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Here are your rules:
Games have to be $30 or less on Steam or GOG Not related to sales.
Games have to have a low barrier of entry, no Souls-likes.
Free-To-Play Games are allowed
At least a sentence as to why each recommendation!
Make this thread a one stop shop for people to peruse if they are just getting into PC gaming!
Platformer: Yooka-Replayee ($30)
This is a perfect redo of a game that was just originally okay. Yooka-Laylee is a collectathon 3D Platformer made by ex Rare Devs with tons of exploration and backtracking previous levels with new abilities you get as you progress! This will absolutely supply tons of hours on your first playthrough.
FPS: DOOM 2016 ($20)
Depending on who you ask you'll get either Doom 2016 or Doom Eternal, personally I prefer Doom 2016 for the sake of having the ability to focus on one threat properly at a time, Eternal requires you to focus on everything at once and at higher difficulties that can get to be a bit much for some. Not to mention the difficulty spike of Eternal's DLC because people kept saying it was too easy. Exploration is encouraged more here than Eternal as well with secret levels to unlock!
Fighting Games: Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3 ($25)
Had I not made the rule of $30 or less, Street Fighter 6 would be up here for the single player content alone. But for less than $30, UMVC3 is the biggest Fighting game steal you can possibly get for a full package. With a button masher friendly simple mode control scheme and a roster of characters that can appeal to non fighting game fans, plus the ability to mod in a games worth of characters if you want to take it further... It's a must have in anyone's library.
Arcade: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge ($25)
This side scroller beat-em up is a pixel art dream with 6-player ability and 7 playable characters to choose from. This love letter to TMNT of old gives that perfect Arcade feel.
Survival Horror: Signalis ($20)
I wanted to give the indie scene some flowers with this one. Normally the go to would be an old Resident Evil but I would happily endorse the isometric Sci-Fi Survival Horror Signalis for the PS1 artstyle with the classic Resident Evil approach to encounters.
Metroidvania: Blasphemous ($25)
Between this and Hollow Knight, I feel like Blasphemous has better pacing, Hollow Knight is wonderful but progression can feel like you need to scrub the map with a fine tooth comb compared to Blasphemous.
Visual Novel: Vampire Therapist ($15)
I will say outright, VNs are not my thing. but if I had to choose, I would choose an indie game that is more vibes than anything. you have an eccentric cast of characters with varying personalities (and mental disabilities) that are written in a way that are more curious than they are campy.
Puzzle: Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 ($20)
Puyo Puyo vs Tetris! This Puzzle game combines both games into one and allows a solid arcade puzzle experience with anime flavor to each character.
Action RPG: Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion ($15)
As far as Action RPGs go for under $30, Oblivion GOTY, not the remaster, is an absolute steal for $15. Skyrim while more accessible with it's magic and crafting, has more of a barren world around it, whereas Oblivion has a more lush lively forest to work with and better writing overall. There are clear good guys and bad guys through the world making it feel a lot more contrast to the recent pitfall Bethesda fell into where everyone either has to be "Good with flaws" or "Every option sucks"
Character RPG: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic ($10)
Create your own Star Wars Character in a story that takes place well before the Phantom Menace. Choose to be a Jedi, or a Sith and continue to one of the greatest twists I've witnessed in RPG history!
MMORPG: Old School Runescape/Warframe (Free)
Two-for-One Here. If you want an old classic MMORPG, Runescape is a great peak into what the very early days of MMOs looked like for Free-to-Play. It doesn't take a lot to pick up. Now if you want something complex and more in the Sci-Fi scene, Warframe is what I would give you instead. Flexible builds, Cyborg Ninjas, full expression of character. Both of these games still get support to this day.
Tactics RPG: XCOM: Enemy Unknown ($15)
Build your Army to combat an invading alien force, with character Permadeath and plenty of approaches to each mission in variety.
Racing: HotShot Racing ($20)
The best love letter to Sega Style Arcade Racing out there! Plenty of cars to choose from and a healthy selection of race types will keep the replayability alive and well along with the 4 player local multiplayer option!
Real Time Strategy: Command & Conquer Remastered Collection ($20)
This is the RTS outside of Starcraft. Take a modern warfare style campaign against turbo communists with an admittedly early designed RTS but with plenty of troops to build an army you can be proud to have.
