Best offline games 2026: no internet required

The strongest offline games for PC in 2026 are single-player titles such as Elden Ring, Baldur's Gate 3, Hades II, Stardew Valley and Balatro, which all run on Steam with no connection once installed and launched online once. Each game below lists its genre, Steam price, the PC it needs, and anything that still wants the internet.

Set up Steam offline mode before you travel, because Steam cannot be signed in without a connection.

Best offline PC games by type at a glance

Every game here lists single-player on its Steam store page. Prices are Steam's US list prices and change with sales.

If you want Play Steam list price
A huge open-world RPG Elden Ring or Oblivion Remastered $59.99 / $49.99
A party RPG driven by choices Baldur's Gate 3 or Disco Elysium $59.99 / $39.99
Short runs on a laptop or low-end PC Balatro, Slay the Spire or Vampire Survivors $14.99 / $24.99 / $4.99
Fast action Hades II or Ninja Gaiden 4 $29.99 / $69.99
Something relaxed Stardew Valley $14.99
Puzzles Portal 2 or Blue Prince $9.99 / $29.99
A story-led adventure Red Dead Redemption 2, Psychonauts 2 or Tales of Arise $59.99 / $59.99 / $49.99
Strategy that eats whole evenings Crusader Kings III $49.99
Horror or survival Resident Evil Requiem or Pacific Drive $69.99 / $44.99

How to set up Steam offline mode before you lose internet

Steam's Offline Mode lets you play installed games with no connection to the Steam Network. It only works if you prepare it while you are still online.

If Windows itself has lost its connection, fix the no-internet problem first so Steam and your games can update.

  1. Start Steam online and tick Remember me on the sign-in window.
  2. Let every game you plan to play finish updating.
  3. Launch each of those games once, check it reaches the menu, then quit back to Steam.
  4. Open Steam > Settings > Security and make sure Don't save account credentials on this computer is not selected.
  5. From the main Steam window, open the Steam menu and select Go Offline…
  6. Close Steam normally before you shut down the PC. A forced quit can erase the stored sign-in that offline mode needs.

Games that need an active connection or start through an external launcher will not run in Steam's offline mode.

Best offline games 2026: no internet required
Steam's Offline Mode page says to start Steam online with Remember me checked, then choose Go Offline from the Steam menu. (Image: help.steampowered.com)

1. Red Dead Redemption 2

Rockstar's Western follows Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang across America in 1899. Story Mode is a long single-player campaign; Red Dead Online is the separate multiplayer side.

Detail Red Dead Redemption 2
Genre Open-world action adventure
Released on Steam December 5, 2019
Steam list price $59.99
Minimum PC Windows 10 64-bit, 8 GB RAM, GTX 770 2GB or Radeon R9 280, 150 GB storage
Offline caveat Needs a Rockstar Games account, and Steam's requirements list a broadband connection. Sign in and launch it online before you travel

2. Oblivion Remastered

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered rebuilds Bethesda's 2006 RPG with new visuals and reworked gameplay. It is a single-player game set in the province of Cyrodiil.

Detail Oblivion Remastered
Genre Open-world RPG
Released April 22, 2025
Steam list price $49.99
Minimum PC Windows 10 21H1, 16 GB RAM, GTX 1070 Ti or RX 5700, 125 GB on an SSD
Offline caveat Single-player only on Steam; no online mode listed

3. Blue Prince

Blue Prince is a strategy puzzle adventure set in a manor on Mt. Holly whose rooms change every day. The goal is to reach the rumoured Room 46.

Detail Blue Prince
Genre Puzzle adventure with strategy elements
Developer / publisher Dogubomb / Raw Fury
Released April 10, 2025
Steam list price $29.99
Minimum PC Windows 10/11 64-bit, 16 GB RAM, GTX 1060 or RX 580, 6 GB storage
Offline caveat Single-player only

4. Hades 2

Hades II is Supergiant Games' sequel to its rogue-like dungeon crawler. You fight beyond the Underworld with sorcery against the Titan of Time.

