PC players had the widest choice of anyone in 2026: three Capcom hits, Death Stranding 2 arriving from PS5, Forza Horizon 6 and Gears of War: E-Day on day one, Valheim’s long-awaited 1.0, and a run of smaller games that critics scored as highly as the blockbusters. This list covers the 50 best games released on PC in 2026 so far, ranked by the PC Metascore on Metacritic as of October 30, 2026, since several of these scored differently on PC than on consoles.
The rules are simple. A game qualifies if it came to PC for the first time in 2026, or left early access there with its 1.0 release in 2026, which includes remakes, remasters and games that launched on other platforms first; expansions, multi-game collections and new editions of games already on PC do not count. The bar is 80, the same as on our best PS5 games of 2026 and best Xbox games of 2026, and that PC Metascore has to come from at least 20 PC critic reviews, the same floor as our best games of 2026. A game under 80 is left out entirely, and games that clear 80 but have too few PC reviews to rank yet are in the honorable mentions. As of October 30, exactly 50 qualifying games clear both bars. Ties go to the game with more PC critic reviews (and, if those match too, the earlier PC release).
50. Final Fantasy Resonance
Square Enix’s first HD-2D Final Fantasy launched October 22 on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2 and Switch. In Final Fantasy Resonance, you travel with what Square Enix calls “companions bound by fate” and call on Visions to fight alongside your party, in a pixel-art world built on the series’ classic roots. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 80 on PC at Metacritic from 20 critic reviews, exactly our floor, and two points below its Switch 2 score. Our Final Fantasy Resonance guides cover the best Visions and how long it takes to beat.
49. Dragon Quest VII Reimagined
Square Enix’s remake of Dragon Quest VII, developed with HexaDrive, arrived in February. In Dragon Quest VII Reimagined, you gather your companions and travel beyond the shores of your small kingdom to discover why it is the only island left in the world. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 80 on PC at Metacritic from 24 critic reviews, four points below its Switch 2 score.
48. Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake
Koei Tecmo’s remake of its 2003 J-horror classic arrived in March. Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake follows twin sisters Mio and Mayu into a lost village where the only weapon against its ghosts is the Camera Obscura. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 80 on PC at Metacritic from 25 critic reviews, two points above its Switch 2 score. It also appears in our best horror games of 2026.
47. Silent Hill: Townfall
Screen Burn’s September release, published by Konami and Annapurna Interactive, sends Simon Ordell back to the fog-bound island town of St. Amelia to “put things right”, in a first-person story of tense evasion, explosive confrontations and mind-bending puzzles. As of October 30, 2026, Silent Hill: Townfall holds an 80 on PC at Metacritic from 36 critic reviews, a point above its PS5 score. Our Silent Hill guides cover every ending and how to fix PC crashes.
46. Reanimal
Tarsier Studios, the team behind the first two Little Nightmares games, returned in February with this horror adventure, published by THQ Nordic. In Reanimal, a brother and sister go through hell to rescue their missing friends and escape the island they used to call home, and it is built for two players, online or local. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 80 on PC at Metacritic from 43 critic reviews, and it ranks on our best horror games on Steam too.
45. MOUSE: P.I. For Hire
Fumi Games’ first-person shooter, published by PlaySide, launched April 16. MOUSE: P.I. For Hire sends private investigator Jack Pepper on a guns-blazing, jazz-fueled adventure drawn in hand-drawn rubber hose animation inspired by the cartoons of the 1930s. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 80 on PC at Metacritic from 79 critic reviews, the most PC reviews of any game on this list, which is why it leads the 80s.
44. Coffee Talk Tokyo
The newest entry in the Coffee Talk series, from Chorus Worldwide Games and Toge Productions, arrived in May. Coffee Talk Tokyo moves the late-night cafe to Tokyo, where you brew drinks for humans and yokai and hear their stories. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 81 on PC at Metacritic from 24 critic reviews.
43. Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2
Auroch Digital’s sequel to its retro shooter, published by Big Fan Games and Devolver Digital, launched October 14. Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 lets you play as Ultramarine Malum Caedo or Sister of Battle Nyra Veyrath, with more enemies and more weapons than the first game. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 81 on PC at Metacritic from 30 critic reviews, three points above its PS5 score. Our launch story covers the fixes it shipped with.
