The all-encompassing genre of RPGs has it all, from dueling with lightsabers in a galaxy far, far away to working out who to trust to help you extract that pesky little tadpole wriggling around behind your eye. Whether your cup of tea comes in the form of a fantasy epic, a space-faring sci-fi, an apocalyptic wasteland, or something in between, there’s a near-endless list of RPG games to dive into.
Some of our favorite RPGs aren’t just great – they’re also among the best PC games ever made. So, dear traveler, get ready to spend hours creating your next character (and ultimately redoing them ten times) before heading on out. Wherever your next adventure takes you, all you have to decide is what you do when you get there. Just don’t forget to pack a health potion or two.
The best RPG games on PC are:
1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
“Hey, you. You’re finally awake.” No shortlist of the best RPGs would be complete without Skyrim – and even less so without it at the top. The fifth installment of Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls series is an institution that remains relevant and eminently playable long after its 2011 debut, tirelessly tugging players back in by their mage robes. Frankly, if you haven’t played Skyrim, we can only assume you’ve been living under a rock. Or in a draugr crypt.
But what makes it so good? In a word, atmosphere. Skyrim has it in spades, supported by one of the most memorable musical scores in videogame history. Whether you’re hurling fireballs at a gargantuan dragon on a mist-choked mountain peak or following the enigmatic chime of Nirnroot by a river’s edge, Skyrim implores you to unravel every questline and leave no stone unturned.
The Elder Scrolls V doesn’t just offer you an engrossing fantasy tale or satisfying freedom of choice. It endures because few other games nail that sense of adventure quite like Skyrim does. And its longevity over the years has been helped by more and more Skyrim mods, making this rendition of Tamriel your own virtual video game sandbox to bend it to your will even before you’ve started mastering the magical arts. It’s hard to say you’ve rolled credits when innumerable hours of fan-made questlines, cities, player housing, and customization options are just a click away. And while the recently remade Oblivion looks gorgeous and gives the series its most modern (and most needed) lick of paint yet, nothing can quite compete with the behemoth that is Skyrim.
2. Baldur’s Gate 3
Larian’s masterpiece is a cultural icon that’s broken free from containment, and continues to captivate a whole new cohort of gamers who had never picked up a videogame before. Its adaptation of the D&D 5e ruleset offers the lowest barrier to entry to the franchise yet, and the memorable quests and sense of player agency are proof of the freedom it holds.
Paul Kelly’s Baldur’s Gate 3 review calls it “beautiful, layered, and complex” with a central question levied to its players: “Who are you?” The world is your oyster in Baldur’s Gate 3, as your dialogue choices, companions, and random decisions decide how your own unique story unfolds – and that’s before you consider the difference a failed dice roll can make.
However, the real joy lies not in dice-rolling but in the Baldur’s Gate 3 companions we make along the way. Whether your heart craves a happy-go-lucky barbarian or a dastardly vampire with a heart of gold, Baldur’s Gate 3 has a companion for everyone. Each one has a character arc that puts them at the center of their own story – you can even forego a custom character and play as them. In Baldur’s Gate 3, almost anything goes. The sheer amount of replay value this RPG has from exploring every unique dialog option, story or outcome shift, alongside the huge amount of Baldur’s Gate 3 mods that could one day give Skyrim a run for its money, makes this an epic that is worth its weight in gold.
3. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II
While its predecessor alone is a fantastic addition to the Star Wars universe, KOTOR 2 takes George Lucas’s epic space opera in an entirely new direction. No longer is the focus on the constant battle between Light and Dark, Republic and Empire. Instead, we’re treated to a story that explores the nature of the Force and what it means to be cut off from it.
Shades of grey permeate KOTOR 2’s tale of misfits and traitors. As the Exile, you are the Republic’s last hope, but the choices you make often push you towards pragmatism; even the most well-intentioned good deed can beget evil. KOTOR 2 is as much about personal exploration as it is about gallivanting across the galaxy, getting into lightsaber battles, and using Force Powers – though there is plenty of that, too. This is Star Wars by way of Planescape Torment.
Still, as was the case with Baldur’s Gate 3, our favorite aspect of KOTOR 2 is the relationships you forge with companions along the way. The clear standout is Kreia, the Exile’s secretive mentor. She pushes the Exile, berates her, and attempts to teach her important lessons, all while presenting the Force in much more interesting ways than any of the films manage. It makes the pupil-mentor relationship between Luke and Yoda, or even Ben Kenobi, exceptionally dull in comparison. We also can’t overlook PCGN alumni Jen Rothery’s love of Atton Rand, which perfectly illustrates the lasting impression KOTOR 2 makes.
