Best games that need an i3 or i5-class processor: 25 ranked
An Intel Core i3 or i5, AMD FX or Ryzen 3, roughly a mainstream quad-core. Every game here names a minimum processor in this class, so a chip of this family can run it. Ranked by the GamingPickz Score, so the best-received sit at the top. This is a class, not an exact ranking: chip names do not order cleanly.
The games that need an i3 or i5-class processor on a map
Compare the whole catalogueThe same 25 games, plotted rather than listed. The two axes below are the ones the ranking is built from, so a game sitting high and right is a game the formula placed near the top. Change either axis to see the field a different way. Where we hold a publisher wordmark, the game is drawn as its mark rather than a dot.
25 games have both
Axes are fitted to these 25 games rather than the full 0 to 100 scale, because a filtered list shares a narrow band and would otherwise sit in one corner. End values are marked. A point on the left edge is the lowest of thesegames, not a low score.
Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.
Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.
- Multi-platform
- PC
- PlayStation
- Xbox
Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.
How positions are decided
No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data
- Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
- Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
- No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
- A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
- Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.
The short version
- Top pick: Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition, GamingPickz Score 8.8/10 from 205,637 player reviews and a critic aggregate of 93.
- 4 score 8.5 or above out of 133 ranked games that need an i3 or i5-class processor.
- Price range free to $69.99, median $19.99, with 23 free to play.
- 43 are Steam Deck Verified by Valve's own testing.
- 15 declare six or more accessibility features. Listed per game below.
At a glance
The top 12 side by side. Full entries below.
| # | Game | Minimum CPU | Score | Players | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition | Intel Core i5 | 8.8 | 96% (205,637) | $44.99 |
| 2 | Red Dead Redemption 2 | Intel® Core™ i5-2500K / AMD FX-6300 | 8.7 | 92% (911,659) | $14.99 |
| 3 | Inscryption | Intel Core i5-760 (4 * 2800); AMD Athlon II X4 645 AM3 (4 * 3100) | 8.6 | 97% (148,199) | $19.99 |
| 4 | Celeste | Intel Core i3 M380 | 8.5 | 97% (146,352) | $4.99 |
| 5 | Balatro | Intel Core i3 | 8.4 | 98% (197,690) | $14.99 |
| 6 | Content Warning | Intel Core i5 @ 2.5 GHz | 8.4 | 94% (162,949) | $4.95 |
| 7 | Buckshot Roulette | Intel Core i3 | 8.4 | 95% (125,085) | $1.49 |
| 8 | Dying Light | Intel® Core™ i5-2500 @3.3 GHz / AMD FX-8320 @3.5 GHz | 8.3 | 95% (494,569) | $24.99 |
| 9 | Little Nightmares | Intel CPU Core i3 | 8.3 | 95% (116,529) | $19.99 |
| 10 | Supermarket Together | Intel Core i5 | 8.3 | 94% (98,337) | Free |
| 11 | Crab Game | Intel Core i3 2,00 GHz | 8.2 | 91% (151,093) | Free |
| 12 | Beat Saber | Intel Core i5 Sandy Bridge | 8.2 | 95% (76,245) | $19.99 |
25 best games that need an i3 or i5-class processor, ranked
Ordered by GamingPickz Score. Every figure links back to the source that produced it.
- 1
Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition
Best for: The safest bet on this list, by weight of evidence
8.8GamingPickz Scorehigh confidenceDivinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition at a glance Released 2017 Studio Larian Studios Player sentiment 96% positive of 205,637 Critics 93/100 Price $44.99 Steam Deck verified Install size 60 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 96% shrinks to 96.0 on 205,637 reviews, then blends with the 93 critic aggregate, giving 8.8.
What the data supports- 96% positive across 205,637 reviews is a strong signal at that volume, where a few enthusiasts cannot move the number.
- Valve has tested it and rates it Verified on the Steam Deck.
Worth checking first- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
- 2
Red Dead Redemption 2
Best for: The safest bet on this list, by weight of evidence
8.7GamingPickz Scorehigh confidenceRed Dead Redemption 2 at a glance Released 2018 Studio Not recorded Player sentiment 92% positive of 911,659 Critics 93/100 Price $14.99 Steam Deck playable Install size 150 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 92% shrinks to 92.0 on 911,659 reviews, then blends with the 93 critic aggregate, giving 8.7.
