This is one of the most underrated and best laptop games for pc of all time. The old-school Doom games are the quintessential run-and-gun first-person shooters. There’s not much story to these games beyond “Demons are invading, go shoot ‘em.” But it doesn’t need one. The fast-paced gunplay, while anachronistic at times, is still incredibly fun, and both games are shining examples of non-linear level design. Stages are winding mazes through military facilities and hellish dimensions filled with secrets, grotesque demons, and giant guns to shoot said demons with.
Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate 2 are classic isometric RPGs with a deep role-playing system and a non-linear story. The player must gather a group of heroes, explore the vast fantasy world of Forgotten Realms, make tough decisions, and engage in tactical real-time battles. Pentiment is a unique adventure game from Obsidian, designed in the style of medieval manuscripts and engravings.
In this game, your aim is to lead humanity’s fight against the Vek, an army of gigantic monsters looking to destroy the world. The premise is seemingly simplistic, but the execution is anything but. You’d love to revive your inner gamer, but life is busier than it used to be. Sure, they’re stunning, but you can’t exactly take weeks off your day job for a video game. Arcade racers focus on fun and fast-paced action rather than realistic driving mechanics. These games offer thrilling experiences without needing a powerful PC.
Hollow Knight is easily played on a laptop keyboard and runs surprisingly well on any machine that meets the minimum spec requirements. Caves of Qud is roleplaying fun at its finest, with endless options for your story and virtually no limits on what you can do in the procedurally-generated world. Set in a post-apocalyptic world where water is currency, Caves of Qud is a traditional roguelike game inspired by tabletop RPGs.
As a tone piece and a work of art though it’s incredible, and if you approach it on those terms, if you let it simply wash over you in one sitting, it’s a gorgeous experience. Baldur’s Gate and its sequel are also great choices here, and I’ve heard Obsidian’s modern successor Pillars of Eternity ($40 on Humble) runs pretty smooth on budget machines too. There’s also a minimalist but pulp-fun story penned by Chris Avellone, plus dozens of different unit combinations to experiment with. If you’re looking to fall into a “one more turn” spiral, Into the Breach is set to be your next addiction. Kentucky Route Zero is one of the best games of 2013—and one of the best games of 2020. An episodic adventure almost a decade in the making, Kentucky Route Zero finally wrapped up in January, which means I finally got around to playing it.
Reigns is a minimalist strategy game in the form of a card game where you take on the role of a monarch. Each decision affects four key parameters, and balancing them is the key to survival on the throne. At first glance, it seems simple, but behind the minimalism lies a deep satirical story about power, morality, and the inevitability of the end. The philosophical undertones, humor, and unconventional approach to gameplay turn the experience into a true experiment on free will and player interaction with the game.
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Armed with the best laptop games, you can entertain yourself through a long-haul flight, take a quick break from work, and enjoy convenience without sacrificing quality. Far Cry 3 is one of the best games for low-end PCs with a captivating plot. In the game’s narrative mode, you will be driven into the role of a lone survivor in the woods. It involves using numerous guns and explosives against enemies spread throughout the island.
Best Action Games for Low-End PCs
Among Us is a fun multiplayer game about teamwork and betrayal, perfect for low-end PCs. Players control crew members of a spaceship, completing tasks, but among them are impostors whose goal is to sabotage the mission and eliminate the rest. If you’re final fantasy quiz looking for a hardcore, adrenaline-pumping action game with a unique atmosphere, this game is definitely worth your attention.
If you are looking for great pc games that can run even on a soapbox, you have come to the right place. Here is a list of 10 low end pc games that can run even on the most minimal hardware, without much performance issues or game lag. These pc games are some of the most popular and fun titles to spend the entire night gaming, with classic horror titles, retro fps, action-adventure games, and more. Scroll down below and check out 10 of the most popular low end pc games to enjoy in 2025. Loop Hero is another rogue-lite strategy game that inverts the classic role-playing game genre.
The Guardian describes the game as post-apocalyptic chess with time travel, and to be honest; We can’t come up with a better summary of what Into the Breach offers. It’s a stunning game that has depth without being overly complex, something you can fit into your daily lunch break, and each turn is a captivating experience. In our opinion, there’s nothing that beats the paper version of the game. There’s something about getting together with your friends or going to a tournament that digital can never replace. For those who love rough terrain and dirt tracks, off-road and rally games offer exciting challenges that focus on different types of vehicles and environments. Some of these games have built-in options for low settings, while others can be tweaked to optimize performance on older machines.
Minecraft
A new in-game notetaking system proves to be a smart addition, though, if you do want to fully unravel Riven’s big mystery. I’m not ashamed to say I haven’t finished this one and maybe never will, but it’s a charming little game with some fiendish mindbenders. Any of the Zachtronics puzzle oeuvre could probably go on this list—SpaceChem, Shenzhen I/O, Opus Magnum, and probably even Infinifactory. It’s also an eerie portrayal of America’s failing blue-collar class. Mae and her parents live in a coal mining town without a coal mine, where most of the jobs have left and the people along with them.
Minecraft is a massively popular, deep, and complex sandbox game loved by gamers worldwide, with a vast world to explore and endless possibilities. It is undoubtedly one of the free games for low-end PCs ever, where you can do almost anything you want. Wes has been covering games and hardware for more than 10 years, first at tech sites like The Wirecutter and Tested before joining the PC Gamer team in 2014. Wes plays a little bit of everything, but he’ll always jump at the chance to cover emulation and Japanese games.
Pyre boasts stunning visuals, but this doesn’t prevent it from being very friendly to low-end PCs. It’s the perfect choice for those looking for a deep narrative RPG with an original combat system and an unforgettable atmosphere. Although many of us would likely love to upgrade our low spec gaming PC’s right now, we sadly don’t have much of a choice.