Before the first HD console generation, which includes the PS3 and Xbox 360, home console players didn’t need to worry about installing games or updating them. PC players had to deal with installs all the time, but even PC games weren’t as bad as they are today because they simply didn't have file sizes as large as modern games do.
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Some of the biggest AAA experiences can easily reach 100GB or more, and it can be hard to decide what games to keep on a system, what to delete, and what to move over to external hard drives. For whatever reason, be it the size, constant updates, or appeal of the game, players like to leave these next games installed. They never know when they might find the urge to play them again.
Minecraft
Getting Out The Lego Bucket
Minecraft
- Released
- November 18, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
Minecraft won’t take up much storage space on any platform that players download it on, and popping back in after months or years will be just as easy as the first time they booted it up. It’s the equivalent of finding a bucket of LEGO bricks as a kid, dumping them out, and then going to town.
With no story or objective, Minecraft is one of the most freeing games ever made. It lets players figure out how to make their own fun, be it alone or with a group of friends.
Grand Theft Auto 5
Causing Chaos Online
Grand Theft Auto 5
- Released
- September 17, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar North
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action
By this point, many players have already achieved 100% completion in Grand Theft Auto 5 between the main story and all the side objectives. That said, even though it came out in 2013, there are still reasons to keep it installed.
The most obvious answer is that Grand Theft Auto Online keeps adding new heist updates, and when a new one drops, players can be at the ready. Also, the game is a chaos simulator, so it’s just fun to start it up and then blow stuff up to see how many stars can be racked up before the cops come calling.
Monster Hunter Wilds
Hoping For Tie-Ins
Monster Hunter Wilds
- Released
- February 28, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
Monster Hunter Wilds, and the previous Monster Hunter action RPGs, are good at consistently adding new content. The space between new additions is longer than what many fans hoped for with this latest addition, but when those updates drop, fans are in.
It could be something as simple as a new monster or a seasonal event that changes the hub area of the game. So far, the coolest collaboration MHW has done is with Final Fantasy, and its crossovers like those that keep fans playing on the regular.
Fortnite
Getting Ready For The Next Big Event
Fortnite
- Released
- September 26, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen - Diverse Content: Discretion Advised, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Epic Games
Fortnite is essentially the game that the book Ready Player One by Ernest Cline was describing. It’s a giant game that is multiplayer-focused, and it allows players to unlock and equip skins from nearly every property on the planet.
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One of Fortnite's biggest crossovers in 2025 threw the Internet into a frenzy when the map was changed to look like Springfield from The Simpsons. There hasn’t been a 3D game based on The Simpsons since The Simpsons Game in 2007, so it was great to see Springfield on a console again. Big events like these in Fortnite will bring everyone on board, even for just a single session of shooting and building mayhem.
Mario Kart World
A Good Racer For All
Mario Kart World
- Released
- June 5, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Everyone // Mild Fantasy Violence, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo
- Genre(s)
- Racing, Open-World
Mario Kart World didn’t set the world on fire as a launch game for the Switch 2, but it was still another solid entry in the Mario Kart series. Mario Kart 8 launched in 2014, and Nintendo kept updating the game until 2023, between the Wii U and then the Switch versions.
If the same trend is true for this latest entry, Switch 2 players can count on at least yearly updates to Mario Kart World. It’s good to keep it installed for those updates, but players never know when a friend will come over and want to race.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Getting Back To Weeding
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
- Released
- March 20, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Everyone / Comic Mischief, Mild Fantasy Violence, Users Interact, In-Game Purchases
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EPD
- Genre(s)
- Simulation
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is another big Nintendo game, but from the original Switch era. It is set to get a big Switch 2 update in January 2026, which is a good enough reason right now to keep it installed or to reinstall it.
Updates aside, as a life-sim, it’s one of those experiences that is easy to jump back into. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a casual game too, so without much thought, players can relax with some menial gardening or crafting.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Fight On!
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- Released
- December 7, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E for Everyone: Cartoon Violence, Comic Mischief, Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- Fighting
There are dozens of great fighting games out there, and most of them are great to keep installed for occasional friendly bouts online. Most fans probably have at least one favorite installed on their console right now. For Switch players, that has to be Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
As a platform fighter, it’s a bit more accessible than a player vs player scenario, as all competitors have a chance to get the upper hand in a match. Also, since the game crossed over with so many properties, every gamer on the planet can easily find one or several fighters they want to play as, be it Sora from Kingdom Hearts or Snake from Metal Gear Solid.
Balatro
Another Game Of Cards
Balatro
- Released
- February 20, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ // Gambling Themes
- Developer(s)
- LocalThunk
- Genre(s)
- Strategy, Digital Card Game, Roguelike
Roguelikes are great to keep installed on consoles because they are typically endless, and as smaller experiences, players can jump in for a quick fifteen-minute session and get their fix. They also don't typically come with giant file sizes that will eat up storage space. Among the many, Balatro may be the easiest to jump back into, since it is essentially just Poker with extra steps.
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There are obviously more rules to matches than there are in Poker, but even so, it won’t take long to relearn the rules, even after putting it down for months. If players have Balatro installed on their Switch or Steam Deck, then it can get dangerous, as the portability aspect is especially addicting.
Among Us
Deduce Online
Among Us
- Released
- June 5, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ for Everyone 10+: Mild Blood, Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- InnerSloth
- Genre(s)
- Party Game
Among Us is a great social deduction game that got a lot of players through the pandemic in the early 2020s. It's a simple enough game for anyone out there to learn, even non-gamers, and it allows people to stay in touch.
The concept is a deduction game where one or several players are aliens in disguise, and it’s up to the humans to identify the imposters. It’s a concept that has been reworked for hundreds of years, but Among Us may be the best version yet. It's a game that is always fun to play with friends from time to time.
The Jackbox Party Starter
Always Good For A Party
The Jackbox Party Starter
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 75 /100 Critics Rec: 89%
WHERE TO PLAY
The Jackbox games are the easiest games to set up in a party situation because all it requires is a TV and everyone to have a smart device, like a phone. The Jackbox Party Starter is one of the better versions to buy, since it is cheaper and it includes three great games that are all fun in crowds.
From designing funny shirts to playing a trivia game with a Saw-like aesthetic, there's plenty of variety to enjoy. Every video game fan should have one Jackbox game installed on their console because it will be a guaranteed riot.
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