What the data supports- 92% positive across 911,659 reviews is a strong signal at that volume, where a few enthusiasts cannot move the number.
Worth checking first- Carries in-game purchases. Check what they cost before committing.
- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
- 3
Inscryption
Best for: A consistently well-received pick in this category
8.6GamingPickz Scorehigh confidenceInscryption at a glance Released 2021 Studio Daniel Mullins Games Player sentiment 97% positive of 148,199 Critics 85/100 Price $19.99 Steam Deck playable Install size 3 GB Accessibility 0 declared features Raw 97% shrinks to 97.0 on 148,199 reviews, then blends with the 85 critic aggregate, giving 8.6.
What the data supports- 97% positive across 148,199 reviews is a strong signal at that volume, where a few enthusiasts cannot move the number.
- Small install at 3 GB.
Celeste at a glance Released 2018 Studio Not recorded Player sentiment 97% positive of 146,352 Critics 88/100 Price $4.99 Steam Deck verified Install size 1.17 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 97% shrinks to 97.0 on 146,352 reviews, then blends with the 88 critic aggregate, giving 8.5.
What the data supports- 97% positive across 146,352 reviews is a strong signal at that volume, where a few enthusiasts cannot move the number.
- Valve has tested it and rates it Verified on the Steam Deck.
- Small install at 1.17 GB.
Balatro at a glance Released 2024 Studio LocalThunk Player sentiment 98% positive of 197,690 Critics 90/100 Price $14.99 Steam Deck verified Install size 0.15 GB Accessibility 6 declared features Raw 98% shrinks to 98.0 on 197,690 reviews, then blends with the 90 critic aggregate, giving 8.4.
What the data supports- 98% positive across 197,690 reviews is a strong signal at that volume, where a few enthusiasts cannot move the number.
- Valve has tested it and rates it Verified on the Steam Deck.
- Small install at 0.15 GB.
- 6
Content Warning
Best for: Handheld play, small install and Deck verified
8.4GamingPickz Scoremedium confidenceContent Warning at a glance Released 2024 Studio Zorro Player sentiment 94% positive of 162,949 Critics No aggregate Price $4.95 Steam Deck verified Install size 4 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 94% shrinks to 94.0 on 162,949 reviews, giving 8.4. No critics data, so that weight was redistributed across the rest rather than counted as zero.
What the data supports- 94% positive across 162,949 reviews is a strong signal at that volume, where a few enthusiasts cannot move the number.
- Valve has tested it and rates it Verified on the Steam Deck.
- Cloud saves and cross-platform play, so progress follows you between machines.
Worth checking first- Multiplayer only. There is no solo mode to fall back on.
Buckshot Roulette at a glance Released 2024 Studio Mike Klubnika Player sentiment 95% positive of 125,085 Critics No aggregate Price $1.49 Steam Deck unsupported Install size 0.49 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 95% shrinks to 95.0 on 125,085 reviews, giving 8.4. No critics data, so that weight was redistributed across the rest rather than counted as zero.
What the data supports- 95% positive across 125,085 reviews is a strong signal at that volume, where a few enthusiasts cannot move the number.
- Small install at 0.49 GB.
Worth checking first- Valve rates it Unsupported on the Steam Deck.
- 8
Dying Light
Best for: The safest bet on this list, by weight of evidence
8.3GamingPickz Scorehigh confidenceDying Light at a glance Released 2015 Studio Not recorded Player sentiment 95% positive of 494,569 Critics 87/100 Price $24.99 Steam Deck verified Install size Not stated Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 95% shrinks to 95.0 on 494,569 reviews, then blends with the 87 critic aggregate, giving 8.3.
What the data supports- 95% positive across 494,569 reviews is a strong signal at that volume, where a few enthusiasts cannot move the number.
- Valve has tested it and rates it Verified on the Steam Deck.
