If you're disconnected from the internet for any time, you'll need the best offline games to help tide you over. Not every game lets you play offline, though. Some PC games require a license check before launching for anti-piracy reasons-and although this doesn't take long to perform, it means you can't access the game without an internet connection.
There's a lot to consider when preparing a stockpile of great offline games, but luckily for you, we've got decades worth of titles to pick from in case your internet randomly cuts out. This list is also great for any handheld PC users out there who can't always guarantee that they'll have a consistent connection. Don't worry, we've got you.
The best offline games on PC are:
1. Red Dead Redemption 2
Nearly seven years since it was first released, Rockstar's Wild West sequel is just as engaging and expertly designed as ever. The slow disintegration of Dutch's outcast family unit juxtaposed against the backdrop of Gilded Age America makes for one of the most poignant narratives and game settings. Still, if you're just in it for the train heists and gunfights, there's plenty of that, too.
We awarded this game a perfect score in our Red Dead Redemption 2 review, with Sam White concluding with this: "It's massive yet loses no focus, epic on every level, and combines Rockstar's penchant for immense detail with a surprising amount of heart."
Red Dead Redemption 2 is bursting with things to do, and while it doesn't break the open-world mold, its tasks and activities are much more rewarding than most. Once you're finished with the campaign, it's always fun to wreak havoc using Red Dead Redemption 2 cheats to completely break the game.
2. Oblivion Remastered
Elder Scrolls 6 is still years away, but to bide your time while you wait, Bethesda has given fans a blast from the past with Oblivion Remastered, bringing us back to the golden age of RPGs. Remastered using Unreal Engine 5, arguably Bethesda's best game has been modernized to introduce it to a brand-new audience.
As Nat Smith wrote in her Oblivion Remastered review, "Oblivion Remastered proves that The Elder Scrolls 4 has withstood the test of time. It's the perfect opportunity for new audiences to discover why it's so beloved, and a nostalgic throwback to Bethesda's golden years for older fans." If that doesn't sell you on the game, nothing will.
The lack of DRM not only means you're able to play offline with ease, but you also have the option to use Oblivion Remastered mods that drastically change the gameplay. With that being said, you may not necessarily want to use any mods thanks to all the changes the devs have made to the base game. This includes switching to third person, the ability to sprint, and a revamped leveling system to bring Oblivion up to modern standards.
3. Blue Prince
Blending the roguelike and adventure genres together, Blue Prince takes you on a journey through Mt. Holly, a mysterious manor filled with puzzles, secrets, and shifting rooms. Each day, you're tasked with picking the rooms you want to explore, with the end goal being to reach the fabled room 46. The layout of the manor resets every day, so it could take you a while until you master the puzzles featured in each room before you end up seeing the entire manor.
Paul Kelly's Blue Prince review sums it up perfectly: "Wildly inventive, tantalizingly mysterious, and ethereally beautiful, Blue Prince is easily one of the best puzzle games I've ever played."
The puzzles can be confusing, so if you want to save yourself a headache, check out our Blue Prince dart puzzle guide and our tomb statues puzzle guide once you get close to the game's ending.
4. Hades 2
It's fair to say Hades 1 has gone down in history as one of the best roguelikes of all time, and Supergiant Games has only gone and improved on its winning formula even further with Hades 2. The new game puts players in the shoes of Melinoë, the younger daughter of Hades and the sister of Zagreus.
Mel has a drastically different fighting style compared to her brother, giving returning players something new to experience as they get to grips with brand-new mechanics exclusive to the Princess of the Underworld. "Hades 2 is flawless, perfecting the roguelike genre in a way its predecessor almost managed to do," says Cheri Faulkner in our glowing early access Hades 2 review.
Defeating Chronos, the big bad of Hades 2, will require a lot of time and skill, which is why you should read our helpful guides on the best boons, every boss, and so much more.
5. Balatro
Balatro is a poker-inspired roguelike that isn't really anything like poker at all-which is great for those of us who suck at traditional card games. Instead, you construct poker hands using strategic discards to score enough chips and beat the blind. Simple, right? However, as that number rises and Boss Blinds block your way to the next ante, you'll have to resort to bending the rules.
Joker, Tarot, and Planet Cards can be purchased from the shop between rounds, boasting unique abilities to help you pick up bonus chips and progress when the odds are overwhelmingly stacked against you. Small yet mighty, Balatro is 2024's breakout indie hit and a firm favorite in the PCGamesN cohort.
It's the biggest time sink we've encountered in years, with that quintessential compulsion to take a crack at one more run. Balatro isn't just a great offline game; it's also one of the best Steam Deck games to take on the go.
6. Pacific Drive
When your car is the main thing stopping you from having to deal with the dangerous elements of a radiated land, you're probably going to bond with your vehicle. In the case of Pacific Drive, you find yourself trapped in the boundaries of the fictional Exclusion Zone, set in the Olympic Peninsula. The US government performed a range of experiments in this zone, resulting in an abandoned land filled with paranormal forces.
Here's what our very own Nat Smith had to say about the game in our Pacific Drive review: "Pacific Drive offers a road trip like no other, boasting immaculate sound design and a classic '90s conspiracy delivered through a compact survival-crafting roguelike loop."
