top Pro

The game has a lot of different endings to find

There are numerous ending to the game that appear to play out even when the player makes the same choices as their last playthrough. See More

Top Pro

Insightful commentary on state of game design

The game tackles topics such as ludonarrative dissonance, choice in games, narrative limitations, etc while mostly focusing on the relationship between the game and the player in terms of storytelling in a very meaningful, educated and entertaining way. See More

Top Pro

Points out narrative limitations in games by encouraging breaking narrative structure through gameplay

The game encourages players to explore decisions that would change the meaning of the presented story. What if you took a left turn where the game asked you to take a right? What if you decided not to push a big red button needed to continue playing because you didn't agree with pushing the big red button? What if you died in a boss battle? How would that affect the narrative of the game? The game rewards you for not following the "intended" narrative structure of the situation in order to point out how the structure is unavoidable in games as a whole. The process of attempting to break the structure can be highly satisfying in The Stanley Parable and can help you better notice limitations of narrative in other games. See More

Top Pro

A few nods to other games can be seen throughout the game

References to other games including Half-Life 2, Portal & Minecraft can be found throughout the game. See More

Machimariums hand drawn graphics exude a very steam punk style that definitely has a very unique look by being all hand drawn. See More

Machinarium

Top Pro

Beautiful art style

Top Con

Items may be difficult to find due to similar colors

At points in the game there are needed items that blend in too well with their surrounding making it quite difficult to actually see them. See More

Specs

Genre:Puzzle (point-and-click)

Top Pro

Built in hint system

For those that do find some of the puzzles too challenging there is an inbuilt hint system. See More

Top Pro

Challenging Puzzles

The puzzles are quite challenging to the point of frustration but in the end give a sense of immense reward when figured out. See More

Top Pro

Good story

Not just a puzzle game, there is also an underlying story with a satisfying payoff in the end. See More

Top Pro

Interesting protagonist

The main character and the one controlled by the player is just a normal, average, everyday robot. He doesn't have any special powers or abilities other than being able to slightly extend his midriff in order to reach high ledges or making his body shorter. He's pretty much an ordinary robot thrust into an extraordinary situation. See More

Top Pro

The well-designed gameplay mechanics avoid making the game boring to the player

Unlike most point-and-click games, objects of interest in Machinarium light up only when the main character is close to them; this completely changes the way the game is played. In point-and-click games where this is not the case, the gameplay is usually reduced to aimlessly flailing the cursor around waiting for something to light up. Machinarium on the other hand completely avoids this, keeping levels interesting and the player interested to the game. See More

Top Pro

Built-in hint system

For those that do find some of the puzzles too challenging there is an inbuilt hint system shown through "thought bubbles" on top of the playable character. Every level has its own hint when pressed and it's usually a hint on where to go or what kind of object you need. Although it's advised not to rely on the hint system too much since it takes away from the experience of actually enjoying the game. See More

You'll be matched with players at your same skill level. See More

Rocket League

Top Pro

Great matchmaking

Top Con

Minimal in features

Other than the main gameplay mode there is little in options for the game. While there may be DLC with time currently the game is pretty bare bones for modes of play. See More

Specs

Genre:Sports / Racing / Soccer

Co-Op:4 Player Online / 4 Player Couch

Get the ball in the net! Soccer at it's simplest, this game is physics driven using different cars as players, making it a fast-paced and exciting game. See More

Top Pro

Clear objective

Top Con

Your fate depends on who you get matched up with

There is nothing worse than playing well on a team full of n00bs. You will cringe when your own team steals the ball as you line up a shot on goal or hits the ball into your own goal. During some matches the other team will CRUSH you by scoring goal after goal and there is nothing you can do. See More

Top Pro

Simple controls

Whether you use a controller or keyboard and mouse, the controls are fairly simple. You are driving a car pushing a ball around, with forward, reverse, boost, power-slide and jump as your only real abilities to learn. The difficulty comes in learning to use these abilities to perform in air and off the wall maneuvers that will make for breath-taking replays and make the unexpected play. See More

Top Con

Matchmaking can be slow at times

Especially if you're a higher tier player it can take a while to find a suitable opponent. See More

Top Pro

Great for quick play sessions

Each game has a time limit of 5 minutes, paused only when one team scores and the ball is reset to mid-field. See More

