Solo PC games
A solo campaign in a virtual world tests your skills as a gamer and allows you to embrace a story on your terms. While playing with friends can be a fun pastime, single-player games are equally exhilarating and even emotional in their own right. They feature creative puzzles, leisure escapes or daunting challenges.
Although online collaborative gaming has gained popularity over the years, there are plenty of innovative and compelling single-player games to explore. These mesmerizing games are a great challenge and offer high-replay value. The PC games buying guide at BestReviews provides plenty of information about group games and what to purchase for optimal gaming enjoyment. Here is a list of the best single-player games you can play right now on a PC.
Best single-player PC games
“Mass Effect Legendary”: available at Amazon
Fans of the popular “Mass Effect” series can enjoy all three titles in this collection. It also includes a slew of downloadable content and exciting extras. The game comes remastered, so you can enjoy it on a 4K screen or HDR TV for an immersive, tense gaming experience. Start by creating your own personalized character, and then take to this vast world where your character choices influence your journey.
“Star Wars Fallen Jedi Deluxe”: available at Amazon
With a compelling story and thrilling gameplay, this “Star Wars” game is a pleasure for both casual and avid fans. You play a young Jedi Knight facing the rise of the Empire. While your lightsaber skills and powers aren’t much at the start, you will become a powerful hero as your journey through beautiful and haunting planets. You’ll battle stormtroopers, giant insects and even zombies. Controls are intuitive, and the various modes allow plenty of replay with a few surprises along the way.
“Cyberpunk 2077”: available at Amazon
Though this game got off to quite a rocky start, there is still plenty of value in the much-anticipated “Cyberpunk 2077.” The detailed world is vibrant and fascinating. It has a range of people and items to interact with and several choices, big and small, that create a myriad of quests. This is a game for those with a lot of free time seeking an immersive escape.
“Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition”: available at Amazon
This game continues to be one of the best single-player games made in recent years. It creates challenging combat, lush environments and an original story. You play as Aloy, a young woman trying to learn about the past as she navigates a post-apocalyptic landscape filled with violent, robotic creatures. The world is wide open, the foes are inspired, and the story is brilliant, building a winning combination for any player.
“Doom Eternal”: available at Amazon
For fans of gore, frivolity and definitely a bit of horror, be sure to check out the latest entry into the beloved “Doom” series. This game is a worthy one, especially for those who follow the “Doom” franchise. The environments are terrifying, populated with monsters both new and familiar. You can upgrade to new skills, employ new weapons and embrace the chaos and fury of this horrific hellscape.
“Shadow of the Tomb Raider Definitive Edition”: available at Amazon
The final entry in the revamped “Tomb Raider” trilogy series is yet another stellar title, building upon the strong foundation laid before. In this story, Lara explores South American catacombs. She races to capture a mysterious relic before the nefarious Trinity Organization. It’s a beautifully rendered, well-acted game that calls for strategic play and careful timing. It also tells a fascinating story as Lara reckons with the destruction and chaos that follows her every move.
“Spongebob Squarepants Battle for Bikini Bottom”: available at Amazon
For those seeking something a little lighter and more family-friendly, check out this Spongebob adventure set in Bikini Bottom. Play as the title hero, Spongebob Squarepants, and pair up with Patrick and Sandy in this colorful and amusing lark. You’ll face off against robot hordes and giant sea monsters. While it’s not the most complicated game, it’s likely to put a smile on your face.
“Titanfall 2”: available at Amazon
This is one of the older games on the list, but it’s still a fan favorite. “Titanfall 2” comes packed with massive mech battles, gunfire and thrilling adventure. Play as a pilot of a giant war machine with a customizable weapon loadout as you battle against similar mechanized foes. Though a relatively short solo campaign, the action is nonstop and the chaos utterly enjoyable.
“Outriders”: available at Amazon
Another action-adventure game, “Outriders” welcomes up to three players. It offers an exciting narrative and worthy challenges to dedicated solo gamers. There are lots of familiar elements, but the game is still fun and challenging in its own unique right. Create your character with their set of skills and navigate an environment filled with monsters and threats as you unravel a worldwide mystery.
“Sid Meier’s Civilization 6”: available at Amazon
This expansive world-building game is addictive and engrossing. It challenges gamers to assume leadership roles throughout history and guides them through the fraught path of raising an empire. A colorful world is yours for the taking with endless interactive opportunities. While you can fight against friends and strangers, artificial intelligence also provides a worthy adversary.
“NBA 2K22: 75th Anniversary Edition”: available at Amazon
Out in September 2021, this is the latest in the long-running, beloved NBA gaming franchise. This anniversary edition came out just ahead of the next season, and it’s loaded with extras for avid fans. Gamers can build teams, grow players and embrace icons past and present. Start a franchise, create an aspiring athlete and pick up a game in any number of arenas or even on the street.
Anthony Marcusa is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.
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