4. Disco Elysium
When Harry Du Bois awakes after an obliterative night of drinking, he’s so hungover he can’t even remember who he is. Play ZA/UM’s Disco Elysium for long enough, and you’ll find some good descriptors. Disheveled. Dysfunctional. Disturbed. These are the broad strokes, at least. Tormented by the disparate voices of his own shattered psyche, Detective DuBois must find his right shoe, put on his trousers, and get it together. There’s a murder to solve.
Disco Elysium dances in the intersection of RPG and choose-your-own-adventure games. It eschews any conventional combat and entrusts interactions to dialogue choices that often lead to unintended consequences. It lets you play with each strand of thought, expand them, and use them to your advantage. To quote Richard Scott-Jones’ Disco Elysium review, it “sets new genre standards for exploration and conversation systems.”
The wider world of Revachol is a collision of post-Soviet and French influences that capture the drab melancholy of a fallen empire. Its diverse society is brought to life by a suite of voice actors, from the steady presence of Kim Kitsuragi to the slur-slinging Cuno. How you handle these characters can often determine who Harry DuBois really is – and when you look in that mirror, you might not like what smiles back.
And for an added bonus: If you end up loving this one as we did, make sure to check out Zero Parades: For Dead Spies, the most recent entry from ZA/UM, which Lauren Begin says “in many ways, feels even more TTRPG than Disco Elysium,” in her Zero Parades review.
5. Clair Obscur Expedition 33
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is widely considered a love letter to the best JRPGs, and it’s not hard to see why. From its intricate turn-based battles to the sprawling overworld map, Expedition 33 is a worthy homage to Final Fantasy. Still, between its Belle Époque stylings and dark narrative streak, it does more than enough to set itself apart from what came before.
Expedition 33’s story follows a group of ragtag expeditioners on an ill-fated mission to break the annual cycle of death by facing the enigmatic entity known only as the Paintress. This epic journey is heartbreaking yet poignant as the expedition faces loss and stark revelations that upend their world. These hefty narrative punches are only matched by Expedition 33’s combat, which features real-time elements and huge synergistic scope. Josh Brown’s Clair Obscur Expedition 33 review deems it “an essential contribution” to the genre and a “new modern classic.”
The journey from the shores of Lumiere to the feet of the Paintress is full of dangers and secrets. Death is always near, but RPG staples like weapons, attributes, and esoteric accessories called pictos imbue your expedition with new strength. There’s really no other RPG out there where you’ll get slapped about by a mime and walk away with a beret and a baguette. Sorry, France.
6. Fallout: New Vegas
From its humble beginnings as a Wasteland successor to the advent of the Netflix series, Fallout has been a titan in the RPG sphere. It can be difficult to pick the best of the bunch; unlike something like Mass Effect, there’s no convenient all-in-one package to position them all under one banner. So, Fallout: New Vegas? Simple. It takes all the best bits from all the other entries and makes them great.
Obsidian takes Bethesda’s first-person Fallout and transplants the themes that made the original games so beloved with best-in-class quest design. It also teases out the Western influences to the fore, with a streak of black comedy as wide as the Vegas Strip itself. Have you ever wanted to join a gang of Elvis impersonators? How does a town of jingoistic cannibals sound? Or a close encounter with literal aliens (this is the Mojave Desert, after all)? New Vegas has it all.
Since New Vegas, we’ve had Fallout 4 and 76 – and while both have their fans, neither has managed to topple it. And while Obsidian is finally set to return to the series alongside a recently revealed remaster of New Vegas itself, in the meantime, Fallout: New Vegas mods can keep the Mojave Wasteland alive for a little while longer.
7. Elden Ring
Elden Ring isn’t just the culmination of everything that FromSoftware achieved in Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro. It irrevocably changed the landscape of open-world games. Where other open worlds are an endless cascade of icons and loot, Elden Ring’s map is teeming with lore, secrets, and mystery to uncover.
To quote Jordan Forward’s Elden Ring review, “FromSoftware has unlocked its final form, and the result will floor you time and time again.” Unlike traditional soulslikes, you’re not beholden to endlessly throwing yourself at the next boss that crosses your path until you beat it. Instead, you can go elsewhere – and there’s no shortage of places to visit. A single play session can take you from the mage towers of Liurnia to the rot-choked swamps of Caelid.
