The year 2000 was a landmark year for PC gaming. Diablo II shipped, Counter-Strike went 1.0, The Sims launched a generational franchise, and Deus Ex set the template for the immersive sim genre that still influences design today. These seven games remain widely available, run on modern Windows, and reward fresh playthroughs without nostalgia goggles. Below is the lineup, the comparison table, and how to choose between them based on the genres you enjoy.
Quick comparison
| Game | Genre | Platform | Multiplayer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diablo II | Action RPG | Battle.net | Yes |
| Counter-Strike | Tactical Shooter | Steam | Yes |
| The Sims | Life Sim | EA App | No |
| Deus Ex | Immersive Sim | GOG | No |
| Baldur’s Gate II | Party RPG | Steam, GOG | Co-op |
| RollerCoaster Tycoon | Park Sim | Steam | No |
| Quake III Arena | Arena Shooter | Steam | Yes |
Diablo II, Best Action RPG
Diablo II defined the loot-based action RPG. The randomized dungeons, seven character classes, and skill tree depth produced a game players measured in hundreds of hours per character. The 2021 Resurrected remaster ships the original gameplay with reworked 3D visuals, modern resolutions, and shared stash support, while keeping the legacy 2D mode available on a hotkey.
Battle.net ladders still run seasons in 2026, which means competitive trading, rune farming, and PvP zones remain active. Skill respeccing was added in the remaster, so build experimentation no longer requires a full restart.
Trade-off: the inventory tetris and lack of a quest log auto-tracker show the design’s age. Modern action RPGs spoon-feed objectives more cleanly.
Counter-Strike, Best Tactical Shooter
What started as a Half-Life mod in 1999 went 1.0 in November 2000 and became the highest-grossing PC shooter franchise ever measured. Counter-Strike 2 is the current free-to-play continuation on the Source 2 engine. The five-versus-five round structure, economy system, and map control fundamentals are unchanged from the original.
Matchmaking covers casual, competitive, premier, and community servers. Workshop maps include the original de_dust2 and cs_office layouts for nostalgia runs.
Trade-off: the learning curve is one of the steepest in any current shooter. New players will spend dozens of hours before round contributions feel consistent.
The Sims, Best Life Simulator
The Sims shipped in February 2000 and sold over 11 million copies in its first run, launching one of the best-selling PC franchises of all time. The original captures the core sandbox loop: build a household, manage needs, and steer relationships. The Sims 4 is the current entry and is free-to-play on the EA App in 2026, with most original expansion themes available as DLC.
Mod support is the largest of any sim, with thousands of community-built objects, traits, and gameplay overhauls on ModTheSims and CurseForge.
Trade-off: the free base game is intentionally bare. The interesting systems sit behind paid expansion packs, which can total over four hundred dollars at full price.
Deus Ex, Best Immersive Sim
Deus Ex is the immersive sim’s clearest reference point. Every objective has stealth, combat, hacking, and social solutions, and the augmentation system lets players specialize in a build that affects how they read the world. The dialogue tree branches based on faction reputation, and the New York and Hong Kong levels remain studied for their density.
The GOG release includes the Game of the Year edition with all official patches and HD texture pack support. Community mods like GMDX and Revision modernize the visuals further without changing the core design.
Trade-off: combat AI and animations are clearly 2000-era. The interesting parts are the writing, choice consequences, and level design, not the shooting.
Baldur’s Gate II, Best Party RPG
Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn shipped in September 2000 and ran the Infinity Engine to its peak. Six-character parties, real-time-with-pause combat, and a 200-hour main campaign make it the deepest D&D-rules RPG in the catalog. The Enhanced Edition adds modern resolution support, a tactical pause UI, and the Throne of Bhaal expansion bundled.
Co-op supports up to six players over the internet, with each player controlling a party member.
Trade-off: AD&D 2nd Edition rules are dense. THAC0 and saving throw modifiers take a few hours to learn, though tooltips help.
RollerCoaster Tycoon, Best Park Sim
Chris Sawyer hand-coded RollerCoaster Tycoon in x86 assembly, which is why it still runs on hardware orders of magnitude weaker than current PCs. The Deluxe edition on Steam bundles the original two expansions and runs cleanly at modern resolutions. The track designer remains the highlight: full physics simulation for every coaster you build, with the ability to test, refine, and let virtual guests rate the result.