Worth checking first- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
- 9
Little Nightmares
Best for: Handheld play, small install and Deck verified
8.3GamingPickz Scorehigh confidenceLittle Nightmares at a glance Released 2017 Studio Tarsier Studios Player sentiment 95% positive of 116,529 Critics 81/100 Price $19.99 Steam Deck verified Install size 10 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 95% shrinks to 95.0 on 116,529 reviews, then blends with the 81 critic aggregate, giving 8.3.
What the data supports- 95% positive across 116,529 reviews is a strong signal at that volume, where a few enthusiasts cannot move the number.
- Valve has tested it and rates it Verified on the Steam Deck.
- Small install at 10 GB.
Worth checking first- Players rate it well above critics, 95 against 81. Usually a sign it improved after launch, or that it delivers something reviewers undervalued.
- 10
Supermarket Together
Best for: Trying the genre without spending anything
8.3GamingPickz Scoremedium confidenceSupermarket Together at a glance Released 2024 Studio DeadDevsTellNoLies Player sentiment 94% positive of 98,337 Critics No aggregate Price Free Steam Deck playable Install size 7 GB Accessibility 0 declared features Raw 94% shrinks to 94.0 on 98,337 reviews, giving 8.3. No critics data, so that weight was redistributed across the rest rather than counted as zero.
What the data supports- Free to download, so trying it costs only time.
- Small install at 7 GB.
- 11
Crab Game
Best for: Trying the genre without spending anything
8.2GamingPickz Scoremedium confidenceCrab Game at a glance Released 2021 Studio Dani Player sentiment 91% positive of 151,093 Critics No aggregate Price Free Steam Deck playable Install size 0.2 GB Accessibility 0 declared features Raw 91% shrinks to 91.0 on 151,093 reviews, giving 8.2. No critics data, so that weight was redistributed across the rest rather than counted as zero.
What the data supports- 91% positive across 151,093 reviews is a strong signal at that volume, where a few enthusiasts cannot move the number.
- Free to download, so trying it costs only time.
- Small install at 0.2 GB.
Worth checking first- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
- Multiplayer only. There is no solo mode to fall back on.
Beat Saber at a glance Released 2018 Studio Beat Games Player sentiment 95% positive of 76,245 Critics 93/100 Price $19.99 Steam Deck unsupported Install size 0.2 GB Accessibility 0 declared features Raw 95% shrinks to 94.9 on 76,245 reviews, then blends with the 93 critic aggregate, giving 8.2.
What the data supports- Small install at 0.2 GB.
Worth checking first- Valve rates it Unsupported on the Steam Deck.
Crusader Kings III at a glance Released 2020 Studio Development Studio Player sentiment 90% positive of 143,235 Critics 91/100 Price $49.99 Steam Deck playable Install size 20 GB Accessibility 6 declared features Raw 90% shrinks to 90.0 on 143,235 reviews, then blends with the 91 critic aggregate, giving 8.1.
What the data supports- 90% positive across 143,235 reviews is a strong signal at that volume, where a few enthusiasts cannot move the number.
Worth checking first- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
- 14
Subnautica: Below Zero
Best for: Handheld play, small install and Deck verified
8.1GamingPickz Scoremedium confidenceSubnautica: Below Zero at a glance Released 2021 Studio Unknown Worlds Entertainment Player sentiment 90% positive of 108,227 Critics No aggregate Price $29.99 Steam Deck verified Install size 15 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 90% shrinks to 90.0 on 108,227 reviews, giving 8.1. No critics data, so that weight was redistributed across the rest rather than counted as zero.
What the data supports- 90% positive across 108,227 reviews is a strong signal at that volume, where a few enthusiasts cannot move the number.
- Valve has tested it and rates it Verified on the Steam Deck.
- 15
Firewatch
Best for: Handheld play, small install and Deck verified
8.1GamingPickz Scorehigh confidenceFirewatch at a glance Released 2016 Studio Campo Santo Player sentiment 91% positive of 99,328 Critics 81/100 Price $19.99 Steam Deck verified Install size 4 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 91% shrinks to 91.0 on 99,328 reviews, then blends with the 81 critic aggregate, giving 8.1.
What the data supports- Valve has tested it and rates it Verified on the Steam Deck.
