12 Games That Play Well With A Trackpad

Gaming has evolved into a universal language, transcending age, experience, and even hardware barriers. While the gaming world loves the ease of controllers, the tactile satisfaction of keyboards, or the immersion of console setups, there are some situations where a trackpad is the only present accessory.

Contrary to popular belief, you do not always need a fancy gaming mouse or a console controller to enjoy thrilling gameplay. There is a growing selection of games that are not only accessible but surprisingly enjoyable when played with a trackpad. There are a host of games, from strategy simulations to fast-paced action titles, which can astonish players when played with a trackpad, and here are a few of them.

Updated December 4, 2024, by Hamza Haq: While trackpads have always been a thing gamers with a laptop have had to contend with, it’s the release of the Steam Deck that has pushed the idea of using the trackpad to play games to the forefront of players’ minds. The convenience and portability of the Steam Deck is hard to give up, especially for those who travel frequently and cannot take their gaming PC along with them.

12 Syberia: The World Before

A Tale of Two Journeys

• Platforms: PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, GeForce Now · See more
• Developers: Microïds, Koalabs, Microids Studio Paris
• Genres: Puzzle Video Game, point-and-click adventure
• Release date: March 18, 2022

This is the fourth installment of the Syberia game franchise, which features two playable characters who journey through continents and time. Dana, the first character, is a pianist whose life is about to be changed forever by the start of the Second World War, and Kate Walker, the second, is a prisoner at the salt mine who goes in search of her true identity after a tragic event.

This installment has a lot of exploring and puzzle-solving, featuring many iconic characters and stunning scenery, which it is well known for.

11 Deponia Doomsday

Parallel Worlds, Endless Possibilities

• Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS, Amazon Luna
• Genres: Adventure game, Puzzle Video Game, Indie game, Adventure
• Developer: Daedalic Entertainment
• Release date: March 1, 2016

Deponia Doomsday is a parallel released after the end of the Deponia trilogy, still employing the classic point-and-click adventure system. Rufus, the playable character, travels through different locations, exploring, collecting items, and continuing the plot from Goodbye Deponia.

NPC characters are more interactive, with Rufus able to conversate with them. The game still contains numerous puzzles, with some of them needing collectible items to be solved to advance and clear the story. It is also filled with optional minigames that offer variety to keep the players interested.

10 Civilization 6

Conquer History with Precision

Civilization 6 is a turn-based strategy game with the overarching objective of nurturing the evolution of a civilization, starting from a little settlement and growing into a powerful empire across countless millennia.

Players aim to achieve one of the conditions needed to win the game by developing their city, founding new ones, researching technological advancements, and investing in military might to protect the towns. Players can choose to compete with AI opponents or other humans and achieve their goals through diplomacy and peace or military and war.

9 The Expanse: A Telltale Series

Interactive Sci-Fi at Its Best

The Telltale series, developed by Telltale Games and Deck Nine, is known for its exploits in episodic adventure games that focus more on storytelling than anything else. This installment glosses over the prequel to the smash hit television series The Expanse.

It offers an over-the-shoulder third-person perspective of Camina Drummer, the executive officer of Artemis, a spaceship. It features a great story and narrative design, with the player’s choices altering the story’s events, which mainly involve scavenging in abandoned spaceships and movement challenges in a zero-gravity environment.

UEFA Glory Awaits

Football Manager has quickly become one of the biggest sports titles of all time, offering in-depth experiences with managing a football team through its impeccable simulation. From training to board meetings, transfers to drawing up tactics, no other tactical sports simulation game comes close.

The last installment in the series was only available on PC and Xbox, but with Football Manager 2023, Sports Interactive and Sega brought the fun to PlayStation, too. Unlike previous titles, it also features UEFA club competitions, with the UEFA Women’s Champions League expected to debut in the next series installment.

