Non-Beauty Favourites || My 5 Favourite PC Games

Hey guys! Today I wanted to start something I will try to add to periodically: a series of posts about some of my favourite things that have nothing to do with beauty, hair, makeup, or skincare! I'm going to start out by sharing with you my five fave PC games!

I've (shockingly) never owned a game console, unless you count the Nintendo DS, but I only got that from a friend years after it was a model or two out of date because she had the new one. And I only got that to play Pokemon HeartGold, my first ever Pokemon game. But I have always played computer games; I had educational games I loved to death as a kid, Oregon Trail, Kid Pix and other art games, as well as the first couple Harry Potter games (which I was always kinda scared to finish, because I was a terrible gamer). And I still really only play PC games... and so, here are my 5 absolute favourite PC games, in no particular order:

1. Overwatch

Image from siliconangle.com

The only Blizzard game I've tried, Overwatch is gorgeous! It's a lot like TF2 (a game I long thought would also be in this post, but which I and my friends have completely stopped playing since OW came out), in that it's an FPS with cartoon-y characters who play a range of different roles with different weapons. There are defence, offence, healers, builders, and tank classes, though one awesome thing about Overwatch is that there are female characters as well as male, approximately a 50/50 split. I'm not really sure what else there is to say...

You play online, either making a group with friends, or playing with strangers on teams of 6v6. There are several different map, a regular quick play mode, a weekly brawl that is a fun twist on the game that changes frequently, and a competitive mode that works in seasons with medals and rankings, as well as stricter rules. It's a really fun and addictive game, even if you aren't a great player =P. You can get Overwatch from Blizzard starting at $39.99 USD for the most basic edition (pricier options come with more perks like skins or even physical goodies).

2. AudioSurf

Image from store.steampowered.com

This old, simple game is one of the best things I was ever introduced to. I'm pretty sure almost no one ever plays it anymore (especially since they released an updated version 2), but it's a solo game, so that doesn't matter to me! The basic idea is that you make the game what you want by using your own music, and the levels adapt and are shaped by the rhythm and speed of the songs you choose! There are several game modes, from zen to complicated, but to be honest, I only ever play the easiest level.

I love how relaxing this game is! Since you use your own music, its really easy to start predicting the patterns the game will give you, especially the more you play. I love using the game to chill out, or even to help me learn lyrics to newer songs I don't quite have down yet, because it forces me to focus on the songs by distracting my hands and eyes while I listen. I find it's easiest to get the right beat when I sing along with the songs as well. This game probably sounds boring to lots of you, but if it sounds slightly interesting, I seriously suggest you give it a go. It's only $10.99 CDN on steam!

3. Portal

Image from store.steampowered.com

This game is fantastic, and unlike anything I've ever played before or since, except maybe it's sequel, which we'll get to in a minute. There's something so enthralling about the physics puzzles in this game, and don't be scared off by the word physics, you don't need to be good at science to get this game. As the name suggests, you use a portal gun to work your way through level after level as you try to complete test chambers for the disembodied voice that eggs you on and mocks you throughout the game. She's a little dark, mean, and monotonous, and I love her. Her dark humour is what ultimately makes this game, aside from the infuriatingly tough test chambers that you can't help but want to solve!

You have to try this game if you like dark humour, physics, science fiction, puzzles, or any combination of the above. You'll love it, and if you don't, you're wrong. Portal is $10.99 CDN on Steam. or $24.73 bundled with Portal 2

4. Portal 2

Image from store.steampowered.com

Maybe it's cheating to include the sequel to one of the best games in the world as another game on this list, but hell, I'd be lying if I didn't include it in my top five!! Besides, this game is longer, more complex, and ramps everything up by adding even more elements into the game for you to figure out and then use to solve the new puzzles!

The same dark humour is here, along with some new amazing characters, more back story for the original, and it's just a freaking work of art! Honestly, after you've played Portal, you'll need to play this too, but don't jump into this one! You'll want to know the original story before you start playing this one, and the original is only a couple hours long, so you'll be jumping into Portal 2 in no time! Portal 2 is $21.99 alone, or $24.73 bundled with Portal

5. Q.U.B.E.

Image from qube-game.com

Many games have tried to replicate the beauty and wonder that is the Portal franchise, and while I will never argue that this one is as great, it gives it a really good try. Unfortunately, this game (though I haven't finished this one, I am several hours deep) completely lacks any of the humour, dialogue, or even characters. Instead, it's very quiet (which is really cool in it's own way. It may have ambient music, but it's not really something that sticks in my mind one way or another.) and focusses entirely on the mechanics and puzzles. Like many puzzle games, its starts slow with one or two mechanics, teaching you more as you go and putting them together for more and more difficult chambers. It is very similar to Portal in it's clean, very white & grey, minimalistic design, and it also uses a similar set up to Porta's test chambers as a way to separate and distinguish levels.

All in all, it is a really fun game, and I would certainly recommend it to anyone who has finished both Portal games, and is looking for something new to fill that void. It's very engrossing and has much the same way of being infuriatingly tough... you know each room is solvable, but it's never easy. What is easy is sinking hours into this game! Q.U.B.E. is $10.99 CDN on Steam.

Honorable Mention: Team Fortress 2 (TF2)

Image from steamcommunity.com

As mentioned earlier, when I first thought to do this post a few months ago, up until pretty recently I honestly thougt that Team Fortress 2 would be one of the games that had to be on this list, but—sad to say—Overwatch has entirely replaced TF2 in the games my friends play, and since I rarely play games, especially multiplayers, alone, I haven't played TF2 since Overwatch came out! I haven't kept up with the community since OW, but David has, since this game was his life for years, and it looks like the developers have continually made bad mistakes and kinda fucked up the game play, so even though there are those who didn't jump ship for Overwatch, it sounds like this game is dying.

It was really fun, though. Unlike Overwatch, TF2 stuck with the same 12 characters from the beginning, keeping it new and exciting instead through new items, both useful—like new weapons to add new play styles, and cosmetic—such as clothing items, accessories, and of course, hats... because why the fuck not?! There were frequent updates and events, sometimes new maps were added, a new play-style (ManvMachine), and fun holiday updates like Halloween and Christmas.

I'm sad I don't play anymore, and I miss the Pyro (my favourite character... no Overwatch character can quite compare to my love for that psycho), but I'm kinda scared to taint my memories by going back if the game is as broken as it sounds like it's becoming. I'd rather preserve my memories. God... I sound like one of my friends died. Don't judge me. If you'd like to give it a go, lucky for you TF2 became Free-to-Play on Steam a few years ago, so you can do that with no real consequences.

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So that's all! Let me know if you have any questions, and be sure to let me know your favourite game in the comments, whether it's on PC or not!

Thanks for reading!

None of the links in this post get me anything and I'm not paid by anyone to write this post, these are just some of my honest favourite games and the links are so you can find them easily yourself if you're interested =D