Top Pro

An e-sports masterpiece

Easy to learn but difficult to master, the gameplay allows for many different playstyles. If you want to hang back and take a calculated approach, much like a real game of soccer. The game is also accessible to the point that anyone who plays, even for the first time, should understand the mechanics while enjoying the gameplay. On top of all of this, the physics of the game work quite well, to the point that (while tough) the player can gauge where the ball is going and what angle it will roll just by visibly watching the ball enough. In essence, the game is well put together and super approachable, making for a highly played online multiplayer game. Keeping the mechanics tight enough so that competition can be had with little issue, which of course has escalated to the point that it is now being played as an e-sport. See More

Top Pro

High skill ceiling

The sky's the limit when it comes to ability. You can practice this game for hours/days/months/years and still find yourself getting better. See More

Top Pro

Large player base

The player base is large, so you always find matches at any time of the day. Steam players can play with PSN players. See More

Top Pro

Split screen on PC

A rare feature for a PC game, you can play with friends in the same room, made easier with wireless controllers. Obviously a larger monitor would make this experience more enjoyable, but even on a 20 inch screen it is playable with minimal detail loss. See More

Top Pro

Over the top physics

The physics in the game slightly bend reality , which makes for a fun experience where everything seems to be behaving as though there is less gravity, which means cars can somewhat fly around if the hit each other or go up ramps. See More

Top Pro

Moon-like physics give a delightful sense of exaggerated abilities

The physics in this game are slightly warped, making it seem like you're on the moon. This means that cars fly around if they collide or go up ramps, giving it a feel of superpowers. See More

Top Pro

Tons of fun for players looking to team up with friends

Rocket League is perfect for when you want to play with friends for some couch co-op or online play. Matches are fast-paced and quick, with a bunch of back-and-forth between which team has the ball and which team has chances to intercept and get the ball on their side of the field. Coordinating with your team can open up some awesome plays where you manage to outscore the other players or get some exciting last-minute intercepts. Plus, playing with a pre-set team helps you avoid the randomness of getting matched up with strangers who may or may not want to be team players. See More

Top Pro

Developers are very involved with the community

The developers of the game are very active in the game's community, both in communicating news as well as responding to and implementing feedback. See More

Top Pro

Customizable cars

With DLC there are quite a few cars to choose from, including the Delorian from Back to the future. Create a custom car by choosing paint scheme, color, paint type(gloss/flat, ect.) wheels, boost color, hat and antenna toppers. Countless possibilities, with more to come. See More

The mods are widely varied and usually inter-compatible. The two most popular sets, Bob's and Angel's mods, take it from the standard (and simple) chain of resources to a much more accurate process requiring things such as gas fractioning and ore processing. See More

36 Other Games Considered

Factorio

Top Pro

Extensive modding scene

Top Con

Can become rather repetitive

There's really little payoff for being able to build really long chains of automation, it usually results in being able to open a new tech tree which allows the player to continue the process of building automation chains ad infinitum, which, admittedly can become rather boring after a while. See More

Asher Wolfson's Experience

Awesome, open-ended game requiring the research and construction of a massive production factory on a foreign planet with the goal of launching a satellite into orbit to call for rescue. See More

Specs

Genre:Realtime Strategy (RTS)

Co-Op:16+ Player Online (100+ has been done)

The game provides a feeling that few others do: that your efforts matter in a grand scheme, and that any advantage you've gained is well earned. See More

Top Pro

The feeling of productivity and earned power

Top Con

Still under development

Top Pro

Non PvP multiplayer as standard

While PvP is technically possible it is by far the less popular option. See More

Top Pro

Endless solutions

With proper planning, users can "code" together very precise ways to create all the things needed for the game, some in very inventive ways that can differ quite a bit. This allows for tons of replayability. See More

Top Pro

Cooperative or PvP building

Factorio also supports multiplayer, allowing many players to cooperate and assist each other, or work against each other in PvP. By default, multiplayer games run the CO-OP freeplay scenario where all players work together to launch a rocket with a satellite into space. See More

Top Pro

Massive and infinite procedurally generated world

The playing world is as large as you want to explore, it automatically generates it as you explore more areas. See More

A terrifying underwater exploration game filled with alien sea monsters. I'm a wuss and took days to finally have the courage to go deeper into the vast, foggy, dark part of the ocean where you can see nothing but water, you'll never know what hides in the foggy distance before "the thing" swim towards you like you're the last of it's prey. See More

Subnautica

Top Pro

Beautiful yet terrifying open-world filled with wonders and dangers.

