5 year old games are surprisingly still playable

2021 doesn't seem like that long ago, but it's already been six years. While some games from that year are still talked about, others are not so lucky. What's more, some games are still being played. Maybe not as many as the current or 2025 games, but enough to make an interesting list worth discussing.

There are reasons why some of these games are still hitting numbers on Steam, which is the easiest way to track player count. Among other consoles, the following games might do even better, but you never know. From online games to single-player experiences, these 2021 games are still making their mark. Maybe they'll see even bigger jumps during 2026, but for now, these are some of the most interesting ones to talk about.

Resident Evil Village

Grace period

Resident Evil Village is getting a bit of a bump on Steam, and there's actually good reason for that. It's the eighth main game in the series, reprising Ethan Winters as the protagonist who must battle a group of supernatural miscreants to get his daughter Rose back to an obscure European settlement.

Even if the events do not lead to another game, the upcoming release Resident Evil Requiem plays a lot of fans Resident Evil games at the moment to build hype. Resident Evil Village it has some wild narrative twists, and the best part is the sets, as they are all pretty varied, from a haunted dollhouse to a vampire mansion.

It takes two

Still a unique co-op experience

It takes two is one of the most unique co-op experiences of all time, so it's no wonder it's still extremely popular on Steam, approaching five figures. As a married couple about to divorce, they are suddenly transformed into dolls and must work together to hopefully break the curse.

It could technically be called a platformer, but the gameplay is never consistent and changes quickly on the fly, which helps keep the pace up. From playing retro games to riding frogs, It takes two keeps players on their toes.

Forza Horizon 5

Racing towards Japan

The Forza Horizon the series just keeps getting better and better between releases, the cars and environments always look stunning. Forza Horizon 5 set in Mexico, it has plenty of rivers to cross, muddy trails to blast your way through, and expertly crafted cobbled tracks that will fully test the car's looks.

Forza Horizon 5 it still has a great following on Steam, which makes sense since it's the latest edition, and racing fans always need a game to sit back and relax. This changes when Forza Horizon 6 will be launched later in 2026. It can surpass Mexico with its Japanese location Forza Horizon 5?

Legendary edition of Mass Effect

You can't play with the classic RPG

Legendary edition of Mass Effect is a collection of the original Mass Effect trilogy, one of the most popular of all time. There are other space RPGs out there, but nothing like this Mass Effectand fans have been waiting a long time for a proper sequel.

Mass Effect: Andromeda it came out in 2017 and didn't reach quite the same heights. A fifth game was teased in 2020, but there hasn't been any real news since then other than more vague trailers. It's been so long Mass Effect fans had a treat, it's no wonder this collection is still trending on Steam as they try to keep the faith alive.

Battlefield 2042

The future of war has improved

Battlefield 2042 didn't launch to much acclaim as there were many technical issues. To the developers' credit, DICE stuck to their guns, released a lot of patches and expansions, and made it a more playable game over time.

Even if Battlefield 6 is out now that still has high numbers, there are hundreds if not thousands of them on the tips still beating the drum Battlefield 2042. After all, it's a much different game with all the future technology and weather effects, so both Battlefield Hopefully the games can continue to exist in harmony if EA keeps the servers running.

Hitman 3

It's Killer

Hitman 3 concluded the trilogy in 2021 with another set of great open-ended missions starring the still-elusive Agent 47. This game and the two previous iterations were then packaged into Hitman World of Assassinationwhich is a new HUB that connects all playable missions together.

That's what it does Hitman 3 still playable and the numbers are solid, though well below the game's highs. There is nothing like a Hitman missions as there are different ways to deal with them, from sneaking around as Agent 47 himself to disguising as various NPCs including detectives, drummers and more.

Guilty Gear Strive

Striving for perfection

Guilty Gear Strive is the latest addition to the fighting game series. Once a new entry drops in one of the legendary gaming franchises, it's sure to stick around for a long time thanks to fighting game tournaments.

For Guilty Gear fans were delighted to see this latest game at launch, moving between 2D and 3D art styles with expertly crafted stages, characters and moves that are stunning to watch in action. It can be hard for newbies to jump in, but even they can visually appreciate what's happening on the screen when they're being smacked online by a superior.

Hell Let Loose

Opposing fronts

Hell Let Loose is a multiplayer first-person shooter game set during World War 2. Instead of only following US Allied forces in Europe like many World War 2 games, players can jump around different fronts of the war, including East, West and North Africa.

Player numbers are actually consistently better than player numbers Battlefield 2042and there may be a reason for that. Hell Let Loose: Vietnam is coming out in 2026, so the number of players may have increased as fans want to reacquaint themselves with the controls before the next entry hits an admittedly even more hectic warzone.

Naraka: Bladepoint

Dynasty Warriors

Free-to-play games come and go, with some finding an audience and others waning. Five years later, Naraka: Bladepoint is absolutely thriving with peak concurrent numbers well above the average of these other titles on Steam.

cleverly Naraka: Bladepoint organized some great in-game events to get big franchises to attract fans like adding skins from Person 5 and characters from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. The game itself is a battle royale experience, but it focuses on melee combat and fast-paced platforming like a good Wuxia movie, making it stand out from others like Fortnite and PUBG.

Encryption

More than meets the eye

encryption, is a roguelike at its core, where players will explore the forest, enter huts and fight mysterious aliens. The goal is to tip the scales in your favor with their charismatic-looking animal cards, but Encryption is much more than just a card game. Sometimes players will have to get up in these huts to solve some puzzles.

It's unsettling and easily the scariest card ever created, but it's these haunting vibes that also make it so compelling. Plus, there's another fourth wall-breaking meta in the game, and full immersion would spoil things, but let's just say that the card game barely scratches the surface of what Encryption is really about, which is probably why players are compelled to continue it years later.