42. Marathon
Bungie’s survival extraction shooter launched March 5. In Marathon, you are a Runner, a cybernetic mercenary scavenging the lost colony of Tau Ceti IV solo or with a crew, competing with other players for loot. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 81 on PC at Metacritic from 52 critic reviews, the most of the 81s. Bungie has already laid out its plans for a PvE mode, Team Deathmatch and a new zone.
41. TR-49
inkle, the studio behind Overboard!, Heaven’s Vault and A Highland Song, released this narrative deduction game in January. TR-49 is built around a World War II computer, an archive of lost books and a world-changing secret, and inkle pitches it as narrative deduction meeting audio drama. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 82 on PC at Metacritic from 25 critic reviews.
40. Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors
poncle, the studio behind Vampire Survivors, released this spin-off with Nosebleed Interactive in April, and it turns the formula into a turn-based roguelite deckbuilder. In Vampire Crawlers, you blitz through infested dungeons, chain combos from a hand of cards and use the Turboturn to wipe out hordes of familiar foes. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 82 on PC at Metacritic from 28 critic reviews. Its free Death Parade update added a new stage, three dungeons and two Crawlers in October.
39. Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse
Konami’s first new 2D Castlevania in years arrived in October, made with Evil Empire and Motion Twin, the Dead Cells team. In Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, set 23 years after Castlevania: Dracula’s Curse, you play Rose Belmont, daughter of Trevor Belmont, fighting through Paris in 1499. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 82 on PC at Metacritic from 38 critic reviews. Our Castlevania guides cover where it fits in the timeline and how to get the true ending.
38. Mortal Shell II
Cold Symmetry’s standalone sequel, published by Playstack, launched in August. Mortal Shell II keeps the series’ hook: you possess the bodies of fallen warriors, called Shells, and use them to dethrone false gods in high-stakes soulslike combat. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 82 on PC at Metacritic from 56 critic reviews, the most of the 82s.
37. Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth
Hyper Games, the creators of Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley, released this adventure with Kakehashi Games in April. Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth is inspired by Tove Jansson’s Moomin stories and follows Moomintroll himself on a cold winter journey. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 83 on PC at Metacritic from 22 critic reviews, five points above its Switch score.
36. Silver Pines
Wych Elm’s survival horror Metroidvania, published by Team17, launched in October. In Silver Pines, private investigator Red Walker comes to a half-abandoned American town to find a missing musician, Eddie Velvet, and slides into something much stranger. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 83 on PC at Metacritic from 26 critic reviews, below its PS5 and Switch 2 scores, and it ranks on our best horror games on Steam.
35. Onimusha: Way of the Sword
The first new mainline Onimusha in over 20 years arrived in September with an Oni Gauntlet that absorbs demon souls mid-fight. As of October 30, 2026, Onimusha: Way of the Sword holds an 83 on PC at Metacritic from 33 critic reviews, below its PS5 and Switch 2 scores. If the parry timing is eating you alive, our guide to parrying, deflecting, and Issen is the place to start, and the rest are in our Onimusha guides.
34. Gears of War: E-Day
The Coalition’s prequel launched in October and goes back 14 years before the original Gears of War to follow Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago through Emergence Day, the night the Locust broke through. Gears of War: E-Day launched straight into PC Game Pass as well as on Steam, and its campaign supports four-player online co-op. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 83 on PC at Metacritic from 46 critic reviews, four points below its Xbox score. Our Gears of War: E-Day guides include the best PC settings and how co-op works.
33. Control Resonant
Remedy’s action RPG launched in September. Control Resonant follows Dylan Faden, released after years in the Federal Bureau of Control’s custody, into a warped Manhattan at the peak of a paranatural crisis, fighting a reality-bending cosmic threat with newfound powers. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 83 on PC at Metacritic from 51 critic reviews. Our Control Resonant guides cover everything from its bosses to how to level up.
32. MIO: Memories in Orbit
Douze Dixiemes’ Metroidvania, published by Focus Entertainment, launched in January. In MIO: Memories in Orbit, you play an android exploring the Vessel, an enormous technological ark overgrown with rogue machines, upgrading MIO’s abilities to save the ship and its residents. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 83 on PC at Metacritic from 53 critic reviews.
