Looking for the best single player PC games without wading through fifty tabs? This is the short version: a tight, honest shortlist across free, cheap and premium tiers, organised by what you actually want out of a solo night. Every pick below is something you can buy and play alone, no servers, no party required.
Last updated: June 7, 2026. Prices checked: June 2026. Sources: Steam, Epic, publisher pages and partner stores. We refresh prices and sale notes regularly.
Best single player PC games at a glance
- Best premium RPG: Baldur's Gate 3 (around $59.99, deep solo campaign)
- Best open-world: Elden Ring (around $59.99, the genre benchmark)
- Best story: Disco Elysium (around $39.99, best writing on PC)
- Best cheap pick: Hollow Knight (around $14.99, hundreds of hours)
- Best roguelike: Hades (around $24.99, perfect on a laptop)
- Best horror: Alan Wake 2 (around $49.99) or Resident Evil 4 (around $39.99)
- Best puzzle/exploration: Outer Wilds (around $24.99)
- Best sim: Mad Games Tycoon 2 (around $24.99, run your own studio)
- Best free-to-try short: No Players Online (analog horror, tiny price)
- Best for Steam Deck: Stardew Valley (around $14.99, runs anywhere)
Quick list
A scannable table of strong solo games. Every one is fully playable alone (some have optional co-op, noted below in the honourable section). "Players" reads 1 because these shine solo.
| Game | Best for | Players | Platforms | Entry cost | Why pick it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baldur's Gate 3 | Deep RPG | 1 | PC, PlayStation, Xbox | ~$59.99 | Reactive story, endless builds |
| Elden Ring | Open-world | 1 | PC, PlayStation, Xbox | ~$59.99 | The modern action-RPG bar |
| The Witcher 3 | Story RPG | 1 | PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch | ~$9.99 sale | Huge content, cheap now |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | Sci-fi RPG | 1 | PC, PlayStation, Xbox | ~$29.99 | Fixed and excellent in 2026 |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | Slow-burn world | 1 | PC, PlayStation, Xbox | ~$19.99 sale | Best world detail on PC |
| God of War | Action-adventure | 1 | PC, PlayStation | ~$49.99 | Cinematic combat done right |
| Disco Elysium | Narrative | 1 | PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch | ~$39.99 | Writing peak, zero combat |
| Hades | Roguelike | 1 | PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch | ~$24.99 | Tight loop, runs on anything |
| Hollow Knight | Metroidvania | 1 | PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch | ~$14.99 | Massive value, gorgeous |
| Sekiro | Action | 1 | PC, PlayStation, Xbox | ~$59.99 | Best parry combat made |
| Alan Wake 2 | Horror | 1 | PC, PlayStation, Xbox | ~$49.99 | Atmosphere and craft |
| Resident Evil 4 | Action-horror | 1 | PC, PlayStation, Xbox | ~$39.99 | Remake of a classic |
| Outer Wilds | Puzzle/exploration | 1 | PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch | ~$24.99 | One-of-a-kind mystery |
| Subnautica | Survival | 1 | PC, PlayStation, Xbox | ~$29.99 | Solo ocean dread done well |
| Inscryption | Puzzle-horror | 1 | PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch | ~$19.99 | Card game with a twist |
| Pentiment | Narrative | 1 | PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch | ~$19.99 | Hand-drawn medieval mystery |
| Mad Games Tycoon 2 | Sim | 1 | PC | ~$24.99 | Build a game studio empire |
| Mayhem in Single Valley | Action-adventure | 1 | PC | ~$16.99 | Snappy time-loop indie |
| No Players Online | Short horror | 1 | PC | ~$2.99 | Cheap, unsettling, one sitting |
| October Night Games | Occult indie | 1 | PC | ~$9.99 | Spooky board-game energy |
Best premium picks (spend once, play for months)
If you want the headline solo experiences, start here. Baldur's Gate 3 is the obvious pick: a reactive, hundred-hour campaign you can solo from start to finish, with builds that completely change how you play. Elden Ring is the other titan, an open-world action-RPG that rewards curiosity and punishes laziness, and the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC adds a meaty endgame.
For story over systems, Red Dead Redemption 2 still has the most lived-in world on PC, while Disco Elysium is the best-written game most people never finish (you should). God of War and its sequel give you cinematic, controller-friendly action that plays beautifully on a TV or ultrawide. None of these need a second player, and all of them justify a full-price slot in your library.
Best cheap and indie picks (under $25)
You do not need a big budget for a great solo night. Hollow Knight is the value champion, a sprawling metroidvania that costs about as much as a sandwich. Hades turns "one more run" into a habit and runs flawlessly on weak hardware. Inscryption and Pentiment are short, sharp, and unforgettable for under $20.
