10 great games of 2020 for your new gaming PC

Whether you’ve just gotten a new Windows-based gaming laptop or desktop, or just want some new game ideas, we’ve got ten suggestions to make your gaming experience fun. Not all of them are new or the most graphically demanding, but they should provide hours of fun.

Unlike gaming on a console, there are a number of ways for PC gamers to get their fix, from Steam and the Epic Game Store to GOG and Xbox Game Pass. It is important to know that not all platforms offer the same games due to exclusivity rights. But in most cases, you can (and should) shop around; you may find a better price in one store than the other.

We’ve rounded up our favorite and most used games, apps, and entertainment. Check out our app picks for iPhones, Android phones, Windows PCand M1-equipped macs; our favorite mobile games from Apple arcade and Google Play Pass; and our best options for Gaming pc, the PS5, Xbox One and Series X / S, Nintendo switchand VR. We’ve also included our favorite streaming shows on Disney Plus, Hulu, ESPN Plusand Netflix; Some great science fiction books; and exciting new podcasts. (Note: pricing was accurate at time of publication, but may change.)

hell

Image: Supergiant

hell is the latest game from Supergiant, the developer of Bastion, Transistorand Pyre. Fresh out of early access this summer, hell it offers tons of depth, the writing is excellent (and often fun), and the controls are responsive. At first it doesn’t seem like there’s much depth, but I’ve had 60 races and counting with no end in sight. If you want an idea of ​​how deep hell“The rabbit hole goes, check out my colleague Nick Statt’s article on how the game continues to unravel its secrets even after you’ve ‘beaten’ it.

Cyberpunk 2077

Image: CD Projekt Red

Cyberpunk 2077, the latest open-world RPG from CD Projekt Red, was released just a few weeks ago. While it has bugs in its early days, it seems like an adventure worth taking if you like the idea of ​​wandering through a neon-lit cyberpunk universe filled with unusual missions and updates. It’s also an awesome game, built to take advantage of Nvidia’s latest graphics cards with ray-traced effects.

Star Wars: Squads

Image: EA

EA built the definitive Star Wars-themed dogfighting simulator on Star Wars: Squads. Whether you’re playing on a traditional monitor or with an Oculus or SteamVR VR headset, you’re likely to get a lot of excitement from both the single-player and multiplayer campaigns. However, one thing: it is not a simple game.

Amnesia: Rebirth

The last game of the Amnesia series is the direct successor of Dark descent, the first-person horror game that put the series on the map. While the stories are somewhat linked, Edge Critic Adi Robertson says that Renaissance “It modifies the design and themes of the original game convincingly.” Its setting is most impressive, and it takes place in a variety of locations that Dark descent it does not. Although it still retains its ability to make you question what awaits you in the dark.

Among us

Image: InnerSloth

Among us is perhaps the most popular game of 2020, judged by hearsay alone. It’s so popular that even politicians like AOC stream it on Twitch, and the game’s premise makes it easy to see why. You join a group of other workers tasked with maintaining a spaceship, except one of you is an imposter. Your role as an impostor is to blend in and not let anyone find out who you are. The fun lies in making everyone else betray each other in their efforts to find out who plays the impostor. It is a simple but nuanced Track-as a game that costs only $ 5. Get some friends, buy the game and have fun.

Person 4: Gold

Image: Atlus

Why is there a 2012 game on this list? Well it’s because Person 4: Gold, a JRPG masterpiece from Atlus, only made it to PC in 2020. It’s nothing new in terms of content for people who have already played the game on the PlayStation Vita, but it has improved graphics options for PC. And really, it’s special to see some memorable characters on the big screen looking sharper than ever, with the beating of the earworm backing up the experience.

Fortnite

Image: epic

Fortnite is Epic’s ever-evolving battle royale game that deserves a place on most gamers’ hard drives. It’s free to play, so that’s your main reason for at least giving it a try. Epic Games brings new content and cosmetic updates (including God of WarKratos, along with many other branded character skins) to the game frequently, so if you have friends who play games, chances are there is something new to enjoy together every time they play.

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Image: Microsoft

In a year when traveling was something most of us couldn’t do, the new Flight simulator it felt especially timely. It is a super detailed flight simulator where you just fly airplanes. There are challenges to complete, but really, it’s about relaxing, enjoying the view, and appreciating the world from a bird’s eye view. It’s also a very game intensive, so you can really test your new components (or consider upgrading if you really want to maximize the graphical settings).

This game is available for purchase through Microsoft or Steam, and can be played with a PC Game Pass subscription (which costs $ 1 for the first three months for new subscribers, $ 14.99 per month otherwise).

Horizon: Zero Dawn

Image: Alloy

If you are a PC gamer who has wanted to play the exclusive PS4 Horizon: Zero Dawn open world game, you got lucky this year. The game has hit digital stores with all the graphic options you could dream of. While it had stability issues at launch, most of the issues seem to have been resolved, so now is a great time to enjoy Alloy’s debut adventure earlier. Horizon: Forbidden West hits the PS5 (and hopefully PC) in 2021.

valuing

Image: Riot Games

League of Legends Developer Riot Games released a competitive first-person shooter game valuing this year, and it quickly became an esports staple. While it is based on classes like SupervisionAs each character has their own unique abilities, it relies more on twitch-based skills and tactical play to the Counter strike. It’s a free game, downloadable only through Riot’s own launcher, and you can pay cash for costumes and weapon skins if you want to customize the look of your characters.