Detail Hades II
Genre Action rogue-like
Released (1.0) September 25, 2025
Steam list price $29.99
Minimum PC Windows 10 64-bit, 8 GB RAM, GTX 950 or Intel HD 630, 11 GB storage
Offline caveat Single-player only; also on Mac

5. Balatro

Balatro is a poker-themed deckbuilder. You play poker hands, collect jokers that change the scoring rules, and trigger large scoring combos.

Detail Balatro
Genre Roguelike deckbuilder
Released February 20, 2024
Steam list price $14.99
Minimum PC Windows 7 to 11 x64, 1 GB RAM, integrated graphics, 150 MB storage
Offline caveat Single-player only; mouse-only and touch-only controls make it a good laptop game

6. Pacific Drive

Pacific Drive is a driving survival game set in the Olympic Exclusion Zone. Your station wagon is your base: you scavenge, repair and upgrade it between runs.

Detail Pacific Drive
Genre Driving survival adventure
Released February 21, 2024
Steam list price $44.99
Minimum PC Windows 10, 16 GB RAM, GTX 1060 6GB, 18 GB storage
Offline caveat Single-player only; the pick here for anyone searching for an offline car game

7. Slay the Spire

Slay the Spire fuses card games and roguelikes. You build a deck during each climb, pick up relics, and fight your way up the Spire.

Detail Slay the Spire
Genre Roguelike deckbuilder
Released January 23, 2019
Steam list price $24.99
Minimum PC 2 GB RAM, 1 GB video memory with OpenGL 3.0, 1 GB storage
Offline caveat Single-player; leaderboards and Workshop need a connection, the game does not

8. Vampire Survivors

Vampire Survivors is a gothic horror survival game with rogue-lite upgrades. Your character attacks automatically while you move through hundreds of monsters until dawn.

Detail Vampire Survivors
Genre Bullet-heaven action, rogue-lite
Released October 20, 2022
Steam list price $4.99
Minimum PC Windows 10 64-bit, 1 GB RAM, DirectX 11 graphics, 2.5 GB storage
Offline caveat Solo play works offline; online co-op needs internet

9. Elden Ring

FromSoftware's fantasy action RPG sends you across the Lands Between to become Elden Lord. Steam lists single-player alongside online co-op and PvP.

Detail Elden Ring
Genre Open-world action RPG
Released February 24, 2022
Steam list price $59.99
Minimum PC Windows 10, 12 GB RAM, GTX 1060 3GB or RX 580 4GB, 60 GB storage
Offline caveat Online co-op and PvP need internet; the single-player game does not

10. Baldur's Gate 3

Larian's party-based RPG is set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe. Your choices steer a story of fellowship, betrayal and the pull of absolute power.

Detail Baldur's Gate 3
Genre Turn-based party RPG
Released August 3, 2023
Steam list price $59.99
Minimum PC Windows 10 64-bit, 8 GB RAM, GTX 970 or RX 480 with 4 GB VRAM, 150 GB on an SSD
Offline caveat Solo campaign plays offline; Steam also lists LAN co-op alongside online co-op

11. Crusader Kings 3

Crusader Kings III is Paradox's grand strategy game about a medieval dynasty. You marry, scheme and fight to keep your bloodline in power across generations.

Detail Crusader Kings III
Genre Grand strategy, character RPG
Released September 1, 2020
Steam list price $49.99
Minimum PC Windows 10 Home 64-bit, 8 GB RAM, GTX 660 or Radeon HD 7870, 20 GB storage
Offline caveat Single-player works offline; online multiplayer and Workshop mods need internet to download

12. Disco Elysium

Disco Elysium – The Final Cut is a detective RPG built around dialogue and skills rather than combat. You can solve the murder, take bribes, or fall apart along the way.

Detail Disco Elysium – The Final Cut
Genre Story-driven RPG
Released October 15, 2019
Steam list price $39.99
Minimum PC Windows 7 64-bit, 2 GB RAM, DirectX 11 graphics with 512 MB, 20 GB storage
Offline caveat Single-player only; runs on older laptops

13. Psychonauts 2

Psychonauts 2 is Double Fine's platform adventure. It mixes quirky missions and a conspiracy story with psychic powers you can customise.