With Pacific Drive DLC set to arrive later this year, now is the perfect time to get through the survival game ahead of its launch. Give our Pacific Drive Transmuter guide a read to learn how you can use these massive machines.
7. Slay the Spire
Card battlers and roguelites are some of the best offline games, especially if you're playing on a laptop or Steam Deck, and Slay the Spire represents the very best of both genres. You pick one of a few classes and battle across multiple stages to reach the top of the titular spire. What keeps it all feeling fresh over hundreds of ascent attempts is the range of cards and potential synergies you can create over a single run.
It truly doesn't feel like there's one right deck to secure victory; it feels like there are dozens. As Ali Jones summarizes in our Slay the Spire review, "MegaCrit's debut combines a simple premise with near-flawless mechanical execution."
And it doesn't all end when you finally reach the summit. Daily challenges and dozens of modifiers combine to make Slay the Spire an evergreen obsession, and there are plenty of Slay the Spire mods to keep things fresh.
8. Vampire Survivors
If you're offline gaming because you're commuting or traveling, then you probably want a game that's not too mechanically demanding. Vampire Survivors is a roguelike game where you don't have to do any combat. Instead, you aim to survive against hordes of night creatures by choosing various upgrades and building an overpowered character.
Your attacks are entirely automated, but you still have to move your character around, which makes this easy to play if you're not at your main desktop with a mouse and keyboard. It's straightforward to pick up and play, and it's a great cheap PC game that you could sink a hundred hours into without really noticing.
The fun comes from slowly figuring out the hundreds of secrets and weapon evolutions you can use to become stronger and progress through the game, so be sure to read our guide to understand the ways you can power up.
9. Elden Ring
FromSoftware's first open-world game is beautiful and unforgiving in equal measure, a set of poignant reflections on misguided faith, the pursuit of power, and the nature of life and death. Elden Ring is entirely playable offline. However, the big concession in doing so is that you don't get to see messages from other players. Once you've perished because "try finger, but hole" was placed next to a ladder, you realize offline mode is more of a blessing than anything the Erdtree could ever offer.
"A supercut of FromSoft's very best work, transported to a totally new space," says Jordan Forward in our Elden Ring review. "Elden Ring is not only a masterpiece by its developer's lofty standards, but in packing so much density into the Lands Between, it lights the path ahead for open-world games in general."
The best part about playing offline is that you can utilize many of our favorite Elden Ring mods to enhance your game to make the experience of defeating Elden Ring bosses that much sweeter.
10. Baldur's Gate 3
Larian has gone from strength to strength over the past decade, and Baldur's Gate 3 is the culmination of all of its expertise. Featuring a story that draws you in right away, enticing you with the hook that your playable characters and companions all have parasites in their heads that threaten to awaken, turning them into Mind Flayers.
Combined with the robust combat system that rewards you for strategic planning, the gameplay and story work perfectly together to create one of the best RPGs of all time. Paul Kelly writes in our Baldur's Gate 3 review that "Baldur's Gate 3's world is beautiful, layered, and complex, and challenges you to attack it how you want. The story is compelling, giving your decisions a weight rarely seen in games of this scope."
Of course, if you need a helping hand starting this huge DnD game, we have a list of the best Baldur's Gate 3 classes and Baldur's Gate 3 builds you can work your way toward completing.
11. Crusader Kings 3
Popes and princes are at your disposal in Crusader Kings 3, along with everyone else. Nothing can stand in the way of your ambitions for world domination, except maybe yourself and those rather undesirable traits you saddled your poor ruler with. Whether you maneuver your dynasty to prominence with backhanded deals and espionage or let the marriage bed do your diplomacy for you, the paths to success are nearly endless and always unpredictable, thanks to the detailed personalities of everyone you come across.
"Successfully modernizes the medieval strategy series, preserving much of what's good and adding some interesting new ideas," says Ian Boudreau in our Crusader Kings 3 review. "While it still needs to iron out a few details, it's a worthy successor to the series' august crown."
If you're new to grand strategy games like this one, be sure to read our Crusader Kings 3 beginner's guide to learn how to rule kingdoms without breaking a sweat.
12. Disco Elysium
ZA/UM's debut game is considered one of the finest modern RPGs, telling an ostensibly grim tale of emotional distress, of a downtrodden investigator solving a baffling crime and encountering people even more troubled than him. Underneath the bleakness lies a much more thoughtful and considered tale about the struggles people face in daily life.
Disco Elysium has a streak of grim humor underlying almost everything, which is just one part of what makes the game's writing among the best in the genre. Richard Scott-Jones awarded the game an incredible 9/10 score in our Disco Elysium review, stating, "An utterly original RPG that sets new genre standards for exploration and conversation systems, and a brilliantly written tragicomedy about our inability to let go of the linchpins of our identity."
If you're looking for unforgettable narratives, you need to read our best story games list to discover masterpieces that wouldn't look out of place on the silver screen.