Top Con

Lacks Co-Op

This game was meant to be a survival game (and a bit of horror), most survival games are difficult, may get boring to play alone after time and this game has both. I understand that having a second survivor in the story would mean to rewrite it again, but having a friend in an alien world would be better. See More

CharmingAres's Experience

A terrifying underwater exploration game filled with alien sea monsters. I'm a wuss and took days to finally have the courage to go deeper into the vast, foggy, dark part of the ocean where you can see nothing but water, you'll never know what hides in the foggy distance before "the thing" swim towards you like you're the last of it's prey. Graphics and gameplay are unique like nothing I've ever seen before. This game is one of a kind. Take a break from all those same old looter shooters and scavenge the deep blue sea, will you? See More

Specs

Genre:Survival, Open world, Exploration

Co-Op:No

The game takes place underwater, and it looks very good especially because of the new candy eye update. Looking up at the sun through the ocean looks pleasant and real. Coral reefs have multiple colors and look real as well. Graphics wise this game looks great and pulls off its theme of an underwater survival quite well. See More

Top Pro

Great theme and looks

Top Con

No real story

A bit underdeveloped story. Only in notes and some short CGI animations. See More

Eric Waters's Experience

I've logged more than a few hours into this game. It's got a beautiful design, with an almost peaceful approach to exploration and storytelling. Fairly unique in a crowded genre. See More

Top Pro

The sound effects really set up the overall atmosphere

The sound design in Subnautica is amazing. Even though the soundtrack can be bland at times, the sound effects for the ocean noises are incredibly atmospheric and really help to get the player in the mood for exploring a vast, alien ocean. See More

Top Con

No weapons

The authors of the game are very anti-gun, which is unfortunate in this case, as the game could have benefited from being able to defend better against predators. See More

Top Pro

Interesting creature design

The creature design in Subnautica deserves some major praise. Spotting a new, never seen before creature is extremely rewarding and there's a large variety of alien creatures to look for. See More

Top Pro

Incredibly satisfying tool-building mechanics

The whole process of creating new tools is mostly done using a sophisticated 3D-printer available from the start of the game. You gather various resources and transform them to create tools that you will need for your survival. For example, organic matter gets printed into raw carbon, combine carbon with some zinc and you get a battery; combine that battery with some glass and you get a flashlight that helps you see in the dark. It's very straightforward but incredibly satisfying when you build your tools, especially since you are doing all of this while swimming in an ocean filled with predators. See More

Top Pro

Very interesting for both new and long-time players

The game progresses faster after you learn it, because everything is done manually. See More

Top Pro

No unecessary multiplayer BS

The devs didn't feel the need to cram in pointless multiplayer. Co-op would have ruined the lonely atmosphere, which is half the point of the game! See More

Top Pro

Has a mode for people who just want to explore

Subnautica has four game modes: survival, freedom, hardcore, and creative. The first one pits the player against the elements and forces them to think about food and water through its thirst and hunger mechanics. The second game mode basically removes every mechanic that is related to surviving, such as the aforementioned hunger and thirst mechanics. It also leaves all the items in your inventory after you die. In other words, it's a game mode for people who want to explore without having to bother with surviving. Which is nice, since Subnautica has a lot of stuff to explore. The third one, as the name tells us, is more difficult. Not only do you have to worry about health, oxygen, water and hunger, you will have to worry about your life. Since this game mode gives you one chance to live, no respawning. If you die, you'll lose your progress and will have to start over again. The fourth one will let you build a base of your dreams without worrying about food, oxygen, or thirst. It is the best mode for people who want to build and don't want to gather resources. See More

It allows you to draw up ideas for buildings and structures before letting you create them. See More

Minecraft

Top Pro

Great creativity tool

Top Con

Lack of meaningful story mode

There is no story mode in Minecraft: there is only a create mode or a survival mode. Neither, however, supply any kind of story or background as regard what is going on in the game. See More

SuaveMutunusTutunus's Experience

It is THE BEST Game out there ( might be controversial, but this my opinion ). There is just.. infinite possibilities, you can do what you want . There are many different mini games too ( requires server or mods) . It is a survival game.. we learn to be resourceful. I will strongly recommend to play this game . The catch is that it costs 26 USD. We could use pirated versions like tlauncher, but it is not recommended since it might get you in jail. Killing stuff is not a problem, since , if a mob gets damaged, it just gives a faint red colour for a sec, no blood. See More

