The top PC games in 2022 (that don’t require a graphics cards)

2022 was a great decade for PC gaming, especially because graphics cards are so popular. Finally affordable again (sort of). But games like Elden ring Then there’s the God of WarIt’s not as easy if you don’t have a lot of GPU wattage. It’s okay, the PC gaming market is so broad that even the most dusty, dingy Windows PC can still run great titles.

You can still play many games from Steam, Epic Games Store, and other sites even if your computer is not powerful enough. As I have done the past five years consecutively, I choose the brightest and most reliable games that will run on low-powered hardware. (Oh, and it’s a nice bonus that most of these games come in for so much less than the “new normal” price of $70—especially with the legendary Steam Winter Sale running as we post this.)

These are my picks in no particular order. Not enough? Check out Roundup 2021 too!

Railroad

Railroad It is a train-themed puzzle that can also be used as a role-playing game. These are the dogs, for those not permanently online. Your job is to place the tracks, throw switches and attach the cars to the engine in the correct order. To make sure everything runs on time, you’ll need to place tracks strategically and move around environmental obstacles.

It was first released on mobile. Rollbound The puzzle system is cleverly hidden behind adorable cartoon graphics. The PC version has over 150 stages, which will provide plenty of brain-scratching challenges. The game’s most recent patch allows you to pet dogs.

Railroad It’s only $13 on Steam

Cult of Aries

There’s always something in the middleCrossing of animals Johnstown is the capitalAries cult, which is a combination dugeon-city manager crawler and Your cult of cute creatures will be built. The complex will improve combat. Finally, you can go out and fight for resources and opposing religions. The contrast of the dark theme and cute artwork harksback to games like Hollow KnightBut the unique combination between roguelite fighting and city management is unmatched, even without creepy spirituality.

Reviewers feel that managing the cult for a revived lamb is the most difficult part of the game. If you don’t enjoy interacting with everyone in your village every day, this might not be the right game for you. Of course, you could just sacrifice them to your dark god to kill your sect’s competition more efficiently — hooray for player choices!

Aries cult It costs $25 on Steam. It’s also available at GoG.com.

Return to Monkey Island

It has been in existence for more than 30 years. Monkey IslandThe series was the benchmark in point-and click adventure games. The original designer and the writer team decided to make a new version. Monkey Island 2It was a huge deal in 1991. It’s almost as big an issue as the controversial, new art style. This is a lot more avant-garde now than it was back in 1991, when pixels were just as big as the floppy drives on which games were stored.

Fans of the original game will be happy, especially if it’s not their favorite LucasArts attempt to keep the series out of the realm of the first two. Make no mistake. Return to Monkey IslandIt is a throwback, literally, to the classic point and click pirate comedy. You might be wrong to expect that a few decades worth of game design will make things better. This makes the game a delight for purists and a chore for those who are used to Telltale-style adventure games.

Return to Monkey IslandIt costs $25 on Steam. It is also available at GoG.com.

Vampire survivors

Think simple graphics and a monster-killing game early on CastlevaniaAlong with large battlefields and armies of thousands upon thousands of units Dynasty of warriors. Vampire Survivors is a addictive hell-bite mini shooter that lets you kill a huge number of pixel infested evil spirits. Itch.io is already hosting the first online version of the game. You can still play the free version.

The gameplay is very simple. You don’t need to shoot, your little monster will do it all by himself. However, the game’s roguelike setting allows you to upgrade your equipment after your inevitable death. One more run before you go to bed feelings. To survive long enough to make advancement, you must find the right combination of weapons and augmentations.

Vampire survivorsIt costs $5 on Steam. It is also available at Xbox Game Pass.

The wandering village

Many people and tribes throughout human history believed that the world was supported by a giant turtle or snake. Very young people The wandering villageYou don’t have to believe it. They know they live off the backs of giant dinosaurs and they love it that way. This game is a twist on the traditional city construction manager. You literally control your village and navigate through different weather conditions.

