PC gaming’s continued growth this year reflects more than enthusiast loyalty. Higher frame rates, ultra-wide monitor support, modding and strong backward compatibility continue to set this gaming style apart.
Longevity remains a key advantage. Rather than replacing an entire system, players can upgrade individual components over time, offering greater control and long-term value as hardware prices fluctuate and console refresh cycles become less predictable.
Here we list the 10 best-rated PC games of 2025.
1. Hades II
Metacritic score: 94
Key review: “This year has been stellar when it comes to great games, and Hades II still manages to stand out from the pack” – Gaming Age
Supergiant Games returns with another masterfully crafted roguelike release. Hades II is a mix of fast-paced action, character-driven storytelling and expressive art that has made it one of the year’s most captivating titles. The sequel also introduces a richer overworld, more complex upgrade paths and a broader supporting cast that grows with each run. Players have embraced its balance of challenge and accessibility, where every defeat teaches something useful. Hades II continues Supergiant’s tradition of presenting games with warmth, personality and unmistakable identity.
2. Sektori
Metacritic score: 93
Key review: “Sektori is brutal; it looks to crush you under its sheer force at every turn, such that getting to the game’s end will be one of the most satisfying moments that you’ll find in gaming in 2025” – Player 2
Sektori is a sharp, minimalist PC shooter that leans on precision rather than spectacle. Built around twin-stick mechanics, it drops players into shifting arenas filled with abstract enemies and escalating threats. Each run is brief but demanding, encouraging experimentation with upgrades and play styles. Its neon visuals and pulsing electronic soundtrack give the game a hypnotic rhythm, while its uncompromising difficulty recalls the discipline of arcade classics, reimagined for a modern PC audience.
3. Blue Prince
Metacritic score: 92
Key review: “Blue Prince blends puzzles and roguelike exploration into something refreshingly original, clever, calm and unlike anything else you’ve played.” – GamingBolt
At first glance, Blue Prince appears to be a traditional puzzle game. In practice, it is a study in structure and expectation. Each play-through reshapes the interior of a mysterious mansion, forcing players to rethink solutions and abandon familiar patterns. The game’s restraint is its greatest strength, offering minimal guidance while trusting players to piece together its logic.
4. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Metacritic score: 91
Key review: “Clair Obscur is an RPG on rocket skates. It takes big swings and lands all of them with a satisfying smack” – The Times
One of this year’s most acclaimed releases brings a level of artistic confidence rarely seen in a major title. Clair Obscur blends surreal French fantasy with turn-based combat and a story about resistance in a world trapped in cycles of destruction. Its gorgeous aesthetic and elegant mechanics have made it a defining work of the past year. The animation, music and voice acting align to create a tone that feels haunting. Players have praised its approach to storytelling and ability to deliver emotional weight without sacrificing gameplay depth. Clair Obscur recently claimed Game of the Year at the prestigious Game Awards.
5. Hollow Knight: Silksong
Metacritic score: 90
Key review: “Pretty and charmingly mean-spirited, this is a game filled with revelations and genuine personality” – Eurogamer
After years of anticipation by the most ardent gaming fans, Silksong arrived this year. Team Cherry elevates the Hollow Knight formula by focusing on the agile Hornet, creating faster traversal, more expressive combat and a world that is denser, more vertical and filled with new biomes. Its handcrafted environments and demanding boss encounters have made it an essential action platformer. What distinguishes Silksong is its sense of fluidity. Hornet’s movement style encourages aggressive play and inventive routes through each region, giving speed-running and exploration new depth.
6. Split Fiction
Metacritic score: 90
Key review: “Split Fiction is an absolute masterclass and a big contender for Game of the Year” – PC Games
This experimental narrative adventure is one of the year's most inventive titles. Split Fiction asks players to navigate parallel storylines in sci-fi and fantasy worlds that intersect in unexpected ways. It is a reminder of how games can explore structure in ways film cannot. The game challenges players to consider how decisions in one timeline might ripple subtly into another. It rewards attention to detail and invites replaying sections to uncover different branches.
7. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Metacritic score: 90
Key review: “Final Fantasy VII Rebirth on PC elevates the already stellar experience with exceptional optimisation, quality-of-life improvements, and expanded gameplay customisation” – Noisy Pixel
The second chapter of Square Enix’s ambitious remake project found a wider audience with its PC release. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth expands its world significantly, offering more freedom while deepening its character arcs. Combat strikes a balance between action and tactical planning, and on PC the game benefits from higher frame rates, graphical options and mod support. The result is a version that feels both expansive and refined.
8. Despelote
Metacritic score: 89
Key review: “Despelote is a moving and masterfully rendered game about soccer, growing up and so much more” – Digital Trends
Small in scale but rich in emotional detail, Despelote tells a story about memory, place and childhood through the lens of football culture in Quito. Its loose structure and conversational tone give it the feel of lived experience rather than traditional narrative design. The game’s minimalist presentation and strong audio design create an intimacy that suits the game’s reflective approach.
9. The Talos Principle: Reawakened
Metacritic score: 89
Key review: “Everything that was great about The Talos Principle has been made new again with The Talos Principle: Reawakened” – CGMagazine
Rather than simply revisiting the original, The Talos Principle: Reawakened refines its puzzles and philosophical themes for a new audience. The game continues to ask questions about consciousness, faith and humanity, pairing abstract ideas with carefully constructed challenges. PC enhancements bring smoother performance and improved visuals, reinforcing its status as one of the medium’s most thoughtful puzzle experiences.
10. The Seance of Blake Manor
Metacritic score: 89
Key review: “The Seance of Blake Manor is an intriguing detective game with a horror twist that makes every minute count (quite literally)” – GameGrin
The Seance of Blake Manor is a restrained horror game that favours atmosphere over spectacle. Set in 1897 Ireland and almost entirely within a single location, it unfolds through environmental clues and subtle shifts in tone. On PC, lighting, sound design and high-resolution assets heighten the sense of unease, making it one of the year’s most effective slow-burn horror titles.
