Check out the latest release with our list of new PC games.
10. YIIK: A Postmodern RPG
Getting mixed reviews on Steam, and some decent ratings from critics, Ackk Studios' indie RPG laden with hipster vibes is a polarizing at best. Harking back to the 1990s with its visuals and characterization, you either get it or you don't. Y2K brands itself as a surreal Japanese-style RPG, becoming obvious with their heavy handed references to the quirky, witty, and underrated Mother series--or Earthbound for the North American fans.
Telling the story of a liberal arts major, Alex, and his friends through visual novel style and JRPG like combat, you can expect Y2K to be easy on whatever low-end laptops and desktops you have. Requiring only 2gigs of RAM and the basic Intel Graphics, you can experience its unique offering of turn of the century angst and dialog.
Not exactly the most universally praised title, you can at the very least, find out for yourself. It has a provisional playscore of 7.33
9. The Eternal Castle [REMASTERED]
Obnoxiously plastering REMASTERED onto its title, Eternal Castle markets itself as a remake of a 1987 title of the same name. Nobody's entirely sure if there was such a game but, for the most part, the consensus about the game is, fortunately, it's pretty good--remake or not. With its bright pixel environments, Eternal Castle plays at a steady 18 frames per second. Before anyone of you gets disappointed, that's how it was intended to be, and that's exactly how it played on our low-end devices.
Rendered with computer generated animation, the game's visuals definitely looks rough, which only adds to the believability of its supposed retro, 1980s origins. Telling the tale of a world post AI using colorful and purposive silhouettes, Eternal Castle is an enjoyable package of sights, sounds, and story.
Whether or not it's a remaster, what's important is it's here, it's decent, and it works. It has a playscore of 7.77
8. Spinnortality
Looks like cyberpunk is a huge trend among this list of low-spec games. This one from developer James Patton, on the other hand, is less action-packed shooting sequences, and more mindful destruction. A cyber simulation at its heart, Spinnortality lets you play the other side of the revolution coin by putting you at the heart of an evil global megacorporation.
Mastermind stock market crashes, forward automation in place of human workers, or rig the next developing nation's elections--all with a click of a button. All of this is presented in their stylish UI, with sleek maps and menus, that never fail to tell you the news and updates of your latest bad deed. Overlooking the whole world in one place, it leaves whatever disastrous consequences to your imaginations, making it an incredibly light game for your system.
A portable showcase of corporate's dark side, it has a provisional playscore of 7.79
7. WarGroove
From the publishers behind the adorable indie farming simulator, Stardew Valley, Chucklefish comes out of their picturesque farms and into the world of turn-based tactics. Inspired by the 2001 tactical classic, Advanced Wars, they bring back their signature retro pixel aesthetics to reintroduce the turn-based genre through their detailed sprites, memorable characters, and inviting storyline.
While some games in the art style might be a little taxing on graphics, WarGroove is decently optimized for low-end devices, running smoothly at 60 frames per second with no graphical tweaks needed. Paired with Chucklefish's style is an equally mesmerizing soundtrack to accompany the game's many campaigns.
Far from perfect, WarGroove is a recent but hefty addition to any turn-based fan's library. Supporting cross-platform play, online multiplayer, local co-op, and a comprehensive level editor that lets you create maps and cutscenes, it’s a well-deserved playscore of 8.09
6. PikuNiku
Devolver's got some of the most stylish titles in the indie lineup but one of the best ones for your potato PCs is this quirky puzzle adventure game from Sectordub. Much like most indie titles, Pikuniku commits to naive minimalism with their simple hues, flat geometric shapes, and wobbly-legged characters.
Going ahead into the important stuff, Pikuniku's gameplay stays at a pretty steady 60fps, except for a few hiccups in a some areas. It's visuals isn't too far from what you would expect from today's crop of mobile games, but this game one-ups all of them simply by the charm of the execution.
Simplistic and occasionally aimless as it is, it never feels cheap. Despite sticking with traditional platforming, you never know what to expect from it as you jump from one vague objective to the next.
