By If you could only play one game for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I asked myself the same question and came up with a bunch of titles that I’d like to call forever games.
These are games you can play forever, either without getting to an ending or without getting bored, at least not for thousands of hours.
If you check the Steam pages for these games, you’ll see that most of the reviews are from players who have spent more than a thousand hours in these games. Rest assured, if you find a game you like, you could spend even more time in these games.
Keep in mind that not every game in this list will match your taste. There are games from all kinds of genres here. But at a time when games are basically poorly designed cash grabs, these forever games will prove their worth over time.
1. Minecraft
Minecraft is the ultimate sandbox simulator for playing forever. Since you can generate unlimited worlds, the game will look different every time you start a new save.
With Minecraft, you are not restricted by a campaign mode or level cap. You get the freedom to play the game however you like and chase after your own goals. That’s what makes this the perfect game to play forever.
Of course, it’s not a game for everyone. But being able to play with friends, explore worlds created by other players, and mod support makes Minecraft a game that can deliver unlimited hours of enjoyment.
2. Factorio
Factorio is another game that’s definitely not everyone’s cup of tea. This game targets a very niche audience, but if you can get into the groove of this game, it will be an addiction you can’t recover from.
Factorio is a factory automation game with classic 2D-style visuals. This game allows you to put your creativity to the test and build massive factories to maximize efficiency. I know it sounds boring, but it’s surprisingly not.
Once you get the hang of how things work in the game, you won’t be able to stop playing this game. The freeplay mode in Factorio doesn’t have an ending. You can go as far as you want in terms of expanding and optimizing your factory. And there are scenarios to challenge yourself as well.
3. Baldur’s Gate 3
It takes about 100 to 200 hours to complete a playthrough of Baldur’s Gate 3, depending on how you approach quests and how far you want to explore. So, it’s not exactly a game without an ending. However, Baldur’s Gate 3 offers endless possibilities for roleplaying.
In each playthrough of Baldur’s Gate 3, you can approach the story from a different angle. You can play different characters, different races, and even approach the story as a good or evil character. You can team up with different companions, build relationships differently, and try different dialog options each time.
The choices you make in the game will have different consequences. The developers say that the game has 17,000 possible variations of endings. If you’re crazy enough to chase after those endings, this will very well be your forever game.
4. Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is probably the only game that no one can hate or dislike. This game is so wholesome and expansive that there’s something in there for everyone.
In Stardew Valley, you get to choose from a wide variety of activities, ranging from farming to fishing, mining, and raising animals to getting married to NPCs; there are so many things to do in this game.
What makes Stardew Valley a forever game is how you can start new playthroughs and chase after different playthroughs. There are also many different maps you can choose from to start a new save. And you can play together with friends too.
5. American Truck Simulator
American Truck Simulator is one of the few games that I never uninstall from my PC. I play this game occasionally when I need some time to unwind and relax.
American Truck Simulator is a very simple game. You just fill your truck with tonnes of cargo and drive it from point A to point B. But there’s something so engaging and calm about this gameplay loop.
This game works better if you have a wheel to play with. But I’ve played the game using a keyboard and mouse for years before getting a Logitech wheel to play with. Also, I know Euro Truck Simulator 2 is the most popular game, but I just love the vibe of the American roads and environments.
6. Elite Dangerous
There’s no better feeling than taking my ship out for asteroid mining while listening to a science podcast in the background. Elite Dangerous is one of my forever games that I will never get bored of.
Elite Dangerous is a sandbox spaceship simulation game. This game doesn’t have a campaign mode or quests. You can just buy a spaceship and go out and do anything you want. One of my favorite things to do in the game is asteroid mining. There’s also trading, combat, piracy, and exploration.
Elite Dangerous features a massive, one-to-one scale map of the Milky Way galaxy. Only about 0.07 of that map has been explored by players so far. Needless to say, you can do a whole lot of space exploration in this game for a very long time.
7. Project Zomboid
Project Zomboid is one of the most difficult games I’ve played. I died so many times in the first few playthroughs. But once I got into the groove, I couldn’t stop playing this game.
Project Zomboid is a hardcore survival sandbox game where you only get one chance to survive. If you die in the game, then it’s all over. You have to start from scratch. And everything in this game is out to kill you. Not just zombies, but a tiny scratch is enough to get sick and die.
Players are still coming up with creative ways to play Project Zomboid. Some try to build mobile bases, some create challenges, and then there are tons of mods for the game too.
