So, I am gonna admit right up front...When it comes to PC gaming, I am a complete newbie with absolutely ZERO gaming experience on that platform. My gaming experience began with the NES, and stopped with the XBOX 360.
However, over the years, I've generated a desire to get into PC gaming, as I do believe that I would enjoy it (more so as a hobby than anything else, but if I am ever able to find myself a game that I thoroughly enjoy, I MIGHT consider converting it into something that is a little more than just a hobby. However, I don't ever see myself getting into any form of competitive gaming).
With that being said, I am turning to my fellow KingsFans.com "Expert" Gamers for a list of games I should look into as I begin my PC gaming journey. Remember, I am a newbie, so starting slow, and relatively easy, would be the preference, just so that I can get the hang of PC gaming. And, as I become more comfortable, I'd obviously look into more advanced games.
Recommend (your gaming hearts) away!!!
I’ll start with games that have already been chosen in the draft and try to come back to add some after more have been picked or the draft ends.
There are also a couple caveats that come with my recommendations.
First, despite what the PC master race would like you to think, the line between PC and console availability is blurring. Just because something is exclusive to the PC, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best the platform has to offer and is a must-play. I’m going to make recommendations based on which games I prefer or at least think of being on PC.
Second, you didn’t specify genres of interest, so I’m approaching this generally with a variety of games from different genres to cover bases.
While I would absolutely recommend games like Deus Ex and Baldur’s Gate 3, I don’t necessarily know if they are entirely accessible for a beginner. But these ones I believe are.
Portal - 2007
First Person Puzzle-Platformer
Not only a legend in its own right, but a simple, elegant concept and design that brilliantly teaches you its mechanics in-game without resorting to a word dump tutorial.
Plainly, this was a triumph.
I’m making a note here:
Huge success.
Civilization IV - 2005
4X turn-based strategy
(4X stands for explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate - which is a little creepy now that I’m reading it, but accurate.)
Any game that’s held
@Mr. S£im Citrus attention for 20 years can’t suck.
The franchise as a whole is gaming royalty, but there have been a few misses among the hits. Civ IV I think was the best at combining more in-depth mechanics for the hardcore fans, with the engaging accessibility for newcomers. And personally, I find it the most aesthetically pleasing.
SimCity 2000 - 1995
Isometric City-builder simulation
There have been a ton of sequels, updates, and spiritual successors, but they all build from the blueprint of this.
There is something incredibly zen about planning, crafting, and watching your city grow into a megalopolis.
And then sending a giant monster to burn it to ash.
StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty - 2010
Real-time strategy Sci-Fi action adventure
RTSs are a staple of PC gaming, having a golden age in the 90s, and a Renaissance in the early 2010s as something for both casuals and the professionally competitive circles. It’s also a genre that really doesn’t work as well on consoles.
In spite of that, the genre never really clicked with me. But as
@Sluggah mentioned when drafting this, something about StarCraft is different. Maybe it’s the awesome Space Marine adventure aesthetics, or the perfectly balanced asymmetrical Terran/Zerg/Protoss tactics that gives this a something for everyone flavor.
Regardless, this would be my recommended entry point into a major PC genre. And perhaps the biggest selling point and main reason for the recommendation: Wings of Liberty is free-to-play, so you can test it out for yourself without much commitment.
Myst - 1993 (2021 Remake)
First person walking simulator /
Point and click puzzler
I’ll be honest; I’ve never liked Myst. I find it hard to feel engaged by anything that can be described as a walking simulator.
But Myst has more in common with classic point-and-click adventures of its time than modern day walking sims, with a graphical presentation that enthralled a new generation of casual gamers into the hobby. Cannot deny its legacy, and with the recent remake and Riven sequel, there are options to find something that could enthrall you as well.
Undertale - 2015
Turn-Based Top-Down Retro-RPG
/ Bullet Hell
Forget the memes and slightly overbearing and obsessive fan culture. This was revolutionary.
Still, the difficulty with recommending Undertale to a beginner is that a lot of its appeal is fused with subverting classic RPG conventions. So some of the more tedious parts, the tutorial in particular, seem more drawn out and pointless without catching the knowing winks to the audience who are in on the references.
But on its own, the presentation is charming, the music is iconic, the characters are memorable, and the combat is closer to old school arcade games than traditional RPG menu management making it appealing and accessible to newcomers.
Enough to fill you with determination.
Stardew Valley - 2016
Life/Farm Simulator Top Down Retro-RPG
Even if you’ve never played a game like this, it is encapsulated nostalgia.
Possibly more so than Sim City 2000, this game epitomizes the zen of routines and daily endeavors as you slowly maintain and grow your farm, while also having a life sim attached and several other features to make every game day interesting.
Minecraft - 2011
Sandbox survival RPG
Suppose I couldn’t honestly complete this list without mentioning the best selling game of all time.
I have literally zero experience with this game, but its selling points are simple: easy to learn with infinite possibilities to build.
And maybe you can learn what a Chicken Jockey is.
