IGN's Top 25 Modern PC Games of 2025: A Subjective Celebration
2025 is here, and IGN's refreshed list of the 25 best modern PC games is ready. This isn't an objective ranking; gaming tastes are subjective. Instead, this list reflects the collective recommendations of IGN's PC gaming team, using a ranking tool to ensure diverse opinions are considered. It's a celebration of games we love, encouraging you to explore them if you haven't already.
Many fantastic PC games didn't make the cut – a testament to the sheer volume of excellent titles and the varied preferences within our team. Our criteria focuses on "modern" games (released or significantly updated since 2013). Classic titles like Doom (original), Half-Life 2, and Skyrim are considered all-time greats, deserving of separate recognition (see our Top 100 Games of All Time list).
Remember, this is our perspective. Share your top 25 using our Playlist tool! The list was last updated February 13, 2025.
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Games Under Consideration (Too New to Rank):
Civilization 7, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, Dynasty Warriors: Origins, Mouthwashing, Marvel Rivals, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, Life is Strange: Double Exposure, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Sonic X Shadow Generations, MechWarrior 5: Clans, Metaphor: ReFantazio, Silent Hill 2 Remake, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, Black Myth: Wukong
The Top 25: (Descriptions shortened for brevity)
- Undertale: Subversive RPG with impactful choices. (Release Date: September 15, 2015)
- Balatro: Clever deck-building roguelite with wild card combos. (Release Date: February 20, 2024)
- Crusader Kings 3: Accessible grand strategy game with compelling historical narratives. (Release Date: September 1, 2020)
- Hitman: World of Assassination: Collection of Hitman trilogy levels, offering high replayability. (Release Date: January 26, 2023)
- Doom (2016): Rip-and-tear reboot of a classic. (Release Date: May 13, 2016)
- Final Fantasy VII Remake: Action-RPG remake of a classic, with a stunning Midgar. (Release Date: December 16, 2021)
- Resident Evil 4 Remake: Modernized take on a classic action-horror masterpiece. (Release Date: March 24, 2023)
- God of War: Stunning reinvention of the classic series. (Release Date: January 14, 2022)
- Nier: Automata: Action-RPG with unique gameplay and a compelling dystopian story. (Release Date: March 17, 2017)
- Final Fantasy XIV: Excellent MMO with a compelling story and streamlined gameplay. (Release Date: August 27, 2013)
- Red Dead Redemption 2: Massive open-world western with a compelling story and extensive content. (Release Date: October 26, 2018)
- Outer Wilds: Time-loop space exploration game with a captivating mystery. (Release Date: May 28, 2019)
- Hollow Knight: Excellent Metroidvania with a challenging but rewarding world. (Release Date: February 24, 2017)
- XCOM 2: War of the Chosen: High-stakes tactical combat with a compelling story. (Release Date: August 29, 2017)
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: Deep, lengthy RPG with a massive open world. (Release Date: May 19, 2015)
- Cyberpunk 2077: Gorgeous open-world RPG with a compelling story and polished gameplay. (Release Date: December 10, 2020)
- Stardew Valley: Masterful farming sim with RPG elements and endless replayability. (Release Date: February 26, 2016)
- Grand Theft Auto V / GTA Online: Massive open-world game with a huge amount of content. (Release Date: April 14, 2015)
- Satisfactory: Factory-building game with satisfying automation mechanics. (Release Date: April 19, 2019)
- Half-Life: Alyx: Innovative VR shooter with a compelling story. (Release Date: March 23, 2020)
- Slay the Spire: Excellent roguelite with constantly changing gameplay. (Release Date: January 23, 2019)
- Disco Elysium: Unique RPG with deep dialogue and compelling characters. (Release Date: October 15, 2019)
- Hades: Masterful action roguelite with excellent combat and storytelling. (Release Date: September 17, 2018)
- Elden Ring: Open-world action RPG with challenging combat and a rich world. (Release Date: February 25, 2022)
- Baldur's Gate 3: Massive RPG with deep storytelling and tactical combat. (Release Date: August 3, 2023)
Top 25 Games Summary Images: 
Upcoming PC Games (2025):
(Table of upcoming games omitted for brevity)
This list represents IGN's current opinion. New games constantly emerge, and future updates will reflect those changes. Check out our other best-of lists for more gaming recommendations!