- Small install at 4 GB.
Worth checking first- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
Planet Zoo at a glance Released 2019 Studio Frontier Developments Player sentiment 91% positive of 97,527 Critics 81/100 Price $44.99 Steam Deck playable Install size 16 GB Accessibility 0 declared features Raw 91% shrinks to 91.0 on 97,527 reviews, then blends with the 81 critic aggregate, giving 8.1.
- 17
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
Best for: Sinking a long time into one world
8.1GamingPickz Scorehigh confidenceMiddle-earth: Shadow of Mordor at a glance Released 2014 Studio Feral Interactive Player sentiment 93% positive of 96,948 Critics 84/100 Price $3.99 Steam Deck verified Install size 44 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 93% shrinks to 93.0 on 96,948 reviews, then blends with the 84 critic aggregate, giving 8.1.
What the data supports- Valve has tested it and rates it Verified on the Steam Deck.
- 18
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
Best for: A consistently well-received pick in this category
8.1GamingPickz Scorehigh confidenceHellblade: Senua's Sacrifice at a glance Released 2017 Studio Ninja Theory Player sentiment 90% positive of 76,521 Critics 83/100 Price $29.99 Steam Deck verified Install size 30 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 90% shrinks to 90.0 on 76,521 reviews, then blends with the 83 critic aggregate, giving 8.1.
What the data supports- Valve has tested it and rates it Verified on the Steam Deck.
Worth checking first- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
Love Is All Around at a glance Released 2023 Studio intiny Player sentiment 93% positive of 45,888 Critics No aggregate Price $9.99 Steam Deck playable Install size 16 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 93% shrinks to 92.9 on 45,888 reviews, giving 8.1. No critics data, so that weight was redistributed across the rest rather than counted as zero.
Worth checking first- Carries in-game purchases. Check what they cost before committing.
- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
- 20
Library Of Ruina
Best for: A consistently well-received pick in this category
8.1GamingPickz Scoremedium confidenceLibrary Of Ruina at a glance Released 2021 Studio ProjectMoon Player sentiment 94% positive of 44,826 Critics No aggregate Price $29.99 Steam Deck playable Install size 10 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 94% shrinks to 93.9 on 44,826 reviews, giving 8.1. No critics data, so that weight was redistributed across the rest rather than counted as zero.
What the data supports- Small install at 10 GB.
Worth checking first- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
- 21
Super Animal Royale
Best for: Trying the genre without spending anything
8.1GamingPickz Scoremedium confidenceSuper Animal Royale at a glance Released 2021 Studio Pixile Player sentiment 93% positive of 44,575 Critics No aggregate Price Free Steam Deck playable Install size 0.88 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 93% shrinks to 92.9 on 44,575 reviews, giving 8.1. No critics data, so that weight was redistributed across the rest rather than counted as zero.
What the data supports- Cloud saves and cross-platform play, so progress follows you between machines.
- Free to download, so trying it costs only time.
- Small install at 0.88 GB.
Worth checking first- Carries in-game purchases. Check what they cost before committing.
- Multiplayer only. There is no solo mode to fall back on.
- 22
The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe
Best for: Handheld play, small install and Deck verified
8.1GamingPickz Scoremedium confidenceThe Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe at a glance Released 2022 Studio Crows Crows Crows Player sentiment 94% positive of 36,046 Critics No aggregate Price $24.99 Steam Deck verified Install size 5 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 94% shrinks to 93.9 on 36,046 reviews, giving 8.1. No critics data, so that weight was redistributed across the rest rather than counted as zero.
What the data supports- Valve has tested it and rates it Verified on the Steam Deck.
- Small install at 5 GB.
- 23
Poppy Playtime
Best for: Trying the genre without spending anything
8.0GamingPickz Scoremedium confidencePoppy Playtime at a glance Released 2021 Studio Mob Entertainment Player sentiment 88% positive of 141,927 Critics No aggregate Price Free Steam Deck playable Install size 20 GB Accessibility 0 declared features Raw 88% shrinks to 88.0 on 141,927 reviews, giving 8.0. No critics data, so that weight was redistributed across the rest rather than counted as zero.
