If you want one starting point, choose Baldur’s Gate 3: it earned major editorial recognition, led the cited BAFTA longlist and ranked first in a market-performance report. For a different mood, Alan Wake 2 is the story-and-horror pick, Hogwarts Legacy suits open-world fantasy exploration, and Resident Evil 4 delivers more action-focused survival horror. This is a curated shortlist, not a universal ranking: awards, professional longlists, storefront reviews and estimated market results measure different things.
How to choose a 2023 single-player PC game
Start with the kind of play you want rather than treating every accolade as the same score. A party-based role-playing game, a psychological horror story and an open-world action RPG ask for very different things from your time and attention.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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Fate: Undiscovered Realms | $14.89 | Buy on Amazon |
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Titanfall 2 - PC | $20.00 | Buy on Amazon |
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Dishonored - PC | $11.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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Medal of Honor - PC | $24.93 | Buy on Amazon |
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Doom - PC | $15.00 | Buy on Amazon |
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- For consequential choices and tactical party combat: Baldur’s Gate 3.
- For psychological horror and a story-led experience: Alan Wake 2.
- For open-world fantasy exploration: Hogwarts Legacy.
- For faster, action-focused survival horror: Resident Evil 4.
The evidence behind these recommendations is not interchangeable. PC Gamer’s awards reflect editorial voting; BAFTA’s list was a professional-industry longlist; Steam reviews reflect its users at a particular time; and Video Game Insights reports estimated market performance. None alone establishes the objectively “best” game.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallBest all-round recommendation: Baldur’s Gate 3
Baldur’s Gate 3 is the strongest first recommendation here if you want a deep role-playing game built around party dynamics, turn-based combat and decisions with consequences. GameSpot named it its PC game of the year, and PC Gamer selected it as its 2023 Game of the Year. GameSpot’s review, quoted in its 2023 PC games roundup, puts the appeal succinctly: “Baldur’s Gate 3 pushes player freedom to its absolute limit.”
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It also had the broadest recognition in the cited BAFTA longlist: 15 category appearances, compared with 14 for Alan Wake 2 and nine for Hogwarts Legacy. BAFTA’s 2023 longlist covered 60 games and was selected by more than 1,200 experienced games-industry professionals from around the world. Those are longlist appearances, not wins or a numerical quality score. In Video Game Insights’ 2024 report on 2023 PC releases, Baldur’s Gate 3 ranked first by both units and full-game revenue; those are estimated market measures, not a universal sales ledger.
If you are interested in a collector package, Larian’s official store describes the Baldur’s Gate 3 Deluxe Edition PC as including a “Game Disc” that is a CD key and installer, not a conventional playable PC disc, alongside physical items such as a map, poster, patches, stickers and soundtrack CDs. The product page lists Windows 10 64-bit, 150 GB of storage and an SSD among its PC requirements; check the current listing before buying because requirements and availability may change. See Larian’s Deluxe Edition PC product page.
Rank #2
- Advanced, Action-Packed Gameplay – Whether fighting as a Pilot, the dominant force on The Frontier, or as a Titan, 20-foot tall war machines, Titanfall 2 provides an incredibly fun, fluid, and thrilling combat experience that is unmatched.
- Captivating Single Player Campaign – Step on to The Frontier as a Militia rifleman with aspirations of becoming a Pilot. Stranded behind enemy lines, and against overwhelming odds, you must team up with a veteran Vanguard-class Titan and uphold a mission you were never meant to carry out.
- Deeper Multiplayer Action – With six brand-new Titans, a host of deadly new Pilot abilities, an expanded customization system, new modes and much more, Titanfall 2 gives players the deeper Multiplayer experience they have been asking for.
- Play with Friends, or Make New Ones – The social tissue of Titanfall 2, Networks makes it fast and easy to play with friends old and new. Whether Social or Competitive, players will be able to create and join a variety of Networks that best suit their play styles and preferences.
Best for story and psychological horror: Alan Wake 2
Alan Wake 2 is the pick for players drawn to psychological horror and a story-forward experience. PC Gamer named it Best Story in its 2023 awards, while GameSpot’s roundup of best-reviewed games confirms its PC availability and praises its storytelling. PC Gamer’s 2023 awards were based on nominations from its editorial team: each person could nominate up to six games released that year, plus an extra vote for an ongoing game with the best 2023.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesThere is a practical hardware caveat: GameSpot’s PC roundup notes that the game’s ray tracing and path tracing make use of high-end PC hardware. If your system is older or you prioritize smooth performance over its strongest visual presentation, check the game’s current requirements and graphics options before choosing it. GameSpot’s PC roundup.