31. Zero Parades: For Dead Spies
ZA/UM, the creators of Disco Elysium, released this espionage RPG in May, and it has since been expanded with a Director’s Cut. In Zero Parades, you are a brilliant but tormented operant on one final, desperate assignment, out to prove yourself on the world stage or blow it all up again. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 83 on PC at Metacritic from 62 critic reviews, the most of the 83s. Our guide to how the time limit works explains what its day counter really tracks.
30. Order of the Sinking Star
Jonathan Blow’s first game since The Witness, made by his studio Thekla, launched in October. Order of the Sinking Star is a puzzle adventure with more than 1,000 interconnected, hand-crafted puzzles, playable heroes and mechanics that keep evolving, according to its Steam listing. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 84 on PC at Metacritic from 20 critic reviews, exactly our floor. Our release times story covers how the launch rolled out.
29. Planet Zoo 2
Frontier’s sequel to its zoo management sim arrived October 13. Planet Zoo 2 adds fully aquatic and flying species for the first time and lets you release animals into expansive Wildlife Reserves beyond the zoo walls. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 84 on PC at Metacritic from 22 critic reviews, its best score on any platform, level with Steins;Gate Re:Boot, which came out earlier. Our Planet Zoo 2 guides cover every species at launch and beginner tips for your first zoo.
28. Steins;Gate Re:Boot
MAGES. rebuilt its time-travel visual novel for the modern era, and Spike Chunsoft published it in August. Steins;Gate Re:Boot brings fully updated visuals and UI back to the streets of Akihabara, along with what the store page calls an all-new story. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 84 on PC at Metacritic from 22 critic reviews.
27. LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight
TT Games’ open-world Gotham arrived in May, published by Warner Bros. Games. LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight tells the essential Batman story with harder-hitting combat than LEGO games usually offer, starting with a young Bruce Wayne and building a family of allies against a rogues gallery that includes The Joker, Bane and Ra’s al Ghul. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 84 on PC at Metacritic from 24 critic reviews, level with Demon Tides, which came out earlier. It also ranks on our best PC co-op games of 2026.
26. Demon Tides
Fabraz, the studio behind Demon Turf, launched this 3D platformer in February. Demon Tides has you race across open oceans and dozens of locales, upgrading your gear and modifying your move set as you uncover a kingdom’s dark secrets. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 84 on PC at Metacritic from 24 critic reviews.
25. Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy
Asobo Studio’s prequel to the Plague Tale games, published by Focus Entertainment, arrived in August. Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy follows Sophia to the Minotaur’s Island, where she outsmarts deadly foes and confronts a mythical creature at the heart of a devastating curse. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 84 on PC at Metacritic from 48 critic reviews, six points above its PS5 score.
24. Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced
Ubisoft’s remake of 2013’s pirate favorite arrived in July. Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced puts you back in the boots of Edward Kenway during the Golden Age of Piracy, with upgraded visuals, reworked gameplay and new content. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 84 on PC at Metacritic from 50 critic reviews, its best score on any platform. Our Black Flag Resynced guides cover Templar Keys, legendary ships and more.
23. The Blood of Dawnwalker
Rebel Wolves, founded by ex-CD Projekt Red developers including a Witcher 3 director, shipped its debut in September and sold a million copies in about two days. In The Blood of Dawnwalker, Coen is human by day and vampire by night in 14th-century Europe, and the entire campaign runs on a 30-day clock. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 84 on PC at Metacritic from 52 critic reviews. Start with how the time limit works and the rest of our Dawnwalker guides.
We played it: On PS5, until the 30-day clock ran all the way out. Its side quest writing stands next to The Witcher 3, but the platforming is the worst part of every hour. Read our full review.
22. 007 First Light
IO Interactive took everything it learned building Hitman and applied it to a young James Bond origin story in May. 007 First Light follows Bond as a resourceful and sometimes reckless recruit in MI6’s training programme, in a standalone story rather than a film adaptation. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 84 on PC at Metacritic from 54 critic reviews, a few points below its console scores. IO has since added free Extended Operations content with New Game+, a photo mode and a 00 difficulty.
21. Star Wars Zero Company
Bit Reactor’s Clone Wars tactics game, published by Electronic Arts, launched in August and was built by former Firaxis developers, and it shows: this is XCOM’s brutal turn-based structure wearing Star Wars armor. As of October 30, 2026, Star Wars Zero Company holds an 84 on PC at Metacritic from 74 critic reviews, the most of the 84s. If you are deciding how to buy it, our guide to which edition to buy breaks the options down.