What the data supports- Free to download, so trying it costs only time.
Mortal Kombat 11 at a glance Released 2019 Studio NetherRealm Studios Player sentiment 88% positive of 116,064 Critics 82/100 Price $49.99 Steam Deck verified Install size Not stated Accessibility 6 declared features Raw 88% shrinks to 88.0 on 116,064 reviews, then blends with the 82 critic aggregate, giving 8.0.
What the data supports- Valve has tested it and rates it Verified on the Steam Deck.
Worth checking first- Carries in-game purchases. Check what they cost before committing.
- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
- 25
House Flipper
Best for: Handheld play, small install and Deck verified
8.0GamingPickz Scorehigh confidenceHouse Flipper at a glance Released 2018 Studio Empyrean Player sentiment 94% positive of 111,507 Critics 67/100 Price $24.99 Steam Deck verified Install size 6 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 94% shrinks to 94.0 on 111,507 reviews, then blends with the 67 critic aggregate, giving 8.0.
What the data supports- 94% positive across 111,507 reviews is a strong signal at that volume, where a few enthusiasts cannot move the number.
- Valve has tested it and rates it Verified on the Steam Deck.
- Small install at 6 GB.
Worth checking first- Players rate it well above critics, 94 against 67. Usually a sign it improved after launch, or that it delivers something reviewers undervalued.
How to choose between these
25 entries, six things that separate them
The ranking answers "which is best received". It cannot answer "which is best for you", because that depends on things no formula knows. Here is what actually separates these 25 games that need an i3 or i5-class processor, in the order worth thinking about it.
Check the sample size before the score
A score is only as good as the evidence under it. 21 of these have more than 50,000 player reviews, which makes their number very hard to move.
Look at where critics and players disagree
The widest gap here is House Flipper, where players sit above critics by 27 points. A gap that size usually means the game changed after launch, or that it does something critics undervalue. It is worth reading why before deciding which number you trust. The disagreement map plots this across the catalogue.
Decide what you are actually willing to spend
The median here is $19.99, and the cheapest paid entry is Buckshot Roulette at $1.49. Prices move constantly, so a game a place or two down the list is often the better buy this week. Filter by price below rather than assuming the top pick is the right purchase.
Match it to the hardware you own
13 of these are Steam Deck Verified by Valve's own testing, and install sizes vary by more than an order of magnitude. If you are choosing for a handheld or a drive that is nearly full, that narrows the field faster than any score.
Check it supports how you want to play
Solo, with a friend online, or two people on one sofa are different requirements, and a well-reviewed game that does not support yours is the wrong game. The filters below answer this directly.
Look for the things a score hides
3 declare six or more accessibility features, and 4 carry in-game purchases. Neither shows up in a review score, and both change the experience substantially. Each entry lists its own.
Choose one if…
Tick what matters to you. This filters the ranking above rather than reordering it, so the order you see is still the order the formula produced, minus the games that do not fit. Every filter reads a field from the game's own store listing.
Nothing selected, so all 25 games that need an i3 or i5-class processor are shown below. Pick one or more above to narrow it.
The best games that need an i3 or i5-class processor for a specific need
The ranking answers "which is best overall", which is rarely the actual question. These are the answers to the narrower ones, computed from the same scores, so a single pick is named for each.
- What is the best free games that need an i3 or i5-class processor?
- Supermarket Together, top of 4.
- What is the best cheap games that need an i3 or i5-class processor?
- Red Dead Redemption 2, top of 15.
- What is the best co-op games that need an i3 or i5-class processor?
- Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition, top of 7.
- What is the best single-player games that need an i3 or i5-class processor?
- Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition, top of 22.
- What is the best games that need an i3 or i5-class processor for the Steam Deck?
- Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition, top of 13.
- What is the best games that need an i3 or i5-class processor for a small hard drive?
- Inscryption, top of 19.
- What is the best accessible games that need an i3 or i5-class processor?
- Balatro, top of 3.
- What is the best games that need an i3 or i5-class processor to play with a controller?
- Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition, top of 14.
- What is the best offline games that need an i3 or i5-class processor?
- Inscryption, top of 16.
