Beautiful gaming experiences were once a thing restricted to gamers with high-end PCs or the latest consoles. Not having top-line PC hardware isn’t as much of a limiting factor as it was in the past, though, thanks to the indie gaming boom of the last decade and the inclusion of in-depth video settings in most modern games.
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While mostlow-end PC gamesare pixel-based or two-dimensional, there are a number of3D games that run greatno matter your specs. This is not to say that the 2D games have little to offer, though, as some of the best games of the last decade just happen to have few hardware requirements.
Updated July 14, 2025 by Erik Petrovich: Being able to run top-shelf games used to be restricted to gamers who had the most investment in their PC setups. In 2021, though, the video game industry is very different. Games haven’t had a significant increase in visual fidelity in a long, long time, and many developers are turning to simpler, more stylized visuals to get the attention of everyone no matter the specs. Some of the most celebrated games of the last decade, like Hotline Miami and Hollow Knight, are deceptively simple in appearance and offer greater challenges than many triple-A games. Older titles like Psychonauts might seem dated, but there’s a reason so many old titles are receiving major sequels in 2021: they’re just great games.
15Hotline Miami (And Hotline Miami 2)
Hotline Miamiis a game that takes the lofi pixelated aesthetic and turns it into a nightmarish, psychedelic trip down Murder Lane. Its one of thebest games for low end PCs, and is particularly well-known for its incredible soundtrack that seems to perfectly match the insanity of what happens in-game.
The sequel,Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number, is a rare example of a sequel that perfectly adds onto the previous game without losing any of its charm. If you’ve spent any time on the gaming side of the internet, you probably recognize the series' penchant for thugs in animal masks.
14Ori and the Blind Forest
Ori and the Blind Forestis something of a Metroidvania with a fairytale aesthetic. Players take control of Ori and unlock new abilities and skills that help them get to their next objectives. It’s a platformer, too, that uses movement systems incredibly well – and on top of all of that, its art style and visual effects are fantastic for such a low-requirement game.
It’s one of thoselow end PC gamesthat won’t run 100% well at first, but with a few changes in the settings menu it loses only a little bit of its visual polish in exchange for a much more fluid experience no matter the specs.
13Hollow Knight
Hollow Knightis one of the most celebrated indie games of the last decade, so much so that its in-development sequel is one of the most hotly anticipated titles in the gaming community even in 2021. Its gorgeous Flash-inspired art style is enhanced wonderfully by the world’s dichotomy between beautiful natural areas and haunting ruins that make it one of the most gorgeousPC games for low end PCsever.
The game has rightly been compared toDark Soulsfor its lack of story explanation and various other mechanics. In truth, though, it’s almost nothing like the famous FromSoftware series, thanks to its 2D platformer style and wildly different aesthetics and gameplay mechanics throughout.
12Psychonauts
While the sequel was only just released, the originalPsychonautsis still well worth playing for those who have never touched the series. Its art style is like something out of a Nickelodeon cartoon from the ’90s, and the voice actor for Raz is the same voice actor for Zim.
RELATED:Best Quotes From Psychonauts 2The game’s mix of truly hilarious comedy bits and satisfying 3D platforming gameplay made it an instant hit when it came out more than a decade ago. The sequel has been praised and is a likely contender for GOTY in 2021, but it’s worth playing the original first to get a sense for what the series is all about.
11Slime Rancher
Slime Rancheris something of a breakout hit of the last few years. There is no shortage of farm management games out there, but some are not well optimized (likeFarm Simulator) and others are generic and uninspired.Slime Rancherabsolutely oozes charm through its vibrant designs and its massive variety of things to do around the Ranch aside from farming.
The game is set to receive a sequel in the next year or so, but the original is well worth its low price tag (and it goes on sale pretty often on Steam, too). It’s a game that players on low-end PCs will have to mess with the settings first to get it to run perfectly, though.
10Terraria
Terrariarecently celebrated its final update, Update 1.4: Journey’s End, which officially concludes development on major expansions for the game.Terrariahas never been in better form, though, and despite the final update being released is still becoming more popular with each day. It’s an amazinggame for low end PCthat vastly over-provides for its tiny price tag.
Perhaps it’s the game’s low cost of entry, or perhaps it’s theincredible depth to the gameplay(which includes complex building, exploration, crafting, and combat systems); whatever it is,Terrariais one of those titles where players can expect to reference the wiki constantly throughout a playthrough.
9Hades
Hadesis as beautiful in its artistic direction as it is brutally difficult in its combat. The multi-award-winning roguelike from Supergiant Games released in 2020 to rave reviews and was particularly praised for its fully-voiced narrative, its gorgeous art style, and itsimmensely satisfying gameplay.
The game does not have much in the way of a graphics menu aside from resolution, but it’s a relatively small download and it’s one of the bestgames for low end PCswith a resolution change (unless you’re surrounded by exploding chariots, that is).
8Noita
The roguelike Witch RPG physics gameNoitais a lot of things, and it pulls off each facet perfectly. Every single pixel in the game is simulated, which might make a new player think the game has high requirements. Its one of the smoothestpixel games forlow-end PCs, as long as the player isn’t setting off too many explosions at the same time and chooses low settings in the menu.
The game features some of the most gorgeous and original pixel art of the last few years, but don’t spend too long looking at the game’s style as it’s also one of the most difficult games to be released in the last few years.
7Stardew Valley
Stardew Valleyis pretty much a household name by this point. The most recent 1.5 expansion practically doubled the number of things to do in the game, which already had hundreds of hours' worth of content.
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Stardew Valleyis a farming sim that takes a lot of inspiration from theHarvest MoonandAnimal Crossingseries, with a ton of unique charm hidden within the SNES-like style. It’s agame for low end PCthat becomes even more fun when played with someone else, thanks to the recent co-op update.
6Braid
Braidis one of the many indie games featured in the documentaryIndie Game: The Movie, alongsideSuper Meat BoyandFez. While all three games areperfectly playable on low-end PCs,Braidstands out for its incredibly beautiful hand-drawn art direction.
It’s a puzzle game with wholly unique challenges that will tickle even the most confident mind. When these puzzles are paired withBraid’s gorgeous visuals it makes for one of the most awe-inspiringgames for low end PCsof all time.