We played it: On PC, for about 20 hours. It is tough even on Normal, its squad variations give it real replay value, and we hit no bugs or crashes, though a couple of checkpoints stung. Read our full review.
20. Star Wars: Galactic Racer
Fuse Games’ racer, published by Secret Mode, launched in October as a “runs-based” reinvention of racing set in the Outer Rim after the Empire’s fall, where an unsanctioned circuit called the Galactic League bankrolls the chaos. In Star Wars: Galactic Racer you race as a pilot named Shade across landspeeders, speeder bikes and podracers in a story campaign, with online racing for up to 12 players. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 85 on PC at Metacritic from 27 critic reviews, three points below its PS5 score. Our Galactic Racer guides cover every track and the best vehicle and racer style.
19. Esoteric Ebb
Christoffer Bodegård’s single-player CRPG, published by Raw Fury, launched in March. Esoteric Ebb is inspired by the freedom of tabletop adventures: you roll dice in tense encounters and unravel a political conspiracy with a goblin sidekick, and you can become a cleric of legend or completely ruin the campaign. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 85 on PC at Metacritic from 41 critic reviews, and it ranks on our best RPGs of 2026 too.
18. Nioh 3
Team Ninja’s February soulslike fixes the series’ biggest limitation: in Nioh 3, you switch between Samurai and Ninja styles mid-combat, and the game opens into open-field areas instead of pure mission corridors. Online co-op supports up to three players, which is why it also sits on our best PC co-op games of 2026. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 85 on PC at Metacritic from 42 critic reviews.
17. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4
Infinity Ward’s latest launched in October on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Switch 2. Activision says the campaign of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 plays out across sixteen missions on the Korean Peninsula and in Paris, New York and Mumbai, and the game also ships with 6v6 multiplayer and DMZ, the extraction mode you can play solo or in a squad. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 85 on PC at Metacritic from 46 critic reviews, two points above its PS5 score and the most reviews of the 85s. Our Call of Duty guides include the best PC graphics settings.
16. OPUS: Prism Peak
SIGONO’s narrative adventure, published by Shueisha Games, launched in April. In OPUS: Prism Peak, you play a weary photographer stranded in the Dusklands, traveling with a girl who has lost her memories and using your camera to uncover the land’s mysteries and find your way home. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 86 on PC at Metacritic from 32 critic reviews, ten points above its Switch 2 score.
15. Cairn
The Game Bakers, the studio behind Furi and Haven, released this survival climber in January. In Cairn, pro climber Aava attempts Mount Kami, a summit no one has ever reached, and you can climb anywhere, so you plan every route and manage your pitons and resources to survive the mountain. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 86 on PC at Metacritic from 43 critic reviews, the most of the 86s and three points above its PS5 score.
14. Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection
Capcom’s monster-raising RPG spin-off launched in March and trades the hunting for riding: in Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection, you are a Rider who hatches, raises and bonds with monsters, in a story that begins with twin Rathalos hatched from a single egg. It is the friendliest way into the Monster Hunter world, but it is single-player only; unlike Stories 2, there is no co-op. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 87 on PC at Metacritic from 29 critic reviews, its best score on any platform, and it ranks on our best RPGs of 2026 as well.
13. Mixtape
Beethoven and Dinosaur, the studio behind The Artful Escape, released this coming-of-age story with Annapurna Interactive in May. Mixtape follows three friends on their last night together, playing out a mixtape of memories set to the soundtrack of a generation. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 87 on PC at Metacritic from 36 critic reviews. Critics loved it, while some players found it short and hands-off, so it is worth knowing which camp you are in.
12. Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve
Bandai Namco’s first mainline Ace Combat since 2019’s Ace Combat 7 arrived in October, and the publisher says it passed a million copies faster than any game in the series’ 30-year history. Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve sticks to the series’ arcade dogfighting, with a hangar of jets to unlock as a campaign of high-stakes missions and hard choices goes on. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 87 on PC at Metacritic from 44 critic reviews, the most of the 87s. Our Ace Combat guides cover how to unlock the secret planes and every mission in the campaign.
