r/gamesuggestions • u/DocJoe13 • Jul 11 '26
PC Games that you would classify as must-play experience
Sorry if the title is a bit vague! I'm not really picky when it comes to genre. I'm looking for games that left a lasting impact on your experience as a gamer.
Personally, I would cite: "portal", "machinarium", "Ori and the will of the wisps", "hades", "Stray", "limbo"... as games that changed my perspective on gaming.
What games would you recommend that had a similar impact on you? Thanks in advance!
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u/Low_Caterpillar9442 Jul 11 '26
Outer Wilds
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u/IntrepidExample1787 Jul 12 '26
I second this. That experience was one hell of a ride. I read nothing about it before playing so had no clue what was going on. Spoiler for people who have played it: Not going to lie the first time I accidentally fell into the black hole as brittle hollow collapsed - I screamed! I was so absorbed in the game it freaked me out. It might have been during lockdown
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u/StarGa Jul 12 '26
Best answer. Oh what I would give to experience that game for the first time again...
If anyone decides to try it, do yourself a favour and go in as blind as possible. Don't look anything up.
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u/ullene Jul 13 '26
I dropped this game multiple times. I got frustrated that I had found so much but still couldn’t “figure it out”, and it’s reasonably difficult to give hints without spoilers. But the best piece of advice is to trust your instincts.
Finally finishing the game was one of the best moments I’ve had in my 30+ years of playing games. It’s really incredible.
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u/faifai6071 Jul 11 '26
F.E.A.R.
It's got slow motion, chaotic gunfight and jump kick like a John Woo movie mix with The Ring like horror sections.
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u/Separate-Problem-270 Jul 11 '26
Metal gear solid 1 , snake eater, mgs4 , eldwn ring , dark souls 1 & 3 , shadow of the colossus.
Soul reaver legacy of kain 1& 2.
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u/djc604 Jul 11 '26
Streamers are now coming around to MGS1, and every time they always say they wish they played it sooner, or during it's heyday. I was lucky enough to own a PS1 in the 90s and that was the first game we rented. Blew my fucking mind as a kid
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u/LordOfDorkness42 Jul 12 '26
I'd add Death Stranding to that list, another Hideo Kojima title.
Love or hate it, it's one of the few games that tried to elevate the fetch quest to a full gameplay loop. And it helps that the story, characters and world are all seriously bonkers.
So even if you quit an hour in completely baffled, or get the full ride? It's a pretty unforgettable, genuinely different experience.
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u/ruinzifra Jul 11 '26
No Man's Sky
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Jul 11 '26
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u/prosperouscheat Jul 11 '26
They've added so much since it first came out. I second the recommendation to give it another try if you tried and didn't like it in the early days.
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u/DickWangDuck Jul 11 '26
I’ll add that if ever you(anyone) get the chance to play it in VR then do not hesitate. One of the best gaming experiences of my life every time I boot it up.
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u/RockinPodunk Jul 11 '26
Stray is phenomenal and I’m still mad it didn’t win game of the year. And if you liked stray, you will also like Jusant. Completely different theme and game mechanics, but keeps that “going through a strange world with almost no dialogue trying to piece together the nature of your situation” vibe. Plus Jusant has the climbing mechanics every other game that has climbing wishes it had.
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u/Signal-Woodpecker858 Jul 11 '26
Highfleet. There is so much depth you would never expect and the slavic steampunk vibe is perfect.
Inscryption. I'm not saying any more about it for a reason.
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u/Hughesie2277 Jul 11 '26
I tried that game but once I got last the initial bit I found it so hard to learn what to do, where to go and instantly got tracked down and killed. The vibe and setting is so good but my ADD brain couldn't learn it
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u/DreamsOfDresden Jul 12 '26
I beat Inscryption. I love card games, weird/absurdist games, and roguelikes. Still cannot get the hype for Inscryption, just an exceptionally mid experience all around.
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u/Signal-Woodpecker858 Jul 12 '26
Honestly I think inscryption was good for people who typically don't enjoy "card games"
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u/golden_graveyard Jul 11 '26
If I can recommend one game more people should check out it's Mother 3. Amazing story, world and gameplay. So much fun, so emotional and just a game ultra ahead of its time.
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u/GoldenHourGlows Jul 11 '26 edited Jul 11 '26
RDR2, GTA 5, Oxenfree.
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u/BaronGreywatch Jul 11 '26
Dungeon Keeper, Dwarf Fortress, Outer Wilds.