- What is the best games that need an i3 or i5-class processor with the most reviews?
- Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition, top of 21.
- What is the best free co-op games that need an i3 or i5-class processor?
- Supermarket Together, top of 3.
- What is the best cheap co-op games that need an i3 or i5-class processor?
- Red Dead Redemption 2, top of 5.
- What is the best single-player offline games that need an i3 or i5-class processor?
- Inscryption, top of 15.
- What is the best cheap games that need an i3 or i5-class processor for the Steam Deck?
- Celeste, top of 6.
- What is the best Steam Deck co-op games that need an i3 or i5-class processor?
- Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition, top of 3.
- What is the best highly rated cheap games that need an i3 or i5-class processor?
- Red Dead Redemption 2, top of 13.
- What is the best accessible single-player games that need an i3 or i5-class processor?
- Balatro, top of 3.
Why trust this list
Most "best games" lists are either one person's taste presented as fact, or an affiliate feed with the highest commission at the top. This is neither. It is a ranking of 133 games that need an i3 or i5-class processor computed from two third-party signals we did not generate, using a formula printed below.
Our team has played and reviewed games for over twenty years, somewhere around 3,000 titles across every generation since the PS1. That experience is what lets us tell you which of these numbers are worth trusting, but it is not what set the order. The formula did, and that is the right way round: a list ordered by one person's memory you have to take on trust, and this one you can check line by line.
The order comes out of the grid. Every game in the catalogue is placed on measured axes, each a number read from a named source rather than an opinion: player sentiment and its sample size, the critic aggregate, review volume, Wikipedia language editions, price, install size, Steam Deck rating, accessibility features. A ranked list is that grid collapsed to one dimension. The map on this page plots these same 25 games on two of those axes, so you can check the ranking against where each game actually sits.
None of the entries on this page carry a full written review from us yet. The score reflects how other people received the game. Where we do publish a review, it is marked and linked.
How the ranking works
This ranking is a projection of the same axes the grid plots, not a second scoring system. A game cannot be high on the grid and low here for a reason nobody can point at, because both read the same values. Every ranked game gets a GamingPickz Score out of 10, a weighted blend of the axes below, read directly from the code that computes the ranking so the published formula cannot drift from the applied one.
| Component | Weight | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Players | 52% | The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000. |
| Critics | 23% | Metacritic and OpenCritic aggregate, normalised to 0 to 100. |
| Popularity | 20% | A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it. |
| Reader likes | 5% | How many GamingPickz readers tapped the heart on the game, log-scaled to 0 to 100. This is the only signal here that comes from our own readers rather than a third party, so it carries a deliberately small weight and is a snapshot taken at the last build, not a live figure. A per-browser flag stops the same person liking twice; it is a popularity reaction, not a verified poll. |
Shrinkage is the part that matters most. Without it a game with nine reviews at 100 percent outranks a classic with 278,000 at 98. Player sentiment is pulled toward the catalogue average of 84 using a 400-review prior, in proportion to how thin the evidence is. Games with fewer than 50 reviews are excluded outright. No paid placement, no sponsored slots dressed as editorial, no hidden weighting.
games that need an i3 or i5-class processor by the numbers
The figures below describe all 133 entries on this page together, not the top pick. They are recomputed on every build, most recently on 19 October 2026, from 10,817,021 player reviews.
What the pricing looks like
100 of the 133 carry a listed US price, with a median of $24.99 and a mean of $27.82. The mean sitting above the median tells you the field is pulled up by a few expensive outliers. The cheapest is Buckshot Roulette at $1.49, the most expensive Need for Speed Heat at $69.99. 23 are free to download. 31 carry in-game purchases on top of whatever they cost. Prices are read hourly from the US Steam storefront and move constantly.
How much this field agrees with itself
Player sentiment spans 66 points across these 133 entries. That is a wide band, which means the position of an entry here genuinely matters rather than splitting hairs. 56 carry a critic aggregate, averaging 78 out of 100. Players rate this field 6 points higher than critics on average, which is worth knowing before you weigh either number. See where the two diverge.