11. Pragmata
Capcom’s long-delayed lunar sci-fi adventure finally landed in April and passed two million copies in 16 days. In Pragmata, you control astronaut Hugh and the android Diana at the same time, hacking in real time while shooting, as they search a lunar facility taken over by rogue AI for a way back to Earth. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 88 on PC at Metacritic from 45 critic reviews, three points above its PS5 score.
10. Phantom Blade Zero
S-GAME’s action game launched on PC and PS5 on October 28 in the US (October 29 in most of the world). Phantom Blade Zero fuses classic Wuxia storytelling with fast, Unreal Engine 5 action: you play Soul, a warrior with only sixty-six days left to live, fending off assassins and unraveling world-ending conspiracies. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 88 on PC at Metacritic from 46 critic reviews, a day after launch. Our Phantom Blade Zero guides cover how many bosses there are and how Sixty-Six Days mode works.
9. Denshattack!
The strangest game on this list and one of the most joyful: Undercoders’ July release has you flip, trick and grind a train through a colorful Japanese dystopia, chaining combos like a skateboarding game. In Denshattack! you outmatch rival gangs, wreck a shady megacorp and take back the tracks. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 88 on PC at Metacritic from 48 critic reviews.
8. Mewgenics
Edmund McMillen (The Binding of Isaac) and Tyler Glaiel spent over a decade on this roguelike tactics game about breeding cats, and it sold a million copies in its first week after its February launch. In Mewgenics, you build a cat army through tactical breeding, then send it into deep, turn-based adventures where you draft abilities, collect items and manipulate genetics across generations. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 88 on PC at Metacritic from 58 critic reviews, the most of the 88s, which is why it leads them.
7. Schrodinger’s Call
Acrobatic Chirimenjako’s visual novel, published by Shueisha Games, arrived in May and asks one question: when the world is coming to an end, who would you want to speak to one last time? Schrodinger’s Call tells its story of human connection as if you were turning the pages of a picture book. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 89 on PC at Metacritic from 21 critic reviews, level with Valheim, which has more reviews behind it.
6. Valheim
After five years in early access, Iron Gate’s Viking survival sandbox hit 1.0 on September 9, complete with the Deep North, the game’s ninth and final biome. Valheim is a collaborative exploration and survival game for 1 to 10 players, set in a procedurally generated afterlife inspired by Viking culture. As of October 30, 2026, it holds an 89 on PC at Metacritic from 26 critic reviews. Our Valheim guides cover every boss in order, taming and surviving the new biome.
5. Forza Horizon 6
Playground Games’ open-world racer launched on PC and Xbox in May, published by Xbox Game Studios. Forza Horizon 6 moves the festival to Japan, with more than 550 real-world cars in what Playground calls the series’ biggest open world yet. As of October 30, 2026, it holds a 90 on PC at Metacritic from 67 critic reviews, level with Mina the Hollower, which edges it on review count. To get going, see how to make money fast and how to get Super Wheelspins.
4. Mina the Hollower
Yacht Club Games’ first original property since Shovel Knight arrived in May. Mina the Hollower is a top-down action adventure in which you whip foes and burrow through the ground to rescue a cursed island, a mechanic that reshapes every fight and dungeon. As of October 30, 2026, it holds a 90 on PC at Metacritic from 74 critic reviews. Demanding, gorgeous, and built by people who clearly love Link’s Awakening.
3. Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
Kojima Productions’ sequel launched on PS5 first and reached PC in March, ported with Nixxes Software. In Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, Sam and his companions set out on a new journey to save humanity from extinction, across a world beset by otherworldly enemies and a haunting question: should we have connected? As of October 30, 2026, it holds a 91 on PC at Metacritic from 27 critic reviews, two points above its PS5 score, level with Big Walk, which edges it on review count.
2. Big Walk
House House, the Untitled Goose Game studio, made something genuinely unusual in August: an open-world co-op adventure for 2 to 12 players with no single-player mode at all. In Big Walk, published by Panic, everyone spreads out across a big world and communicates through proximity voice chat, solving puzzles that scale to your group size. As of October 30, 2026, it holds a 91 on PC at Metacritic from 30 critic reviews, the highest PC score of any game on this list that is brand new in 2026 rather than a sequel, remake or port, and it is number one on our best PC co-op games of 2026.
