Can you get games on a laptop

If you want to play great PC games money’s no object any more, because it doesn’t take a high-end computer to run some of the best old and new videogames – in fact, you can even use a cheap laptop if you know what you’re doing.

For gamers on a budget, a cheap laptop can be a blessing, because you probably already own one for work or study, so hardware won’t cost you a penny. Of course, you won’t get exactly the same performance as a high-end PC with top-end graphics cards and gaming peripherals, but if you’re immersed in a great game, it’s easy to look past poor graphics.

We’ve used many cheap laptops over the years to play all from ‘high-end’ games of yore to modern indie games, and even tried to rock the boat with a few modern high-end games (to mixed success, turns out the latest Total War doesn't run on a potato), so we’ve learnt a few things about pushing a cheap laptop to its limit.

Here, we’ve listed some of our top tips for getting the most out of your aging or budget laptop while playing PC games. We’ve also got some tips for gaming on ‘good’ laptops, and that’ll help you work out how best to use the platform, but the following advice is specifically for gamers on a budget who can’t afford a decent laptop.

Work out your RAM

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 (Image credit: Future)

First, we’ve got to start with the bad news: if you’ve got a cheap laptop, you’re not going to be able to play all games, no matter how much you optimize it. There are demanding games that will forever stay out of reach, and it’s worth checking out if you’ll be able to handle a game before you buy it.

Firstly, check out system requirements for the game. These are usually easily accessible on Steam, Epic Games Store, or the game publisher’s website. Check out the minimum required specs (and while you do, dream of the day you can look at the recommended specs list).

Most important is RAM, and you’ll need to make sure this matches your laptop’s installed RAM. You can find this by simply searching ‘RAM’ in the search bar if you’re on Windows 10, and clicking on the first option. 8GB RAM is enough to handle low- and mid-tier games, although you might struggle with less than this.

Invest in a mouse

You don't need a gaming mouse (but they never hurt) (Image credit: Future)

If you’re trying to be an ultra-budget PC gamer you don’t want to invest in lots of peripherals, but there’s one that’s absolutely vital in playing PC games well: a mouse. 

Yes, laptops have a touchpad, so a mouse isn’t vital for general use, but good luck trying to play a frantic FPS or busy strategy game when you can only move the cursor over half your screen in one swipe. 

Using a mice gives you much more mobility and speed in terms of gameplay, so it’s important for basically every game that uses more than just a keyboard.

You don’t need to buy an expensive mouse, as a cheap USB tool will do, but it’s worth chipping in those extra pennies to transform your laptop experience.

Always play plugged in

Gaming PCs take a lot of power, and if you’re playing games on a cheap laptop, it’s going to burn through its battery fast.

If you’ve finally got a high-end game to work, you don’t want your laptop to suddenly die when it runs out of battery, so make sure you’ve always got a steady flow of power.

Sometimes a portable laptop battery charger can save the day, but you can’t rely on them for extended gaming binges. 

Kill off everything else

Time to kill off your internet browser (Image credit: Shutterstock)

You’d be surprised how much processing power the smallest background tasks take up, so if you want to maximize how much power your gameplay is taking, you’re going to have to carry out a mass cull of everything running on your cheap laptop. Everything.

That means you need to close all the windows you’ve got lurking in the background; exit Chrome and the 4,000 open tabs you’ve got open (Chrome takes up an annoying amount of RAM), slash Spotify and even it may even be worth closing down Discord or Skype.

Background tasks steal processing power, and if you’ve always got loads running it could tank your game performance. If your PC game is the only thing running on your cheap laptop, you’ll have an easier time and perhaps even be able to bump up the graphics a notch as a result.

Now your cheap laptop is ready to play a PC game – but is the PC game ready to be played? It may take a little bit of encouragement, if it’s a demanding game (although some, like older games or those with simplistic art styles, will be fine).

The first thing you should do when you load up your game, is hop into the options menu and slash everything. Turn off things like shadows and ambient animations, remove all the unnecessary aesthetic effects, drop the graphics to ‘brutalist’.

