After revisiting dozens of titles from one of the most important years in PC gaming history, nine games from 2000 stand out as still genuinely worth playing in 2026. Some have received official remasters, some live on through community patches and the GOG catalog, and some have simply aged with a quiet grace.
The list below covers genres from city building to competitive shooters. Where the original is hard to run, we note the modern release that captures the experience.
Comparison Table
| Game | Genre | Modern Source | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Sims | Life simulation | EA App / Steam | Players who like creative sandboxes |
| Diablo II | Action RPG | Battle.net (D2 Resurrected) | Loot-loop fans |
| Counter-Strike 1.6 | Tactical FPS | Steam | Competitive shooter pioneers |
| Half-Life: Counter-Strike Mods Era | Mod platform | Steam | Modding history fans |
| Deus Ex | Immersive sim | GOG / Steam | Story and choice gamers |
| Hitman: Codename 47 | Stealth | GOG / Steam | Sandbox stealth fans |
| SimCity 3000 | City building | GOG | City builder genre fans |
| Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn | CRPG | GOG / Steam (Enhanced) | Story-rich RPG fans |
| Thief II: The Metal Age | Stealth | GOG / Steam | First-person stealth players |
Maxis The Sims - Verdict
The Sims invented the modern life simulation genre in February 2000 and remained the best-selling PC game in history for over a decade. The original blend of dollhouse aesthetics, dark humor, and surprising emergent storytelling still holds up in 2026. Watching a Sim slowly fail at basic life management while you tweak their living room remains uniquely entertaining.
The original Sims is now superseded by The Sims 4, which captures the same spirit with modern features. For nostalgia or genre history, the original packaged with expansions remains available on the EA App. The pixel art and chunky polygonal Sims have aged into a charming retro aesthetic rather than feeling embarrassing. Gameplay loops around career progression, family creation, and architectural creativity still satisfy. Originally developed by Maxis under Will Wright’s direction.
Available from: Electronic Arts
Blizzard Diablo II - Verdict
Diablo II launched in June 2000 and established the action RPG template that still defines the genre 25 years later. The Diablo II Resurrected remaster from 2021 brought the original to modern systems with updated graphics and the ability to toggle between modern and classic visuals. The core loot loop, character builds, and intense difficulty curve remain intact.
The game suits players who enjoy long-term character progression and trading economies. Diablo II’s Ladder system on Battle.net still draws active competitive communities. Five character classes offer significantly different builds, and the random map generation extends replayability indefinitely. The dark medieval setting, gothic art direction, and Matt Uelmen’s atmospheric soundtrack create one of the most cohesive moods in PC gaming history. Developed by Blizzard North.
Available from: Battle.net (Diablo II Resurrected)
Valve Counter-Strike 1.6 - Verdict
Counter-Strike began life as a Half-Life mod in 1999 and was acquired by Valve in 2000, with version 1.0 released as a retail product later that year. The 1.6 iteration that followed defined competitive PC FPS for over a decade. Hostage rescue, bomb defusal, and assassination modes set templates other shooters still build on.
The modern Counter-Strike 2 release brings the formula forward with current graphics while preserving the careful timing, recoil patterns, and economy that defined the original. Players seeking the authentic 2000 feel can still find Counter-Strike 1.6 servers active in 2026. Map names like Dust, Aztec, and de_train remain in active rotation across the franchise. The skill ceiling has barely moved, and learning recoil control still takes weeks of practice. Developed originally by Minh Le and Jess Cliffe before Valve acquired it.
Available from: Steam
Valve Half-Life Modding Era - Verdict
Year 2000 marked the peak of the Half-Life modding era, with Counter-Strike, Day of Defeat, Team Fortress Classic, and dozens of other community mods establishing the platform as the most influential modding base in PC gaming. Half-Life itself launched in 1998, but the year 2000 was when its modding ecosystem genuinely matured.
Modern players can experience this era through the Half-Life Anniversary edition on Steam, which includes the original game and links to many community mods still maintained today. The Source ports and remasters preserve the original gameplay while updating the rendering pipeline. For PC gaming history fans, this is essential context. Developed by Valve under Gabe Newell.
Available from: Steam
Ion Storm Deus Ex - Verdict
Deus Ex launched in June 2000 and pioneered the immersive sim genre by giving players meaningful choices in how to approach each objective. Stealth, hacking, social engineering, and direct combat were all viable, and the world responded to your decisions in ways that still feel ahead of many modern games. The cyberpunk plot involving conspiracies, nanotechnology, and global power struggles remains compelling.
The Game of the Year Edition on GOG and Steam includes community patches that fix resolution and compatibility issues, and the gameplay loop holds up well in 2026. The voice acting and graphics have aged, but the writing and design choices have aged remarkably well. Players who enjoyed Cyberpunk 2077, Prey 2017, or the Dishonored series owe much of that lineage to Deus Ex. Developed by Ion Storm Austin under Warren Spector.
Available from: GOG.com
IO Interactive Hitman: Codename 47 - Verdict
The first Hitman game launched in November 2000 and established the bald assassin franchise that continues to this day with Hitman 3 and World of Assassination. Codename 47 is rougher than later entries, with brutal difficulty and unforgiving missions, but the core loop of disguising, planning, and silently eliminating targets is recognizable.
