The Best Single-Player Games On Steam

Being an adult is rough. With so many people juggling work life and other responsibilities, finding others to play video games with can be tricky. Thankfully, there’s a diverse library of single-player games on Steam that you can play right now.

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Steam is the best place to look for fun PC games you can play alone. Thanks to its versatile catalog of titles, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Whether you’re looking for a cozy life simulator, a thrilling psychological horror, a story-rich open-world adventure, or something else, there’s bound to be a one-player game to suit your tastes.

Updated on January 31, 2025, by PJ Molloy: Looking to pass the time while it snows outside? Stay warm and cozy with our new recommendations for excellent single-player games.

Indiana Jones And The Great Circle

Explore The World As The Famous Action Hero

Systems

Released

December 9, 2024

Developer(s)

MachineGames

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a thrilling first-person adventure set between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade. This time, Indy must travel across the globe in search of an otherwordly power connected to an ancient mystery called the Great Circle.

There’s a lot to love about the game, including its thrilling combat, head-scratching puzzles, and immersive locations based on real-life cities. Just be prepared to clear some room on your hard drive, since the file size is massive.

Supermarket Simulator

An Enthralling Management Sim

Systems

Released

February 20, 2024

Developer(s)

Nokta Games

Publisher(s)

Nokta Games

Working in retail may not sound like fun, but Supermarket Simulator manages to turn it into an engaging experience. The goal is to evolve your tiny grocery store into a giant supermarket. You can customize the place, order products, and even hit shoplifters with a baseball bat. Nobody steals from you and gets away with it.

The gameplay loop is nothing short of enthralling. Forming strategies and watching your money increase is incredibly rewarding. You’ll be expanding your inventory, hiring employees, and attracting more customers in no time.

Balatro

A Psychedelic Deck-Building Masterpiece

Balatro is an engaging deck-building roguelike with an exciting twist on the game of poker. The gameplay involves finding the best hands possible to gain points. The twist is that you can buy Joker and Tarot cards to get special power-ups and even bigger combos.

The game made a huge splash in the indie community thanks to its endlessly replayable and incredibly satisfying gameplay loop. The rules are simple, ridiculously fun, and easy to learn, even if you’re new to poker. Once you start playing, it’s hard to put down.

Neva

Embark On A Breathtaking Journey

From the developers of Gris, Neva is a stunning platformer about dealing with grief and the long road toward healing. The story follows a woman named Alba, whose world begins to crumble after a traumatic experience. With her wolf friend by her side, she must explore the decaying environment in search of inner peace.

The entire adventure is one big metaphor for the grieving process, and it’s just as touching as you’d expect. Plus, the mesmerizing hand-drawn art style perfectly captures each heartfelt emotion, creating an immersive journey that will stick with you long after the credits roll.

Loco Motive

Solve A Fascinating Murder Mystery

Mystery

Comedy

Adventure

Puzzle

Systems

Developer(s)

Robust Games

Inspired by the legendary mystery author Agatha Christie, Loco Motive is a point-and-click whodunit set in the 1930s. Take control of three protagonists – a lawyer, a spy, and a crime novelist – who must solve a murder while trapped on a luxurious train.

The gameplay involves investigating crime scenes, solving item-based puzzles, and questioning a series of quirky witnesses. Featuring stunning pixel art, plenty of humor, and many plot twists, Loco Motive is the perfect cozy mystery to snuggle up with.

Claim Your Throne In This Stunning JRPG

RPG

JRPG

Action

Adventure

Systems

Released

October 11, 2024

Developer(s)

Studio Zero

From the director of Persona 5 comes Metaphor: ReFantazio, an epic JRPG that combines gameplay elements from Persona with a medieval fantasy setting. The plot follows an aspiring king who must participate in the Tournament for the Throne to claim his place as the land’s ruler. What follows is a roughly 80-hour story campaign with plenty of thought-provoking social and political commentary.

If you’ve played Persona, you’ll feel right at home with the gameplay here. On top of exploring dungeons and fighting monsters, you also must manage your time and form bonds with your peers during social simulation segments. What makes Metaphor unique, however, is its combination of turn-based battles and real-time combat. Overall, this game is a must-play if you like RPGs.

