Got an older PC that chokes on modern games? No worries—Steam’s got a ton of awesome, lightweight PC games under 1GB that run smoothly and still pack a punch. Here’s a list of 20 top-notch games, all with “Overwhelmingly Positive” or “Very Positive” Steam ratings in 2025, perfect for low-end systems and anyone hunting for compact, fun titles.
1. Stardew Valley
- Size: ~500 MB
- Genre: Farming Sim, RPG
- Steam Review: Overwhelmingly Positive
Stardew Valley, made by ConcernedApe, is a total hit, topping Steam’s Top 250 in 2025 with nearly 900,000 votes. This best lightweight PC games title lets you farm crops, raise animals, and build your ideal home in a cozy pixel-art world. You can dive into RPG stuff like fighting in mines, chatting with townsfolk, or even tying the knot. With 50 hours of gameplay, autosave, and controller support, it’s a go-to for low-spec gaming.
2. Fallout 2
- Size: ~100 MB
- Genre: RPG
- Steam Review: Very Positive
Dropped in 1998 by Black Isle Studios, Fallout 2 is a classic RPG with turn-based fights. Its deep story and customizable characters (think SPECIAL stats, traits, and perks) make it one of the top games under 1GB. Roam a post-apocalyptic world, deal with factions, and shape your adventure—still a solid pick in 2025.
3. Terraria
- Size: ~200 MB
- Genre: Sandbox, Action-Adventure
- Steam Review: Overwhelmingly Positive
Terraria’s like a 2D Minecraft, with a dig-fight-explore-build loop that’s perfect for low-end PC gaming. Explore 20+ biomes, craft tons of items, and team up with up to seven friends. Randomly generated worlds and epic boss fights keep every run fresh, making it a fan-favorite in 2025.
4. Slay the Spire
- Size: ~500 MB
- Genre: Roguelike, Deck-Builder
- Steam Review: Overwhelmingly Positive
Slay the Spire mixes card strategy with roguelike dungeon crawling. Pick a character with unique cards and battle through a random spire full of enemies and bosses. This lightweight roguelike games gem is super addictive and runs great on older PCs in 2025.
5. Factorio
- Size: ~1 GB
- Genre: Simulation, Strategy
- Steam Review: Overwhelmingly Positive
Factorio has you building huge factories on an alien planet to escape via spaceship. Mine resources, research tech, automate production, and fend off enemies. Its deep gameplay makes it one of the best strategy games under 1GB on Steam in 2025.
6. Don’t Starve
- Size: ~750 MB
- Genre: Survival
- Steam Review: Very Positive
Don’t Starve drops you as Wilson in a weird, random world full of science and magic. Survive by crafting, hunting, and fighting in a creepy, Tim Burton-style setting. Its unpredictable maps make it a top lightweight survival games choice for 2025.
7. FTL: Faster Than Light
- Size: ~200 MB
- Genre: Roguelike, Strategy
- Steam Review: Overwhelmingly Positive
FTL: Faster Than Light puts you in charge of a starship dodging rebels. Manage your crew, power, and weapons in semi-turn-based battles. With random galaxies and text-based choices, this roguelike games for low-end PCs keeps things fresh in 2025.
8. Plants vs. Zombies
- Size: ~100 MB
- Genre: Tower Defense
- Steam Review: Very Positive
PopCap’s Plants vs. Zombies is a classic where you use plants like peashooters to stop zombies across five maps. Its fun, simple gameplay makes it one of the best tower defense games under 1GB for chilling out in 2025.
9. Limbo
- Size: ~150 MB
- Genre: Puzzle-Platformer
- Steam Review: Very Positive
Limbo’s a spooky puzzle-platformer where you guide a boy through a black-and-white world. Its eerie feel and clever puzzles make it a great lightweight puzzle games pick for 2025, even if the second half slows a bit.
10. Vampire Survivors
- Size: ~400 MB
- Genre: Roguelike, Action
- Steam Review: Overwhelmingly Positive
Vampire Survivors, a 2022 indie star, is still killing it in 2025. Survive enemy waves by upgrading weapons in a pixel-art world. Its simple yet deep gameplay makes it a top action games under 1GB.
11. Hotline Miami
- Size: ~300 MB
- Genre: Action, Top-Down Shooter
- Steam Review: Overwhelmingly Positive
Hotline Miami’s fast, brutal top-down shooting and cool story are still a hit in 2025. Its tough gameplay and killer soundtrack make it a must for lightweight action games fans.
12. Valheim
- Size: ~1 GB
- Genre: Survival, Open World
- Steam Review: Overwhelmingly Positive
Valheim’s Viking survival world has random maps, crafting, and boss fights. Its smooth open-world gameplay and co-op mode make it a standout for open-world games under 1GB in 2025.
13. Undertale
- Size: ~200 MB
- Genre: RPG
- Steam Review: Overwhelmingly Positive
Undertale, Toby Fox’s 2015 gem, is a huge deal in 2025. This RPG lets you fight or spare enemies, changing the story. Its retro art, funny dialogue, and emotional plot make it a top indie RPGs for low-end PCs.
14. Portal
- Size: ~800 MB
- Genre: Puzzle, Platformer
- Steam Review: Overwhelmingly Positive
Valve’s Portal (2007) is a legend where you solve physics puzzles with a portal gun. With witty AI GLaDOS and clever design, it’s a perfect puzzle games for low-spec PCs in 2025.
15. Bastion
- Size: ~900 MB
- Genre: Action RPG
- Steam Review: Overwhelmingly Positive
Bastion, from Supergiant Games, is a 2011 action RPG with a colorful world and a narrator who reacts to your moves. Fight through a post-apocalyptic fantasy, upgrading gear. Its art and story make it a well-loved action RPGs under 1GB.
16. Brawlhalla
- Size: ~800 MB
- Genre: Fighting, Multiplayer
- Steam Review: Very Positive
Brawlhalla’s free-to-play 2D fighting has tons of characters and cross-platform multiplayer. It’s a fun, accessible choice for casual or competitive players in 2025.
17. We Were Here
- Size: ~900 MB
- Genre: Co-op, Puzzle
- Steam Review: Very Positive
We Were Here is a co-op puzzle game where you and a friend solve challenges in a creepy castle via communication. It’s a solid pick for duo gaming in 2025.
18. To the Moon
- Size: ~250 MB
- Genre: Narrative Adventure, RPG
- Steam Review: Overwhelmingly Positive
To the Moon follows two doctors diving into a dying man’s memories to grant his last wish. Its heartfelt story and retro RPG style make it a moving choice for 2025.
19. Ultrakill
- Size: ~1 GB
- Genre: FPS, Action
- Steam Review: Overwhelmingly Positive
Ultrakill’s retro FPS style mixes fast combat with slick mechanics, still in early access in 2025. Its tough gameplay is a hit for action fans.
20. Hollow Knight
- Size: ~900 MB
- Genre: Metroidvania, Action-Adventure
- Steam Review: Overwhelmingly Positive
Hollow Knight, a 2017 indie classic, is a Metroidvania where you explore a haunting world as a tiny knight. Its stunning art and tight gameplay make it one of the best indie games under 1GB in 2025.
This list of games under 1GB for PC is packed with variety, from RPGs to shooters, all running great on low-end systems. Check Steam’s Top 250 or the Games Under 1GB tag for more awesome picks.