Modern players will find the controls awkward compared to current Hitman games, and many recommend starting with Hitman: Blood Money or the recent World of Assassination trilogy instead. For series history and a glimpse of the sandbox stealth concept in its rawest form, Codename 47 has value. The GOG release includes patches for modern systems. Developed by IO Interactive in Copenhagen.
Available from: GOG.com
Maxis SimCity 3000 - Verdict
SimCity 3000 actually launched in 1999, but the Unlimited edition with expanded content shipped in 2000 and represents the year’s premier city builder. The game refined the SimCity formula with isometric graphics, more building types, and a more forgiving learning curve than SimCity 2000.
Modern city builders like Cities: Skylines have outgrown SimCity 3000 in scope and detail, but the original retains a tighter, more focused design that some players prefer. The 2000 release added new buildings, scenarios, and a more developed advisory system. For city building genre fans interested in the lineage, SimCity 3000 Unlimited on GOG is a tidy experience that runs in under an hour per session. Developed by Maxis.
Available from: GOG.com
BioWare Baldur’s Gate II - Verdict
Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn launched in September 2000 and remains widely regarded as one of the greatest computer RPGs ever made. The Forgotten Realms setting, deep companion characters, complex multi-class system, and sprawling story define what a CRPG could be. The Enhanced Edition from 2013 updates the engine for modern systems while preserving original gameplay.
The game suits patient players who enjoy text-heavy dialogue, tactical real-time-with-pause combat, and extensive character customization. Modern CRPGs like Baldur’s Gate 3 owe their entire framework to this game and its predecessor. Hundreds of hours of content across the base game and Throne of Bhaal expansion still produce a complete RPG experience in 2026. Developed by BioWare in Edmonton.
Available from: GOG.com
Looking Glass Thief II: The Metal Age - Verdict
Thief II: The Metal Age launched in March 2000 and refined the first-person stealth formula that Thief: The Dark Project established two years earlier. Sneaking, lockpicking, and avoiding combat in favor of careful planning still feels distinct from modern stealth games. The steampunk-medieval setting and atmospheric lighting create a uniquely moody experience.
Community patches like the Thief 2 HD Mod and the TFix updates extend resolution support and fix bugs that have accumulated. The game runs on essentially any modern computer through GOG or Steam with these patches applied. For fans of true stealth games, where being seen often means restarting a section, Thief II is essential history. Developed by Looking Glass Studios shortly before the company closed.
Available from: GOG.com
How to choose
Start with the genre you actually enjoy. Action RPG fans should begin with Diablo II Resurrected. Strategy and life simulation fans will gravitate to The Sims or SimCity 3000. RPG fans need Baldur’s Gate II in their library.
Next, factor whether you want the original experience or a modernized version. Some games have official remasters that preserve the spirit while updating graphics. Others have community patches that just make the original run on Windows 11 and at modern resolutions. Both approaches have their fans.
Finally, consider multiplayer status. Counter-Strike and Diablo II have active multiplayer communities in 2026 through modern versions. Single-player games can be enjoyed anytime without server availability concerns.
Read about the best gaming PCs for both retro and current titles and pair your setup with a comfortable gaming chair. Our testing approach is detailed on the methodology page.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still play games from 2000 on a modern PC?+
Yes, most year-2000 PC games are playable on modern Windows 11 systems through digital storefronts like GOG, Steam, and EA Play. GOG specializes in classic PC games and packages them with compatibility patches that handle the awkward transition from older DirectX and Windows 95-98 dependencies. Some titles require community patches available on PCGamingWiki to fix resolution scaling, control issues, or audio glitches. The Sims, Diablo II Resurrected, Counter-Strike, and Half-Life all received official rereleases or remasters.
What was special about the year 2000 in PC gaming?+
Several genre-defining titles launched within months of each other in 2000, creating one of the most influential single years in PC gaming history. The Sims invented the modern life simulation genre, Diablo II perfected the action RPG loot loop, Counter-Strike 1.6 set the template for competitive FPS, and Deus Ex pioneered the immersive sim. Hardware was also transitioning, with 3dfx Voodoo cards giving way to NVIDIA GeForce 2, and broadband internet starting to enable serious online multiplayer for the first time.
Are these games appropriate for kids today?+
Most year-2000 titles received Teen or Mature ratings and contain content typical of that era, including cartoon violence in The Sims, gore in Diablo II, and weapon use in Counter-Strike and Half-Life. Parents should check current ESRB ratings on individual titles. Strategy games like The Sims and SimCity 3000 are generally appropriate for older children. Multiplayer shooters and the more graphic RPGs suit teens and adults. Modern remasters sometimes adjust content for current standards but mostly preserve original feel.
Where can I buy these games legally in 2026?+
GOG.com is the primary destination for classic PC games sold without DRM, with most year-2000 titles available either in original form or with compatibility wrappers. Steam carries many remasters including Diablo II Resurrected, Counter-Strike rereleases, and Deus Ex Game of the Year Edition. EA's official store carries The Sims and SimCity titles. Some older games have entered abandonware status but legitimate purchase through these stores keeps the rights with developers and funds compatibility work.
Do I need a powerful computer to run year-2000 games?+
No. Any current laptop or desktop, including budget Chromebooks running Linux compatibility layers, will run year-2000 PC games at hundreds or thousands of frames per second. The challenge is rarely performance but compatibility with modern operating systems and ultra-wide or 4K displays. Many community patches and the GOG releases handle this automatically. Integrated graphics on any modern Intel, AMD, or Apple chip handle these games comfortably at their highest original settings.