Beautiful gaming experiences were once a thing restricted to gamers with high-end PCs or the latest consoles. Not having top-line PC hardware isn't as much of a limiting factor as it was in the past, though, thanks to the indie gaming boom of the last decade and the inclusion of in-depth video settings in most modern games.
While most low-end PC games are pixel-based or two-dimensional, there are a number of 3D games that run great no matter your specs. This is not to say that the 2D games have little to offer, though, as some of the best games of the last decade just happen to have few hardware requirements.
Updated October 14, 2021 by Erik Petrovich: Being able to run top-shelf games used to be restricted to gamers who had the most investment in their PC setups. In 2021, though, the video game industry is very different. Games haven't had a significant increase in visual fidelity in a long, long time, and many developers are turning to simpler, more stylized visuals to get the attention of everyone no matter the specs. Some of the most celebrated games of the last decade, like Hotline Miami and Hollow Knight, are deceptively simple in appearance and offer greater challenges than many triple-A games. Older titles like Psychonauts might seem dated, but there's a reason so many old titles are receiving major sequels in 2021: they're just great games.
15 Hotline Miami (And Hotline Miami 2)
Hotline Miami is a game that takes the lofi pixelated aesthetic and turns it into a nightmarish, psychedelic trip down Murder Lane. Its one of the best games for low end PCs, and is particularly well-known for its incredible soundtrack that seems to perfectly match the insanity of what happens in-game.
The sequel, Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number, is a rare example of a sequel that perfectly adds onto the previous game without losing any of its charm. If you've spent any time on the gaming side of the internet, you probably recognize the series' penchant for thugs in animal masks.
14 Ori and the Blind Forest
Ori and the Blind Forest is something of a Metroidvania with a fairytale aesthetic. Players take control of Ori and unlock new abilities and skills that help them get to their next objectives. It's a platformer, too, that uses movement systems incredibly well – and on top of all of that, its art style and visual effects are fantastic for such a low-requirement game.
It's one of those low end PC games that won't run 100% well at first, but with a few changes in the settings menu it loses only a little bit of its visual polish in exchange for a much more fluid experience no matter the specs.
13 Hollow Knight
Hollow Knight is one of the most celebrated indie games of the last decade, so much so that its in-development sequel is one of the most hotly anticipated titles in the gaming community even in 2021. Its gorgeous Flash-inspired art style is enhanced wonderfully by the world's dichotomy between beautiful natural areas and haunting ruins that make it one of the most gorgeous PC games for low end PCs ever.
The game has rightly been compared to Dark Souls for its lack of story explanation and various other mechanics. In truth, though, it's almost nothing like the famous FromSoftware series, thanks to its 2D platformer style and wildly different aesthetics and gameplay mechanics throughout.
12 Psychonauts
While the sequel was only just released, the original Psychonauts is still well worth playing for those who have never touched the series. Its art style is like something out of a Nickelodeon cartoon from the '90s, and the voice actor for Raz is the same voice actor for Zim.
The game's mix of truly hilarious comedy bits and satisfying 3D platforming gameplay made it an instant hit when it came out more than a decade ago. The sequel has been praised and is a likely contender for GOTY in 2021, but it's worth playing the original first to get a sense for what the series is all about.
11 Slime Rancher
Slime Rancher is something of a breakout hit of the last few years. There is no shortage of farm management games out there, but some are not well optimized (like Farm Simulator) and others are generic and uninspired. Slime Rancher absolutely oozes charm through its vibrant designs and its massive variety of things to do around the Ranch aside from farming.
The game is set to receive a sequel in the next year or so, but the original is well worth its low price tag (and it goes on sale pretty often on Steam, too). It's a game that players on low-end PCs will have to mess with the settings first to get it to run perfectly, though.
10 Terraria
Terraria recently celebrated its final update, Update 1.4: Journey's End, which officially concludes development on major expansions for the game. Terraria has never been in better form, though, and despite the final update being released is still becoming more popular with each day. It's an amazing game for low end PC that vastly over-provides for its tiny price tag.
Perhaps it's the game's low cost of entry, or perhaps it's the incredible depth to the gameplay (which includes complex building, exploration, crafting, and combat systems); whatever it is, Terraria is one of those titles where players can expect to reference the wiki constantly throughout a playthrough.