The Lands Between is an unforgiving dark fantasy world, shattered along with the titular Elden Ring. As a foul Tarnished, you must rise from obscurity among the ruins and ascend the throne as Elden Lord. The journey is brutal, with every encounter shaped by FromSoftware’s signature combat system, and legacy dungeons are unforgettable set pieces that culminate in encounters with intricately designed Elden Ring bosses. Curse you, Bayle!
8. Cyberpunk 2077
CD Projekt Red’s take on Mike Bondsmith’s tabletop series of the same name had lofty ambitions, but to say Cyberpunk 2077 had a rocky launch would be an understatement. While it also had the bugs to match, they’ve been squashed in remedial patches, and Cyberpunk 2077 is finally ready to take its place as one of the best RPGs.
Cyberpunk 2077 is not escapism in the traditional sense. For all that Night City is a futuristic metropolis, it grapples with big concepts like transhumanism, capitalism, nihilism, and all the other ‘isms’ that keep us awake at night. Richard Scott-Jones’s Cyberpunk 2077 review calls it “one of the most explicitly politically charged games ever made.”
You are V, a mercenary outlaw who calls the giant metropolis of Night City home, with three introductory starting points for your character to lean into the main plot from. And after a botched heist, you end up with the digital ghost of Keanu Reeves trapped inside your head – and that’s just the beginning. Cyberpunk 2077’s open world is rife with quests that flirt with immersive sim elements, with enough character customization to shape exactly what V stands for. Literally. And once you’ve sampled the city’s delights, you can check out some Cyberpunk 2077 mods to take things even further.
9. Kingdom Come Deliverance 2
Warhorse has earned its place in the annals of studios that make a cracking RPG with Kingdom Come Deliverance 2. Worlds away from the fantasy and sci-fi of many entries on this list, KDC2 whisks players away to an eye-wateringly detailed digital version of a war-torn 15th-century medieval Europe.
You’re Henry of Skallitz, and as Lowell Bell writes in his Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 review, while the first entry in the series was “a scuffed gem many skipped over, especially given its poor technical state at launch,” the sequel truly is the definitive way to experience this part of history. From photorealistic visuals of dense forests that will have you questioning whether what you’re looking at is simply an illusion or actually real, to a fleshed-out world of incredibly real-feeling characters, this one has it all.
But the real beauty of this first-person RPG is in how it asks you to slow down. In a world of lightning-fast action and overwhelm, here you’ll manage hunger, energy, and a combat system that isn’t just hack-and-slash. While the combat system remains similar to its predecessor with intentional moves and directional attacking, it manages to feel worlds apart and controls beautifully. You’ll slowly concoct potions or craft weaponry to help you on the field while you complete quests in some of the richest storytelling you’ll find on the market, uncovering a narrative that has you getting to know nobility and peasantry alike. Don’t be fooled just because this is a game without fantasy or magic; KDC2 is a marvel, and one of the best games you’ll find right now.
10. The Witcher 3
Most developers would be content to get one definitive RPG out the door, but CD Projekt Red has pulled it off twice. The Witcher 3 leaves its predecessors in the dust. It’s the most accessible entry in the series by far, taking all the moral ambiguity and political strife of Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels and scattering it across a mammoth open world.
A simple contract to slaughter a monster often unfolds into an elaborate series of difficult choices and painful consequences. “[It] dances to its own tune,” Fraser Brown says in our The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt review. “There isn’t an RPG like it out there.” Often oppressive, occasionally miserable, The Witcher 3 is meant to be devoured until nothing remains.
Protagonist Geralt of Rivia is a law unto himself, instantly recognizable thanks to the Netflix series and the cavalcade of reluctant anti-heroes that have come before him. The best WItcher 3 quests are an opportunity to peek at the complexity that lurks underneath his gruff exterior as he wrestles with knotty human drama.
11. Dragon’s Dogma 2
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a nostalgia-laced sequel that refuses to bow to convention. This time around, your heart hasn’t been stolen – just your identity, and it’s up to you and your merry band of player-made pawns to set it right. There’s just one problem. For every adventure you try to undertake in Dragon’s Dogma 2, the world itself will try to ruin it; not since Skyrim have we enjoyed the sensory experience of a dragon landing on our head.
That said, Dragon’s Dogma 2’s place on this list comes with a major caveat. To quote Nat Smith’s Dragon’s Dogma 2 review, it’s “a great RPG, just not on PC.” Capcom has deployed a raft of post-launch updates to address Dragon’s Dogma 2’s atrocious performance at launch, but there are intrinsic issues that can never truly be fixed.
