Best Single-Player Video Games of the Decade
Single-player-focused games from roughly 2015 onward, ranked by a blend of critical acclaim (Metacritic), awards (The Game Awards, GOTY lists) and lasting impact. All are widely regarded as modern classics; ordering is a judgment call among titans.
The podium
— top 3 by community votes
Elden Ring
FromSoftware's open-world masterpiece and The Game Awards' 2022 Game of the Year: it took the punishing Souls formula into a vast, freeform world and became a mainstream phenomenon. The high-water mark for modern action-RPGs.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Still routinely cited as one of the greatest RPGs ever made: a huge, believable open world where even minor side quests tell great stories. The gold standard for narrative-driven open-world RPGs.
Baldur's Gate 3
Larian's 2023 Game of the Year: a sprawling, reactive CRPG built on Dungeons & Dragons rules where seemingly any plan can work. Redefined expectations for choice, consequence and player freedom.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Rockstar's meticulous open-world western: a slow-burning, deeply atmospheric story of a dying outlaw gang, with unmatched world detail. A landmark of interactive storytelling.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The 2017 Game of the Year that reinvented open-world design around emergent physics and pure exploration. Its systemic freedom influenced nearly every open-world game since.
God of War (2018)
A bold reinvention of the series as an intimate father-son journey through Norse myth, told in one seamless camera shot. The 2018 Game of the Year and a benchmark for cinematic action.
Disco Elysium
A wholly original detective RPG with no combat — you solve a murder through dialogue and a mind full of warring inner voices. Celebrated as one of the best-written games ever made.
Hades
Supergiant's roguelike that made 'dying' the whole point: every run advances a genuinely great story of the Greek underworld. Won a slew of awards and made the genre mainstream.
Hollow Knight
A hand-drawn Metroidvania of remarkable scale and atmosphere from a tiny studio, beloved for its tough-but-fair combat, haunting world and incredible value. A modern indie benchmark.
Outer Wilds
A one-of-a-kind exploration mystery set in a 22-minute time loop, where knowledge is your only real upgrade. Best experienced blind; regularly named among the most creative games ever made.