These days, Valve is best known for the Steam store and its chart-topping Steam Deck handheld. However, the company has a long history as a game developer, putting out some of the most beloved games of all time. On top of that, many Valve games have helped shape the video game world, introducing players to brand-new technology and showing other developers how to push boundaries. That said, only one Valve game can stand on top of the pile as the best game in the developer’s storied history. And remember, this is a list of the best Valve games, not necessarily the most important.
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Here are the seven greatest Valve games of all time.
7) Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
There’s a reason Counter-Strike is always at the top of the Steam player charts. Sure, it’s been mostly replaced by Counter-Strike 2 (though you can play on community servers), but CS:GO is, for most players, the peak of Counter-Strike. It’s a fast-paced shooter that takes tons of practice to master, which is what’s made it such a popular esport.
Counter-Strike isn’t Valve’s biggest competitive game (we’ll get there soon), but it’s nothing to sneeze at. Players jump into competition to play for millions of dollars. Thankfully, CS has largely kept its quality as the prize purse has increased, making it fun for pros and casual players alike.
6) Team Fortress 2
When it launched in 2007, Team Fortress 2 quickly became the hallmark of character shooters. Valve’s ability to put personality into its online-only game was something of a revelation, when other games like Call of Duty put players in the shoes of a no-name military character.
Giving each character their set of tools for combat also made it relatively easy for newer players to dip their toes to find their groove. Plus, the cartoon graphics made it much more appealing to some players when compared to the more realistic visuals of its competitors. It was also a pioneer in the games-as-a-service style of development. Which some might see as a negative, but it solidifies its spot in the annals of gaming history.
5) Left 4 Dead 2
The first Left 4 Dead is good enough, but the sequel takes everything to the next level, giving fans one of the best co-op shooters of all time. It is almost infinitely replayable thanks to the AI Director 2.0, distinct game modes, and the variety of playable characters and weapons.
Sure, if you were playing on the Xbox 360 at launch, Left 4 Dead 2 was buggy online, but Valve fixed those issues relatively quickly. Regardless, L4D2 was well worth the price of admission. If nothing else, you were getting a game you could play for dozens of hours without running out of new things to do.
4) Dota 2
I mentioned earlier that Counter-Strike isn’t Valve’s largest esports competition despite having prize purses that push past $1 million. That’s because Dota 2′s prize purse at The International peaked in 2021 at $40 million. That’s a massive reward for winning, and is largely funded through players purchasing an in-game battle pass called the Compendium.
The fact that Dota 2 is a massive money-maker doesn’t necessarily make it a great game. However, it is a worthy follow-up to the original Warcraft 3 mod that created the MOBA genre. League of Legends is the only game in the genre that can make a real claim as the best MOBA on the planet. Part of that is all the money Valve puts behind Dota 2, but it’s an excellent game, as long as you’re willing to put in the work to learn its complex systems.
3) Half-Life 2
If this list were Valve’s most important games, Half-Life 2 probably tops the list. It was the developer’s chance to show off the Source game engine, which has gone on to be behind some of the best games of all time, not even including Half-Life 2. On top of that, Valve integrated the Havok physics engine, using it to simulate real-world physics and help redefine what’s possible in the FPS genre.
To be clear, Half-Life 2 is an exceptional game. The PC version, in particular, pulled nearly perfect scores across the board because it was genuinely impressive in 2004. Heck, Maximum PC loved it so much, the magazine broke their own scoring system to give HL2 an 11/10 rating. However, Valve is an exceptional developer and has topped Half-Life 2 twice.
2) Half-Life: Alyx
Half-Life: Alyx does for VR what Half-Life 2 did for physics. It is the reason to buy a VR headset (Beat Saber is a close second). The technology needed a killer app, and Valve stepped in to deliver not just the best VR game ever made, but a truly phenomenal game.
Of course, it being on VR means that a huge chunk of the gaming public has never played it. Unfortunately, Valve probably won’t ever bring it to other consoles because so much of what makes Alyx great can only happen in virtual reality. I’m not saying you have to go run out and buy a VR headset to play, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea either.
1) Portal 2
Portal 2 is Valve at its best, mixing best-in-class puzzle gameplay with some of the best writing in the industry. The first Portal took the world by storm with its mind-bending puzzles and the scene-stealing GLaDOS supercomputer, but Portal 2 takes everything to the next level, including a fan-favorite cooperative mode.
Adding new characters to the mix could’ve been a recipe for disaster, but Wheatley manages to stand alongside GLaDOS and be just as memorable, thanks to Stephen Merchant’s excellent voice acting. And the new puzzle elements add just enough to the gameplay to keep things interesting, building on the original game in fun ways that test the player, while also carefully bringing them along for the ride.
Then, you jump into the cooperative mode, where the puzzles shine as a valuable addition to the campaign. In short, Portal 2 is the perfect mix of elements of everything Valve does well. That makes it the best game in the developer’s impressive catalog.
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