Once you’ve done this, your cheap laptop should be pretty decent at handling pretty decent games – you might even be able to bump up these settings a little if your computer is handling them well.

Being a PC gamer on a cheap laptop isn’t ideal, and you’ll have to make sacrifices to keep on a budget, but if you follow these steps you’ll be able to eke the most out of your computer.

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What are the best laptop games? PC gaming isn’t always done at a desk, reclining languorously on an ergonomic leather throne, gazing upon a gaming monitor the size of your front window as hundreds of snazzy LEDs light up your peripheral vision. As anyone who has attended a LAN can attest, hauling your heavy box of tricks around is not for the faint of heart (or arm, or back) and so you might be feeling resigned to taking a break from gaming in the event life takes you on a trip away from home.

Don’t do that. Never stop gaming. Take your laptop with you and play games on the train. Play games on the beach. Play games in the laundry cupboard as you hide from your relatives. We’ll guide you through which games for laptops you will be able to run, and that won’t cause you endless frustration trying to control them with a trackpad.

Some of these laptop games do require an internet connection, which is fine if you’re gaming at your relatives’ house, sitting in your childhood bedroom under your Maths Challenge certificates, but if you’re stuck in a hotel room and can’t understand the wifi instructions because they’re in Portuguese, many of these games are also playable offline.

Here’s our selection of the best laptop games:

Magic the Gathering: Arena

Magic the Gathering: Arena is one of the best card games for PC. Although it can take a while to get the jist of the rules, it’s rich lore and beautiful artwork are just some of the reasons to learn how to play Magic the Gathering: Arena. And best of all, MTG: Arena doesn’t demand a high-end PC to play, you can still enjoy the same tantalising animations and pristine art from the comfort of your couch.

MTG: Arena receives many updates and expansions, with a range of different modes from draft games to brawl. You can play against the computer until you get the hang of things, but if you ever need a helping hand learning what each card does, check out the guides to MTG: Arena keyword abilities and keyword actions.

Albion Online

Albion Online is not your average laid back laptop-couch experience. This sandbox MMO places an unrivalled emphasis on combat, whether that’s against monsters in PvE, in massive guild vs. guild brawls, or just two players duking it out for bragging rights.

Albion Online is one of the best MMOs on PC, although you should expect a hefty loot grind to keep pace with the game’s dedicated community. With no traditional class system you are the gear that you wear, which becomes especially important when venturing into the game’s PvP zones where you drop everything on death. Be prepared to lose hundreds of hours in Albion’s massive map, building up resilience to Albion’s unforgiving loot-drop system, where one minute you could be strolling around in an immaculate suit of armour, and the next you’re scrabbling together rusty weapons and ragged tunics.

Untitled Goose Game

One of the best indie games to emerge from 2019, Untitled Goose Game is something incredibly special. You play as a disgruntled goose. Your job? Wreak havoc on a community of unsuspecting, innocent villagers, by sneaking around pubs, gardens, and market stools, stealing prized objects and honking incessantly.

Set in a quaint English village, the low-poly, simplistic, yet highly effective artstyle means it’s the ideal laptop game to spend the afternoon bothering the locals – it’s pretty good for relieving stress, too.

Stardew Valley

Created by solo developer ConcernedApe, Stardew Valley is a love letter to farming games like Harvest Moon. You escape the grey drudgery of life as a faceless corporation grunt and head for the countryside to transform your grandfather’s farm, and the nearby town, into a bountiful haven, with the help of fantastical forest sprites called Junimos. Thanks to its charming, homemade pixel art, the tranquil pace, and the fact you only really need directional keys and a right and left click, Stardew Valley is the perfect laptop game.