A light, mixed bag of pure delight, this might be the adorable albeit short title you need on your PC, with a playscore of 8.11
5. Becalm
Colorfiction’s free-to-play casual game isn’t really much of a game. It’s an adventure that involves no gameplay at all. Becalm introduces you to a literal calming experience as you drift through magical waters.
It’s dreamy watercolor aesthetics bring life to multiple biomes and offer a unique experience for players who just don’t want to kill monsters and do silly quests. Simply use your mouse and voyage across its picturesque ocean.
As a visual experience, it does take up a lot of GPU and PC energy. So as you are at the mercy of the wind and casting adrift on your sailboat, the game fluctuates between 23 to 30 fps throughout.
It has a provisional playscore of 8.17
4. Catherine Classic
Before Full Body comes out on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, this original version of the adventure-puzzler from ATLUS is about to steal your heart, in a different way. It’s unlike any other game from the developers. You don’t fight demons, talk to them, or have a party member fighting in the name of friendship. But your choices will really matter in this game.
Play as Vincent, a normal man trapped in a nightmarish curse after meeting a mysterious girl named Catherine. Aside from that, you patch things up with your fiance, a Katherine with a K, in its choice-driven scenarios. Gameplay involves running away from demonic creatures, all while you move blocks strategically to climb the top in order to wake up from this nightmarish world.
We played this game on its default settings. The game runs pretty well, surprisingly. For low-spec gaming, you need to put your resolution at 1280 by 720. Enabling depth of field, bloom, blur, and anti-aliasing will give you a good framerate average of 44 fps.
It receives a playscore of 8.20
3. Takanaria
You gotta love pixel-indie games for their low-budget charm. Crownbird's simple game doesn’t have any story to complete and no hack and slash stylish combat. It’s an adventure game that takes you to a Greek-inspired island with a ton of new things to discover.
Enjoy its beautiful pixel scenery and take control of Anensi, a botanist, and Yaful, a manager of an island in Takanaria. It’s a short game that requires no intense dedication. Dialogue is kept simple and it feels like a young developers’ dream coming true. It’s art and it clearly shows that it’s made with passion. The game runs very well, of course, on our powerful PC. 60fps never felt this good on a pixel art game.
It has a provisional playscore of 8.26
2. Unsung Warriors: Prologue
We adore indie games on this list. It’s the perfect genre when it comes to low-spec gaming. You don’t need a fancy graphics card, a shiny RGB motherboard, or a huge monitor that supports 4K. All you need is the time and place to play this lovely action-adventure game from Osarion.
Set in the Europe-inspired Iron Age, fight your way past a vicious horde of enemies and evade traps. Explore an ancient crypt and uncover its secrets. It’s a game that can be played solo, or with a friend.
We tried it on our very reliable Whatoplay PC and yes, it runs pretty smoothly. It’s a good-looking game that consistently gives us 60 frames per second. You just gotta love these kind of indie games because there’s not much to worry about optimizations. You could say that they really are the ‘unsung heroes’ of this modern era of gaming.
It receives a rating of 8.84
1. Subnautica: Below Zero
Unknown Worlds’ latest addition to their open-ocean survival game takes you deep into an alien ecosystem in the dark and cold aquatic abyss. Set in a mysterious below-zero planet, try to make it out alive by finding the necessary tools for your escape.
Set in first person mode, submerge into this unknown ocean and encounter friendly AND deadly creatures of the deep. Below Zero is set in a freezing extraterrestrial planet, try to survive its unpredictable ecological mess by finding the right materials, resources, and tools.
As an Early Access Game, it’s almost unplayable. But don’t worry, you just need to sacrifice a few resolutions and some graphical quality changes in order to play it smoothly. Decrease it to 1024 by 768 and you’ll get an acceptable 22 to 28 FPS. Besides, it’s still an early access game so there’s more room to improve!
It has a provisional playscore of 8.96