Who makes them, and what they overlap with
The studios appearing most often here are Visual Concepts (4), Darkflow Software (3), NetherRealm Studios (3), Ubisoft Toronto (3) and Feral Interactive (2). The genres these entries also sit in are strategy (53), open-world (52), rpg (44), simulation (41), sandbox (36) and horror (34), which is a fair map of what you are actually choosing between.
Which way attention is moving
We track Wikipedia pageviews over 28 days for 34 of these. 16 are gaining attention and 9 are losing it, with the rest flat. Attention is not quality, and we do not feed it into the ranking. The full monitor shows the movements across the catalogue.
The other 108 games that need an i3 or i5-class processor
The 25 above are the top of the ranking. These 108 are the rest: games that ranked below the cut, and games with too few reviews or no store listing to be ranked at all.
Also catalogued
108 more games that need an i3 or i5-class processor, not yet reviewedNone of these carry a review yet. The rest are catalogue records: title, year, studio and platforms, sourced from Wikidata. They are not indexed by search engines, because a record is not a review.
- Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siegesource
- Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockoutsource
- No Man's Skysource
- Raftsource
- Lost Arksource
- Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Ordersource
- Borderlands 3source
- Batman: Arkham Knightsource
- Need for Speed Heatsource
- Total War: WARHAMMER IIIsource
- Mortal Kombat 11source
- MORDHAUsource
- Black Desertsource
- Deceitsource
- Manor Lordssource
- Party Animalssource
- Friday the 13th: The Gamesource
- Golf With Your Friendssource
- Planet Coastersource
- State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Editionsource
- Red Dead Onlinesource
- Minion Masterssource
- Mortal Kombat Xsource
- Sid Meier's Civilization VIIsource
- Liar's Barsource
Common questions
What is the best games that need an i3 or i5-class processor game?
Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition ranks first, with a GamingPickz Score of 8.8 out of 10 drawn from 205,637 player reviews and a critic aggregate of 93. That is a statement about how it was received, not a claim that it is the one you personally will enjoy most.
How is this ranking calculated?
The GamingPickz Score is 52% player sentiment adjusted for sample size, 23% the critic aggregate published on the game store page, 20% popularity, from review volume and Wikipedia language editions, 5% popularity, from review volume and Wikipedia language editions. Player sentiment is pulled toward the catalogue average of 83.7% using a 400-review prior, so a game with a handful of reviews cannot outrank one with hundreds of thousands. Nothing on this page is paid for and no placement can be bought.
How many games that need an i3 or i5-class processor are ranked here?
133 of them qualify. A game needs at least 50 player reviews to be scored, which excludes titles with too little evidence to place fairly.
Why is a game I love missing?
Three likely reasons. It has fewer than 50 player reviews, so it is excluded rather than ranked on noise. It has no Steam listing at all, which is normal for console and Nintendo exclusives. Or it is not in the catalogue yet.
Do you get paid for these placements?
No. Positions are computed from the formula above and nothing else. The site carries advertising, and advertisers can neither see nor influence this page. A position is not an endorsement, it is a measurement of reception.
How current is this?
Recomputed on every build from source data read on a stated date. This page was last rebuilt on 19 October 2026. Player review counts move daily, so positions in the middle of the list shift more than those at the top or bottom.
Which games need an i3 or i5-class processor?
133 games in our catalogue name a minimum processor in this class: An Intel Core i3 or i5, AMD FX or Ryzen 3, roughly a mainstream quad-core. Ranked here by the GamingPickz Score, and each game's minimum is read from its own Steam page.
What is the best free games that need an i3 or i5-class processor?
Supermarket Together is the best free games that need an i3 or i5-class processor, ranking 8.3 out of 10 on the GamingPickz Score. 4 of the 25 games that need an i3 or i5-class processor qualify.
What is the best cheap games that need an i3 or i5-class processor?
Red Dead Redemption 2 is the best cheap games that need an i3 or i5-class processor, ranking 8.7 out of 10 on the GamingPickz Score. 15 of the 25 games that need an i3 or i5-class processor qualify.
What is the best co-op games that need an i3 or i5-class processor?
Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition is the best co-op games that need an i3 or i5-class processor, ranking 8.8 out of 10 on the GamingPickz Score. 7 of the 25 games that need an i3 or i5-class processor qualify.