9 Hades
Hades is as beautiful in its artistic direction as it is brutally difficult in its combat. The multi-award-winning roguelike from Supergiant Games released in 2020 to rave reviews and was particularly praised for its fully-voiced narrative, its gorgeous art style, and its immensely satisfying gameplay.
The game does not have much in the way of a graphics menu aside from resolution, but it's a relatively small download and it's one of the best games for low end PCs with a resolution change (unless you're surrounded by exploding chariots, that is).
8 Noita
The roguelike Witch RPG physics game Noita is a lot of things, and it pulls off each facet perfectly. Every single pixel in the game is simulated, which might make a new player think the game has high requirements. Its one of the smoothest pixel games forlow-end PCs, as long as the player isn't setting off too many explosions at the same time and chooses low settings in the menu.
The game features some of the most gorgeous and original pixel art of the last few years, but don't spend too long looking at the game's style as it's also one of the most difficult games to be released in the last few years.
7 Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is pretty much a household name by this point. The most recent 1.5 expansion practically doubled the number of things to do in the game, which already had hundreds of hours' worth of content.
Stardew Valley is a farming sim that takes a lot of inspiration from the Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing series, with a ton of unique charm hidden within the SNES-like style. It's a game for low end PC that becomes even more fun when played with someone else, thanks to the recent co-op update.
6 Braid
Braid is one of the many indie games featured in the documentary Indie Game: The Movie, alongside Super Meat Boy and Fez. While all three games are perfectly playable on low-end PCs, Braid stands out for its incredibly beautiful hand-drawn art direction.
It's a puzzle game with wholly unique challenges that will tickle even the most confident mind. When these puzzles are paired with Braid's gorgeous visuals it makes for one of the most awe-inspiring games for low end PCs of all time.
5 Borderlands 2
3D games aren't exclusive to gamers with top-of-the-line setups. Borderlands 2 is one example of a Triple-A game that runs perfectly fine at a lower resolution on low-end PCs. The game's cel-shaded art style helps to keep things looking great even with the settings turned down.
Even at its highest allowed video settings, the graphical style of Borderlands 2 doesn't improve much, and low-end PC users – especially those using a gamepad on a connected TV – will barely notice the difference. While Borderlands 3 has heavy requirements, Borderlands 2 still holds up as one of the best games for low end PCs.
4 Fallout: New Vegas
Bethesda is generally pretty good for releasing games that run well on multiple systems – the countless re-releases of a certain fifth entry in its popular fantasy franchise are evidence for this. The Fallout series is especially good for this, and that includes Obsidian Entertainment's New Vegas.
The Fallout series takes place in the post-apocalyptic near-future after nuclear war ravaged the planet. New Vegas just happens to be simultaneously one of the least graphically intensive but also highly revered games since the release of the Xbox 360, and it holds up as a low-end PC game even a decade later.
3 Blasphemous
Blasphemous has been described by many as a souls-like platforming action game, and to a large extent that brief description is correct. The thing this game is most praised for, though, is its brutally intense pixel-art cutscenes and the nightmarish designs present in the world.
Gamers who don't think pixel art has the capacity to be horrifying in its own way will be sorely shocked by Blasphemous, as it's one of the darkest and most artistically metal games to come out in decades. It's not a game for low end PC that is for the faint-hearted (or the particularly devout), to be certain.
2 Celeste
The platformer-puzzle game Celeste is one of the standout platforming releases of the last decade. It has incredibly fluid and satisfying controls and intuitive-yet-challenging level designs all set in a vibrant, multicolored, detailed world.
Celeste is surprisingly long, too, and has a loose story tying together the threads of each level together. It's a true "gamer's game" that feels as fun to play as it is gorgeous, even as a game for low end PCs.
1 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Bethesda's "latest" installment in the mainline Elder Scrolls series is, of course, Skyrim, released almost exactly a decade ago. The game was one of the most beautiful out there on release, and continual updates and community involvement makes it one of the best-optimized open-world games of all time.
As insulting as the term might be, even a potato PC can run Skyrim, albeit on lower settings. There are a plethora of mods to further increase the game's performance, too, as well as a special edition that is just as well optimized with even better visuals. Despite its beautiful world, it's one of the best games for low end PCs even without mods installed.