13. Psychonauts 2
Double Fine's follow-up to the original Psychonauts might have been a long time coming, but it was worth the wait. Raz's adventure continues spectacularly, seeing him track down a mole in the Psychonauts and work towards reconciliation with his less-than-tolerant family, or he would be doing all this if the Psychonauts hadn't made him a lowly intern.
"A rare sequel that improves on the original in every meaningful way," writes Dustin Bailey in our Psychonauts 2 review. "It's packed to the brim with beautiful worlds and surprising interactions, and its colorful cast is equal parts funny, believable, and sympathetic. Double Fine is rarely wide of the mark, but this time it hit the bullseye."
Underneath the zaniness is a more profound and more thoughtful message about mental health and acceptance. This adventure is like no other and a worthy recipient of our PCGN 2021 award for best narrative.
14. Tales of Arise
Bandai revitalized the long-running Tales of… series with Arise, nearly perfecting the combat system and doubling down on the game's narrative with an intelligent story with serious overtones. Tales of Arise may look gorgeous, but a dark heart of oppression and prejudice is underneath that glittering surface. Bandai explores its themes with a surprising level of balance and sensitivity.
As Jason Coles wrote in our Tales of Arise review, "Tales of Arise takes the foundations that have underpinned the series, but dials them up so everything feels better than before. Combat is tighter, with more options and impressive fights than ever."
Speaking of the combat, if you do jump into the JRPG, be sure to read our Tales of Arise combat tips guide to help you get to grips with all the characters.
15. Portal 2
Portal 2 is a puzzle game that seriously exercises your gray matter and requires considerable teamwork skills when playing in co-op. You're tasked with navigating your way through a series of increasingly complex rooms in which you must connect pathways and open portals to otherwise unreachable areas, but it perhaps sounds easier than it actually is.
It's one of the best games of all time, featuring both a standalone single-player mode and local co-op, taking us back to the simpler times of couch co-op with friends or siblings after school before everything went online.
Portal 2 may not be the most relaxing offline game in the world, but it is certainly one of the most fun. And if you're on the hunt for more couch co-op games, our list highlights some of the best ones to release over the years.
16. Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is the perfect relaxing game to play when you just want to switch off from the world. Get off the grid and build your own farm, making tough decisions as you decide where to invest your profits, and make friends along the way as you dazzle your neighbors with your crops.
Though it supports multiplayer, playing Stardew Valley without internet further immerses you in the world as you go about your simple life with minimal technology, picking up resources, mining for materials, and crafting tools the good old-fashioned way.
You can take your farming experience to the next level using our list of the best Stardew Valley mods, featuring QoL tweaks, visual overhauls, and even the ability to add Pokemon to the game.
17. Ninja Gaiden 4
Team Ninja has partnered up with action game experts Platinum Games to create a sequel to its long-running series, delivering a revitalized version of the lightning-fast, bloody combat that we all know and love. Switching between the ninja prodigy, Yakumo, and the iconic Ryu Hayabusa, you must fight your way through deadly monsters and cybernetic soldiers to save Tokyo from an otherworldly threat.
After a 13-year absence, Team Ninja cements its mark as one of the genre's best and brightest. "Ninja Gaiden 4 revives a legacy that's languished for far too long. Its technical achievements in camera and combat movement eclipse its limited enemy and level diversity," says Nat Smith in her Ninja Gaiden 4 review. "Sure, the story is a glorified stepping stone for the future, but I'm too busy reducing enemies to a shower of limbs and bloody pulp to care."
If you're hunting for excellent hack-and-slash experiences like this one, make sure you read our best action games list to see if you've missed out on any of these genre-defining adventures.
18. Resident Evil Requiem
Resident Evil has been a gold standard horror experience for 30 years now, and, despite a few speedbumps, Capcom's zombie-slaying series continues to surprise and delight with each iteration. Requiem is very much a greatest hits compilation, filled to the brim with references and cameos that'll make long-time fans leap with joy. But that's not to say it alienates newcomers, considering one of its deuteragonists, Grace, is herself a total newbie to the franchise.
Nat Smith, our resident (and occasionally evil) horror queen, dished out a solid 8/10 in her Resident Evil Requiem review. "Resident Evil Requiem stuffs three decades of fan service into a single package, all while maintaining its place as a mainline entry to the series," she writes. "While it's not without its tedium, and the new protagonist takes a minute to find her feet, Requiem finally strikes the balance between action and horror that Capcom's wrestled with for all these years."
The Resi games are perfect if you love hunting for secrets and other goodies, so check out our Resident Evil Requiem unlockables, challenges, and rewards guide if you're a completionist at heart.
New offline games
With so many upcoming PC games to look forward to, we can only hope that some of them don't have stringent DRM protections that stop us from playing without an internet connection. There are some big releases dropping in 2026, including deadly monsters to strategically battle in Slay the Spire 2, and, of course, the most anticipated game of all, Grand Theft Auto 6. Fingers crossed these games turn out to be good, and just as importantly, that they offer consumer-friendly DRM!
That concludes our list of the best offline games on PC. Disagree with an entry on our list, or think we've missed out on a classic? Please let us know on our community Discord. Once you've locked down a stable internet connection, be sure to read our best PC games list to see what you've been missing out on.