Specs

Genre:Indie / Survival / Sandbox

Co-Op:8 Player Online / 4 Player Couch / 8 Player LAN/ Infinite Player Servers

Controller Support:Yes

The community surrounding this game is huge due to its popularity. There are lots of servers and projects revolving around it that allow for so many different choices in how one wants to play and who they want to play with. From crafting guides/videos, themed servers and YouTube play sessions, there is enough out there to help one find what they are looking for. See More

Top Pro

Amazing extended community

Top Con

Still involves killing other things

In order to progress through the game and craft items, players will need to kill other things such as skeletons, zombies and monsters which may not be seen as child-friendly or can result in frightening situations. See More

CuriousThoth's Experience

tatty game hai See More

Top Pro

Easy to set up multiplayer

Both the dedicated server and "Open to LAN" options allow fairly easy setup for multiplayer. See More

Top Con

Steep and time-consuming learning curve

Learning what items are needed to craft takes quite a bit of knowledge and time. There are guides and videos online that can help with this, but not much in-game that helps the player know exactly how and what to craft. See More

RespectableBeliMawr's Experience

Its the best ofline games and u can play it peacfully without killing See More

Top Pro

Enthralling, unpredictable gameplay

Exploring and fighting expands on what is a randomly generated world, never knowing what's going to happen next or what the player will find. There are no set goals and no end to reach: it is all a sandbox experience that the player formulates as they go along, making it all the more thrilling. See More

Top Pro

Defined by originality

There are not many games that have become so iconic due to their original characteristics. See More

Top Pro

Multitude of mini-games makes for flexibility

Due to its vast community, Minecraft has a wide variety of mini-games available for download, which can tailor to different sizes of groups. See More

Top Pro

Local multiplayer option for when there is no internet

Minecraft can be played by 4 players locally via splitscreen. This makes it a great way spend time with your friends and family when you don't have access to the internet. See More

Top Pro

Randomly generated worlds and distinct locations keep the gameplay fresh

Each new world is randomly generated, making for a different experience every time. There can be plains, rivers, beaches, ravines, giant mountains, hidden villages, and a lot more. There are also 38 biomes, which includes snow, desert, forest, swamp among others. Each one has its own set of unique blocks, plant life, and creatures. You won't get tired of exploring above ground or underground because every location will seem new and exciting. See More

Top Pro

Recipe Book (ver. 1.12.2 and up)

As you progress in the game an optional menu, accessed trough the inventory, that shows all unlocked crafting recipes. You unlock a recipe by having had all items used in it in your inventory at least once. See More

Top Pro

Suspenseful and exhilarating game

Can put you in thrilling situations that make it fun for hardcore gamers! See More

The game is a classic rags to riches story that starts the player off in a little garage working for other companies and earning money to eventually buy a truck of his own. Owning a truck allows getting higher paying jobs, that allow getting the truck upgraded, that allows getting even higher paying jobs. At some the opportunity to hire other drivers presents itself and building a trucking empire is not far off. See More

Euro Truck Simulator 2

Top Pro

Addicting progression system

Specs

Genre:Open World / Driving / Simulation

Co-Op:None

Controller Support:Partial

Top Pro

Has tons of mods

The game has a wide variety of mods available that add new locations, game content and functionality. There's even a multiplayer mod. See More

Top Pro

Gorgeous scenery

The game has a huge map that covers much of Europe and delivers detailed, varied scenery throughout giving each place a sense of identity and creating a specific atmosphere. See More

Player-made choices affect the game's story and have consequences, which will only become apparent later. This gives a realistic feel to the game being that choices have outcomes that affect the game world. See More

Life is Strange

Top Pro

Choice based gameplay

Specs

Genre:Adventure, Narrative

The story is really engaging, along with the drama which is the most prominent aspect of the game (but don't let that turn you off if you think that drama isn't your thing, because this is so well done). See More

Top Pro

Great plot and great drama

Top Pro

Great story

Life is Strange expertly portrays a teenagers life during high school, capturing all the good and bad emotions, while also adding a supernatural twist. The main character and her issues are relatable, side characters are interesting, and the plot twists are very unexpected. The story as a whole is very enjoyable, keeping you on the edge of your seat most of the time. See More

Top Pro

Amazing overall atmosphere

Between the good voice acting, lighting and object/level design, extensive number of things and people that can be examined or talked to, and music, it really makes one feel as if they're there experiencing the story. See More

