Looting is a part of many games nowadays. And while it gives a great sense of anticipation before you loot items, and progression once you finally do, the genre is not for everyone. Game publishers hide loot boxes behind a paywall, even though you already have to pay to purchase the game. We can’t guarantee that a game on our list doesn’t have that option or that it won’t implement it down the line. However, we’ll try to include only the games where, at its worst, the only requirement is your patience to grind items. With that said, here are the best looting games for PC.
1. PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS
Our first choice for a looting game for PC is a massively popular third-person shooter. The concept is further emphasized by you dropping from the sky without a single thing in the inventory. Then, you’re forced to scramble for resources, armor, and weapons, on the ground. But there’s a catch – this is a multiplayer game with 100 players on a single island, so you’re not the only one desperately searching. Of course, you can pick up loot from the players you or someone else killed.
2. Fortnite
Care for a cartoon version of a looting game? One that is also combined with the need to become a killing machine to be the last man standing? If so, the answer is Fortnite. Similarly to the game above, in this online game, you drop from the sky onto a massive island alongside a large number of players. Besides looting armor and weapons, you are also forced to chop wood and gather other types of supplies. Furthermore, you have access to some special abilities that don’t exist in the real world, such as building wooden constructions within seconds. They can provide a hiding spot, a shield, or a sniper’s nest.
3. DOOM Eternal
DOOM Eternal is a first-person shooter on steroids because it is a hardcore game. As Doom Guy or Doom Slayer, and you’ll rely on violence and killing to loot resources such as health, energy, and ammo if you want to survive the next wave of creatures from Hell. Your main goal is to slay Maykr, a demon who intends to summon Icon of Sin, an all-powerful demon who plans on consuming mankind. The playstyle is up to you, you can be aggressive and chase the loot, or simulate tower defense, stand your ground, and pick the creatures off when they come.
4. Dark Souls III
Dark Souls III is a game for boys who want to become men. They will learn the importance of patience, having a strategy, enduring a long quest, and solving the puzzle on how to turn the odds in your favor. And believe us, those odds are designed to favor the bosses you need to beat. They are all over-sized, smart, cunning, powerful, quick on their feet, and unpredictable. The looting aspect comes with collecting armor and weapons, sure. But it’s also of utmost importance to loot consumables for health, ailments removal, stamina, inventory repair, additional damage, stealth, etc.
5. World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth
A classic MMORPG and one of the most popular multiplayer games in the world since 2004 is Word of Warcraft. The entire game is based on loot – you start with a nearly naked character, and through killing and completing quests, you get stronger gear. Furthermore, there are 5-man dungeons, and 40-man battlegrounds and raids designed to provide end-game loot for both PvP (Player vs. Player) and PvE (Player vs. Environment). Of course, another focus is looting in-game currency, gold, buying and selling items, and even roleplay.
6. Clicker Heroes
So, you want a looting game? How about one that barely requires you to do anything to satisfy your addiction to loot? The clicker is one of our favorite idle games for PC and puts you in charge of a kingdom. You can hire more than 35 heroes to fight against more than 100 monsters, and bring the loot, whether gold or items, back to you. The game is simple and easy to get into, and you can upgrade characters. Now, if only this concept existed in real life…
7. Diablo III
Diablo III is Blizzard’s action RPG hack-and-slash video game, released on PC back in 2012. Since then, they released two expansions, Reaper of Souls and The Rise of the Necromancer, and have announced Diablo IV back in 2019. It was also the fastest-selling PC game at one point, selling 3.5 million copies within 24 hours of release speaks volumes. As for looting, the items primarily depend on the difficulty of a dungeon, and luck. Properties are typically extra damage, critical hit chance, main attribute bonuses, and empty gem sockets, The item types (common, rare, epic, legendary) affect the number of properties.
8. Path of Exile
Path of Exile is very similar to Diablo in terms of gameplay and overall look. However, it focuses on both a multiplayer and a singleplayer campaign. It’s a hack-and-slash online game, filled with creatures that drop valuable loot. This includes orbs, which are both in-game currency and enchantment for your gear. Consider skill gems, essences, maps, cards, splinters, and weapons, and armor, and you’ve got plenty of looting to do. The only downside to this is that the randomization of loot can be both a blessing and a curse – depending on how lucky you are and what you loot.
9. Apex Legends
How could we forget Origin’s looter shooter? We even wrote an Apex Legends review. Instead of the parachute, you’ll use technology to your advantage. With a set of propulsion boosters, you can land precisely at a spot on a map. You won’t necessarily be forced to play alone, either. In this multiplayer game, you can play in two-player teams or a team of 3 players. Together you need to gather resources, primarily guns, armor, and health boost, and keep each other alive. The last men standing are the winners. The competition is tough, that’s for sure.
10. State of Decay 2
From what we could gather, there are many zombie fans among our readers. In your honor, we decided to mention this exhilarating specimen of an action-survival game. Just like in the State of Decay, the primary goal is to annihilate the hordes of incoming zombies. However, in the sequel, the publisher decided to change the goal slightly, by giving players more freedom to stealth their way through the game. Additionally, looting items, mainly resources, then building communities at safe posts is a larger priority compared to the first game.
