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I’ve been writing those summaries for seven years in a row, and since then the built-in graphics have been much more powerful. Just take a look at the Steam Deck and its many imitators: it is by far the most popular gaming PC on the market and is powered by a computer chip from several years ago. The result is that you have more options than ever before for gaming on a low-power PC.
Despite this, I’ve selected ten new PC games that will run on a toaster, provided you can locate a toaster that runs Windows (or SteamOS). And it actually doesn’t hurt that they’re also much less expensive than AAA games, which is even better for making the most of any Steam gift cards you have.
Here are my picks, in no particular order. If you’re looking for even more low-power games running on older laptops, mini PCs, or desktops, check out the same roundup for 2023, 2022, and 2021. Continues!
Balatro is where I’ve spent an embarrassing amount of my time this year. It’s a poker-based roguelike deck-building game, so you probably already know the basics. But there are no other players to beat or bluff, just a scoring goal to achieve. But with each passing turn, you can build your deck with new cards or wild card modifiers. Therefore, it is possible, for example, to create a series where straight straights score with only 4 cards, and then further can be done by letting straight straights also score with a single card. It’s hard to visualize, but the way the game makes you cheat with new and engaging tactics is incredibly deep and addictive.
Balatro costs $15 on Steam. It is also available on all consoles, MacOS, iOS, and Android.
This game has been described as a point and click adventure, but I don’t think that’s entirely true. Rather, it is an interactive cartoon, reduced as much as possible to essential interactive elements. The genuine appeal of Thank Goodness You’re Here is the exploration of the sleepy and incredibly silly British town, full of wonderfully voiced characters. It’s short and sweet, but if you’re looking for a quick shot of engaging Saturday morning comedy, this hits the spot.
Thank goodness you’re here it’s $20 on Steam. It’s also available on Epic, PlayStation, Switch, and the MacOS store.
Selaco is the most persistent type of low-power game, a mod of Doom. But that description falls short. It is a Doom mod that incorporates thirty years of innovation in first-person shooters, both visually and in minute-by-minute gameplay. So you have a lot of pomp and circumstance to flesh out your sci-fi story and even more complex combat with advanced AI, but that probably won’t fix your lack of a graphics card, as everything is built with 2. 5-D graphics. It’s an episodic game that isn’t over yet, which may seem a little disappointing, but in the meantime there are plenty of boomer shooters to enjoy.
Selaco is $25 on Steam.
If Harry Dresden had become a SWAT officer instead of a personal investigator, he might have ended up on the same team as the wizards in Tactical Breach. Combining turn-based tactics and urban fantasy, this game gives you tons of other features to take care of. Each and every situation, with a kick in the door and a fireball are also valid. The story-focused grand crusade is an odd mix of genres, but the game’s forgiving setting provides you with an almost infinite team to deal with each and every one. situation. If you’d like X-Com to have a little more Tolkien, make yourself at home.
Tactical Breach Wizards is $20 on Steam.
What if you could merge the top-down mayhem of early Grand Theft Auto or Postal with the “die, die again” roguelike progression of a trendy roguelike?It’s Maniac, Baby, which inevitably comes with the “no kids allowed” warning, even though it doesn’t actually have an ESRB rating. This absolutely unconventional action name is necessarily a GTA “rampage” project expanded into a full-fledged game, where the only goal is to destroy as many things (and people) as you can imagine before the police inevitably arrest you. It also explores low-poly graphics and splash effects.
Maniac is $5 on Steam and Fanatical.
Green-capped Link tends to start every game with a stick, or if he’s lucky, a rusty sword. What if he got full-on spaceship instead? That’s the premise behind Minishoot Adventures, a game that transposes the ship from Asteroids into a 2D Zelda-style adventure game. Simple but colorful graphics and some twin-stick shooter mechanics fill in the gaps of an admittedly goofy premise, but before long you’ll get the hand of this genre fusion, especially after a few upgrades. It’s a premise that works far better than you think it will.
Minishot Adventures is $15 on Steam.
I’d be lying if I said that Nine Sols is the first soul to use a 2D graphics setup, a cartoon animal aesthetic, or concentrate on counter-based combat. But it achieves almost all of them and does so without resorting to pixel graphics, which is a big plus in my opinion. If you liked Sekiro’s fight and deep story but want something a little less visually dominant, this is it. Don’t expect this to be easy for you, you’ll need the help of many NPCs you observe along the way to develop your foundational skills.
Nine Sols is $30 on Steam. It is also available as a DRM-free purchase, as well as on Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox.
Ask any Animorphs fan, and they’ll tell you that an ant battle is filled with enough drama and intrigue to make Ken Burns weep. That’s the idea behind Empires of the Undergrowth, a real-time strategy that has you building, expanding, and defending an ant colony. Imagine it as SimAnt if Alexander the Great had been a game programmer. You’ll expand and direct your insect army through battles or the full campaign using different pheromones as commands. This one uses full 3D graphics, but its requirements are low enough that you should be able to run it on just about anything.
Empires of the Undergrowth is $29.99 on Steam. It’s also available on Epic and GoG.
Arco is an 18th century story told with 1980s graphics and 2020s sensibilities. Though it looks simple, the story of indigenous Mesoamericans fighting through a fantasy world is unique and fascinating, and the mix of turn-based combat and tactical positioning should feel “crunchy” to anyone who’s been looking for a new twist on RPGs. Despite the apparently limited setup, the scope is huge and grandiose — it shows exactly how indie games can compete with the big boys in terms of both story and game design.
Bow costs $20 on Steam. It is also available on Epic, MacOS and Switch.
Imagine an old-school point-and-click adventure game, driven through the solving of a detective murder mystery. Now think about this game, fueled by a clear moment from a Calarts cartoon, then add a touch of Psychonauts and Persona. In Mindcop, you’ll have to track down a killer in a small town by exploring the minds of his potential victims, with plenty of quirky environments and creative puzzles to keep the formula fresh. Solve the murder, catch the killer and don’t disappoint your fan club.
Mindcop is $15 on Steam. It is also available on PlayStation and Switch.
If you’ve ever noticed a beautiful, immaculate home filled with valuables and designer furniture, and then felt the urge to go crazy with a bucket of paint, I’ve been given the best set for you. In Doronko Wanko (literally “dust dog”), you’re an invulnerable puppy whose only preference is to spread as much dust as you can around a pristine house. It’s a bit like the opposite of Super Mario Sunshine, and your score is calculated in hurt dollars. It’s short, it’s free, and it’s incredibly cute and cathartic at the same time.
Doronko Wanko is free on Steam. It’s also available on Softonic (also free).
Michael is a 10-year veteran of tech journalism, covering everything from Apple to ZTE. At PCWorld, he’s the resident keyboard nut, employing a new one to check out and build a new mechanical board or expand his desktop “battle station” in his off hours. Michael’s previous signings include Android Police, Digital Trends, Wired, Lifehacker, and How-To Geek, and he has covered live from occasions such as CES and Mobile World Congress. Michael lives in Pennsylvania where he is looking forward to his next kayaking trip.
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