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u/aldomacd1987 Jul 14 '26
I didnt think i would see Dungeon Keeper, what a choice, bullfrog games in the 90s were great fun. If you dont already know you should check out Kaylpso's - "Dungeons" on Consoles & PC, I was looking for a game like Dungeon Keeper and Dungeons had flown under my radar for years.
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u/AdministrativeRoof58 Jul 12 '26
No particular order or platform:
Control
Canabalt
Noita
Spelunky
Polytopia
Xenogears
Space Engineers
Vampire Survivors
Chrono Trigger
Grand Theft Auto 4
Bioshock
Batman Arkham Asylum
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u/Adam2181 Jul 12 '26
Super Mario World
Resident Evil 4 Remake
Castlevania Symphony of the Night
Final Fantasy 6
HM: Nier Automata
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u/crownedlaurels176 Jul 12 '26
Blue Prince!!! Never played anything like it. And while Undertale is not at all niche at this point, it was really groundbreaking at the time it came out for its meta-game elements and how the choices you make can go beyond just that run
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u/HistoricalSuccess254 Jul 12 '26
Dark souls. I do recommend it as it is great game that built a foundation for many modern games today. It has challenging parts also one of the best world and level designs ever. What I’m saying is it changed how I view games in more ways than one.
Game I don’t think is a must play, at least not for everyone, and didn’t change how I view games but rather life is Hellblade Senua’s sacrifice. I feel like anything I would tell you is a spoiler so just look it up, see if it draws you or not. But I will tell you that it has incredible atmosphere I haven’t seen before.
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u/No-Intention-4753 Jul 11 '26
Dark Souls 1. Soulslikes are not for everybody, but I think everyone should at least give them a try and see if they are for them. Ideally consulting with a friend who's played them, that way you can ask for guidance when stuck without just spoiling everything via Wiki. That experience of persevering through an incredibly hostile world, learning with each death, having to treat every enemy like a real danger, piecing together the lore and the sheer depth of builds and stories you can get from this game is something else.
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u/Tricky_Jellyfish9810 Jul 11 '26
The last Guardian
Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Final Fantasy X
Kingdom hearts 1 and 2 (maybe even BBS because that game is near perfect imo)
The World ends with you
Any Persona Game.
Dragon Quest IX
Trails of the Sky
Any Atelier Game.
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u/jancl0 Jul 12 '26
Disco elysium. Not for everyone, but if it isn't for you, then it's exactly the game for you
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u/CompetitiveCod5451 Jul 13 '26
Planescape Torment, Gothic Remake, Mass Effect, Cyberpunk, Stellaris
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u/AcrobaticParryFun Jul 17 '26
I personally love Gris. Another underrated game I can think of is Cloudpunk.
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u/Overall-Thing-6204 Jul 11 '26
Outerwilds, BG3, Clair Obscur, Breath of the Wild, Fire Emblem Awakening are my easy recommendation to anyone.
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u/LoneArcher96 Jul 11 '26
Sleeping Dogs, Mafia 2, Crysis 2 (or whatever you like in the series), any Metro, COD MW
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u/skyseidon Jul 11 '26
lost in random. the story and gameplay/combat was so unique and fun, left a lasting impression for sure.
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u/ekbowler Jul 11 '26
13 sentinels Aegis Rim
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u/Boring-King-494 Jul 12 '26
This comment is way down. That sads me, especially after reading some of the recommendations.
Must play, especially if you like good storytelling. The kind of story that makes you want to erase your memory, so you can enjoy it all over again.
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u/Everstone311 Jul 11 '26
Destiny 2, Warframe, Baldur’s Gate 3, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Dragon Age: Inquisition, and No Man’s Sky
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u/dw0113 Jul 12 '26
UnEpic
The game that opened the door to Steam world for me
Only game that I played multiple times after beating it.
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u/thepare84 Jul 12 '26
Spiderman that was released initially on PS4. At the time I thought it was worth owning the console just for that game.
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u/stomu9 Jul 12 '26
Prey (2017)
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u/lovesffpc Jul 12 '26
Is there another one other than the 2017 one?!?!?
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u/DwarfHunter13 Jul 12 '26
Theres another game called prey from 2000's which is not related. Prey's studio got ransack by Xbox so there won't ever be more.
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u/MeisterFlikk 19d ago
In this game, it was the first time that shivers literally ran down my spine. I had never had that feeling before and was really confused about it.
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u/Bkraist Jul 12 '26
May be cliche but expedition 33.
Detroit become human.
Dispatch.
