The ’90s were a golden age for PC gaming.
These are the games that made it such a great era.
In the 90s, there was a stark line between console andPC gaming.
This was still years before YouTube and Reddit would go online.
But if you could get past those issues, the reward was cutting edge gaming.
These are the 15 best PC games of the 90s.
These were the days when most people were still relying on AOL and dial up, after all.
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14.
Sure, theres a barebones campaign here, but most players barely touched it.
This golden age kicked off in 1990 withThe Secret of Monkey Island.
Theres a reason why this game continues to be a huge influence on adventure games.
Civilization II
IsCivilization IIthe best in the series?
Even though the sequels are better,Civilization IIstill has its rabid fans.
Few games from the 90s have that kind of longevity.
Worms Armageddon
Worms Armageddonis one of those games that just feels right.
The game has this fantastic tone thats both full of dread and also in love with its own absurdity.
Whether the weapons are conventional or ridiculous, the physics are finely tuned.
Success or failure never feels unfair, regardless of whether youre playing multiplayer or the surprisingly deep single-player campaign.
SimCity 2000
Have you ever thought you could run your town better than the people in charge?
Tax your citizens until they flee, or cut your budget to the bare minimum.
The options were almost limitless.
But while those games all look better, none have matched the pure gameplay bliss of this gem.
A lot of it is the setting.
Who knew that going to Hell could be so much fun?
You didnt want to confront enemies head on.
Planescape: Torment
You might think that the originalBaldurs Gatewould be on this list.
The legendary developers simply could not do any wrong.
All the work they put into the first-person shooter genre ultimately culminated inQuake II.
At the time of release, the 3D graphics were among the most advanced ever seen.
More importantly, the gameplay backed it up.
The game was fast, smooth, and challenging, with a lengthy single-player campaign.
This was a wildly ambitious game that years ahead of its time.
Fallout 2
The originalFalloutwas a fantastic introduction to the Wasteland and its many weird inhabitants.
The second game is even better, even if it doesnt change a whole lot from the first.
The name of the game isnt so much combat as it is finding unique ways to complete each quest.
Usually that means using your head, or talking your way out of trouble.
This is some of the best apocalyptic old-school role-playing around.
The brilliance ofStarCraftis in its balance.
The genius ofHalf-Lifeis how the shooting takes a backseat to the storytelling.
You really couldnt wait to see what would happen to Gordon Freeman next.
