Modern PC gaming often gets a bad rap for being too demanding, pricing out countless gamers who lack powerful graphics cards. Plus, the state in which some AAA games get released, makes them a struggle to play even on high-end GPUs. Fortunately, the most demanding games don't always equate to the most impressive ones.

Even if you don't have a recent graphics card on your gaming PC, you have a treasure trove of titles to explore. You actually don't even need a discrete GPU (or a PC) to experience these must-play games. Even your laptop with Intel HD or Iris Xe graphics (or AMD equivalent) can handle these titles, albeit sometimes with optimized settings.

I've actively excluded commonly recommended heavyweights like Undertale, Hades, Celeste, Dead Cells, Portal 2, and GTA V to attempt a unique list (to a degree). The games are in no particular order.

10 The Red Strings Club (2018)

Cyberpunk sleuthing in its purest form

You might not have heard of The Red Strings Club, but this pixel-art indie title published by Devolver Digital (the guys behind Hotline Miami and Fall Guys) deserves your attention. If you're a fan of tight and thoughtful narratives about humanity, you'll be hooked from the start. The gameplay is less about shooting futuristic weapons and more about dialogue-driven complexity and hard choices.

It's no Cyberpunk 2077 or Deus Ex, but the striking art style, atmospheric OST, and complex characters will make you forget you're playing a short story-driven game from a small-time studio. As a bonus, this game will run on pretty much anything, so you have no excuse to ignore it any longer.

9 Mirror's Edge (2009)

Parkour? Parkour!

This one you've probably heard of. Mirror's Edge was (and still is) one of the most innovative games to come out in recent years. It allowed players to navigate a beautiful, futuristic city with nothing but enviable parkour skills at their disposal. Powered by Unreal Engine 3, and a new lighting technique, DICE created a singular playground where a dystopian tale of oppression and resistance unfolds.

The gameplay is inarguably the highlight here, perfectly complemented by a brilliant soundtrack and meticulous worldbuilding. The sequel, Mirror's Edge Catalyst, is harder to run on older systems, but the original glides smoothly even on integrated graphics. You can also run it at high settings, with a few sliders turned down.

8 Animal Well (2024)

Very Metroidvania, such wow

It's insanely tough for a new title to revolutionize a genre, and in 2024 we hardly expect it, but that's what Animal Well has achieved. Developed by Billy Basso (yes, just one guy), and published by videogamedunkey's company, this new Metroidvania puzzle-platformer is uncluttered and deeply layered at the same time. You'll simply fall in love with the adorable soundtrack and stunning visuals that are an ode to the greats of this genre.

Exploration, survival, and solving puzzles — everything has been given new meaning as players experience a unique journey that's intricate as well as airtight. You can't have enough of the game's secrets, rewards, and ability to surprise you. Animal Well's pixel graphics don't need any serious GPU horsepower, so you can focus only on the marvelous experience in front of you.

7 BioShock Infinite (2013)

Shockingly playable on even ancient PCs

BioShock Infinite needs no introduction, but for the sake of uniformity, I'll oblige. It's the third installment in the critically acclaimed BioShock franchise, and is widely considered as one of the best games of all time. Using many of the same gameplay elements as the first two games. The story takes the player on a quest to rescue a girl from the flying city of Columbia.

What follows during this mission can make your head spin with equal parts admiration and confusion. Its visual design, complex narrative, and art direction are still the best I've ever seen. If you have a laptop with an 11th Gen Intel Core CPU, the integrated Iris Xe graphics are more than enough to enjoy the game at glorious 60+ FPS at high settings.

6 Ultrakill (2020)

Ultra mayhem, ultra graphics

If you're a sucker for old-school FPS games like Doom and Quake, you'll be intoxicated by Ultrakill's potent mix of unabashed violence and skill-based action. This early access game published by New Blood Interactive (behind Dusk and Amid Evil) equips you with a veritable arsenal of weapons to mow down the hordes of bloodthirsty machines. A nice touch is the player soaking themselves in the enemies' blood to regain health (go figure).