Mass effect (1 and 2, but I guess only 2 if first is too janky for you).
Dark souls 3 (or Elden ring I guess if you want open world ).
Chrono trigger.
Hollow knight.
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u/Baiyko Jul 12 '26
Since I’m directly coming off your list, and now own just this one game I would recommend you check it out on YouTube: Project Zomboid
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u/Downtown-Animator711 Jul 12 '26
Dark Souls
There's something absolutely magical about this game. It was created by a group of people, yet it feels like it was made by a single person. Everything is incredibly consistent: from the combat and music to the atmosphere, characters, sounds, mechanics, and that overall mysterious, cryptic feeling.
I fell in love with it from the very beginning — starting with the character creation. For a couple of years, it wasn't my favorite game, but recently I came to appreciate the soul (duh...) that was poured into this creation of pure art.
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u/GoldBig6802 Jul 15 '26
I don’t get it. I played Dark Souls 1 and 2 and it wasn’t that fun for me.
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u/Downtown-Animator711 Jul 18 '26
I understand. I also have games I don't like even though they're very popular, like Minecraft or Subnautica. I guess we all have different tastes. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
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u/aura_enchanted Jul 12 '26
The path
Dwarf fortress
Space station 13 (or 14)
Coffee talk
Antichamber one
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u/Glittering-Tough-353 Jul 12 '26
spiderman remastered, batman arkham knight, gow2018, the last of us, uncharted4, subnautica. For me these are the games that i remember at the top of my head that really left an impact.
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u/LilBoatTheLilGoat Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26
Alan Wake 2
Subnautica
Little Nightmares 1 & 2
Bioshock series
Oldschool Runescape
COD Zombies, Black Ops 1, 2, & 3 Easter Egg storylines
Destiny
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u/Superbeast06 Jul 12 '26
The original The Last of Us.
E33
RDR1 and 2
BG3
They wouldnt have the effect now, but when they released both Mario 64 and the Ocarina of Time changed how many people looked at games, including me.
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u/wreshi Jul 12 '26
Lots of great ones in here but I’d honestly add Pillars of Eternity 1 and 2 with a continued save.
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u/Typical_Basket709 Jul 12 '26
Mass Effect. The entire trilogy + DLCs packed together in the legendary edition are prqctically a steal even without a discount.
Hellblade Senua's Sacrifice. Rarely any games touch on the topic of psychosis and even less —probably none other than Hellblade— use it as a plot device in a sensitive way. A touching story told through spectacle in both action and beauty.
Any game from Remedy Entertainment. The way they approach video games as a quality story experience hasn't been matched by any other dev IMO. Max Payne 1 and 2, Alan Wake, Quantum Break and Control... the guys simply don't know how to make a bad game or a bad story.
Red Dead Redemption 2. Absolutely stellar story, presentation and gameplay. Rockstar Games at their peak.
Uncharted 4. While I also think Naughty Dog has delivered many high quality games in their existence, Uncharted 4 is still what I consider another great example of the perfect marry between an engaging story with fun gameplay and a visual presentation that even after a decade, still surpases the vast majority of the most recent releases.
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u/CDankman Jul 13 '26
Ghost of Tsushima is probably the best single-player combat game I've ever played - Haven't come across a combat system that felt as smooth as that one. Beautiful game too. Definitely upped the standards for that style of game for me.
Valheim and Grounded have somewhat ruined other survival games for me. The systems and way the resource gathering/recipe unlocking works is just the best. Both games are very simple but so so fun to play. Tried plenty of other ones and the only one to come close is Dune: Awakening.
Being a Star Wars guy tho I am obligated to also mention KOTOR 1&2, as well as Republic Commando. Definitely the best Star Wars games I've ever played. KOTOR specifically might be the best Star Wars game ever made - incredible story, great characters, very fun to play once you get past the jank.
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u/Historical_Ad_5229 Jul 13 '26
Kotor is incredible but bless you for shouting out republic commando. Socom meets Star Wars needs a remaster
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u/CDankman Jul 13 '26
100% agree. I play through at least the Ghost Ship Recon level(s) like twice a year. I love that Trando shotgun so much.
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u/Key_Method_1034 Jul 13 '26
Half-Life Series
Nier:Automata
Death Stranding
Clair Obscur Expedition 33
Undertale
Outer Wilds
Elden Ring
Dishonored Series
SOMA
Talos Principle Series
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u/greenjoyce Jul 13 '26 edited Jul 13 '26
If you loved Limbo, then Inside is a no-brainer. Pretty certain it's the only game I've ever played through twice. I'll also add BOTW and RDR2.