7 This War Of Mine

Civilians in a War-Torn World

War games usually focus on the action occurring at the frontlines like Call of Duty, but This War of Mine offers a different perspective, showing the experiences civilians go through in such trying times.

The game aims to lead a group of survivors and keep them alive through the challenges a war-torn city poses. The characters the player is supposed to lead have no survival or military experience and will not survive these harsh conditions without constant supervision. Until a ceasefire is declared, their hunger, mental and physical health levels must be managed.

6 Hollow Knight

A Metroidvania Marvel

Inspired by older platformers likeZelda II: The Adventures of Link and Mega Man X, Hollow Knight is a game that follows a warrior who explores a fallen kingdom ravaged by a diseased, vaguely named the infection. This 2D world is filled with lore, adventure, friends, foes, and bosses that intrigue and challenge players in more ways than one.

The combat system notably received praise, incorporating melee combat and magic for range. Its release was well received worldwide, with Team Cherry appreciating the love by releasing four free expansions.

5 Celeste

A Tale of Heart and Precision

Celeste is another platformer inspired by Super Mario Bros III, designed to be minimal but intriguing. The playable character, Madeline, a woman battling with emotional and mental health issues, tries to climb Celeste Mountain. On her way, she is met by different characters who try to stop her climb, including a manifestation of her self-doubt that appears as a grim version of her called Badeline.

It is a 2D game with almost no mobility restrictions and objects that give Madeline extra abilities. There is an assist mode that can provide endless support to ensure the level is cleared for gamers who might get stuck.

4 The Sims 4

The Ultimate Life Simulator

The Sims has become a household name in gaming, delivering quality social simulation experiences for over a decade. The latest installment is no different with regards to creating characters, simulating, and managing their lives and relationships.

The improved house-building system, character creation, and personality systems are some of the few things The Sims 4 has over the previous entries in the series. Although it was initially developed to be an online multiplayer, SimCity‘s bad reception was enough to convince Maxis and Electronic Arts against the idea.

3 Slay the Spire

A Deck-Builder Like No Other

Slay the Spire is an indie roguelike deck-building game set in a spire or tower format where players take control of a character and deck battle their way to the top of the spire, earning new cards for their decks along the way.

As a card game, quick reflexes are not a requirement to enjoy Slay the Spire. Players are given plenty of time to think about every move, meaning using trackpads is not a hindrance. One of the best indie games of all time, Slay the Spire deserves a chance, even from those who’re not fans of the deckbuilding genre.

2 Crusader Kings 3

Medieval Intrigue Meets Modern Strategy

Grand strategy games allow players to play at their own pace, and Crusader Kings 3 is no different. Developed by Paradox Interactive, it functions as a dynasty simulator. Players choose a country from the Middle Ages and begin the campaign as its ruler. When this character dies, they take control of the heir, continuing the rule.

Gameplay is a complex web of throne politics, marriage alliances, negotiations with neighboring lands, and all-out wars. It’s kept fresh and players aren’t allowed to become overpowered easily because every new ruler comes with their own strengths and weaknesses. Different problems warrant different solutions, and figuring out the correct path forward for the dynasty is harder than it seems when entire bloodlines become genetically predisposed to incompetence.

1 Rimworld

Trackpad-Compatible Survival Sim

Rimworld is a massive survival colony simulation game where the players find themselves stranded on a hostile rimworld, a world that’s at the edge of the human expansion, and need to start up a colony of survivors to work together. The goal is not just to survive but to escape this hostile world, either by building a spaceship, finding the Archonexus, or unlocking the power of the Void.

The main challenges to get there mainly involve managing the inhabitants of the colony, finding resources to advance technology, and warding off hostile attacks. Everything in Rimworld is procedurally generated, including the game’s map, resource locations, enemy attacks, and world events. More than that, the game allows players to pick an AI narrator at the start of each campaign, with each offering a different flavor of procedural generation. Since the game allows players to pause at will, it’s easy to play with a trackpad.