20 Replayable Singleplayer Games

I’m not that big on replaying games. More often than not, I feel that I’ve fully experienced a game on my first playthrough – and so any subsequent playthrough would be boring and meaningless. I always try to experience new media wherever possible.

In my many years of gaming, however, there are some games that are begging to be replayed. Whether it’s the fluidity of their gameplay or the freedom offered to players, these twenty titles (which are in a random order!) were the ones I kept coming back to again and again.

Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:

29 Great Detective Games

About Me: Video Games

Top 20 Videogame Worlds

Every “Elden Ring” Area Ranked

Honourable Mentions

Before we jump into things, I wanted to shout out some of the games which I think don’t qualify for this list. While all of these are replayable, these are the titles where replayability is baked into the game design.

Hades (And Other Roguelikes)

For games like “Hades”, “Balatro”, “Ball x Pit”, “The Binding of Isaac” and “Vampire Survivors”, it would be weird if you didn’t replay them. Going on multiple runs is the whole point of roguelikes.

While these games are lots of fun – levelling up your characters so that each run is stronger makes for an insanely addicting gameplay loop – I’ve never felt the urge to go back and replay the whole game. After reaching the highest levels, after grinding to the strongest builds, why should I start from the very bottom again?

Minecraft (And Other Procedurally Generated Games)

If we’re looking at singleplayer games I’ve put the most hours into, then it’s no contest – procedurally generated games offer almost endless content, and replayability is a must.

Games like “Minecraft”, “Factorio” and “Satisfactory” could last forever if you really wanted them too … so it felt like cheating to include them in this list. I’m looking for singleplayer games where replayability is an added bonus, not part of the game design.

These types of games are better when multiplayer, anyway.

Scritchy Scratchy (And Other “Incremental” Games)

The third and final niche I want to look at is the “Incremental” type of games. Think “Scritchy Scratchy”, “Nebulock”, “Cookie Clicker” or “Shelldiver”. The controls are basic and the milestones come thick and fast.

They’re often short, addicting games with simple gameplay loops – similar to roguelikes, now that I think about it. I’ll often play these types of games more than once, a couple of years apart (on a rainy day, perhaps).

“Incremental” games are great time-wasters … but I’m looking to highlight singleplayer games with more substance.

Right, let’s crack on with the real list!

Celeste

Platformers are always among the most replayable games. They tend to be far more gameplay-focused than story, and their tight mechanics and increasing challenge are always fun to conquer multiple times.

“Celeste” is a fast-paced platformer I’ve returned to again and again. I love how every chapter introduces a new mechanic, and the sheer number of stuff to do – B-sides, C-sides and collectibles – makes every replay a blast.

Elden Ring

Weirdly, I don’t find most open world games that replayable. Once I’ve explored every corner of the world, doing every side quest and getting the most out of a single playthrough, there’s often no point in doing the same thing again.

But that’s what’s so great about “Elden Ring” – the sheer amount of customizability on builds is staggering. There’s always a new weapon or spell to try, and you may even stumble across a side quest you accidentally skipped the first time.

This might be a hot take, but I actually found “Elden Ring” to be more fun on replay. Crazy, I know. Once I knew the world like the back of my hand, and once I figured out the bosses’ attack patterns, I found the power fantasy of conquering The Lands Between to be utterly thrilling.

Stardew Valley

“Stardew Valley” should not be a replayable game. Once you’ve maxed your farm and gotten cozy with the locals, there’s no reason to do it all over again … but goddammit I keep wanting to do it all over again!

There’s something so charming about the farming, socializing, exploration and mystery-solving gameplay loop. Never before had a 2D world felt so real.

Arkham Knight

All of the Arkham games come under the “replayable” banner, for one very important reason – their combat slaps. The fluidity of Batman’s dodges and punches has been replicated in many action games since, but never topped.

My favourite of the Arkham series would be “Arkham Knight”, with “Arkham City” a close second. There are lots of quests and collectibles to throw yourself at, and I personally loved cruising through the streets of Gotham in the Batmobile.

The Talos Principle 2

“The Talos Principle 2” is one of the weirder selections for this list because it’s a puzzle game. If you can remember the solution to each puzzle, then replaying the game is pointless – but the wonderful thing about this game is that it’s unexpectedly huge.