That said, if your rig can run it, there’s no question that Dragon’s Dogma 2 is one of the most dynamic RPGs ever made. It is a masterclass in videogame friction. It refuses to hold your hand or concede ground to convenient RPG conventions like seamless fast travel, quest markers, or objective paths. And ultimately, it’ll reward you for giving it your time. Dragon’s Dogma 2 is for players who want to get into trouble and live to tell the tale.
12. Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
What’s the best entry in the Mass Effect trilogy? The answer is hotly contested, and for good reason. Mass Effect’s worldbuilding is unparalleled; Mass Effect 2’s character-driven story is unforgettable; Mass Effect 3’s combat is the best in the series. The truth is that whichever one you champion, it’s elevated by the others beside it. To that end, EA’s “legendary” compendium lets you experience the trilogy as it was always meant to be played: in one complete package.
In the words of Jen Rothery’s Mass Effect Legendary Edition review, it “applies a much-needed coat of polish to the original trilogy, oiling as many creaky joints as possible.” In this definitive edition, you can play all three games in order, preserving your choices and relationships across the entire trilogy – or jump into the game you choose.
If you’ve never heard of Mass Effect (first of all, congratulations on getting out of that rock you’ve been living under), strap in for the greatest videogame space opera. The series pulls from the very best of speculative and science fiction, from Star Trek’s intrepid exploration to Battlestar Galactica’s cinematic action. BioWare’s typically excellent dialogue punctuates dramatic set-pieces and workmanlike squad-based combat. Yes, that extends to Mass Effect romance, too.
13. Dragon Age: Inquisition
While Dragon Age: Inquisition may not shape up to the sheer scope of content found in its sibling’s Legendary Edition above, the fantasy RPG from BioWare is by and large the best entry in the series to date (sorry, Veilguard). While visually, it’s starting to show its age (those hairstyles have always been an abomination), if you can look past that, the most compelling element keeping Inquisition in hearts and minds all these years later is its cast of companions.
As you explore the world of Thedas, you’ll happen across characters from a religious right-hand of the Divine, to a ghostly spirit, and an incredibly eccentric elven archer. As you meet this cast of brilliantly voice-acted characters, though, Shrek and his iconic onion metaphor comes to mind, because you’ll truly uncover who these people are at their core. It’s arguably one of the best casts of characters out there in gaming, and if you’re a fan of a good narrative and seeing those around you open up or develop over time, there’s more than enough fat to chew here.
Of course, there’s an equally epic story to uncover, rife with player choice sat right alongside the cast. Whether you want to play as a Human, Elf, Dwarf, or Dragon Age’s toweringly tall, horn-toting Qunari race, you’ll find plenty of replay value alongside these races and the three mage, rogue, and warrior classes alone. Couple with that a glowing green mark that mysteriously finds itself in your character’s hand after an explosion, granting the ability to close huge tears in the world that spew out monstrous enemies and being thrown into a tale of navigating the world to stave off a cataclysmic, world-ending threat, and this one is a treat that’ll keep you saying ‘just five more minutes’ for hours.
Upcoming RPGs
RPGs truly never go out of style, so it should come as no surprise that the next few years are stacked with upcoming PC games in our favorite genre. We’ll get the blockbusters out of the way first. Bethesda and CD Projekt Red are bringing us Elder Scrolls 6, Fallout 5, and The Witcher 4, while Playground Games is still plugging away at Fable.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 is also getting the remake treatment, with a new installment starring Yoshitaka Mine bundled alongside it. If you prefer revivals over remakes, Onimusha Way of the Sword takes us back to feudal Japan for another round of demon-slaying, and FF7 Remake Part 3 might be closer than you think.
Still not satisfied? If you’re looking for a brand-new series to sink your teeth into, then Blood of Dawnwalker, a vampiric RPG led by Witcher 3 director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, might be enough to quench your thirst.
Game Freak also ventures out of the Pokémon Company’s shadow for Beast of Reincarnation, a Miyazaki-like that takes its cue from Princess Mononoke, complete with a canine companion. Last, but certainly not least, Phantom Blade Zero gives you a 66-day countdown to unravel a conspiracy in a Wuxia-inspired world – no pressure.
Now that you’ve explored new worlds, visited old ones, and ventured across the stars, tell us all about your favorite RPG experiences in our community Discord. Don’t forget to read our best PC games list when you’re ready to branch outside the RPG space.