Best Retro Games to Play on PC in 2026: Classic Picks from Every Era
One of the best things about PC gaming is that “old” and “unplayable” are rarely the same thing. Thanks to GOG, Steam, and a passionate preservation community, some of the greatest games ever made are only a few clicks away — running beautifully on modern hardware, often with quality-of-life improvements that make them even better than the originals.
This is our guide to the best retro games worth playing on PC right now, organised by era. No emulation required for most of these — just buy, install, and play.
The 1980s — Arcade Classics & Early PC Gaming
Pac-Man (1980)
The one that started it all. Pac-Man’s simple premise — eat pellets, avoid ghosts — has never stopped being fun. The original arcade logic holds up perfectly, and the ghost AI (each ghost has a distinct behaviour pattern) rewards study and mastery in a way most modern games don’t. Available on Steam. If you want an interesting modern take, PAC-MAN 256 is an excellent endless runner twist on the classic formula.
Doom (1993)
Technically 1993, but essential. The original Doom has been officially re-released on Steam and GOG with modern resolution support and controller compatibility. It’s still one of the most satisfying first-person shooters ever made — fast, brutal, brilliantly designed. The level design holds up as a masterclass in environmental storytelling without a single cutscene. Both Doom and Doom II are worth playing.
The 1990s — The Golden Era
Half-Life (1998)
Half-Life changed what people believed a first-person shooter could be. Its seamless narrative, environmental storytelling, and intelligent enemy AI were years ahead of anything else available in 1998. It holds up remarkably well today and is available on Steam — Gordon Freeman’s journey through Black Mesa is still a compelling few hours. The subsequent Half-Life 2 (2004) is equally essential and technically more approachable for modern players.
Diablo II: Resurrected (1996/2021)
Blizzard’s 2021 remaster of Diablo II is the definitive way to play one of the most influential action RPGs ever made. The loot-driven dungeon crawling, the gothic atmosphere, the addictive character builds — it all still works. The remaster adds modern visuals while keeping the original gameplay completely intact, and you can toggle between old and new graphics at any time. Available on Battle.net.
Fallout 2 (1998)
Before Fallout became a 3D open-world series, it was a top-down isometric RPG with some of the best writing and most flexible gameplay systems in the genre. Fallout 2 is available on Steam with high-resolution support, and its dark humour and genuine consequence-driven storytelling remain exceptional. If you’ve only played the 3D Fallout games, the originals are a revelation.
Resident Evil (1996)
Capcom quietly returned the original PC version of Resident Evil to GOG, making it legitimately accessible for the first time in decades. Tank controls, fixed camera angles, hammy voice acting, and zombie encounters that genuinely made you think twice about every bullet — this is survival horror as it was invented, completely different from the remakes. The original trilogy is available on GOG.
Max Payne (2001)
A perfect blend of John Woo action cinema and noir storytelling, Max Payne introduced bullet-time to the third-person shooter genre and used it brilliantly. The graphic novel cutscenes and relentlessly grim narrative are unlike anything else from that era. Available on GOG, it runs well on modern systems and remains genuinely stylish decades later.
The 2000s — 3D Gaming Hits its Stride
Half-Life 2 (2004)
Still one of the most technically and narratively accomplished games ever made. The physics-based gravity gun gameplay, the pacing, the world-building — Half-Life 2 showed what first-person games could aspire to be. Available on Steam and runs perfectly on modern hardware.
Chrono Trigger (1995/PC 2018)
Originally an SNES classic from the dream team of Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii, and Dragon Ball artist Akira Toriyama, Chrono Trigger got a PC port in 2018 that Square Enix has continued to update and improve. Multiple endings, a revolutionary battle system, time travel narrative, and some of the best JRPG music ever composed. Available on Steam.
Bioshock (2007)
Set in the failed underwater utopia of Rapture, Bioshock combined atmospheric first-person shooting with philosophical storytelling and one of gaming’s most memorable twists. It holds up brilliantly on PC and the art deco aesthetic makes it look better than most games from its era. The Bioshock Collection on Steam includes the original and both sequels at a regularly discounted price.
System Shock 2 (1999)
The direct ancestor of Bioshock — a space station horror RPG that combined survival elements, audio log storytelling, and resource management into something genuinely frightening. Available on GOG and Steam, it has been updated to run on modern systems. If you love Bioshock or Prey and want to understand where they came from, System Shock 2 is essential.
Adventure Games — Point & Click Classics
Grim Fandango Remastered (1998/2015)
Tim Schafer’s masterpiece of film noir storytelling set in the Land of the Dead. The 2015 remaster by Double Fine updated the controls and added a remastered soundtrack while keeping the original puzzles and writing completely intact. The dialogue is some of the funniest in gaming. Available on GOG and Steam.
Day of the Tentacle Remastered (1993/2016)
Another Tim Schafer classic — a time-travel cartoon adventure with three playable characters across different historical periods. The 2016 remaster added hand-drawn high-resolution artwork and remastered audio. Genuinely funny, clever puzzle design, and one of the most charming games ever made. Available on GOG and Steam.
Where to Buy Retro PC Games Legally
GOG (Good Old Games)
GOG specialises in classic games, sells them DRM-free, and does a remarkable job of making old titles run on modern systems. If a classic game is available on GOG, that’s usually the best place to buy it. Their catalogue includes thousands of titles from the 1980s onwards, and games go on sale regularly with discounts of up to 90%.
Steam
Steam carries a large back catalogue alongside newer releases. Many classic games have been updated to run on modern systems through Steam’s Proton compatibility layer, and the seasonal sales (Summer, Autumn, Winter) regularly discount older titles heavily.
A Note on Emulation
Not every classic game has a legal PC release. For consoles like the SNES, Mega Drive, N64, and PlayStation 1, emulation is often the only practical way to play the original versions. Emulation software itself is legal — what you do with it is your own responsibility. The most recommended emulator for getting started across multiple platforms is RetroArch, which provides a unified interface for dozens of different console emulators.
If you’re setting up an emulation system, pair it with a good retro controller — see our Best Retro Gaming Controllers 2026 guide for recommendations.
Our Top 5 Starting Points
If you’re new to retro PC gaming and don’t know where to start, these five are the strongest entry points:
- Half-Life 2 — the most accessible and technically impressive retro PC game available
- Diablo II: Resurrected — the definitive remaster of a genre-defining classic
- Grim Fandango Remastered — best storytelling in gaming
- Bioshock — atmosphere, story, and design that still impresses
- Doom (1993) — the foundation of FPS gaming, still genuinely fun
All games mentioned are available through legitimate storefronts. Prices vary and games go on sale regularly — GOG and Steam both run seasonal sales with significant discounts on classic titles.