Even better, Stardew Valley is a great co-op game – team up with up to three friends and build a farm together in multiplayer mode. As of the Stardew Valley 1.4 update, you can even play on a Four Corners map with your friends, which splits the farm into distinct regions, each with their own advantages. The update adds a cornucopia of new features and cosmetic items, but if you’re looking to add Japanese buildings or Pokemon reskins to your game to recreate a Pokemon game on PC, you’ll need our guide to the best Stardew Valley mods.

Runescape

Runescape is an MMORPG that’s been improving and expanding for 18 years. By gaming standards that should mean it’s weary and decrepit, but even now it’s brimming with personality, fresh ideas and, astonishingly, players. For the most part it’s standard MMORPG fare: start with nothing and grind away for the best and most colourful gear in the game. As it’s been going for so long however, it also has hundreds of quests and content waiting for new players to dive into. And if you need any help getting to grips with things then just ask – Runescape boasts an exceptionally helpful and positive community.

Read more: The best MMOs and MMORPGs on PC

The veteran age of the game means it still runs perfectly on any just about any rig imaginable, the only caveat being that you’ll need a reasonable internet connection to play it. It’s also very easy-going with regards to its control scheme – so long as you can click and use your number keys you’ll be on a level playing field with everyone else.

Hearthstone

A collectable card game (or CCG for all you youngsters out there) set in Blizzard’s enormous Warcraft universe. You fight against other players using decks of cards made up of magic spells, weapons, and minions that will fight for you. Using these and your chosen character’s special abilities, you must hammer away at your opponent’s 30 health points until they’re defeated. It’s got a huge player base and an ever-evolving metagame, not to mention plenty of inventive expansions to keep it feeling fresh and interesting.

Start strong: The best Hearthstone decks for beginners

It’s a magnificently simple game, mostly static thanks to the fact that it’s a card game, and even when the magical effects fly it still won’t so much as threaten to bog down your laptop. The drag-and-drop card gameplay makes it absolutely perfect if you’re playing on a touchscreen laptop or a tablet, but it also works flawlessly with a trackpad. This recommendation does come with one proviso though: you’ll need an internet connection to play, even against the AI characters.

Dota Underlords

The Dota 2 custom game, Dota Auto Chess, skyrocketed in popularity as fans discovered the joys of autobattler games – you choose from a small random selection of heroes each round, and arrange them on your board to do battle with one of your opponents, gaining gold each turn and competing for the best team composition in a contest to be the last one standing. Underlords is Valve’s own take on the genre, introducing innovations like the presence of a powerful Underlord on each team which you’ll need to optimise carefully to best suit your squad.

Read more: The best free Steam games

Thanks to its easy-to-use interface and streamlined graphics, Dota Underlords will run easily on any laptop, and while rounds do have a time limit, even using a trackpad to drag and drop your units shouldn’t slow you down too much.

Minecraft

Minecraft is one of the most popular games in the world, and it’s easy to see why – its simplicity leaves room for you to embark upon any kind of adventure you choose, whether you’re exploring, building, farming, fighting, or delving deep into one of the many Minecraft mods available. Its simplicity also means it runs flawlessly on most machines, making it one of the best laptop games without a doubt. Even if you’re on the road without an internet connection, the joys of starting fresh in new Minecraft seeds will keep you occupied for hours as you traverse the endless blocky landscape, dodging dangerous Minecraft mobs, discovering Minecraft villages and taming Minecraft foxes.

Disco Elysium

Disco Elysium is a role-playing game written by a novelist, where you take the reins and guide its red-eyed, beleaguered enigma of a protagonist through the investigation of a murder case in the tattered city of Revachol. From the off, the narrative grips you with both hands and shakes you until you laugh. You won’t be punching and kicking your way through the streets, however, unless you imagine your detective as some kind of flamboyant martial artist, fighting the air as a form of locomotion, which would probably suit him.

Instead, your battles are fought in conversation – by putting points into attributes and skills such as Empathy, Suggestion and Rhetoric, you’ll be able to roll to see whether you’ll successfully use these characteristics to reach deeper and uncover the truth. A dream come true for those of us who love to see our specific skill balance unlock unique interactions in a dialogue tree – and for those of us without a powerful gaming PC, as Disco Elysium’s contemplative pace and the isometric, painterly graphics make it a perfect laptop game.