This is also where GamerScout's catalog hides real gems. Mayhem in Single Valley is a punchy time-loop adventure with great pixel art, Cosplayer's Quest is a light, charming RPG-lite for a couple of cosy evenings, and Mad Games Tycoon 2 is a deep management sim if you would rather build games than fight bosses. For something stranger, Gamestonk Simulator: Gone Rogue and Shard Games are low-cost curios worth a look when they go on sale.
Best horror for playing alone
Solo is how horror is meant to be played, no friends laughing to break the tension. Alan Wake 2 leads the AAA pack on atmosphere and craft, and Resident Evil 4 is a near-perfect action-horror remake. Inscryption sneaks horror into a card game and earns every scare.
On the indie shelf, No Players Online is a brilliant few-dollar analog-horror short you can finish in one sitting, and October Night Games leans into occult, ritual-heavy spookiness with real character. If you want a full horror deep-dive, our genre hub has more.
- Solo horror controls the pace and the dread
- Plenty of options across every price tier
- Short indie scares cost less than a coffee
- A few are intense; check content warnings first
- Some AAA horror needs a decent GPU
Best puzzle, sim and slow-burn picks
Not every solo night needs combat. Outer Wilds is the best pure mystery on PC, a game you can only truly play once. Subnautica mixes survival with quiet terror under the waves. Stardew Valley is the comfort pick that runs on a toaster and disappears whole weekends.
For management and brain-teasers, Mad Games Tycoon 2 scratches the empire-builder itch, Incredible Dracula 4: Games Of Gods is a breezy time-management casual game, and Mind Games is a tidy little puzzle-and-trivia set for short sessions.
Best for Steam Deck and handhelds
If you play on the move, prioritise games that sip battery and feel good on a controller. Hades, Hollow Knight, Stardew Valley, Disco Elysium and Dead Cells are all excellent on Valve's handheld. Most of the indies above run great too. See our Steam Deck compatible list for verified picks before you travel.
Best retro and arcade solo games
Want something pick-up-and-play? Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King bundles two genuinely good 16-bit platformers with modern conveniences, and it is a great single-player nostalgia hit. Pair it with Hollow Knight or Hades if you want the modern take on tight, run-based design.
Honourable / adjacent picks
These are good games that do not fit a strict single-player list, so they sit here with a one-line reason.
- ABRACA - Imagic Games (page): a party/versus game built for groups, not solo play.
- Carnival Games (page): mini-game collection aimed at couch multiplayer.
- Stardew Valley: superb solo, but it also has optional co-op, so technically multiplayer-capable.
- Hades: 100% single-player, listed only as a reminder that "roguelike" does not mean "online."
- Games&Girls and Winter Games 2023: niche titles that only loosely fit a "best of" solo list; fine on sale, not core picks.
FAQ
What is the best single player PC game in 2026? For most people it is Baldur's Gate 3 or Elden Ring. BG3 wins on reactivity and replayable builds; Elden Ring wins on open-world exploration and combat. Both are worth full price.
What are the best cheap single player PC games? Hollow Knight (~$14.99), Hades (~$24.99), Inscryption (~$19.99) and Pentiment (~$19.99) all punch far above their price. On our catalog, Mayhem in Single Valley and October Night Games are great low-cost indies.
Are there good free single player PC games? Free AAA solo games are rare, but giveaways rotate constantly. Epic and Steam hand out solid titles regularly, so check our giveaways page. For a few dollars, No Players Online is a memorable horror short that feels almost free.
What single player games run well on Steam Deck? Hades, Hollow Knight, Stardew Valley, Disco Elysium and most 2D indies run beautifully. Heavier games like Elden Ring and Alan Wake 2 work but drain battery faster. Use our Steam Deck list to confirm.
Which single player game has the best story? Disco Elysium for writing, Red Dead Redemption 2 for cinematic world-building, and Pentiment for a focused historical mystery. All three are story-first with little or no twitch reflex required.
Do I need a powerful PC for these games? No. Indies and 2D games run on almost anything. Only the newest AAA titles (Alan Wake 2, Cyberpunk 2077 with ray tracing) really want a modern GPU. Check each store page's requirements before buying.
Where can I find the cheapest prices for these games? Compare across Steam, Epic, GOG and partner stores. Prices and regional keys vary a lot, which is exactly what our price-comparison catalog and deals page are built to track.
Are these games single-player only or do some have co-op? Most listed here are solo-only. A few (Stardew Valley) offer optional co-op but play perfectly alone, so we flagged them in the honourable section rather than the core list.
The short version
The best single player PC games span every budget: spend once on Baldur's Gate 3 or Elden Ring, stack cheap classics like Hollow Knight and Hades, or grab a low-cost indie from GamerScout's shelves for a quiet night in. Whatever tier you pick, prices move with every sale.
Compare live prices across stores in our full catalog, see what is discounted right now on the deals page, and never pay sticker price again.
Alex, Scout Team