I’ve replayed this game about three times now, and I can never remember all of the solutions to the hundreds – and I mean hundreds – of puzzles. There’s twelve major areas in the game, each with a new gameplay mechanic to add to the complexity, and there are bonus puzzles in each area for the true try-hards.

The first game isn’t as replayable, sadly, because of its dreadful ending … but you don’t need to play that one – you can just jump straight into the second. And the DLCs, especially “Isle of the Blessed”, are also worth picking up.

Ghost of Tsushima

Open world games can be hit or miss in terms of replayability, as more often than not they’re filled with pointless content to bloat the runtime. One game that’s all killer no filler, however, is “Ghost of Tsushima”.

There’s something so relaxing about chasing the foxes to their dens through the long grass, or composing haiku above a waterfall – and those are the less interesting activities on offer. You’ll also duel champions, complete side quests for citizens and, most importantly of all, take town patrolling Mongol forces or clear out their camps.

I recently replayed the game from start to finish on Lethal Mode. It’s basically a “glass cannon” mode, where you deal and take way more damage (it’s essentially a one-shot kill for both you and your enemies), but it completely changes the way you play the game and – dare I say – makes it more fun. I’d highly recommend giving this game mode a try, even if you’re a noob gamer like me.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

As soon as I finished playing “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33”, I played it again – and went for the 100% that time. I’ve never replayed a game so quickly after beating it. Better still, I then played it through a third time a few months later. Now that we’re a year on, I’m tempted to give it a fourth go. Its allure is just too strong.

The replayability comes purely from its combat. I loved finding new OP builds to use and new team rosters to fight with, and the more you play this game – and master the parry timings – the more fun it gets. It’s a dance with death that you can actually win.

If you’ve played but haven’t 100% completed this game yet, do it! Some of the side content – especially the hidden, late-game bosses – are exceptional.

Hollow Knight

Soulslikes, when done well, tend to be some of the most replayable games that money can buy. There’s something so immensely satisfying about going back to conquer a world that once gave you grief.

“Hollow Knight” is an exceptional Soulslike, and its exploration and combat are impressive enough to warrant multiple playthroughs. There are multiple endings you can get based on how much of the game you complete – in other words, there’s no reason not to replay this game at least a couple of times.

DOOM Eternal

This list is in no particular order, but if it was then “DOOM Eternal” would be at least in my top three, if not at the number one spot. I’ve completed the campaign at least half a dozen times by this point.

If there was one game I’d take to a desert island and replay for all eternity, it’s this one. The rip-and-tear gun combat is the best I’ve ever seen, and it’s so satisfying to master all of the mechanics on offer.

Prey

I completely slept on “Prey”, both on release and when I played it for the first time. I didn’t finish that playthrough for whatever reason … but when I returned to it many years later, I fell in love with the open-ended game design.

You can approach every zone in “Prey” in unique ways – so much so that no two playthroughs can possibly be the same. This is a great example of a singleplayer sandbox, where your imagination is one of the major limitations to your enjoyment.

Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2

I genuinely can’t remember how many times I’ve replayed both the “Super Mario Galaxy” games. These were the feel-good games of my childhood, and I’ve gone back to them again and again over the years. They would be up there with “Skyrim” and “DOOM Eternal” as my most replayed games ever.

I had never seen such creativity in a platforming game before. Across both games, there are 240 Power Stars to collect – some are naturally better than others, but the whole experience is so charming and replayable.

Middle-Earth: Shadow of War

“Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor” was one of my most replayed games during the Xbox 360 era, but its sequel “Shadow of War” was incredibly disappointing. Its late-game was bogged-down by lootboxes and an insane difficulty ramp, and as a result I didn’t replay it for years.

I bought it for PC on a whim a few years ago, however, and I haven’t looked back. The late-game grind and (most of) the lootboxes got patched out, which turned it into a much more balanced experience.

This is the definitive version of the Nemesis System – hunting these quirky orcs and adding them to your army creates an endlessly replayable loop. Even if the endgame is still a bit grindy.

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit

I’m not a fan of games where you race cars. Games where you crash cars, on the other hand, I can get behind.

