PC gaming is quite different from console gaming. A person has more than three options on what kinds of setup they desire. Some of these options include what motherboard to purchase, how much RAM do they need, do they really need 3.6 gigahertz from their processor, or do they really want to spend more than $500 for their video card? Not everyone can afford the most expensive parts for their PC that they need in order to run games like "Grand Theft Auto V" or "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt." Or maybe they had a PC that could run the top games, but want to wait a couple more years before fully upgrading their PC? Whatever their situation is, or maybe your own, there are games out there that are fun and can be played on computers that aren't the best. Below are 11 games that I have in my Steam library—a gaming platform that acts as a portal to buy and play video games— and are suited for less than stellar computers.
1. Rogue Legacy
"Rogue Legacy" is a game where you control a knight in order to defeat the bosses inside of a castle that is randomly generated. Every time you die, your character is dead permanently. Once this happens, you will have to choose one of his or her three children to go into the castle and try again. Also, you can upgrade your characters permanently with skill upgrades, armor purchases, and rune equipping with the gold you find with your previous character. Every time you go back into the castle, it is a different layout unless you want to forfeit twenty percent of your gold to lock the castle in place. This game can be difficult at first, but it is worth it's reasonable asking price of $14.99 on Steam and you do not need a powerful PC to run it as it only requires at least one gigabyte of RAM, 1.6 gigahertz for a processor, and 400 megabytes.
2. Super Meat Boy
"Super Meat Boy" is a gory platformer that looks like if Nintendo made a mature-rated "Super Mario Bros." In "Super Meat Boy," you lead the main character Super Meat Boy past dangerous obstacles like moving saw blades, deadly spikes, a sea full of dirty needles, and many more. Your main objective is to rescue Super Meat Boy's girlfriend, Bandage Girl, from Dr. Fetus. While trying to save his girlfriend, Dr. Fetus brings his creations to try and stop you as well as making him maneuver through various death traps. It is not the longest game, but with how many times you will die, the game will last much longer than one might expect. Super Meat Boy is currently $14.99 on Steam and only requires 1.4 gigahertz, one gigabyte of RAM, 300 megabytes of memory, and a controller.
3. Castle Crashers
"Castle Crashers" is a beat-em up game that includes four-player co-op. You have the choice of over 25 various knights and characters from others games that the publisher has also made. Each character has unique abilities and also has over 40 weapons to choose from. You can also level your favorite character up and use them in other modes such as Arena mode and Insane mode. It only costs $14.99 and requires one gigabyte of RAM, two gigahertz, and a 256 of space.
4. Hotline Miami
"Hotline Miami" lets you become an anithero that only has one objective—kill everyone. That might sound easy, but it is a hard task in Hotline Miami. You can die just as quick as the enemies with one swift hit from a baseball bat or even a machine gun. You have to think about how to maneuver the levels with smarts and precision in order to survive. Hotline Miami only costs $9.99 and requires 1.2 gigahertz, 512 megabytes of RAM, and 250 megabytes of space.
5. Democracy 3
If you aren't satisfied with Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton as candidates for POTUS, then you can purchase "Democracy 3" and become the POTUS yourself! Do you think that a total ban of all guns would bring peace to the country while destroying the freedom of the citizens? Or maybe you give your citizens new freedom with no bans on any drugs while risking crime increasing dramatically? You have to balance what you think is right while giving the citizens and different demographics what they want as well or you could be assassinated. "Democracy 3" is the most expensive game on this list at $24.99, but only requires 2 gigahertz, one gigabyte of RAM, and 500 megabytes of space.
6. Papers, Please
Maybe being the President of the United States is too stressful for you? Then you should play "Papers, Please." You are the lucky citizen of Arstotzka as you have won the job lottery and have received a job as an immigration inspector. Your job is simple. Admit certain people and stamp their papers as "approved" or reject them as "denied." You acquire money through every person you admit, but lose money if you screw up too much. Tension rises quickly at the border as more attacks occur. Your job becomes harder and harder as you acquire enough money for rent, food, heat, and more to keep your family healthy and alive. "Papers, Please" is only $9.99 and require 1.5 gigahertz, 2 gigabytes of RAM, and 100 megabytes of memory.
7. Portal
Do you like science? Do you love short games with a great story and evil robots? Then you should buy "Portal!" You play as a woman taking part in experiments by Aperture Science Laboratories with a portal gun. You must use the portal gun to solve various puzzles and challenges while finding secrets to reveal points to the main story. "Portal" is currently $9.99 and requires 1.7 gigahertz, 512 megabytes of RAM, and seven gigabytes of memory.
8. Circuits
Maybe you are a fan of relaxing, musical games and just want to solve audio puzzles? In "Circuits," you are given a song and you must piece the parts of the song together. It starts off quite easy, but it becomes challenging with more complex pieces of music. With 25 songs to piece together and reconstruct, "Circuits" costs $4.99 and requires 1.6 gigahertz, two gigabytes of RAM, and 350 megabytes of memory.
9. Stardew Valley
Perhaps you have a green thumb and you want to escape your life in the city. If that's the case, then "Stardew Valley" should be a game to consider. You are in control of a farm left behind from a dead relative. You can plant crops, buy livestock, upgrade your house, develop a communtiy, fish for rare aquatic life, fight slime in mines, and much more. The depth and charm of "Stardew Valley" makes it worth much more than the price of $14.99. It requires two gigahertz, two gigabytes of RAM, and 500 megabytes of memory.
10. Terraria
Is "Minecraft" too 3D for you? Do you want for exciting places to explore with the ability to craft items? Then check out "Terraria." You can play however you want to. You can choose to be a grand explorer of the lands and the caves beneath you. Or you can search for treasure and craft weapons to help your adventures. You can be a monster hunter and look for the one beast that requires more than you currently have to beat. Or you can do so much more. "Terraria" is currently $9.99 and requires two gigahertz, 2.5 gigabytes of RAM, and 200 megabytes of memory space.
11. The Binding of Issac
The final game on this list is quite similar to the first. "The Binding of Issac" is a rogue-like game that puts you in the position of Issac. Issac is a boy running away from his mother because his mother is trying to kill him because God told her to. Issac retreats to the basement and fights the monsters in his mind. In this dark adventure, you can find items that give Issac new abilities to survive his imaginary monsters. "The Binding of Issac" is $9.99 and requires two gigahertz, 2.5 gigabytes of RAM, and 200 megabytes of memory space.
There are many more games on Steam that are well-suited for the gamers with a dated PC, but these are the top 11 games that I have personally played. If some are too expensive, then you can wait for a huge sale when most of these games will be at least 50 percent off. All prices and requirements for this article were found on Steam.
