Hello to all of you using gaming laptops, surely you have taken your laptop out to work, study, and conveniently play games at the same time, right? However, it’s undeniable that while gaming on a laptop is convenient, it still doesn’t match the completeness and comfort of a desktop. Nevertheless, there are still games that will offer a “more reasonable” experience compared to desktops, games that you can play anytime and still enjoy fully without needing a complete desktop setup. If these are the kinds of games you are looking for, then check out the following list.
HOLLOW KNIGHT
Hollow Knight is well-known for its impressive visuals and simple yet captivating gameplay. The game provides a very indie experience, with a unique style in both sound and visuals. However, the smooth yet challenging combat, especially when facing bosses, is what made me include it in this list.
Hollow Knight is the first game I chose when looking for something to play while waiting for class changes; the story is great but not complicated, and you don’t have to remember much—just start playing. Movement and combat mainly use buttons, with simple combos focused on timing, so you won’t have to pay hardcore attention like in other games. Want a skill-based game that isn’t too hardcore? Just a keyboard without needing a cumbersome mouse? What could be more perfect, a laptop game is all you need to enjoy this game fully.
INTO THE BREACH
This indie game developed and published by Subset Games quickly made its way onto many top indie game lists and is among the top 10 best games I’ve ever played. The addictive turn-based strategy gameplay is what I love most about this game, and it’s also lightweight, easy to play, and rewarding.
Toss Into The Breach onto your laptop, and it’s a perfect fit if you enjoy turn-based strategy without too much complexity that you can play anytime you like. This is a game I believe could easily be played on a phone due to its simplicity, but if you have a laptop, why confine yourself to a tiny screen? In fact, whether on a laptop or desktop, Into The Breach remains the same; the important thing is you can play this game anywhere with your laptop, from coffee shops to schools, without a mouse or keyboard. What matters is this game is incredibly fun, as confirmed by many, so it’s definitely not just a “side” game for you to casually play on your laptop when out; you can fully grind through levels like a premium game.
FASTER THAN LIGHT
Another game from Subset, set in outer space and related to space combat. Faster Than Light is a real-time strategy game where players manage a spaceship along with its crew. This ship travels to various stars and planets to complete missions, and of course, along the way, you will encounter many difficulties and challenges.
This game can be said to be much more complex than Into The Breach, but once you understand the mechanics and controls, it becomes incredibly engaging (depending on your taste). It’s the kind of game for those who like to sit and ponder, exercising their minds in their spare time. It’s not as urgent as Into The Breach, but every move is crucial. Playing this game on a laptop is sensible because it has lightweight graphics, can run for several hours without needing to plug in, doesn’t require precise mouse and keyboard input; just a trackpad is enough, and most importantly, it’s fun—fun enough for me to recommend it to you.
FOOTBALL MANAGER
This game is for football enthusiasts who love the sport and want to become real coaches. The game simulates the work of a football coach, emphasizing detail and realism. It constantly updates new features to align with real-world situations. The strength that makes this game dominate the football management genre is that it collects real data from football scouts, providing the most accurate statistics for each player in the game, including famous players.
Playing FM on a phone is too common, as many features are cut down, and playing on a desktop can feel excessive; if you have a desktop, you might as well play AAA games for more fun. But when playing on a laptop, in a cozy café or at work when you have some downtime, it’s a reasonable choice to eat, sleep, and breathe football, giving you the feeling of “checking emails” in-game just like a real manager. This game may sound hardcore, but you really need to grasp the information well; however, the gameplay mainly consists of “watching the game play,” so you can still effectively “work” and “study” without being suspicious.
HOUSE FLIPPER
Interior decorating has never been a selective hobby; everyone loves to design a house or a room in their personal style. That’s why the game House Flipper was created; it not only brings satisfaction to players but also features nostalgic mechanics like completing and selling, customizing furniture, and many other variations. Loved by many, it appears in the bestseller list on Steam, House Flipper is undoubtedly a higher quality game than its exterior suggests.