The village is just one thing you have to manage. You need to take care of the leviathan, which is as important as the buildings and people. This surreal mix of 2D and 3D art is combined with cool tones. The wandering villagePerfect game to calm you down.

The wandering village Steam has it for $25

Cursed golf

A football fan like myself finds watching the net of the golf course for an eternity terrifying. The hero of the story Cursed golfAfter having to pass through 18 hellish holes to escape a golf-themed purgatory, he might be willing to agree. You must solve physics puzzles to get to freedom.

This is “golf” in Mario terms, even though it’s 2D-pixelated (and charming). You can use all manner of bizarre boosts to get over the traps and devious bosses of the underworld. After you have completed the main game you can use your Ace cards on over 80 special stages to climb your way up the leaderboards.

Cursed golfIt’s available on Steam for $20 It is also available at GoG.comThe Epic Games Store.

Signalis

Fans of survival horror classics love a still camera. Alone in the darkness Then there’s the vampire They owe it themselves to check signalis. The game’s scifi setting and low poly animated graphics create a unique style that is enjoyable to watch in action.

You play the role of a robot on a lost ship and a lifeless planet, searching for its friend and its memories. As you can probably guess from the title, not everything is what it seems. You will need to solve puzzles and conserve ammo and other resources to survive.

signalis It costs $20 on Steam. It’s also available at Xbox Game Pass.

I was a teenager in colonialism

It’s hard enough to grow up without having to deal daily with the headaches of oxygen administration or the occasional alien with bewildered pupils. This is what happens in I was an out-of colonial teenager. A game that combines JRPG elements and modern combat with stunning 2D artwork. You are not only responsible for keeping your colonists alive but you also seek love in all parts of the solar system.

The game is a mix of role-playing and visual novel — you might be tempted to call it a dating sim, but there’s a lot more going on under the surface than just flirting. This game is not suitable for children. You have ten year to save the colony. Then, you can prepare for adulthood with card-based combat and conflict resolution. If you fail, you can start over and try to find the 29 other endings.

I was a teenager out of colonialismSteam has it for $25

Quintet

The pentup is an image that is hidden beneath the top layer of the painting. Obsidian is the AAA developer behind this painting. Fallout New VegasThen there’s the grounded, Then there’s the outer worlds Hidden among all these independent developers. This murder mystery is set in a German village in 16th century. It is pictured as one the manuscripts you might find at an old monastery as far as you can go from the mainstream.

While Quintet It is primarily a point and click adventure game. It has a 25-year-old story with many decisions and consequences. If Monkey IslandThis is a throwback to adventure games, but it’s sure to offer something newer.

quintet It’s available on Steam for $20 It’s also available at Xbox Game Pass.

Triangle strategy

The classic tactical RPG has seen a revival with games such asMarvel MidnightThen there’s the Ogre Tactics are back.If you are looking for something unique and old-fashioned, this is the right place. Triangle strategy attempt. Square Enix’s retro RPGs team is also represented. Octobat traveler It’s a love letter for medieval grid-based party combat.

The morality system reflects the three-way struggle between the major world countries. It also pulls for the player’s advantage, morality and freedom. Battle setup is heavily dependent upon terrain advantage and special abilities. These abilities should give you a good idea of how to approach strategy.

Triangle strategy $60 on Steam

Honorable Mention: Dwarf Castle

Technically, the first version Dwarf castle It came out 16 years ago. A small but growing community has been obsessed since then with this world-building game, even though its text graphics look more like an ASCII nightmare rather than a modern videogame. It’s a complex and intricate system that requires a lot of research, which is why most gamers don’t bother.

You have to actually try, even if it’s not what you said. And it’s possible to do this with new pixel-based graphics. Dwarf castleHe now looks 35 and not like something from the dawning of computing. to start a game Dwarf castleIt is to create a small, living and breathing world. To survive in it is an achievement no-one can claim… or keep.

The new version of pixelart Dwarf castleSteam: $30 Original is free.