Silent Hill 2 Remake

Revisit A Terrifying Survival Horror Classic

Survival Horror

Horror

Adventure

Action

Systems

The original Silent Hill 2 has long been celebrated as one of the greatest horror games ever. The remake on Steam faithfully preserves the chilling story while adding much-needed quality-of-life updates, including a revamped combat system and a much better camera. You control James Sunderland, who explores the monster-infested town of Silent Hill after receiving a letter from his presumed dead wife.

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Using a mix of puzzle-solving and third-person shooting, you must survive the many terrors that await, including a blood-curdling, indestructible creature called Pyramid Head. Scary, atmospheric, and sporting plenty of shocking plot twists, Silent Hill 2 remake is undoubtedly a modern masterpiece.

The Plucky Squire

Delve Into A Storybook In This Charming Zelda-Like

The Plucky Squire is a delightful Zelda-like where you switch between 2D and 3D worlds. Take control of a storybook character named Jot, who can enter the real world by leaping off the pages of his book. From there, you can swap between 2D and 3D by jumping in and out of the illustrations from the book.

Similar to Zelda, you use a mix of sword-based combat and puzzle-solving to fight monsters and conquer dungeons. What makes The Plucky Squire stand out is its gorgeous hand-drawn art style and quirky sense of humor.

Ace Attorney Investigations Collection

Two Excellent Visual Novels Remastered

Not only does Ace Attorney Investigations Collection remaster the first Miles Edgeworth game, but it also localizes its critically acclaimed sequel for the first time. Take control of Prosecutor Edgeworth as he investigates a series of thrilling mysteries, ranging from a presidential assassination attempt to a bone-chilling kidnapping in a haunted house.

During the investigation segments, you’ll explore crime scenes, gather clues, and complete logic-based puzzles to deduce the culprit’s identity. Then, you’ll use everything you’ve learned in fast-paced debates where you question suspects, compare their testimony to the evidence, and point out contradictions. Overall, this collection is ideal for fans of puzzle games, visual novels, or plot-based adventures.

Peglin

A Roguelike RPG With Pachinko Gameplay

Often considered the spiritual successor to Peggle, Peglin combines roguelike elements, turn-based RPG combat, and pachinko gameplay. The concept is simple: you shoot an orb down a peg-filled board. The more pegs you hit, the more damage you deal to the enemies. The strategy comes from choosing which orbs to use, which angle to fire them, and which upgrades to buy between levels.

Each stage is like a puzzle, requiring you to think of ways to get your orb to deal critical damage while collecting as many power-ups as possible. Since each run is randomly generated, Peglin offers endless replay value to keep you immersed.

Castlevania Dominus Collection

Three Of The Best Metroidvanias Ever

Castlevania Dominus Collection bundles all three DS Castlevania games – Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin, and Order of Ecclesia – each of which has been reworked for modern consoles. These titles have long been celebrated as must-play platformers thanks to their excellent mix of RPG elements and Metroidvania exploration.

Additionally, the Dominus Collection comes with the 1987 arcade spin-off Haunted Castle and its brand-new remake, Haunted Castle Revisited, which features newly designed levels, revamped game mechanics, and stunning visuals. Fans of Metroidvanias have a ton of top-tier content to delve into.

Thank Goodness You’re Here

A Hilarious Indie Adventure

Systems

Released

August 1, 2024

Developer

Coal Supper

Publisher(s)

Panic

Arguably the funniest Steam game, Thank Goodness You’re Here is a comedy adventure about slapping things. You control a traveling salesman who gets roped into doing a series of bizarre jobs while exploring Northern England. These range from cleaning a supermarket by destroying everything blocking the aisles to convincing a chef to close his food truck by smacking his behind.

There’s no shortage of humorous puzzles and tasks, each containing an equally hilarious solution. Every joke is beautifully brought to life thanks to the game’s fluid animation, quirky art style, and fantastic voice acting. Check it out if you need a good laugh.

Her Story

A Thrilling Point-And-Click Mystery

Adventure

Puzzle

Indie Games

Simulation

Casual

Systems

Released

June 24, 2015

Developer(s)

Sam Barlow

Publisher(s)

Sam Barlow

If you’re looking for a good mystery game, Her Story is a phenomenal choice. You’re a detective tasked with solving the case of Hannah’s missing husband. The goal is to scour through interrogation videos and pinpoint clues until you discover the shocking truth. As you progress, you gradually piece together how this crime connects to a much larger, more sinister mystery.

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The game tests your observation and deduction skills above all else. Listen carefully to each statement, pick out any relevant information, and use them as search terms to find new footage. It’s a short game but well worth it for a twist-heavy and thought-provoking story.