Top Pro

A well-polished experience

Excellent voice acting, great story, smooth lighting, detailed object/level design, extensive number of people and objects to interact with, and even amazing music. Everything about the game makes it very enjoyable to play. See More

The puzzles in the game are great, but they're tied together with a thought provoking story line filled with mystery and intrigue. A story about a robot with human consciousness who is being guided by a disembodied voice, are they to be trusted? As the story progresses the player is drip fed clues which can lead them closer to the truth. See More

The Talos Principle

Top Pro

Thought provoking story line

Top Con

Ending troubles

After getting the "normal" ending you will have to replay the entire game again if you want to find everything you missed. Replaying a puzzle game isn't that fun when you already know the puzzles. See More

Specs

Genre:Adventure, Puzzle

Road to Gehenna is especially good. See More

Top Pro

Has good DLCs

Top Con

No very difficult puzzles for humans

Top Pro

Mind blowing puzzles

Top Pro

Great original soundtrack

The soundtrack is very pleasant to listen to and fits perfectly with all the areas and themes present in the game. It varies from calm music, for those heavenly areas where you are solving puzzles, to more misterious and epic pieces for moments when things get... real. It's good to have some nice music playing while your brain is melting from solving the puzzles, or just appreciating the scenery. See More

Top Pro

Lots of side content

Many Easter eggs and more difficult puzzles as well as an ending in many parts of the game, as well as hidden lore. See More

Top Pro

Rewards exploration and out-of-the-box thinking

It's hard to explain this without spoiling anything, but there are lots of "aha!" moments you will encounter on the areas if you get invested into the story, making the game deeper. See More

Top Pro

Difficulty ramp-up

Starts out easy enough, but gets to some truly difficult puzzles by the end. If you get stuck on a puzzle you can skip it and come back to it later. See More

The game's core mechanic is about traversing levels using wall-jumps, rolls and slides without losing momentum. It does a great job of creating a fluid sense of motion that you have complete control over. See More

Mirror's Edge

Top Pro

Innovative, parkour-inspired, first-person platforming with excellent sense of motion

Top Con

Poor combat sytem

The combat system often feels out of place and definitely interferes with the flow of the gameplay. See More

Specs

Genre:Action-Adventure

Mirror's Edge is set in a world where a totalitarian government runs a city and tries to eliminate anything that stands out, such as the free-running protagonist. The levels are created minimalistic, mostly white with aggressively contrasting primary colors, to represent the oppressive nature and sterility of the world. See More

Top Pro

Unique, minimalistic art-style

Top Con

Some people may experience motion sickness

In order to maintain its immersive nature, Mirrors Edge has virtually no UI, other than a small dot at the center of the screen. This should ward off motion sickness for most people, but be aware that if you're queasy, you might not feel too well after playing. See More

Top Pro

Great soundtrack

The soundtrack's spacious ambient texture coupled with electronic beats and synthetic sounds supplement the game's otherworldly, contrasting setting. The complete soundtrack is available with the purchase of the game. See More

Top Pro

Keyboard controls work quite well

Surprisingly (for an EA game especially) the keyboard controls are actually designed to work quite well. See More

Top Pro

Time trials

There are time trial bonus levels that are free of platforming sections and combat, just pure timed running missions. See More

In Portal 2, co-op is a completely different set of puzzles than the single player campaign. Almost all puzzles require a high level of teamwork that will leave you feeling proud of what you have accomplished. In a game that requires prefect timing and teamwork, Portal 2 features many tools to facilitate teamwork. One of the most helpful is a 3 second countdown timer that can be initiated and shown to both players to insure you launch that portal or jump at the perfect time. In addition, there is a marker that you can place on certain objects for your teammate to see as well as a setting that shows your partners view super-imposed on the corner of your screen. See More

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Portal 2

Top Pro

Unique co-op levels with co-op specific tools

Top Con

Steep learning curve

Although the single player campaign features a gradual learning curve, co-op gives no mercy. The puzzles start off hard and only get harder. It is very recommended that you play through single player first if your are not familiar with Portals mechanics. See More

TranquilPersephone's Experience

Boring as hell See More

Specs

Co-Op:2 Player Online / 2 Player Couch / 2 Player LAN

Genre:FPS

The game challenges your brain to use portals, cubes and other mechanics to solves simple or complex puzzles in interesting ways. See More