Rank #3
- Improvise and Innovate: Approach each assassination with your own style of play
- Use shadow and sound to your advantage to make your way silently through levels unseen by foes, or attack enemies head-on as they respond to your aggressiveness.
- Action with Meaning: The world of Dishonored reacts to how you play. Move like a ghost and resist corruption, or show no mercy and leave a path of destruction in your wake. Decide your approach for each mission, and the outcomes will change as a result.
- Supernatural Abilities: Combining your suite of supernatural abilities and weapons opens up even more ways to overcome obstacles and eliminate targets. The game's upgrade system allows for the mastery of deadly new abilities and devious gadgets.
- A City Unlike Any Other: Enter an original world envisioned by Half-Life 2 art director Viktor Antonov. Arkane and Bethesda bring you a world where industry and mysticism collide, creating an atmosphere thick with intrigue. The world is yours to discover.
Best for open-world fantasy exploration: Hogwarts Legacy
Hogwarts Legacy is an open-world action RPG set in the wizarding world, and its Steam listing explicitly identifies Single-player as a feature. Steam lists February 10, 2023 as its release date. It is a clear fit if exploring a fantasy setting matters more to you than party-based tactical systems or concentrated survival horror. Check the Steam listing for features and current PC details.
Steam showed 91% positive English-language reviews from 143,852 reviews when accessed in 2026. That figure is a changing, all-time storefront snapshot, not a review score limited to 2023. Separately, BAFTA recorded nine longlist category appearances for the game, and Video Game Insights’ 2024 report placed it second among the cited 2023 PC releases by both units and full-game revenue.
Rank #4
- In addition to multiplayer the game features a deep single player campaign in which players guide the storyline of multiple Tier 1 operators, as well as an Army Ranger
- Elite Special Forces combat set across the rugged Afghanistan landscape, introducing players to the role of the Tier 1 Operators in the US military
- Developed by the world-class team at DICE (makers of Battlefield Bad Company 2) the game's fast paced combat delivers the perfect mix of tactical warfare and all-out action
- The game supports up to 24 players in online multiplayer modes
Best for action-focused survival horror: Resident Evil 4
The 2023 Resident Evil 4 remake is the recommendation for tense survival horror with a stronger emphasis on action. GameSpot’s best-reviewed-games roundup awarded it a 10 and describes it as a strong survival-action experience; that page lists PC availability. It is a better fit if you want direct combat and horror pacing rather than the party management and turn-based decisions of Baldur’s Gate 3. See GameSpot’s 2023 best-reviewed games roundup.
Video Game Insights ranked Resident Evil 4 eighth by units and fourth by full-game revenue among the 2023 PC releases covered in its report. These placements describe estimated market performance, not a critical ranking.
Best Value
- A Relentless Campaign: There is no taking cover or stopping to regenerate health as you beat back Hell's raging demon hordes
- Return of id Multiplayer: Dominate your opponents in DOOM's signature, fast-paced arena-style combat
- Near-Limitless Gameplay: DOOM SnapMap - A powerful, but easy-to-use game and level editor that allows for limitless gameplay experiences on every platform
What the recognition and rankings do—and do not—tell you
| Signal | What it indicates | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial awards | Games chosen by a publication’s editors or voting process. PC Gamer named Baldur’s Gate 3 Game of the Year and Alan Wake 2 Best Story in 2023. | A universal verdict shared by every critic or player. |
| BAFTA longlist | Industry-professional recognition: BAFTA’s 2023 longlist covered 60 games and was selected by more than 1,200 experienced games professionals. | Final award wins or a direct quality score. Category appearances are not equivalent to wins. |
| Steam user reviews | A platform-specific reader snapshot. Hogwarts Legacy had 91% positive English reviews from 143,852 reviews when accessed in 2026. | A fixed rating or a measure limited to reviews written in 2023. |
| Estimated market rankings | Video Game Insights’ 2024 report ranked Baldur’s Gate 3 first and Hogwarts Legacy second among its top 2023 PC releases by both units and full-game revenue. | A complete, official sales ledger or a measure of artistic quality. |
Because each signal answers a different question, combining them into a single score would be misleading. The most useful way to read this shortlist is as a set of strong options for different play styles, with unusually broad recognition for Baldur’s Gate 3.
Quick Recap
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