Detail Psychonauts 2
Genre 3D platformer, adventure
Released August 24, 2021
Steam list price $59.99
Minimum PC Windows 7 64-bit, 8 GB RAM, GTX 1050 or RX 560, 30 GB storage
Offline caveat Single-player only; difficulty is adjustable

14. Tales of Arise

Tales of Arise is Bandai Namco's action JRPG about rebels fighting 300 years of tyranny. Steam sells it as the Beyond the Dawn Edition, which adds an extra scenario.

Detail Tales of Arise
Genre Action JRPG
Steam list price $49.99 (Beyond the Dawn Edition)
Minimum PC Windows 10 64-bit, 8 GB RAM, GTX 760 or Radeon HD 7950, 45 GB storage
Offline caveat Single-player only

15. Portal 2

Valve's first-person puzzle game has a full single-player story plus a separate two-player co-op campaign. It is the cheapest game on this list.

Detail Portal 2
Genre First-person puzzle
Released April 18, 2011
Steam list price $9.99
Minimum PC 2 GB RAM, 128 MB graphics with Pixel Shader 2.0b, 8 GB storage
Offline caveat Single-player and split-screen co-op listed; online co-op needs internet

16. Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley starts with your grandfather's overgrown farm. You grow crops, raise animals, fish, mine and get to know the town at your own pace.

Detail Stardew Valley
Genre Farming and life simulation
Released February 26, 2016
Steam list price $14.99
Minimum PC Windows Vista or later, 2 GB RAM, 256 MB video memory, 500 MB storage
Offline caveat Solo, split-screen and LAN co-op listed; online co-op needs internet

17. Ninja Gaiden 4

Ninja Gaiden 4 revives the ninja action series, developed by PlatinumGames with Team Ninja and published by Xbox Game Studios. It is a single-player action game, and Steam recommends a gamepad.

Detail Ninja Gaiden 4
Genre Character action
Released October 20, 2025
Steam list price $69.99
Minimum PC Windows 10/11 64-bit, 16 GB RAM, GTX 1060 6GB or RX 590, 100 GB on an SSD
Offline caveat Single-player only; Steam marks it gamepad recommended

18. Resident Evil Requiem

Resident Evil Requiem is Capcom's newest survival horror entry, released in February 2026. It is single-player only.

Detail Resident Evil Requiem
Genre Survival horror
Released February 26, 2026
Steam list price $69.99
Minimum PC Windows 11 64-bit, 16 GB RAM, GTX 1660 6GB or RX 5500 XT 8GB, SSD required
Offline caveat Uses Denuvo Anti-tamper with a limit of 5 different PCs per day. Launch it online on your PC first

This is the only game on the list that needs Windows 11. On a Windows 10 PC, pick Ninja Gaiden 4 or Elden Ring for action instead.

Which offline game fits a low-end PC or laptop

Match your PC's memory to a row. Figures are the Steam minimum requirements.

Your PC Games that fit Why
Older laptop, 2 GB RAM or less, integrated graphics Balatro, Stardew Valley, Slay the Spire, Vampire Survivors, Portal 2 Each needs 2 GB RAM or less and very little storage
8 GB RAM with an entry gaming GPU Hades II, Disco Elysium, Psychonauts 2, Crusader Kings III, Tales of Arise, Red Dead Redemption 2, Baldur's Gate 3 8 GB RAM minimum; check the graphics card in each table
12-16 GB RAM, GTX 1060 class or better Elden Ring, Blue Prince, Pacific Drive, Ninja Gaiden 4, Oblivion Remastered These ask for 12 GB or 16 GB RAM
Windows 11, 16 GB RAM, GTX 1660 class or better Resident Evil Requiem Only game here that requires Windows 11

Which stores let you play PC games offline

How offline play works on PC: the game files sit on your drive, so a single-player game runs without a connection once the store or launcher has confirmed your licence. Steam stores that sign-in when you go offline from the client, while DRM-free GOG games skip the check entirely.