Top Pro

Mind bending puzzling

Top Con

It's really long

It's long. See More

Tom Watson's Experience

I would argue this to be one of the best games of all time, regardless of whether or not you're looking for violence. See More

Top Pro

Humorous voice acting by Stephen Merchant

Stephen Merchant (Extras, The Office UK, Life's Too Short) voices the character of Wheatley the robot in humorous fashion. See More

Top Con

Late game single player can be quite difficult

While the single player learning curve is quite gradual, late game the puzzles can become quite difficult, sometimes leading to the player being stuck for long stretches of time. While not impossible to solve, some creative thinking will need to be done in order to finish. See More

MIGUEL ORGANO's Experience

plese let me play See More

Top Pro

Larger in scope than the first title

Portal 2 is larger in every way when compared to the first title. From the longer and more detailed story to the larger levels and new game mechanics. See More

Top Con

Main co-op campaign is short

The co-op campaign in Portal 2 is about 4 hours long for experienced players, meaning it could be beaten in a weekend. Being a puzzle game, you can’t play the single-player again until you forget the solution. This makes the game feel incredibly short. Luckily, hundreds of hours worth of user-generated content is available. See More

DeliberateNemesis's Experience

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST GAMES OF ALL TIMES. See More

Top Pro

Hundreds of hours of user-generated content

The game has more than 60,000 co-op puzzles created by users through the Steam Workshop and through mods. Because it is user-generated content, the quality and size of these puzzles vary widely, including everything from simple, one-off chambers to full-fledged expansions with high-quality stories, voice-overs, and new gameplay elements (for example, Mel). See More

Top Pro

Witty and funny character driven story

Four major characters drive the single player campaign and they are amazing. Three of which have explosive personalities, bring humor, suspense, sadness, and empathy, the other being Chell who doesn’t speak but her interactions with the rest of the cast make her all the more mysterious and interesting. Most of the time you don’t even see or directly interact with the characters but that just shows how great they are. See More

Top Pro

Allows for harmless trolling

While Portal 2 requires focus and logic, it does not punish players for causing a bit of mischief. The instant respawn system means trolling your friend will affect almost nothing in the game. Except maybe your friendship. See More

Top Pro

Challenging puzzles that require creative thinking

The game challenges your brain to use portals, cubes and other mechanics in order to solve simple and complex puzzles in interesting ways. Trying to figure out the best placement of entrance and exit portals in order to gain access to (perceived) inaccessible places takes a lot of thought, especially in the later game. See More

Top Pro

Creates a sense of accomplishment through a high level of teamwork

Co-op multiplayer offers a completely different set of puzzles from the single-player campaign, which keeps things fresh for those that finished the single player campaign. Almost all co-op puzzles require a high level of teamwork, creating a great sense of accomplishment for the players working together. See More

Top Pro

Entertaining and well delivered voice acting

Voice acting for Wheatley the robot is done by Stephen Merchant (Extras, The Office UK, Life's Too Short) in humorous fashion. His delivery is well executed on all dialogue. On top of this specific experience, the rest of the voice acting of every other character in the game is performed just as well, in part due to the fact that the dialogue was written in a smart and entertaining fashion. This makes for a top quality listening experience that shows a lot of care was taken with the voice acting of the game. See More

Top Pro

Well implemented tools that improve teamwork

In a game that requires perfect timing and teamwork, Portal 2 features many tools to facilitate teamwork. One of the most helpful is a 3-second countdown timer that can be initiated and shown to both players to ensure you launch that portal or jump at the perfect time. In addition, there is a marker that you can place on certain objects for your teammate to see as well as a setting that shows your partner's view super-imposed on the corner of your screen. See More

Top Pro

Both online co-op and local co-op

It is possible to play a multiplayer game for free online using the Steam servers, as well as locally on your machine using split-screen (the second player must use a gamepad controller if playing locally). See More

Top Pro

Huge selection of user-generated content that should appeal to any use-case

The game has more than 60,000 co-op puzzles created by users through the Steam Workshop and through mods. Because it is user-generated content, the quality and size of these puzzles vary widely, including everything from simple, one-off chambers to full-fledged expansions with high-quality stories, voice-overs, and new gameplay elements (for example, Mel). By having such a selection of content, there should be something that appeals to just about anything someone is looking for. See More

Top Pro

Cross-platform co-op

As long as both players have a Steam account, the co-op is able to be played even if one user is playing on the PS3 while the other is on a PC. See More