Rogue Legacy

A platformer with roguelike elements, Rogue Legacy sees you march a little knight into the bowels of a randomly generated dungeon on a mission to defeat five bosses. Run, jump, hit things: it’s largely what you’d expect from a 2D side-scroller. Get killed and your character is gone for good. Of course there’s a twist. Your hero is replaced not by a bog-standard clone, but by their heir: a new character who retains some genetic traits from their parent. Traits include dwarfism, ADHD, and I.B.S. Some traits make your next playthrough agonisingly difficult, like nearsightedness making anything in the distance blurry, others are there for laughs, like I.B.S. making your character fart with every jump.

Jump up: The best platform games on PC

The 2D pixel art ensures that Rogue Legacy runs smoothly on even the weakest, tiniest netbook. Rogue Legacy can also be played entirely with the keyboard, meaning no smashing the trackpad into oblivion because it’s nowhere near as effective as a mouse.

Papers, Please

A game about playing a border control officer in a corrupt communist country. Check passports and visa papers of immigrants to make sure they meet the requirements for entry. Make mistakes and your pay will be docked. Fail to pay rent, bills, and medical expenses and your family will get ill and die. Sounds simple, but some immigrants may be worth making mistakes for…

Related: The best indie games on PC

At barely 50mb in size Papers, Please is tiny. Its pixel-art visuals are simple enough for any processor to fathom. A trackpad will do the trick to start with, but in later levels where time is pressing and there’s lots of paperwork you might want to make the leap to a proper mouse.

Into the Breach

One of the best turn-based strategy games, Into The Breach puts you in control of a team of mechs, attempting to defend civilians and buildings from giant insectoid monsters called the Vek. The enemy’s movements are telegraphed the turn before, and each level is relatively short, but the stakes are high – you’re the hero trying to protect civilians who are cheering you on, and if you lose a building to the Vek, you lose one of the nodes that power your squad – lose too many, and it’s game over.

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You’ll need to take time to puzzle out how to push back the oncoming threat optimally to avoid casualties – you don’t have to kill all the enemies, just delay them. The pace, pixel art, and easy combat controls make this a game perfect to hop into on your laptop.

The Walking Dead

A beautifully harrowing tale everyone should experience, The Walking Dead is an adventure game that plays out like an interactive TV show. You play Lee, a convicted criminal who’s about to go through the toughest period of his life as he’s thrown into a zombie apocalypse rather than a prison cell. It’s violent, shocking, and touching on a moment-to-moment basis.

Don’t decay: Check out our guide to the best zombie games

Thanks to its emphasis on story, a lot of The Walking Dead is watching and listening to characters talk and reason with each other. The more action-orientated sections only require a few stabs at the Q or E key to complete, making controlling Lee on a laptop surprisingly easy. Its comic-book visuals also keep hardware requirements very low, so most modern laptops should be up to the job of running it without issue.

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

If you’re looking for a game to occupy your time while you’re travelling, The Binding of Isaac will keep you busy for hundreds of hours completing runs that are different every time. You play as Isaac, escaping from a biblical sacrifice through the basement of his home, traversing randomly generated dungeons and picking up items and power-ups along the way. The pixel art isn’t demanding on your machine, but might be a little hard on your stomach if you’re squeamish – The Binding of Isaac doesn’t shy away from the gory and macabre. Good news for laptop gamers, though – you don’t even need a mouse to play. Movement and combat is controlled solely by the keyboard, making it an ideal game to play on your laptop.

These are some of the very best games for laptops, but if you want to push the limits of your portable pal have a look through the best free PC games – if they make your laptop overheat and burn your legs at least you won’t have paid for the privilege. Alternatively, if you’ve got a high end machine, have a look at the best management games for more entertainment you can spend hours with on the road.