Explicit gore and carnage might not be for everyone, but fans of the new Doom games are sure to love this retro-inspired incarnation of the formula. Considering you can run this one on any computer with a display, I suggest you put everything down and play one of the most enjoyable shooters we've seen in years.

5 Firewatch (2016)

The voice at the end of the tunnel

Sometimes, you don't need breakneck action, otherworldly threats, or a complex open world to make an interesting game. Firewatch by Campo Santo is a calm exploration of the Wyoming wilderness, as you settle into your new duties as a fire lookout. Dealing with personal demons and unraveling mysterious phenomena in a stunning yet desolate landscape, you have only your supervisor on the radio to keep you tethered.

Firewatch is one game I can't recommend enough. The themes explored in the narrative, the haunting soundtrack, and the impression the world leaves on you — all combine into a heady cocktail. It's one of the most moving and memorable experiences I've had in gaming, and thanks to its low system requirements, you can play it smoothly on integrated graphics with dialed-down settings.

4 Rocket League (2015)

Soccer with a spin

You probably know about Rocket League — the soccer game with tanks, kinda. It took the world by storm back in 2015, as people got hooked on the simple yet insanely cool premise. The game went free-to-play in 2020, which drove in tons of new players as a result. Although the current player count has gone down to its 2015 levels, Rocket League continues to fascinate tens of thousands of players every day.

If you're looking for a fun and arcade-style multiplayer game to get into with friends, this one deserves a shot (if you somehow haven't played it already). The graphics are superb, and even on dialed-down settings on your integrated GPU, you'll not find the visuals lacking.

3 Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition (2013)

Relive an old classic

If you loved 2023's Baldur's Gate 3, you might want to look at its predecessor. Released in 2013 as a remaster of the 2000 original, Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition is a great way for modern RPG fans to experience the classic, awarded "best RPG game of the year" back in 2000. Being a Baldur's Gate game, you're getting a great fantasy story, memorable characters, and beloved 2D-isometric gameplay.

Wrapped in a visually pleasing package (which isn't all that impressive now), the game excels at delivering a deep and engaging RPG experience. Considering the visual design and age of the title, you would have guessed that it can run on basically any GPU with at least 256MB of VRAM.

2 The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series (2020)

Anyone can enjoy this masterpiece

Whatever happened with the TV series, Telltale's The Walking Dead game kept hitting it out of the park. Right from the first few episodes released in 2012 to the final season which wrapped up in 2019, this point-and-click episodic adventure tells an epic harrowing tale of Lee Everett, Clementine, and many other characters, some of whom appeared on the show as well.

The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series brought graphical enhancements to the game, and combined all the DLCs and spin-off episodes into a single package. If you haven't played this iconic story yet, you're lucky you can still experience it for the first time. As for the GPU requirements, any 10th Gen Intel Core CPU and stronger can run this title. You'll just have to lower the resolution and settings on some CPUs.

1 Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition (2014)

Don't let sleeping dogs lie

Even though this game is 10 years old now, Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition should be at the top of your list. A remaster of the 2012 original, this reworked edition brings a host of technical enhancements to the critically acclaimed action-adventure story set in vibrant Hong Kong. Playing as an undercover cop, you set out to take down the mighty Triads. Innovative hand-to-hand combat, racing missions, and thrilling action are plentiful.

Sleeping Dogs was profusely praised for its exceptional narrative and satisfying gameplay. Even 12 years after the original game, there hasn't been anything quite like it. Fortunately, you don't need a powerful GPU for this must-play title. Any integrated GPU from the last 10 years should work quite well.

Honorable mentions

So that was my list of great games you can play even on low-end computers. There will always be countless titles that don't require luxury GPUs just to run at playable framerates. As long as they pack a meaningful narrative, satisfying gameplay, and memorable characters, we can keep enjoying them with our modest integrated GPUs. Naturally, I wanted to include many other titles, but it's never easy with a top 10 list. Hence, below are some more standout titles you can easily play on your integrated GPU:

• Little Nightmares
• Borderlands 3
• Subnautica
• Counter-Strike 2
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
• Sid Meier's Civilization V (and VI)
• FIFA 22