Keyboard, mouse, and a full squad
PC is the most flexible platform for playing with friends - the biggest library, the most crossplay, and games that run from a cheap laptop to a high-end rig. The best games to play with friends on PC span every situation, so this list is ranked for range: how good the co-op or competitive play is, how easily a group gets in, and current price.
Our top PC pick is Helldivers 2 - four-player co-op with crossplay to PS5, and a perfect fit for a PC squad. Call of Duty and Deep Rock Galactic cover competitive and co-op respectively, Portal 2 and Terraria are the cheap-and-brilliant picks, and Fortnite and Rocket League are the free options everyone already has. Many of these are on Steam for free.
Because PC crossplays with so much, it's the ideal hub for a mixed group - a PC player can join almost anyone. If your friends are on PS5 or Xbox, check PS5 + PC crossplay for the games that bridge you.
One caveat on that range: not every pick below runs on every PC. If someone in your group is on an older laptop or a machine with no dedicated graphics card, start from our low-end PC picks instead - the games there are chosen so the weakest machine in the group is never the reason you cannot all play.
For the hardware side of a PC setup rather than the games, our setup and gear guides cover the parts that decide whether a group can actually play together - the second controller local co-op needs, a second screen for voice chat and guides, and getting the PC onto the living room TV.
