10 PC Games You Can Play With One Hand

Whether you’ve injured your hand or you’re just looking for a challenge, there are plenty of games you can play out there with just a single hand.

You can play just about any PC game one-handed if you use the accessibility settings, remap the controls, or use an alternative controller designed for one-handed use. You can also play some pretty great games one handed like Magic the Gathering Arena, Undertale, or even Sid Meier’s Civilization.

Let’s take a look at why you would want to play a game one-handed, how you can play any game one-handed, and our top 10 picks for one-handed games.

Why You Would Want to Play a Game With One Hand

You might be wondering why you’d want to play a game with one hand, but we’ve actually got a few compelling reasons that you should consider.

The first thing we’re going to look at is accessibility and ability. If you’ve injured one of your hands, you don’t have to give up your favorite games—you just need to change how you game.

This applies to everyone from individuals who broke a bone in their dominant hand, all the way over to people who need to change how they play in order to avoid conditions like carpal tunnel.

Playing one-handed can also be a great way to give yourself a little extra challenge. If you’re a fan of some of the more hardcore games out there, like Dark Souls, nothing beats the rush of a new kind of challenge run.

Playing a game one-handed also lets you multitask. If you’re looking to log some hours on a casual game while taking a work-from-home day, playing one-handed is where it’s at.

Tips and Tricks for Playing Games With One Hand

Before we jump into 10 games that have a built-in ability to be played with one hand, we want to look at how you can play any game one handed.

These are three quick tips and tricks that you can apply to pretty much any video game to try it one-handed.

Remap Your Controls

Almost every modern video game lets you remap the controls. This allows you to change which buttons control which in-game features.

Depending on the game you’re playing, you can probably remap your controls to be able to play one-handed. This surprisingly even works on surprisingly complicated games like MMORPGs.

Try a Joystick, Fightstick, or Flightstick

You can also gain one-handed by changing how you take control of your game.

Playing on keyboard and mouse, or with a traditional controller, can be a little difficult when gaming one-handed. However, joysticks, fightsticks, and flightsticks all offer tons of control that can be covered with a single hand.

You could also try picking up a number pad with a few extra buttons or a gaming mouse that can be remapped to control everything you need all on a single controller.

Check Your Favorite Game’s Accessibility Settings

The last thing that you need to check is your favorite game’s accessibility settings. You might have some surprisingly useful options when it comes to gaming with a single hand.

Accessibility options can change things like speed, how certain sequences are handled, or the amount of keystrokes needed to complete an in-game activity. Some games even have colorblind settings. You can also check the control settings for the remapping options we talked about earlier or accessibility control options that can make it easier to game one handed.

10 Games You Can Play With One Hand

Now that we’ve gone over the how’s and why’s of playing games one-handed, let’s take a look at a few of the most popular games that you can play with just a single hand.

1. Old School RuneScape

RuneScape was first released in 2001 and it’s been one of the most popular MMORPGs ever since. It’s lasted for decades thanks to its simplicity, humorous design, and engaging gameplay.

RuneScape recently updated to much more modern graphics and a more demanding play style. However, RuneScape brought back the old school RuneScape 2001s-style due to popular demand.

Old School RuneScape is set in a classic fantasy world. You’ll fight goblins, dragons, and knights as you go on quests and build up your skills. If combat isn’t your thing, the game also has a thriving crafting scene as well as a player-ran market.

Old School RuneScape takes a relaxed pace to its game. You can get to the entire game playing one-handed using just about any controller you please. RuneScape is a very forgiving game that’s great for beginner gamers as well as more established pros.

2. Hearthstone

Hearthstone was the first digital collectible card game to really take the World by storm. It’s set in the World of Warcraft universe which means if you’re a fan of that MMO, Hearthstone is going to feel right at home.

Hearthstone is a free-to-play card game, but you could also use real-world money to buy digital passes as well as perks that make playing the game a little easier.

Gameplay can be just as rapid, or just as relaxed, as you want it to be. Hearthstone is incredibly simple to learn, but also very difficult to master. There’s a thriving professional gaming scene with Hearthstone, but you’re also going to find no shortage of twitch streamers and YouTubers making their career on Hearthstone.

As you might expect, you can play Hearthstone casually one-handed. It’s also available on

3. Magic: The Gathering Arena

We mentioned Hearthstone, so now we have to mention Magic the Gathering Arena.

