10 Best Video Games of All Time of 2026

Breath of the Wild takes the top spot because it gives the player more freedom than any other game here while staying easy to pick up. Nintendo's store page describes Link waking from a 100-year slumber with no memories, then climbing towers to survey Hyrule and setting his own path. More than 100 Shrines of Trials hold puzzles, and Link can collect over 180 weapons, cook dishes that heal and raise stats, and dress for heat, cold or storms. Getting around is part of the fun: horseback, rafts, surfing down slopes on a shield and gliding with a paraglider. The Expansion Pass adds two DLC packs, and a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition brings smoother frame rates and faster load times. The catches are that it only runs on Nintendo hardware, and that weapons wear out, which some players find tiring. If you own a Switch, this is the game to start with.

Elden Ring ranks second because few games combine its scale with such carefully built combat. The Steam page calls it a fantasy action RPG set in the Lands Between, a continent where open fields and large, three-dimensional dungeons connect, and where learning the terrain helps you beat bosses. Combat is described as simple to learn with hidden depth: you balance attacking and dodging and choose among weapons, spells and summons. Steam lists single-player, online co-op and online PvP, full controller support and 42 achievements, and Steam's store data shows a Metascore of 94. At $59.99 it costs the same as the other big open-world games here. The trade-off is difficulty. Bosses punish mistakes, so it scores lower on ease than Breath of the Wild or Half-Life 2. If you enjoy mastering a fight, it is one of the most rewarding games sold today.

Half-Life 2 is the oldest game on the list and still ranks third because it delivers a tight, influential campaign for $9.99. Valve's Steam page sets the story after Earth's surrender: Gordon Freeman, joined by Alyx Vance, leads the human resistance in City 17. The page highlights physics that shape both puzzles and fights, and the current Steam version includes the Episode One and Episode Two expansions, so one purchase covers the whole story so far. Steam lists full controller support, captions, developer commentary, adjustable difficulty, Steam Workshop and the Source SDK, and it runs on Windows and Linux. The English Steam rating is Overwhelmingly Positive at 97% of 91,997 reviews. The downsides are its age, since it came out in 2004, and that it is single-player only. For the price of a lunch, it is the best value among the classics here.

The Witcher 3 ranks fourth for its writing and quest design, and the edition sold on Steam today is the Remastered version, which the store page says modernizes the game with a range of upgrades. You play Geralt of Rivia, a monster slayer for hire, crossing a dark fantasy open world to find his adopted daughter Ciri. Steam lists Steam Workshop support, HDR, adjustable difficulty, adjustable text size and color alternatives, plus four DLC items, and its store data shows a Metascore of 93. At $49.99 it is $10 cheaper than Elden Ring or Red Dead Redemption 2. On the other side, it is single-player only, Steam lists only partial controller support, and the opening area takes a while before the bigger map opens. For players who care most about story and quests, it is the most approachable of the big RPGs on this list.

Red Dead Redemption 2 ranks fifth: it has one of the most detailed worlds on the list, but its slow pace costs it points on ease. Rockstar's Steam description sets the story in America in 1899, with Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang on the run from federal agents and bounty hunters, and Arthur caught between his own ideals and loyalty to the gang. The same page says the game has won over 175 Game of the Year awards and over 250 perfect scores, and that it includes Red Dead Online, where you can ride solo or form a posse. Steam lists online co-op and PvP, 51 achievements and in-app purchases, and its store data shows a Metascore of 93. At $59.99 you get both the campaign and the online mode. The downsides are a slow pace that will not suit everyone, partial controller support listed on Steam, and in-app purchases in the online side.

Baldur's Gate 3 is the deepest RPG here and ranks sixth only because it asks more of new players. Larian's Steam page describes a story-rich, party-based RPG in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, built around a mind flayer parasite planted in your brain and the choice to resist or embrace its power. You can build a character from 12 classes and 11 races in the D&D Player's Handbook, or play an Origin hero with a set background, including the Dark Urge. Steam lists online co-op, LAN co-op and cross-platform multiplayer, Windows and macOS support, and a Metascore of 96 in its store data, the joint highest on this list. The trade-offs are turn-based tactical combat that takes time to learn and a very long campaign. If you want a game where your decisions really change the story, and you have the hours, it is the best pick.

Portal 2 is the best puzzle game on the list and one of the two cheapest at $9.99. Valve's Steam page says the single-player story adds new characters, new puzzle elements and a much larger set of test chambers, and brings back GLaDOS. The two-player co-op mode has its own separate campaign with a different story, test chambers and characters, playable online or split-screen. Steam also lists a level editor and Workshop support, so there are community puzzles to play after you finish. The English Steam rating is Overwhelmingly Positive at 98% of 174,934 reviews, the highest share on this list. It ranks below the bigger games because it is shorter and narrower: if you do not like puzzles, there is little else here. For a friend pair or a puzzle fan, it is hard to beat at this price.

Super Mario Odyssey is the friendliest game on this list and the best pick for families. Nintendo's store page describes a globe-trotting 3D adventure where Mario and his new ally Cappy travel far from the Mushroom Kingdom to stop Bowser's wedding plans. Throwing Cappy lets Mario capture objects, animals and enemies and use their abilities, and you collect Power Moons to fuel the Odyssey airship. Nintendo calls it the first sandbox-style 3D Mario since Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. A second player can take a Joy-Con and control Cappy, which makes it easy to share with a child or a new player. It supports TV, tabletop and handheld play and runs on Nintendo Switch 2. It ranks eighth mainly on value: Nintendo's US price is $59.99, the same as the newest games here, and it only runs on Nintendo hardware.

Minecraft ranks ninth here not because it is weaker, but because its strength is open-ended play rather than a crafted campaign, and its USD price could not be confirmed. Minecraft.net describes a game where you explore your own worlds, survive the night and build anything from a dirt hut to a sprawling settlement. The PC store page sells Java and Bedrock Edition together. Java runs on Windows, macOS and Linux and is the edition for community mods. Bedrock cross-plays with Windows, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PS5 and mobile, has controller and touch support, and adds the Minecraft Marketplace. Consoles support split-screen for up to four players, and Minecraft Realms gives you a personal server for friends. The limits are that Java and Bedrock players cannot join each other, and Marketplace content and Realms are paid extras. For families and friend groups spread across devices, it is the easiest game here to share.

Tetris Effect: Connected represents the oldest kind of game on this list, the falling-block puzzle, in its most polished current form. The Steam page describes music, backgrounds, sound and effects that pulse and change in sync with how you play, across more than 30 stages and 10 or more modes. The Zone mechanic adds a twist, and the Connected edition adds co-op and competitive multiplayer online and locally, with cross-platform support. Steam also lists VR support, leaderboards and full controller support. The English Steam rating is Very Positive at 94% of 5,690 reviews. It ranks last because it is a narrow game next to the others: there is no story or world to explore, and $39.99 is a high price for Tetris. If you want a game you can pick up for five minutes and still play for years, it fits that slot better than anything above it.