What is the best single-player games that need an i3 or i5-class processor?
Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition is the best single-player games that need an i3 or i5-class processor, ranking 8.8 out of 10 on the GamingPickz Score. 22 of the 25 games that need an i3 or i5-class processor qualify.
What is the best games that need an i3 or i5-class processor for the Steam Deck?
Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition is the best games that need an i3 or i5-class processor for the Steam Deck, ranking 8.8 out of 10 on the GamingPickz Score. 13 of the 25 games that need an i3 or i5-class processor qualify.
What is the best games that need an i3 or i5-class processor for a small hard drive?
Inscryption is the best games that need an i3 or i5-class processor for a small hard drive, ranking 8.6 out of 10 on the GamingPickz Score. 19 of the 25 games that need an i3 or i5-class processor qualify.
What is the best accessible games that need an i3 or i5-class processor?
Balatro is the best accessible games that need an i3 or i5-class processor, ranking 8.4 out of 10 on the GamingPickz Score. 3 of the 25 games that need an i3 or i5-class processor qualify.
What is the best games that need an i3 or i5-class processor to play with a controller?
Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition is the best games that need an i3 or i5-class processor to play with a controller, ranking 8.8 out of 10 on the GamingPickz Score. 14 of the 25 games that need an i3 or i5-class processor qualify.
What is the best offline games that need an i3 or i5-class processor?
Inscryption is the best offline games that need an i3 or i5-class processor, ranking 8.6 out of 10 on the GamingPickz Score. 16 of the 25 games that need an i3 or i5-class processor qualify.
What is the best games that need an i3 or i5-class processor with the most reviews?
Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition is the best games that need an i3 or i5-class processor with the most reviews, ranking 8.8 out of 10 on the GamingPickz Score. 21 of the 25 games that need an i3 or i5-class processor qualify.
What is the best free co-op games that need an i3 or i5-class processor?
Supermarket Together is the best free co-op games that need an i3 or i5-class processor, ranking 8.3 out of 10 on the GamingPickz Score. 3 of the 25 games that need an i3 or i5-class processor qualify.
What is the best cheap co-op games that need an i3 or i5-class processor?
Red Dead Redemption 2 is the best cheap co-op games that need an i3 or i5-class processor, ranking 8.7 out of 10 on the GamingPickz Score. 5 of the 25 games that need an i3 or i5-class processor qualify.
What is the best single-player offline games that need an i3 or i5-class processor?
Inscryption is the best single-player offline games that need an i3 or i5-class processor, ranking 8.6 out of 10 on the GamingPickz Score. 15 of the 25 games that need an i3 or i5-class processor qualify.
What is the best cheap games that need an i3 or i5-class processor for the Steam Deck?
Celeste is the best cheap games that need an i3 or i5-class processor for the Steam Deck, ranking 8.5 out of 10 on the GamingPickz Score. 6 of the 25 games that need an i3 or i5-class processor qualify.
What is the best Steam Deck co-op games that need an i3 or i5-class processor?
Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition is the best Steam Deck co-op games that need an i3 or i5-class processor, ranking 8.8 out of 10 on the GamingPickz Score. 3 of the 25 games that need an i3 or i5-class processor qualify.
What is the best highly rated cheap games that need an i3 or i5-class processor?
Red Dead Redemption 2 is the best highly rated cheap games that need an i3 or i5-class processor, ranking 8.7 out of 10 on the GamingPickz Score. 13 of the 25 games that need an i3 or i5-class processor qualify.
What is the best accessible single-player games that need an i3 or i5-class processor?
Balatro is the best accessible single-player games that need an i3 or i5-class processor, ranking 8.4 out of 10 on the GamingPickz Score. 3 of the 25 games that need an i3 or i5-class processor qualify.
Reader comments
No account needed. Links and spam are blocked automatically.
Get the weekly rundown
One email a week: what moved in the rankings, what launched, and what dropped in price. No more than that, and unsubscribing takes one click.
We send the weekly email and nothing else. Your address is never sold, shared or used to build a profile, and it is not readable by anyone visiting this site. See our privacy policy.