Elden Ring

An Epic Open-World Soulslike

Systems

Released

February 25, 2022

Developer(s)

From Software

Elden Ring took the world by storm in 2022 thanks to its vast open world, Soulslike gameplay, and world-building from Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin. You control the Tarnished, a warrior searching for the shattered pieces of the titular Elden Ring to become the Elden Lord.

You explore the Lands Between, an expansive fantasy world rich with secrets, treacherous dungeons, and colossal bosses. The main campaign can easily last over 100 hours, with about 40 hours of additional content from the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.

Paper Trail

A Puzzle Game Based On Origami

Paper Trail is a top-down puzzle game with origami-inspired brain teasers. The world is an illustration on a page, which you can fold and contort to connect paths, reveal secrets, and much more.

The story is a heartfelt journey about a girl named Paige who runs away from home to escape her controlling parents. As she searches for her place in life, you learn more about her mysterious childhood and the devastating tragedy that tore her family apart. Clever, heart-wrenching, and visually stunning, Paper Trail is a must-play puzzle game.

Ex-Zodiac

A Loving Homage To Star Fox

Ex-Zodiac

Systems

Released

May 2, 2018

Developer

Ben Hickling

Publisher

PixelJam Games

If you miss the Star Fox series, Ex-Zodiac provides the same rail-shooter gameplay with a charming art style reminiscent of the Super Nintendo games. You play as Kyuu, who travels from planet to planet battling an intergalactic terrorist group called Zodiac.

The gameplay is everything you’d want from a modern Star Fox game. You’ll be barrel-rolling to deflect bullets, boosting to avoid collapsing buildings, locking onto hoards of enemies, and tackling massive bosses at the end of each stage. You can even ride a motorcycle. What more could you ask for?

Crow Country

A Spooky Throwback To Classic Horror Games

Crow Country

Systems

Released

May 9, 2024

Developer(s)

SFB Games

Publisher(s)

SFB Games

Inspired by PS1 games like Resident Evil and Silent Hill, Crow Country updates classic survival horror mechanics while maintaining the look and feel of the era. Two years have passed since theme park owner Edward Crow mysteriously vanished, and journalist Mara Forest must venture into the now-abandoned park to solve the case.

With a handgun as your only defense, you must explore the monster-infested area, solve puzzles, manage scarce resources, and unravel the tragic mystery behind the park’s closure. If you like retro horror games, don’t sleep on this one.

Pepper Grinder

A 2D Pixel Platformer About Drilling

Systems

Released

March 28, 2024

Developer(s)

Ahr Ech

Pepper Grinder brings a twist to the platformer genre with its drill mechanic. In addition to running and jumping, the gameplay involves digging through tunnels to navigate around obstacles, find collectibles, and discover hidden paths. Thankfully, drilling is fast-paced, responsive, and easy to control.

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You play as an adventurer named Pepper, who must take back her stolen treasure from an army of narwhals. Needless to say, the tone is very silly. While it’s a short game, the diverse level designs and unique platforming make it an easy recommendation.

Persona 3 Reload

A Faithful Remake Of A Beloved JRPG

Systems

Released

February 2, 2024

Developer(s)

P-Studio

Persona 3 Reload remakes a classic Atlus JRPG with stunning visuals and quality-of-life updates. You play as a group called S.E.E.S., who investigate a mysterious 25th hour of the day called the Dark Hour, when monsters named Shadows awaken and turn people into zombies.

The gameplay is a mix of social simulation and dungeon crawling. During the day, you attend high school, explore the city, and get to know your peers. At night, you climb a tower named Tartarus, made of randomly generated floors. The turn-based combat offers plenty of room for strategy, ensuring battles are fun and engaging.

Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth

A Hilarious Yet Thrilling Yakuza Adventure

Systems

Released

January 26, 2024

Developer(s)

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio

As part of Sega’s Yakuza series, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth provides hilariously over-the-top turn-based combat and a beautiful open world. The plot follows former Yakuza members Ichiban Kasuga and Kazuma Kiryu as they travel to Honolulu to solve the mystery of the former’s long-lost mother.

While battles are turn-based, you can freely move characters within a radius. Strategically placing your party members in different positions can grant several advantages. The best part is how comical the fights are, allowing you to beat a giant clown with a surfboard and many other delightfully silly scenarios.