Games have to be $30 or less on Steam or GOG Not related to sales.
Games have to have a low barrier of entry, no Souls-likes.
Free-To-Play Games are allowed
At least a sentence as to why each recommendation!
Make this thread a one stop shop for people to peruse if they are just getting into PC gaming!
Platformer: Yooka-Replayee ($30)
This is a perfect redo of a game that was just originally okay. Yooka-Laylee is a collectathon 3D Platformer made by ex Rare Devs with tons of exploration and backtracking previous levels with new abilities you get as you progress! This will absolutely supply tons of hours on your first playthrough.
FPS: DOOM 2016 ($20)
Depending on who you ask you'll get either Doom 2016 or Doom Eternal, personally I prefer Doom 2016 for the sake of having the ability to focus on one threat properly at a time, Eternal requires you to focus on everything at once and at higher difficulties that can get to be a bit much for some. Not to mention the difficulty spike of Eternal's DLC because people kept saying it was too easy. Exploration is encouraged more here than Eternal as well with secret levels to unlock!
Fighting Games: Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3 ($25)
Had I not made the rule of $30 or less, Street Fighter 6 would be up here for the single player content alone. But for less than $30, UMVC3 is the biggest Fighting game steal you can possibly get for a full package. With a button masher friendly simple mode control scheme and a roster of characters that can appeal to non fighting game fans, plus the ability to mod in a games worth of characters if you want to take it further... It's a must have in anyone's library.
Arcade: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge ($25)
This side scroller beat-em up is a pixel art dream with 6-player ability and 7 playable characters to choose from. This love letter to TMNT of old gives that perfect Arcade feel.
Survival Horror: Signalis ($20)
I wanted to give the indie scene some flowers with this one. Normally the go to would be an old Resident Evil but I would happily endorse the isometric Sci-Fi Survival Horror Signalis for the PS1 artstyle with the classic Resident Evil approach to encounters.
Metroidvania: Blasphemous ($25)
Between this and Hollow Knight, I feel like Blasphemous has better pacing, Hollow Knight is wonderful but progression can feel like you need to scrub the map with a fine tooth comb compared to Blasphemous.
Visual Novel: Vampire Therapist ($15)
I will say outright, VNs are not my thing. but if I had to choose, I would choose an indie game that is more vibes than anything. you have an eccentric cast of characters with varying personalities (and mental disabilities) that are written in a way that are more curious than they are campy.
Puzzle: Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 ($20)
Puyo Puyo vs Tetris! This Puzzle game combines both games into one and allows a solid arcade puzzle experience with anime flavor to each character.
Action RPG: Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion ($15)
As far as Action RPGs go for under $30, Oblivion GOTY, not the remaster, is an absolute steal for $15. Skyrim while more accessible with it's magic and crafting, has more of a barren world around it, whereas Oblivion has a more lush lively forest to work with and better writing overall. There are clear good guys and bad guys through the world making it feel a lot more contrast to the recent pitfall Bethesda fell into where everyone either has to be "Good with flaws" or "Every option sucks"
Character RPG: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic ($10)
Create your own Star Wars Character in a story that takes place well before the Phantom Menace. Choose to be a Jedi, or a Sith and continue to one of the greatest twists I've witnessed in RPG history!
MMORPG: Old School Runescape/Warframe (Free)
Two-for-One Here. If you want an old classic MMORPG, Runescape is a great peak into what the very early days of MMOs looked like for Free-to-Play. It doesn't take a lot to pick up. Now if you want something complex and more in the Sci-Fi scene, Warframe is what I would give you instead. Flexible builds, Cyborg Ninjas, full expression of character. Both of these games still get support to this day.
Tactics RPG: XCOM: Enemy Unknown ($15)
Build your Army to combat an invading alien force, with character Permadeath and plenty of approaches to each mission in variety.
Racing: HotShot Racing ($20)
The best love letter to Sega Style Arcade Racing out there! Plenty of cars to choose from and a healthy selection of race types will keep the replayability alive and well along with the 4 player local multiplayer option!
Real Time Strategy: Command & Conquer Remastered Collection ($20)
This is the RTS outside of Starcraft. Take a modern warfare style campaign against turbo communists with an admittedly early designed RTS but with plenty of troops to build an army you can be proud to have.
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