Skip to main content

Game on, friends.

We’ve been absolutely spoiled for great games in 2023. But if your computer can’t pump out the polygons, it’s unlikely that you’ve been keeping up with high-end games like Baldur’s Gate 3 or Lies of P. But that’s okay because there are more than enough great games that don’t require a high-end rig to play.

If you’re using a lower-end desktop, a laptop without a discrete graphics card, or even a Steam Deck that you want to last for more than two hours on a charge, you should check out my yearly review of low-power PC games. All are available on Windows, among other platforms, and they should work just fine on your trusty, rusty older machine. It doesn’t hurt that they’re all significantly cheaper than new AAA games, too.

Here are my picks, in no particular order. Want even more low-power games? The choices from the same roundup for 2022 and 2021 are still around and still fantastic!

Fans of those weird, ugly cartoons from the late 90s and twitchy platformers will find a unique fusion in Pizza Tower. It mixes Sonic’s breathless pace, Wario’s multiple forms, and some absolutely bangin’ tunes for a highly skill-based experience. And even though it’s using pixel art, it’s not an 8-bit affair — the game looks more like your unhinged middle school doodles brought to vibrant, animated life through MS Paint.

Note that large sections of Pizza Tower have you blasting through the levels at high speed and boss fights can become sessions of hair-pulling frustration that require mastery of the game’s movement and offensive tools. But let’s be honest, that’s what platformer fans are here for. And they can finally get it without having to wade through a sea of 2D Dark Souls interpretations.