The Open RCT2 community project adds widescreen support, autosaves, and quality-of-life features without changing the original gameplay.
Trade-off: the UI is a relic. Modern park sims like Planet Coaster 2 are smoother to control, though shallower mechanically.
Quake III Arena, Best Arena Shooter
Quake III Arena is the deathmatch standard. id Software stripped away single-player to focus on map flow, weapon balance, and the rocket-jump movement that defined arena shooters for the next two decades. The Quake III remaster shipped in 2024 with widescreen, cross-platform multiplayer, and bot-fill matchmaking for any time of day.
Custom maps and mod scenes are still active, with Defrag, OSP, and Rocket Arena communities organizing weekend tournaments.
Trade-off: the player base is small in 2026. Bot matches are excellent, but ranked human play takes scheduling around server peaks.
How to choose
Genre fit comes first
Pick the game that matches the genre you actually play. Diablo II suits players who like loot loops. Deus Ex suits players who like choice consequence. Counter-Strike suits players who like competitive multiplayer. Mix and match across the list once you find the one entry point.
Single-player or multiplayer
If you mainly play solo, Baldur’s Gate II, Deus Ex, The Sims, and RollerCoaster Tycoon offer hundreds of hours each without needing internet. Counter-Strike, Diablo II, and Quake III need an active server to deliver the intended experience.
Modern re-releases versus originals
Buy the modern Steam, GOG, or Battle.net releases. They handle compatibility, controller support, and modern resolutions automatically. Original discs require DOSBox or Windows compatibility shims and are not worth the effort unless you already own them.
Mods extend the lifespan
Every game on this list has an active mod scene. After your first playthrough, mod packs like Project Diablo 2, GMDX for Deus Ex, and Open RCT2 effectively double the content. The mods are free and most have one-click installers.
For related guidance, see our best computer games of the 80s lineup and the best computer games right now deep dive for current releases. For details on how we evaluate games, see our methodology.
The year 2000 produced games that still hold up because they were built on durable mechanics rather than visual spectacle. Diablo II, Counter-Strike, and The Sims are the broadest picks. Deus Ex, Baldur’s Gate II, and Quake III suit players who want depth in a specific genre. RollerCoaster Tycoon is the catch-all for sandbox fans. Pick one, install the modern release, and let the design do the work.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still play games from 2000 on a modern Windows 11 PC?+
Most of them, yes. Digital re-releases on Steam, GOG, and Battle.net handle the compatibility patching for you. Diablo II Resurrected, Counter-Strike 2, and the Quake remasters all run natively on Windows 11 with modern resolutions and controllers. For original discs, DOSBox or PCem can emulate older Windows environments, though Steam and GOG versions are far less work and usually cost under twenty dollars.
Are these games good for kids or new PC gamers?+
Many of them are. The Sims, RollerCoaster Tycoon, and Deus Ex hold up well as introductions to simulation, strategy, and RPG mechanics. Counter-Strike and Diablo II are more competitive and assume some genre familiarity. Read each entry for the audience fit. Most early 2000s titles also play comfortably with a mouse and keyboard, so any modern desktop or laptop will work without a controller.
Do these games have multiplayer that still works?+
Yes, but only through the modern re-releases. Original 2000-era server browsers are mostly defunct. Diablo II Resurrected runs on Battle.net, Counter-Strike 2 has matchmaking and community servers, and Quake III Arena remains active through the Quake Live and remastered versions. Avoid pirated copies, which cannot connect to the official servers and lock you out of the social half of the experience.
How much do these games typically cost on Steam or GOG?+
Most sit between ten and thirty dollars at full price, and sales drop them under ten dollars several times a year. GOG specializes in older PC games and often bundles bonus content like soundtracks and maps. Steam tends to have the larger community and workshop support. If you are buying multiple titles, watch the Steam summer and winter sales for the deepest discounts.
Why are 25-year-old games still worth playing in 2026?+
Because the design holds up. The year 2000 was a peak for systems-driven design, where mechanics were simpler but tuned for hundreds of hours of replay. Modern games often spend their budget on cinematic presentation. The 2000 lineup spent it on mechanics, level layout, and replayability. The result is games that age more slowly than visually flashy releases from five years ago.