1. Resident Evil Requiem
Capcom’s February entry splits its campaign between FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft and a returning Leon S. Kennedy, alternating first-person survival horror with third-person action. As of October 30, 2026, Resident Evil Requiem holds a 92 on PC at Metacritic from 25 critic reviews, the highest PC score of any game that clears our review floor.
What makes it number one is how consistently it landed. Capcom built two styles of Resident Evil into one campaign, and critics rated it at the top on every platform: an 89 on PS5 from 141 reviews, a 90 on Switch 2, a 93 on Xbox Series X and the 92 on PC. There is no wrong place to play it, but if you play on PC, nothing released this year is a safer purchase. It sits second on our best horror games on Steam, and our Resident Evil guides cover the rest of the series.
Honorable Mentions
These 2026 PC releases clear our bar of 80 but have too few PC reviews to rank yet, under 20 as of October 30. Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter leads them: Falcom’s remake holds a 92 on PC from 18 reviews, and it is number one on our best RPGs of 2026. Well Dweller (89, 12 reviews) and Desktop Explorer (89, 7) are next. Enshrouded (88, 14) left early access in October, and our Enshrouded guides cover its 1.0. Fields of Mistria (88, 11) reached 1.0 in August, with our Fields of Mistria guides to match. Welcome to Elderfield (87, 12) and Hermit and Pig (87, 7) follow. Dressmaker (86, 8) has our Dressmaker guides, and Perfect Tides: Station to Station sits at 86 from 9.
At 85 are Titanium Court (16), Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse (13), Shards of Order (13), Timberborn (12, out of early access in March), The Mermaid Mask (11) and Wax Heads (10). At 84 are Phonopolis (14), Sovereign Tower (14), The Incident at Galley House (12), Schrodinger’s Cat Burglar (9) and The Wolf Among Us Remastered (8), which only launched on October 29; our Wolf Among Us guides cover it. At 83 are Transport Fever 3 (16), KuloNiku: Bowl Up! (12), Mycopunk (10), which has its own Mycopunk guides, and Terra Invicta (7). Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls misses by a single review, at 82 from 19, and more than a dozen others sit between 80 and 82, including TOEM 2 (81, 16) and GRIME II (80, 14).
Our rules also leave out expansions and new editions of games already on PC, however well they reviewed. Expansions such as Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred (84 from 55 reviews), World of Warcraft: Midnight, Granblue Fantasy: Relink – Endless Ragnarok (an upgrade kit on Steam), Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Cost of Hope are sold as add-ons to games that came out before 2026, so they are not ranked. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered arrived in September as an upgrade to the existing game on the same Steam store page, so it counts as a new edition; our Witcher 3 Remastered PC settings guide covers it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best PC game of 2026 so far? Resident Evil Requiem, which holds a 92 on PC at Metacritic from 25 critic reviews as of October 30, 2026. Big Walk and Death Stranding 2: On The Beach follow at 91. Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter also holds a 92 on PC, but from 18 reviews, too few to rank yet. For every platform at once, see our best games of 2026.
How is this list ranked? By each game’s PC Metascore on Metacritic as of October 30, 2026. A game needs 80 or higher, the same bar as our PS5 and Xbox lists, and that PC Metascore has to come from at least 20 PC critic reviews, the same floor as our best games of 2026. Exactly 50 qualifying games clear both bars. Ties go to the game with more PC critic reviews, then to the earlier PC release. Remakes, remasters, PC debuts and 1.0 releases out of early access count; expansions, collections and new editions of games already on PC do not.
Why are some highly rated indies missing? A small game can hold a high Metascore from only a handful of reviews, so we wait until its PC Metascore rests on at least 20. Well Dweller, Desktop Explorer, Fields of Mistria and Dressmaker all score 86 or higher on PC but have fewer than 20 PC reviews, so they are in the honorable mentions until more reviews come in.
Why is The Witcher 3 Remastered not on the list? It arrived on PC as an upgrade to the existing game on the same Steam store page, so it counts as a new edition of a game already on PC, which our rules leave out, the same way expansions such as Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred are left out.
What is the best PC co-op game of 2026? Big Walk for novelty (2 to 12 players, no solo mode) and Valheim for scale (up to 10 players), with Nioh 3 the pick for co-op action (up to three players online) and Reanimal for two-player horror. See our best PC co-op games of 2026 for the full list.