The best laptop-friendly PC games you can play without any peripherals

Plenty of situations require you to travel light, armed with a thin laptop like the ROG Zephyrus G14 and nothing else. If you want to game on the go without dragging a mouse or controller with you, don’t worry: there’s plenty you can play with just your laptop’s built-in keyboard and trackpad.

Balatro

Image source: Gamesplanet

Balatro is a unique card game that lures you in with the Trojan horse premise of being “poker with a twist.” The twist is that it’s not really poker; it’s a math game where you figure out how to make a simple two-pair hand worth 40 billion times more than a royal flush. If you’re a gambler who loves complex mental math, Balatro is an addiction waiting to happen. With no quick reactions required, it’s the perfect game for a laptop trackpad. Grab it at Gamesplanet or play it on Microsoft’s Game Pass.

Blue Prince

Image source: Gamesplanet

Blue Prince is a first-person puzzler where you build ever-changing rooms in a house that transforms according to chance. The goal is to reach a secret room in the house. If you don’t reach it by day’s end, you start over from scratch the next day. For folks who love quirky puzzles and adore the rush of pure luck saving the day, Blue Prince is a one-of-a-kind homebuilding simulator. Plus, it’s a fully 3D game you can play with just a trackpad and laptop keyboard since it doesn’t require speedy reflexes. You can buy it on Gamesplanet or play it on Microsoft’s Game Pass.

The Civilization Series

Image source: Gamesplanet

In the Civilization games, you guide a nation from infancy to world domination. Whether that’s cultural, scientific, militaristic, economic, or philosophical domination is up to you. Each of the Civilization games puts a unique spin on this premise, meaning whether you go with the newest entry, Civilization 7, the micromanagement-focused Civilization 6, or the addictively straightforward Civilization 5, you’ll get a fresh experience. All can be played with just a trackpad. And Civilization 6 is optimized for touch controls, too, making it perfect for ROG Flow Z13 owners and anyone rocking a laptop with a touchscreen. You can grab all these Civilization games (and more) on Gamesplanet.

Sultan’s Game

Sultan’s Game is a meta-narrative game in which you must play cards for the amusement of a cruel sultan. These cards determine the fate of your family and fellow citizens, meaning you’re in a race to beat the game while inflicting minimal suffering on everyone you care about. It’s a psychological horror-thriller experience like no other, making it perfect for gamers with a dark side. If you dare, you can buy Sultan’s Game and play it with nothing but your trackpad.

Sonic Mania

Image source: Gamesplanet

When you’ve gotta go fast and only have a laptop’s keyboard to play with, Sonic Mania will give you your adrenaline fix. It’s a straightforward platformer that hearkens back to Sonic’s 90s days, keeping the focus on speed and simplicity. But even though all you do is run and jump, Mania makes it abundantly clear why Sonic the Hedgehog is the wildest series in gaming. You’ll dash through labyrinthian movie studios, snow-coated printing presses, and other wacky biomes in your race to stop Eggman’s villainous creations. While a gamepad is the best way to experience Sonic Mania, a keyboard will do just fine as well. You can pick up Sonic Mania on Gamesplanet.

5D Chess With Multiverse Time Travel

Should high-level chess stop entertaining you, 5D Chess With Multiverse Time Travel will reignite your passion for the game. It lets you move pieces to boards in parallel timelines, which spawns multiple active, overlapping chess games. You’ll checkmate enemy kings in the past, find out what a “quadragonal move” is, and much more, all with nothing but a trackpad. If you’re ready for the most satisfying headache of your life, 5D Chess With Multiverse Time Travel is available now.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy

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If you’re hounding for an ultra-engrossing time sink that can run on just about any laptop, check out Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy. It packs three very lengthy games wherein you play as the titular Phoenix Wright, an attorney who routinely gets wrapped up in the most preposterous legal proceedings. For gamers who want to be the star of some truly wild anime-flavored legal dramas, this trilogy (and its many sequels) is a no-brainer. All you need is a laptop keyboard and trackpad to rule the courtroom. You can buy Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy and its successors on Gamesplanet.

Orwell: Keeping an Eye On You

Image source: Xbox Store

Orwell: Keeping an Eye On You is a narrative-focused interactive look at how the deep state manipulates society through Internet activity. If you want to exercise total control over private citizens’ lives via an in-game web browser, there is no better morally dubious power trip than Orwell: Keeping an Eye On You. And thanks to the game’s browser-inspired UI, it’s optimally designed for laptop play sans peripherals. Buy it over on the Xbox store.

Gris

Image source: Gamesplanet

Gris is the game for anyone in need of an atmospheric platformer that can be easily managed with a laptop keyboard. Every level is a living watercolor painting that you can interact with, ensuring you witness visuals unlike anything you’ve seen before. And it’s only a few hours long, so it’s a perfect arthouse experience to snack on between bigger games. You can buy Gris on Gamesplanet.

Alternatively: Pack an ROG Ally for even lighter gaming on the go

If you want to travel even lighter and don’t need the functional versatility of a laptop, consider gaming on the go with an ROG Ally. This Windows-powered handheld has a proper gamepad built into its design, meaning you’ll have thumbsticks and face buttons to play PC games that require complex inputs. Whether you want to play AAA stunners, indie darlings, or anything in between, the ROG Ally is ready to revolutionize your portable PC gaming experience. Take a look at our favorite ROG Ally games to get an idea of what’s possible on the powerful gaming handheld.