Last updated: 2018-06-23

I’m planning on updating this article periodically throughout 2018 with the best paid HTC Vive VR experiences on Steam. I’m sure many of these games work for Oculus Rift and on other platforms, but I only have a HTC Vive and play pretty much exclusively through Steam.

Note: order is not important, I’m just adding them sequentially based on when I played or when I remembered to add them. This also includes games from all time, not just 2018. And lastly, this is a work-in-progress.

If you’re looking for the best FREE HTC Vice VR experiences head over here.

  1. Portal Stories: VR – this game is free, BUT you have to own Portal 2 to play it so it doesn’t really qualify to be under the best free list. It’s also a tad short and the puzzles are easy, but I had fun playing it and seeing the Portal world up-close and personal was great. There’s also some bonus content at the end that I thought was awesome. Biggest drawback is that there’s no free locomotion option.
  2. Fallout 4 VR – it’s Fallout 4 in VR, of course it’s great! There’s a ton of content and replayability like you’d expect, the controls feel intuitive, and overall it’s a great game. There’s probably more to complain about the base game itself over the VR version of it, but it’s definitely worth playing. Be sure to tweak your graphics in the console/ini because there are some adjustments you can make to significantly improve the visuals without losing performance.
    1. Free Locomotion: YES
    2. Amount of content: easily 20+ hours even if you’ve thoroughly played Fallout 4 before. Content-to-cost ratio is VERY GOOD.
  3. Climbey – this game was surprisingly fun and addictive and the movement/controls felt really natural. Overall I was very pleasantly surprised and would recommend picking this up at some point. Just be aware that you’ll be flailing your arms like a madman and I accidentally punched my nice gaming monitor 3 or 4 times before I had to take a break.
    1. Free Locomotion: Yes (arm swing variant)
    2. Amount of content: 2-4 hours with replayability potential. Content-to-cost ratio is GOOD.
  4. Pavlov VR – if you like Counter-Strike, this game is addicting. It’s competitive, well built, and brings the shooter experience to another level. I can’t wait until CS is fully ported over or the community for this explodes and they add matchmaking. That might be the end of my life outside of VR…
    1. Free Locomotion: YES
    2. Amount of content: 10+ hours minimum with high replayability if you like match-based Counter-Strike style gameplay. You could easily play this for 100+ hours if you’re competitive. Content-to-cost ratio is VERY GOOD.
  5. Skyrim VR – I have been patiently waiting for this for months now and it’s finally here! I had such a blast playing the original Skyrim and immediately knew this would renew my addiction. I do have to admit the game feels the same overall, BUT experiencing it in VR is jaw-dropping. Crank up the settings, install some mods, and spend hours immersed in this endless fantasy world.
    1. Free Locomotion: YES
    2. Amount of content: easily 20+ hours even if you’ve thoroughly played Skyrim before, especially with mods. Content-to-cost ratio is VERY GOOD.
  6. GORN – I finally got a copy of GORN and understand why people say it’s a must-have for any VR owner. I feel like their trailers and the YouTube videos out there don’t do it justice. It’s such a ridiculous yet oddly satisfying and challenging game and the ambience is truly creepy. I highly suggest picking up a copy of this at some point.
    1. Free Locomotion: YES
    2. Amount of content: 2-3 hours minimum with replayability potential. Content-to-cost ratio is GOOD.
  7. Dreadhalls – there’s a part of me on the fence about including this game because it feels like it’s missing a little depth to be “best of” material, but in the end I’m including it because of some key elements. First off, it truly does deliver a sense of prolonged dread as you explore dungeons that feel like a mix between old Heretic and Dark Souls levels. It’s also intelligently designed to reward players who are cautious. If you’re a hardened Dark Souls player you might appreciate that fact. Overall it’s well built and immersive with intuitive controls and has a level of philosophical depth I found captivating. If you’re a fan of dark/creepy games (not necessarily blood-and-gore horror though) and want something new and intriguing this is a great buy at a fairly low cost point.
    1. Free Locomotion: YES
    2. Amount of content: 2-4 hours with replayability due to randomness of the levels. Content-to-cost ratio is GOOD.