Summary
WhileChromebooksare known as sleeker cousins of the laptop, they’re also known for lacking the firepower needed to support some heavy-hitting AAA games on the market. Thankfully, gamers with Chromebooks don’t need to get other hardware to play great titles, as the device is more than capable enough to run some well-known entries in the gaming scene.
In that regard, gamers who plan on getting a Chromebook soon may want to familiarize themselves with the best games the platform can run. Among the Chromebook’s selection of games are standout entries that are must-tries for owners who want to have fun with their hardware without having to whip out another device.
Despite its age,Terrariaremainsone of the most celebrated sandbox titles in gamingwith its procedurally generated 2D world and support for player activities beyond combat and exploration, such as survival, crafting, and even building. Its lengthy single-player component and rather adventurous multiplayer segments makeTerrariaa surprising Chrome OS title, with its retro vibe via 16-bit graphics supporting expansive gameplay features.
On top of unique biomes with different enemies, bosses, platforming segments, and puzzles,Terrariagives players ways to up the ante with difficulty options, altered modes (Corruption, Crimson, Hallow), and playing as different classes. During adventures, players can convince NPCs to visit their town, create houses and structures, and collect unique costumes and items with different appearances and powers. On top of inviting friends over,Terrariaalso offers Mods that can drastically alter styles of play.
2.5GB
128mb Video Memory, capable of Shader Model 2.0+
200MB
The action-packedTekkenfranchise boasts surprising compatibility with the Chrome OS, withTekken 7allowing Chromebook users to learn of the Devil Gene’s more sinister origins. On top of fighting game icons such as Akuma ofStreet Fighterand Geese Howard ofKing of Fightersgoing toe to toe withTekkenstaples Heihachi Mishima and Kazuya Mishima, Chromebook owners can enjoy the full offerings ofTekken 7on their slimmer hardware.
Despite boasting a total roster of 51 characters,Tekken 7surprises Chromebook fans with how all of them facilitate fast-paced combat.A revised combo system lessens combo-boundingwith the introduction of twisting-posing screw states, damage-absorbing power crushes, wall breaks, and stage effects, as well as auto-combos to assist pressured players. Rage Mode returns as a last resort forTekkencharacters, giving them access to Rage Arts at lower health and Rage Drive, which improves the damage of attacks.
Windows 7/8/10 (64-bit OS required)
6 GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 2GB, GTX 750Ti 2GB
60 GB
While first appearing as an attempt to combineDark Soulswith the roguelike concept,Hadestransforms a traditional dungeon-crawler into an ever-expanding hack-and-slash title available on the Chromebook. The game puts players in control of Zagreus, the son of Hades, as he attempts to escape the Underworld and reach his mother, Persephone. From the House of Hades hub world, Zagreus has to clear four different randomly generated areas, defeat their respective bosses, and defeat Hades himself to breach the Gates of the Underworld.
On top of traditional weapon-based attacks, magic, and summons, Zagreus can earn Boons from gods to unlock persistent upgrades each run.Being a game that stars a demi-god,Hadesmakes deaths meaningful in each attempt, allowing players to carry over some “currency” to upgrade Zagreus and the House of Hades. Aside from getting new weapons and constructing features that can appear in subsequent runs, players can modify the game’s difficulty with Pacts of Punishment or get stronger per death with God Mode.
4 GB
1GB VRAM / DirectX 10+
15 GB
Although Chromebook owners can sink their teeth intoCivilization 6via Chrome OS’s Android support, players who wanta more comprehensiveCivilizationexperiencecan get intoCivilization 5. Hailed as a partial revamp ofCiv 4’s gameplay system,Civilization 5offers more customization options that likely paved the way forCiv 6’s district-based city-building and policy cards. At its core,Civ 5now has hex tiles instead of square tiles, with cities offering more flexibility by generating resources, defending against attacks, expanding into territories, and containing individual units.
RecalibratedCIv 5combat emphasizes tactical prowess over sheer numbers, this time introducing diplomacy-enabled city-states that can conquer territory but not expand individual cities. Likewise, Civs can work together on joint ventures, whereas earned Culture can now be used to purchase social policies to further customize governance.
Windows Vista SP2/ Windows 7
CPU
Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8 GHz or AMD Athlon X2 64 2.0 GHz
2GB
GPU
256 MB ATI HD2600 XT, 256 MB nVidia 7900 GS, Core i3
8 GB
Players who want to enjoy a more casual experience on their Chromebooks can’t go wrong withStardew Valley. Gamers play as a newcomer to Pelican Town in Stardew Valley, as their grandfather passes on a farm to them as part of their inheritance. On top of building relationships with people in the nearby town, players must maintain their newly-acquired farm with periodic upgrades in between harvests and clean-up work.
When Chromebook owners get into the “groove” ofStardew Valley’s acclaimed soundtrack, they can get into the game’s “meta” aspect: learning which crops grow per season, which products are made from raw materials, and which animals appear at certain times. The game also offers a pseudo-RPG component, where the underground Mines expand into hundreds of floors below ground that feature opponents, weapons, and special loot.