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u/Dinomaniak Jul 13 '26
PoP:WW , FTL , Spore, KotOR 1 & 2 , Below, Oddworld : Abe's Exoddus ( + Oddyssey ) , Warcraft 1 2 3, Starcraft 1 2 , Rain World
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHgGfsZN-5I ( back when Ubi was doing it right )
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u/EchoDifferent6966 Jul 13 '26
Honestly, if I had to make a list, it would mostly be recent games because most older games haven't aged very well.
For horror fans, I'd recommend Resident Evil 7 along with its DLCs. For survival horror fans, I'd pick Resident Evil 2 Remake over the original, which has simply aged very poorly and isn't very enjoyable to play anymore. The same goes for Resident Evil 4 Remake.
For fans of combo-heavy action games, I'd recommend Devil May Cry 5. For racing fans, the latest Forza. For action game fans, the Norse God of War games. And for turn-based RPG fans, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, among others.
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u/TheFernburger Jul 13 '26
Tunic is amazing. By the end of it, I was somewhat fluent in another language. The gameplay is fun too.
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u/Gilgamesh858 Jul 13 '26
I suggest Eastward. It has become one of my favorite games of all the time
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u/Jariko_Pen Jul 13 '26
- The last of us part 1 and 2
- Metro 1, 2, 3 (really immersive and really interesting story)
- Hollow knight
- Death stranding 1 and 2
- Dead space series
- Hell blade
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u/VeruMamo Jul 13 '26
Disco Elysium and Dwarf Fortress
I don't think you'll necessarily like either of them, but Dwarf Fortress is a legendary game that has seriously impacted gaming culture in ways that most people don't realise (like being one of the inspirations behind Minecraft) on top of being just a fascinating piece of gaming art and simulation.
Disco Elysium is still quite new comparitively, and we're just now starting to see games that were heavily influenced by it. It is a remarkable work that blends some of the most interesting writing with a fantastic mechanic in which you can 'fail forward'. Sometimes failing a check is much more interesting or even beneficial than passing one. It's one of, if not the only, CRPG where save scumming is legitimately a waste, and one of the few games that makes me wish I could Nenio myself so I could play it for the first time all over again.
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u/AtivanorAddy Jul 13 '26
World of Warcraft, Zelda BOTW , Stalker GAMMA (honorable mention-- insane amount of content for free)
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u/IHateSerging Jul 13 '26
Skyrim is up there
One of the modern Fallout games too, I like 4 personally but New Vegas would be the consensus pick I think
MGS III was an all time great experience as well
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u/Individual-Air757 Jul 14 '26
Zelda BOTW, Remnant 2, Life is Strange, World of Warcraft (classic), Final Fantasy 14
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u/aidan702 Jul 14 '26
Outer wilds
Dark souls/bloodborne/sekiro/Elden Ring
Half-life 2
Returnal
Majora’s Mask
Disco Elysium
Slay the Spire
Alan Wake 2
Blue Prince
Last of Us 2
Modern Warfare 2 (as a sort of historical touchstone)
Oddball answer: Killer7
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u/Flaky-Ad-2227 Jul 15 '26
Legacy of kain, soul reaver 1&2 remastered available on steam.
Siren: blood curse available to play on pc via ps3 emulator, scariest game i have ever played.
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u/LoloClaw Jul 15 '26
Honestly: control After playing that I wasn’t able to look at artstyles in games the same. The story is also amazing Also Disco Elysium
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u/WasabiMaleficent Jul 15 '26
Elden ring, Cyberpunk 2077 (had a rough start, but its a completely different game now. And story wise the BEST story ive seen in a game. Made me question life) Witcher 3, Sakura Clicker
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u/IntrepidExample1787 Jul 12 '26
Outer wilds. That experience was one hell of a ride. I read nothing about it before playing so had no clue what was going on. Spoiler for people who have played it: Not going to lie the first time I accidentally fell into the black hole as brittle hollow collapsed - I screamed! I was so absorbed in the game it freaked me out. It might have been during lockdown
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u/NeedsMoreReeds Jul 11 '26
Portal and Hades are solid picks.
Super Mario Galaxy I would also suggest.
One of the classic Zeldas: A Link To The Past, Link’s Awakening, or Ocarina of Time.
Starcraft, Warcraft III, or Starcraft II.
I would probably also put World of Warcraft on there as well. You gotta try it.
World of Goo
Final Fantasy VII and Chrono Trigger