I’ve loved wrecking cars and pumping the nitrous ever since I first played “Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit” as a kid, and it’s a title I’ll go back to every now and again. The controls and mechanics are simple – it’s all about causing as much damage, and having as much fun, as possible.

Grand Theft Auto V

No, I’m not just talking about the multiplayer of “Grand Theft Auto V” – but that does provide endless hours of content. For the sake of this list, I’m talking about its exceptional singleplayer campaign.

Los Santos is one of the best sandbox open worlds I’ve ever experienced, and this crime story has dozens of thrilling moments. Even if you don’t do the main story and just cruise around, making money by questionable means, you can have hundreds of hours of fun.

Resident Evil 4

Survival Horror games are more fun to replay than you’d think. I had a great time about a year ago replaying “Silent Hill 2” and “The Evil Within” … but the best Survival Horror series also happens to be the most replayable.

You can’t go wrong with replaying any “Resident Evil” title – the RE2 Remake and “Village” are two games I’ve played through many times – but “Resident Evil 4” (either the original or the remake, take your pick) is the most replayable RE game by a country mile. Which is impressive for this series.

RE4 leans away from Survival Horror and becomes a cheesy action romp with horror elements. The combat is electric, the level design is incredible, and the variety in locations – as well as the slow ramp-up of difficulty – makes every playthrough a thrill.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

If we’re talking about games I’ve played fully, from beginning to final boss, then “Skyrim” is up there on my personal replayability ranking. But if we’re talking the pure number of replay hours, then this is my most replayed game of all time. More so than “Super Mario Galaxy” or “DOOM Eternal”.

I bought “Skyrim” near its release in 2011, and I’ve played it roughly once per year since. I now have dozens of playthroughs of this game, each one with varying levels of overall completion. Sometimes I do the main questline, sometimes I ignore it. The player freedom is what I always appreciate most.

If you choose to go deep with “Skyrim”, you’ll be shocked at how much side content is on offer. There are what feels like hundreds of quests and goals, and if you include the two DLCs then there must be at least a hundred hours of gameplay.

And if you ever get bored, the modding community is still as strong as ever!

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

I mean, c’mon. Every kid wanted to be a Jedi at one point or another growing up. Once I finished either “Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order” or its fantastic sequel “Survivor” I just had to play them all over again. The developers captured the power fantasy of The Force so well.

If I had to pick a game out of the two to replay right now, it would be “Survivor”. It’s bigger, the gameplay has expanded, and the world(s) exploration and traversal is a delight.

Control

Remedy have become one of the best modern gaming companies, but their other recent release “Alan Wake 2” isn’t very replayable. It’s a slow-burn story, and once you know the plot beats there’s not much of a reason to return.

Their other major modern franchise, however, has replayability in spades. “Control” came out of nowhere in 2019 – it’s the story of a woman who uses telekinetic powers to fight off The Hiss, and the gameplay is fantastic.

What I appreciated most on replay, however, is the design of the FBC. The Bureau is packed full of lore and oddities if you go looking for it – the more I spent in its twisting, changing halls, the more I wanted to dig deeper.

Halo: Reach

“Halo: Reach” was one of the first games I ever got on Xbox 360, alongside the first “Assassin’s Creed”. While one of those games was more of a one-and-done experience, the other was a game I returned to again and again.

“Reach” is set in an era where Spartans are still going strong, and so it’s amazing to fight off the Covenant with your armour-clad teammates. There are some incredible set-pieces across the game, and I remember replaying the final mission dozens of times.

Black Mesa

It’s poetic, I think, to end this randomized list with the game I replayed most recently – “Black Mesa”, the “Half Life” remake.

I never expected this to be a title I returned to. Its levels are linear, and it doesn’t have the crazy physics engine that “Half Life 2” boasts. What it does have, however, is some really engaging level design.

This is a game that rarely holds your hand – you have to work out the path forwards on your own, and the action and horror elements means there’s never a dull moment.

Aaaand that’s my list! If you liked this post and want to support me, please consider giving me a one-time donation. Even a few pence (or whatever currency you use) is fantastic! I’ve never monetized this blog before, but it would be great if I could do this comfortably and not have to worry about the yearly website domain costs. Thank you so much!