Best Stadia Games 2021

Even though it's still in Early Access, Larian's Baldur's Gate 3 is already shaping up to be another RPG masterpiece from one of the greats of the genre. The developers behind the critically-acclaimed Divinity: Original Sin series have taken the reins of the iconic Dungeons & Dragons universe in this amazing feast of turn-based tactics and wonderful storytelling. It also plays great on Stadia via PC and has surprisingly good controller support. It's not on consoles yet so this is the only way to play the game right now without a gaming PC.

There have been many great Assassin's Creed games, and a lot of them are on Stadia, but the recent Valhalla is excellent in its own right. It's an epic Viking story that puts you in the shoes of Eivor, a viking warrior hellbent on revenge and conquering the lands of England. It continues the franchise's diversion into the open-world RPG genre and streamlines many elements to make for one of the best in the entire series to date. If you sign up for Ubisoft on Stadia, you can play a ton of Assassin's Creed games for one low subscription fee.

As the first games on Stadia to employ the innovative new State Share feature, the Hitman games are must-plays for sure. They collectively offer incredible moments of espionage that make you feel like a master assassin and they're some of the best looking games on the platform. Hitman 3 is the latest, and best, with Hitman 1-2 both available at no extra cost with a Stadia Pro membership.

Here's your family-friendly entry on the list. Think of Crayta like a combination of the world-building and game creation tool set of something like Roblox, but it's distilled down into an accessible and appealing format with Fortnite-style visuals. You can crack open the editor on PC to really get into the nuts and bolts or just hop on for some quick and easy fun with friends. Crayta is whatever you want it to be.

Have you ever wanted to play hide and seek with a serial killer? Then have we got the game for you! Four survivors must stealthily repair generators to escape from being trapped in a creepy arena with a deranged killer, who is also controlled by another player. This unique, asymmetrical multiplayer format makes for one of the most tense and terrifying games out there. Crossplay means you'll always find a match with players across Stadia, PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, and Xbox systems.

The ability to play Bungie's popular first-person shooter on your phone is one of the most exciting things about Stadia. The base game and its two expansions are currently free with your Stadia account so you can test out the systems and explore the game's strange worlds on your own or with friends. Once you've honed your skills, you can start getting competitive with PvP or buy some of the expansions to keep the adventure going.

Fight off demons with a shoulder-mounted flamethrower, retractable wrist-mounted blade, and other ridiculous weaponry in the latest version of the first-person shooter. You can also test your PvP skills by taking on two friends playing demons.

As the only true MMO on Stadia, Elder Scrolls Online doesn't have a lot of competition. Luckily, it's also one of the best MMOs on the market, period. With the Stadia version, you get ultimate flexibility and can play on your TV, PC, or even on your phone. Turning in dailies and completing quick quests on mobile is super simple and makes it a great game to play in both short spurts and long all-night sessions alike. No mandatory subscription fee is nice too.

Every best games list needs a solid racing title and GRID fits the bill perfectly. It has an excellent blend between arcade-style racing and simulation mechanics offering something that's not too easy but not too complex. Visually it's stunning and it even has a Stadia-exclusive mode that can cram up to 40-players into a single race. It gets very intense very quickly.

Play as characters from throughout the fighting game's long history or test your moves with some famous new challengers like the Joker and Spawn. This version also provides a new custom character variation system where the more you play, the more looks and moves you unlock.

You might not know much about Outcasters, but every Stadia user should have this one in their library as a regular part of their rotation. It combines twin-stick shooter gameplay with cute and squishy characters reminiscent of Fall Guys for a party-style multiplayer battle game that features tense action and quick matches.

Play as an outlaw trying to survive in the waning days of the Wild West in this sprawling open-world game. Make your choices carefully as you try to keep your gang together while evading lawmen.

Stadia may not have any of the Dark Souls games just yet, but you can enjoy From Software's latest outing with Sekiro, which has refined the formula to a sharpened edge. This game really pushes Stadia to its limits as a platform due to how demanding the split-second timing requirements are for parrying and attacking. It's a great game, but not if your internet connection is anything but rock-solid.

This is one of the best Star Wars games in years with an original storyline, all-new characters, and a challenging form of Jedi combat we haven't seen before. Parrying, evading, and using your Force powers to take down Sith, Stormtroopers, droids, and all-manner of wildlife will keep you on your toes across this adventure from a galaxy far, far away.