Store Offline play What to know
Steam Yes, through Go Offline… Sign in online first with Remember me; games with an external launcher or always-online checks will not start
GOG Yes, for DRM-free single-player games GOG states you do not need to be online to play single-player games, and its GOG Galaxy client is optional
Games with their own DRM or launcher Only after an online first launch Red Dead Redemption 2 needs a Rockstar account; Resident Evil Requiem uses Denuvo activation

Download installers only from the store that sells the game. Sites that offer free downloads of paid games are piracy sites and a common source of malware.

Steam offline mode not working: fixes

These are the failures Valve documents for Offline Mode.

"This game cannot be started in Offline Mode"

The game or Steam client still needs an update, or the game was never launched online.

  1. Reconnect to the internet and select Go Online from the Steam menu.
  2. Let Steam and the game update, then launch the game once.
  3. Quit the game and select Go Offline… again.

Steam asks you to sign in while you have no internet

The stored sign-in was lost, often because Steam was force-closed or credentials were not saved. There is no way to bypass the sign-in offline.

  1. Connect to any network and sign in with Remember me ticked.
  2. Check Steam > Settings > Security does not have Don't save account credentials on this computer selected.
  3. Always close Steam normally before shutting down.

A game opens a launcher and stops

Steam states that games using an external launcher will not work in its offline mode.

  1. Sign in to the publisher's launcher while online and launch the game once.
  2. Pick a game from this list that runs straight from Steam for your offline trip.

Offline games for PC FAQ

Can you play PC games offline?

Yes. Most single-player PC games play offline once installed. On Steam, sign in online with Remember me ticked, update and launch each game once, then choose Steam > Go Offline. Games that need a constant connection or an external launcher will not start.

Can you play games offline without Steam?

Yes. DRM-free games from GOG run without a client, and GOG says you do not need to be online for single-player games. Games bought on other launchers follow that launcher's own offline rules, so launch them online once first.

Where can I download offline games for PC?

Buy and download them from an official store such as the Steam client or GOG. Every game in this list is on Steam. Avoid sites offering free downloads of paid games, which are piracy sites and a frequent malware source.

Are there free offline games for PC?

None of the games here is free, but several cost little. Vampire Survivors lists at $4.99 and Portal 2 at $9.99 on Steam, and both often drop further in sales. Most free-to-play PC games are online-only.

What offline games run on Windows 10?

Every game on this list except Resident Evil Requiem supports Windows 10. Requiem lists Windows 11 64-bit as its minimum. Disco Elysium, Psychonauts 2 and Balatro even list Windows 7.

What is a good offline car game for PC?

Pacific Drive is the driving pick on this list. It is a single-player survival game where you drive, repair and upgrade a station wagon through the Olympic Exclusion Zone. Steam lists it at $44.99 and it needs 16 GB RAM.

What offline games work on a low-end PC?

Balatro needs 1 GB RAM and integrated graphics, and Vampire Survivors needs 1 GB RAM. Stardew Valley, Slay the Spire and Portal 2 need 2 GB RAM. All play offline as single-player games.

Do I need the internet to install offline games?

Yes, for download and first launch. Steam requires you to sign in online, update the game and start it once before offline mode works. After that, single-player games without online checks run with no connection.

Best offline game to start with in 2026

Start with Baldur's Gate 3 or Elden Ring on a gaming PC, and Balatro or Stardew Valley on a laptop. All four list single-player on Steam and need no connection once launched online. They cover the two common cases: long trips with a capable PC, and short sessions on modest hardware. Set up Steam offline mode before you leave, because it cannot be enabled once you are already offline.

Philip Celasco

Philip is a Texas-based technology writer and IT administrator at Techdows.com with more than 10 years of experience creating practical content for everyday users and professionals. He specializes in web browsers, particularly Chromium-based platforms such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Brave, and Opera. Through his work as an IT administrator, Philip has hands-on experience managing devices, configuring browser policies, troubleshooting software and network issues, and helping people resolve problems that affect productivity and security. His articles are based on practical testing and real-world technical experience. He covers browser settings, extensions, performance problems, privacy controls, security features, and Windows troubleshooting. Outside work, Philip enjoys the quieter side of life in Texas and stepping away from the screen when he can. He has two kids, two cats and loves to play golf with his mother during the weekends.

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