8. Elder Scrolls Online
I wanted to include Skyrim in the list but chose to feature Elder Scrolls Online instead because this game is so much more massive than Skyrim in every way.
Elder Scrolls Online, or ESO, features a huge map that connects several different regions from all of the Elder Scrolls games together. You can freely explore all those areas.
When it comes to doing quests and missions, you can never really be done with this game. It has thousands of quests with full voice acting that will easily take thousands of hours to complete. Not to mention that you can also chase after achievements, complete map regions, and engage in all kinds of never-ending activities in this game.
9. Cities: Skylines
In this game, you can plan and build entire cities and then maintain them without letting them fall into chaos. Basically, you get to play God! But the catch is you will never be satisfied with the cities you build. So you will end up building one city after another, over and over again.
That’s what makes Cities: Skylines so addictive. This game is perfect for fans of city building and city management sims. There are so many DLCs available as well, expanding the capabilities and possibilities of the game.
Just keep in mind that the full game costs a pretty penny with all the DLCs. Be sure to wait for a sale to grab it.
10. No Man’s Sky
Apparently, there are more than 250 galaxies with 18 quintillion planets in No Man’s Sky. If you were to set a goal to explore each and every one of those planets, you’d probably never be done with this game in your lifetime.
No Man’s Sky is one of those games that keeps getting better every year. Thanks to its developer constantly dropping updates, this game is now much bigger than ever before. There are so many different things you can do in this game, including exploring space, building cool structures, exploring the depths of huge oceans, fishing, raising pets, and so much more.
11. Path of Exile 2
With Path of Exile 2 coming out of early access and going free-to-play in December 2026, it’s the perfect time to pick this one as your forever game.
Path of Exile 2 features a great campaign and lots of build possibilities to create different characters and playthroughs. But what makes it a forever game is the endgame system.
In Path of Exile 2, the game never ends. Once you reach endgame, you get to explore its map system with increasing difficulty to continue challenging yourself and grinding for better loot.
Other ARPGs like Diablo 4 and Grim Dawn also fall into this category, but PoE 2 will be the best choice, given how it has a long-term content support system.
12. Civilization 6
Even though I’m not a huge fan of 4X grand strategy games, I know how popular Civilization 6 really is among all kinds of players.
This game series has been around for decades and is still among the best games you can play for a very long time. Since the game is about building an empire across a huge map, you get to approach this game in many different ways, allowing you to play it countless times, over and over again.
Plus, Civ 6 also has a series of expansions and DLCs that add more to the core gameplay loop.
13. Kenshi
Kenshi is another survival sandbox simulation game but with a very different approach.
In this game, you get to live the life of a nobody. You start with nothing, and you must slowly build your skills and choose your own path.
The brutal and hardcore survival mechanics of this game are what make it unique. You could lose everything in an instant. Surviving in this massive sandbox is not easy either. But it gives you full freedom to play the game and control your character however you want.
There are so many different activities, professions, and roles you can play in this game. The possibilities are endless.
14. Deep Rock Galactic
Deep Rock Galactic uses procedural generation for each mission. This means every time you go on a mission, it will look and feel different. This alone makes this game worthy of thousands of hours.
But my favorite thing about Deep Rock Galactic is playing co-op with my family. It just brings out a fun side in every one of us.
In Deep Rock Galactic, you simply play as space dwarves going on mining missions deep beneath the surface. You bring out the loot and use it to upgrade your gear and skills. It’s very simple yet one of the most fun games you can play for a long time.
15. Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 has multiple endings and tons of side gigs that will allow you to continue playing the game for a very long time, even after reaching all the endings.
There are also other ways you can keep playing this game. Especially the approach of creating different types of character builds, roleplaying, choosing different companions, or playing good vs evil allows you to play Cyberpunk 2077 for dozens of playthroughs.
So far, I’ve played Cyberpunk 2077 five different times, and I still don’t feel like I’m done with this game.
16. Starfield
I know Starfield gets a lot of hate, but the endgame system of this game is quite unique, and it kind of makes Starfield a forever game.
In Starfield, after you finish the campaign and reach the ending, you get a chance to start over in a new universe. It’s sort of like a New Game Plus mode, but in this game, every time you start over, you will enter a new universe/timeline where some things are different.
For example, in some universes, the main characters will have swapped roles. Or in some universes, the characters will be fully replaced by children.
I kept trying this mechanic to see where I’d end up. It was fun and exciting, but it did get a bit boring after a while. That’s the reason the game is ranked all the way down here.