Arena is Magic the Gathering’s answer to Hearthstone. Yes, Magic also had Magic the Gathering Online, but Arena updated the graphics and play style to be more in line with what people have come to expect from digital collectible card games.

Arena functions a lot like Hearthstone. However, it’s got the classic Magic the Gathering rules, style, and design. If you’ve been a fan of Magic the Gathering, Arena is a great way to jump into a new digital era for this collectible card game:

Just like with Hearthstone, Magic the Gathering Arena is played easily one-handed by selecting your cards, choosing targets, and never having to rely on two hands to successfully play the game.

4. Almost Any Turn-Based RPG

Let’s take a break with some of these collectible card based games. You can play almost any turn-based RPG single-handed.

This is a massively broad category, but it’s got some amazing games. We’re talking about everything from the first nine Final Fantasy games through the first two Fallout games.

This means you can enjoy everything from classic JRPGs to western titles without ever having to play with more than one hand.

These games are easily played one-handed. Most of your gameplay will be selecting dialogue and combat options for menus and interacting with NPCs in objects in the game world.

5. Life Is Strange

Life is Strange is one of the most successful graphic adventure games out there. These games allow you to comfortably and easily navigate the game world with just a single hand.

Life is Strange is a powerful coming-of-age tale featuring a young adult returning to their hometown and having to grapple with some dark shadows from their past and their present:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AURVxvIZrmU&ab_channel=GameSpot

Gameplay revolves around exploring this home town as well as interacting with the environment and NPCs. You also have a unique rewind ability that allows your character to manipulate the flow of time and change the outcome of events.

All of this can be easily accomplished playing single-handed.

6. Point and Click Adventures

Let’s talk about another wide category of games that are possibly some of the best games for playing one-handed.

Point-and-click adventures rely on nothing more than mouse movements and mouse clicks to successfully play the game. The controls are deceptively simple as these games feature some of the most cognitively challenging puzzles as well as complicated story lines.

Some classic games in the genre include Day of the Tentacle, Maniac Mansion, and Grim Fandango (all three of which can be purchased for less than $15, too). There are also plenty of games for people of all ages including the Agatha Christie mystery series and even point-and-click adventures that are great for younger children.

7. Undertale

Undertale is one of the most interesting, and maybe one of the most narratively complicated, games on this list. It’s also a great game for playing one-handed.

Undertale is a 2D top-down RPG game. This means you’re going to spend most of your gameplay navigating this fantasy world and interacting with NPCs and with objects. You’ll also be faced with plenty of compelling dialogue options.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Hojv0m3TqA&ab_channel=FwugRadiation

You’ll also be in combat situations that play like a bullet hell shooter, but even these can be easily done with just a single hand.

Undertale has a youthful town, but some seriously dark themes once the game starts to evolve and expand. Undertale has been an indie hit for years and has seen multiple re-releases as well as critically acclaimed reviews.

8. One Finger Death Punch

One Finger Death Punch is probably one of the most exciting one handed games out there. It’s got overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam, as well as many 9 out of 10-star reviews from countless gaming websites.

One Finger Death Punch reminds us of old school flash games. You play a stick figure Kung Fu Master who fights an endless onslaught of opponents. Best of all, you only need to button inputs to master One Finger Death Punch.

One Finger Death Punch is a simple, enjoyable, and exciting game—and it is also very budget friendly!

9. Disco Elysium

What if you want to play a one-handed game, but you’re not so much into combat?

Disco Elysium is one of the most interesting and exciting games on this list. It’s an indie hit and has received critical acclaim pretty much across-the-board.

You wake up in a desolate seaside community as a detective who is suffering from amnesia. You’re attempting to piece together the answer to a murder mystery while navigating the strange and Incredibly complex world.

Gameplay involves navigating the world of Disco Elysium as well as engaging in some pretty complicated dialogue trees. Instead of combat, you’ll be doing DND style skill checks to see how you fare in different situations.

Disco Elysium is a somber game with plenty of complicated political overtones. You’ll definitely have a ton of fun while playing this game one handed and trying to grapple with its incredibly immersive story.

10. Civilization

Civilization is a series of turn-based strategy games. You take on the heavy task of leading a civilization from their first moments setting up buildings and learning agriculture through their future. Will your civilization be scientists who lead us to the stars or conquerors who take over the planet?

Civilization involves a lot of navigating the game world with the mouse and making mouse clicks which makes it a great game for one-handed play.

This also applies to other games that are in the same style of Civilization. These include RollerCoaster Tycoon, The Sims, and Cities: Skylines.

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