11. Borderlands 3
Going back to an action RPG, here’s a game that was released recently, in late 2019. It is set about 7 years after the events of Borderlands 2. The major part of the game is looting, both in singleplayer and multiplayer. Enemies, when killed, drop useful items as well as experience. By completing main and side quests as one of the 4 classes, Vault Hunters (Amara, Zane, Moze, and FL4K), you are on a journey to explore the planet of Pandora. It has plenty of aliens, shooting, flying spaceships, and even a cult of personality, whose center point you need to eliminate.
12. Warframe
Did you want to loot? Be careful what you wish for – it might come true. And it did, in Warframe, a free to play multiplayer action game. Every enemy drops one or more items when slain. The items continue to float above the floor, waiting to be picked up. You, as Tenno, an alien-like race, with parkour, swordsman, and marksman skills, are sent on a plethora of missions to build your spaceship and explore the galaxy. Your opponents? Corpus, a corporation that might or might not be evil, depending on how you look at it.
13. The Division 2
Although one of the most praised paid games for PC, it can often be bough for just a few dollars. And it carries great value, especially if you are a fan of games like Apex Legends, Borderlands, or even Just Cause. We’ll admit, it doesn’t carry the same amount or type of humor. However, it provides plenty of action and requires you to plan your steps, so you’ll barely notice it. It also makes you feel like a good cop, as you’ll be a member of the Strategic Homeland Division. Since your primary task is to rid the world of criminals after a pandemic and understand its source, it has zombie influences and reflects the real world in 2020, kind of.
14. Torchlight II
Torchlight 2 is a beautiful fantasy game, yet so simple and easy to get into. It is set in a fictional town named Torchlight. However, the town was destroyed by the Alchemist, an anger-filled villain who’s looking for a cure to his disease. Torchlight has plenty of enemy-filled caves and dungeons. You can play as one of the 4 classes, each different in appearance, play style, abilities, and skills. Your goal? Rid them of their life, and hope for the best item drops after they pass on. The game exists as both a singleplayer and a multiplayer.
15. Monster Hunter: World
Looting an enemy player’s corpse is all fine and dandy, but looting a massive dragon or wyvern is in a league of its own. In Monster Hunter: World, you are tasked with slaying as many monsters as you possibly can, and collecting weapons, armor, and consumables used to craft even stronger items. You have access to parkour moves, making you feel like a ninja who traps and slays dragons at his convenience. However, the enemy creatures are cunning, well-scripted, and challenging, so you will still require a solid plan in order to witness their last dying breath.
16. Shadow Warrior 2
Do you want to feel like a badass and a ninja at that? Playing as the protagonist named Wang will make you feel exactly that. The game is fast-paced, with plenty of parkour, jumping around, slashing, shooting, and stabbing. Who knew you could combine katanas, shotguns, pistols, automatic rifles, and even grenades into one game? And, even though the loot will float above the ground around you, you’ll still need to figure out a plan to dodge attacks, slash, or shoot while running towards it – the enemies are coming that fast! If you loved DOOM Eternal, don’t hesitate to pick up Shadow Warrior 2.
17. Nioh 2
We mentioned games like Dark Souls and the game itself already. Here’s a game that looks like a child of Dark Souls III and Bloodborne, and an older brother of Nioh. It’s an offline game, but that doesn’t mean you won’t play it with friends. In fact, we bet everyone will think they’re more skilled when they see you dying time after time! What they’ll soon discover is that no matter how much of a warrior you are, the bosses are overpowered, conniving, and ruthless. Don’t expect to finish the game in days – weeks is more like it. Even with rare loot, such as weapons and armor, you’ll still feel insignificant.
18. Grim Dawn
We don’t blame you if you haven’t heard of Grim Dawn. It is, in our opinion, one of the most underrated games, especially in the action RPG and looting genre. It has massive replay value for two reasons. First, there are great class customization options. Unlike in other games, you start as one class, and when you reach a certain level, you can pick a second! By combining two classes’ skills and abilities, you create a custom character. The second reason is grinding for items and weapons of varying attributes and qualities. They will benefit your class choices, and you’ll be grinding for weeks to make things perfect.
19. Risk of Rain 2
The developers made a big leap from a 2D game to a 3D third-person shooter in Risk of Rain 2. The principles remained the same, though. Fight your way through hordes of monsters, unlock new loot, and eventually try to find a way out from the hostile alien planet. You can play as one of the 6 different classes, and lead a crew of 10 playable survivors. They each with their own appearance, playstyle, and inventory requirements. You can also combine the effects of more than 110 items, allowing for uniqueness.
20. Minecraft
Minecraft is all about looting and reusing the resources to shape the world at will. Yes, it doesn’t have the best graphics – they’re made of blocks and then formed into chunks. But the game is educational, and you’ll learn everything the hard way. One of the first things is the realization that various creatures start lurking the world as soon as the night falls. You are forced to chop trees, mine cobblestone and iron, craft weapons, tools, armor, torchers, and construct a shelter as soon as possible.