2 GB
256 mb video memory, shader model 3.0+
500 MB
WithAge of Empires 2releasing to critical acclaim in 1999, the 2019Age of Empires 2: Definitive Editionimproves the game with better graphics, a spectator mode, as well as four new factions that come with their respective units. Set in a thousand-year timeline from the Dark Ages to the Imperial Age,Age of Empires 2: Definitive Editionexpands on the RTS formula, with players amassing enough military power and economic resources to defeat enemies while also meeting requirements to unlock better upgrades across each Age.
The RTS premise ofAge of Empires 2begins with villagers gathering resources, which can then be stored in checkpoint buildings or used to create structures, train units, and conduct research. Unique toAge of Empires 2is a marketplace for trade, where players exchange resources for gold to buy other commodities, with the possibility to trade with enemy marketplaces at the risk of being attacked. Aside from factions having campaigns based on historical highlights,Age of Empires 2’sfast-paced gameplay has spawned an active online communitythat persists to this day.
Windows 10 64bit
ntel Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon 64x2 5600+
NVIDIA® GeForce GT 420 or ATI Radeon HD 6850 or Intel HD Graphics 4000
Chromebook owners who love RPGs can sink their teeth intoDivinity: Original Sin 2to learn why this 2017 Kickstarter-funded sequel to 2014’sDivinity:Original Sinhas earned the title of one of gaming’s best entries in the genre. Set in Rivellon,players take on the role of Sourcererswho have been exiled for their powers; powers that can attract creatures from a realm beyond known as the Void. When players and their new comrades engineer an escape from their exile, they become embroiled in a campaign that gives them the opportunity to become Divine.
WhileDivinity: Original Sin 2plays like a traditional turn-based tactical RPG, its level of interactivity and customization makes it the closest equivalent toD&Dprior toBaldur’s Gate 3. On top of every character having the opportunity to learn all skills (magical and melee) in the game, Rivellon’s massively interactive landscapes give players opportunities to manipulate and destroy much of the environment to suit their combat and exploration needs.
Minimum
Operating System
Windows 7 SP1 64-bit or Windows 8.1 64-bit or Windows 10 64-bit.
NVIDIA® GeForce GTX 550 or ATI Radeon HD 6XXX
25 GB
Players can finally wake up as prisoners in Helgeth with Chromebooks in tow, especially whenThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Special Editionis available for Chrome OS users. While the overall graphical fidelity of the game on the platform isn’t on par with players ofSkyrimon the PC, the Special Edition’s more cohesive take on gameplay offerings gives Chromebook owners one of the most immersive RPGs in their library.
Taking place in the eponymous region inThe Elder Scrollsworld of Tamriel,players known as the Dragonborntry to interrupt an impending civil war to warn citizens of the return of extinct dragons. In typicalElder Scrollsfashion, players can explore the 15 square miles’ worth of landSkyrimhas to offer, all littered with villages, towns, and dungeons for visiting. On top of buying houses, players can marry various characters, gather companions, and simulate a life in Tamriel’s northernmost province even before they save the world.
Windows 7/8.1/10 (64-bit Version)
NVIDIA GTX 470 1GB /AMD HD 7870 2GB
12 GB
Chromebook owners who want to fight supernatural creatures as traveling monster hunters can playThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunton the Chrome OS. Set on the Continent, players control the eponymous Witcher, Geralt of Rivia, as he searches for his adopted daughter before the Wild Hunt gets to her. Armed to the teeth with two swords, a crossbow, bombs, potions, and spells, Geralt’s travels have himcross paths with monsters and fellow fighterswho have a vested interest in his presence.
Being an action RPG, Geralt’s success in fights depends greatly on a player’s understanding of his arsenal. The Chromebook is powerful enough to let Geralt facilitate fierce combos, time dodges and parries, as well as cast powerful Witcher Signs to create various effects. The game’s advanced AI also influences the world as players explore it, with effects such as moon-empowered werewolves potentially affecting gameplay.
Windows 7, 64 bit; Windows 8, 64 bit
6 GB RAM
Nvidia GPU GeForce GTX 660 / AMD GPU Radeon HD 7870
50 GB
Players ofDungeons & Dragonscan once again visit the Forgotten Realms inBaldur’s Gate 3, this time saving the land from a Mindflayer invasion while trying to stop themselves from turning into their attackers. Taking place hundreds of years afterBaldur’s Gate 2, players and up to three companions explore dungeons and fight monsters in what may be the most accurate translation ofD&D 5erules into a video game to date.
Accessible to the Chromebook via cloud gaming through NVIDIA’s GeForce NOW,Baldur’s Gate 3’sgameplay takes the form of a turn-based tactical RPG with a more in-depth take on mechanics.As they customize their characters by leveling up, players can approach encounters from different perspectives: dishing out powerful spells, using the special skills of weapons for their Class, or talking their way out of trouble. Developer Larian Studios also took cues from their critical hitDivinity: Original Sin 2in having interactive environments, with reactive background elements further diversifying the flow of combat.
Windows 10 64 bit
8GB
150 GB