This game is basically a fun game for you to unwind; playing it on a laptop is quite reasonable because you need a mouse and keyboard to operate it easily, of course, no hardcore precision is required. Mainly, it might take some time, but it’s no problem if you just want to play casually; a few lunch breaks or coffee breaks with your laptop can get you through finishing a house to sell. Plus, sitting in beautiful cafés or open spaces will inspire you to design more. If interior design is your strong suit and passion, what are you waiting for? Give House Flipper a chance.
CITY SKYLINES
If building houses isn’t enough for you, why not try building an entire city? The game City Skylines will take you to a unique experience of building your own city as realistically as possible. Not only do you arrange buildings aesthetically, but you also have to manage infrastructure, control the economy, and keep citizens satisfied, offering the experience of a true leader.
Playing City Skylines is like working but without pressure; everything has deadlines, and everything requires creativity. The beauty of the game is its meticulousness and detail, and the convenience is that it doesn’t require precise mouse and keyboard controls. Sitting in a high building, getting a view of the city for reference, then simulating it as you wish, gives you a sense of life that feels extraordinary.
THE SIM
The Sims, need I say more? This EA game, despite its money-grabbing tendencies, has become a legend in the gaming community. With gameplay simulating real life, everything becomes easier in the virtual world; you’ll have a truly surreal living experience. Owning houses and cars isn’t hard, mainly you just need to know how to date, get married, and have children.
Just like Football Manager, you won’t get the full experience of The Sims if you play on a phone. So when playing on a laptop, you can enjoy a premium experience of The Sims in various locations, popping in to “live virtually” during breaks, grinding to get richer. Playing with a trackpad works just fine without a mouse; it’s one of the best games ever, and it runs smoothly on a laptop anytime, anywhere, so pay up, EA.
PUMMEL PARTY
This coop game developed by Rebuilt Game will surely bring you indescribable experiences. This is a game that is only fun when you play with friends, and of course, we gamers always have each other. Pummel Party contains tons of mini-games within it for you to challenge friends or become teammates. Depending on the game, friendships will either strengthen or break, but what’s important is that after playing, you’ll have a hearty laugh.
Pummel Party’s gameplay isn’t simple; it doesn’t just rely on button mashing like other games. However, the reason you play better on a laptop is that this is a game where you not only play together in-game but also have to play together in real life to achieve the highest levels. The feeling of gathering with friends and playing Pummel Party all night at someone’s house with laptops is definitely an experience you can never have with a desktop; if you don’t believe me, try it out for yourself.
OVERCOOKED 2
Like Pummel Party, Overcooked is also a coop game that brings joy and laughter. You and your teammates will travel around the world together, “handling” food orders as quickly as possible. It’s not just that simple; you have to handle tasks quickly and efficiently to keep customers satisfied, which requires you to coordinate seamlessly and create a smooth workflow—if necessary, you can even toss ingredients from one area to another in the kitchen, but if your teammate misses, it could be disastrous.
Similar to Pummel Party, Overcooked requires “real-time” connectivity between players. Of course, you can wear headphones and play at home with friends, but there won’t be any high-fives, and you won’t be able to celebrate together like when you bring your laptops to play with friends. It’s an experience I always cherish, and to this day, we still try to set aside time to play together weekly.
HUMAN: FALL FLAT
It would be a significant oversight to mention coop games without mentioning Human: Fall Flat. This is an extremely popular entertainment game that gamers have loved for a long time. The humorous gameplay takes you into a strange world filled with puzzles to solve. You and your teammates control “limbless” characters, moving clumsily and solving puzzles in the map to overcome obstacles.
Although I mentioned Pummel Party and Overcooked first, Human: Fall Flat is the best game to play with friends in my opinion. The reason is that although the other two games are more detailed and engaging, with more varied gameplay, Human: Fall Flat, with its humorous design, has made my teammates and I laugh uncontrollably. Mainly because this game is funny and emphasizes teamwork, so it should be played together with laptops for maximum fun.
These are games that will undoubtedly be more enjoyable when you experience them on a laptop rather than a desktop. Of course, there are many other great games I haven’t listed in this one. So please comment below with your favorite game for others to check out.