Best Grinding Games on Steam 2022 (2023)

Playing grindy games can give a lot of pleasure and a feeling of accomplishment when you have free time on your hands. The thrill of completing challenges and slowly getting stronger with each step is a feeling to behold, after all.

If you are searching for a game to slowly grind your way towards the top and savor every moment along the way, you don’t need to worry, as we have listed the best grinding games on Steam for you.

Dark Souls III

Dark Souls III is the last game in the Dark Souls series and is definitely the best one among them. It has great visuals, cinematic cutscenes, and epic character progression. It is an action RPG game that is mostly known for its hard levels.

The game is mainly focused on hardcore actions and leveling up. You’ll start your journey from the bottom and work your way towards the top. However, the journey to the top isn’t an easy one. On your way, you’ll encounter countless monsters and bosses that will kill you over and over.

The settings in Dark Souls III are very spooky, where every encounter feels like a scene from a horror movie. The enemies are super strong, and each of them has the capability of killing you like a fly. They are scary, ruthless, and have different attack patterns. Some of them can even change how they fight in the middle of the battle.

So, if you don’t want to regret your decision to buy this game, you’d better grind levels and get stronger every chance you get. You can get pretty strong even when you’re doing side quests and exploration, so take your sweet time and upgrade your weapons and skills if you hate dying over and over.

Borderlands 3

Borderlands 3 is an action/looter-shooter game where every moment is filled with humor, laughter, and intense actions. It is set on a planet called Pandora, where you have to stop the bad guys from capturing the resources hidden in different parts of the planet.

You’ll play as the vault hunter and choose one of the four classes for your character when you’re first starting the game. The game supports both single-player as well as multiplayer co-op modes for you to play the way you like.

It also has an endless number of weapons that can be either purchased from the store or picked up by killing enemies.

The objective is pretty straightforward; you go around the planet, completing different missions and killing enemies to level up. Killing enemies provides loots that you can collect to increase your earnings. The characters each have their own abilities, which can be used to turn the tide of the battle.

RuneScape

RuneScape is an MMORPG game where you can choose to do any quest to grind as it does not have a particular goal to complete. It is set in a fantasy world which consists of fantastic elements such as monsters, magic, and different abilities.

At the start of the game, you can choose and customize your character. It is beginner-friendly as well, so you will not encounter any problems when you’re starting the game. The game does not have a particular story to follow, so you can make your own goal and grind towards achieving it.

There is a vast array of skills to learn in RuneScape, but some of these are exclusive to members only. But even if you are a free-to-play player, you should have plenty of fun playing it. You can meet lots of players, interact with them and even have a battle with them with items on the stake.

Besides these, you can take various quests, engage with different NPCs and hunt down monsters to increase your level. As the game does not have a definite ending, you can play this game however long you want.

Path of Exile

Path of Exile is an action RPG game that involves a very complex skill system. The game is all about grinding, where your goal is to basically gain strength by defeating your enemies.

The game is all about grinding, as you can’t do anything when you don’t have adequate skills to move forward. The game offers more than 1300 unique passive skills as well as powerful gems that you can attach to our weapons. However, all of these are unlocked by leveling up and exploring the world.

You can choose a unique class at the start of the game, and each of these classes has different abilities and play styles. And the best part is that; you can even unlock a second class later on in the game. So, you’ll have characters that completely suit your play style, which makes the grinding even more joyful.

The game has tons of upgrades, skins, and items that you can sell and purchase using the in-game currencies. So even if you’re not getting much and just collecting random orbs, it’ll eventually be of use later on.

Monster Hunter World

If you have a fantasy of hunting down vicious monsters roaming around the world, then this game is perfect for you. Monster Hunter World is an action RPG game that is all about chasing down monsters and hunting them.

The game features a vast world for you to explore and level up. It is filled with monsters of all kinds that get stronger as you move forward. Your job is to search for them and either kill them or capture them. You can choose to do these quests alone, or you can also form a party and hunt in groups.

However, killing these monsters is not an easy task. They are strong, and each one of them has different combat abilities. So, you’ll have to make sure that you have a proper plan when approaching these creatures, as jumping in like an idiot will only get you killed.

Killing these monsters, however, is a big deal because they drop rare materials and elements that you can use to upgrade your weapons and craft new ones as well. Then, you’ll be able to gear up in all new equipment for your next big hunt.

Terraria

Terraria is an action/adventure style sandbox game that is similar to Minecraft in many ways. If you’re a fan of classic 2D graphics with great gameplays and endless adventures, this game will make you feel at home.

Set in a procedurally generated terrain, this game will let you play however you like and do whatever you want. Whether you’re an adventure fanatic who loves digging the ground and finding precious gems or a hardcore action lover who loves slaying monsters, this game is perfect for both.

There are a lot of things to do in Terraria. You can mine ores and minerals, build epic buildings, interact with NPCs and even hire them to help you. You can also fight strong bosses for rare drops and rewards. There are different items that have special effects when worn. And you can use both magic and weapons during battles.

Besides these, the game regularly receives big updates and changes, so you won’t ever run out of things to do in Terraria.

Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley is an amazing farming simulation game with indie graphics. You will never run out of fun when you’re playing this game.

After taking over your grandparent’s farm, your objective is to make it brimming with crops, fruits, and farm animals. For this, you’ll have to plant crops and take care of them until they’re ready to sell and sell them to earn profits. The profit then can be used to purchase different equipment needed for the farm.

If you’re tired of farming and harvesting crops every time, you can also visit dungeons to collect to fight monsters and collect ores. The game has so much to offer that you’ll be having fun whatever you decide to do.

There are also various quests you can complete to earn various rewards. You can use boosts to increase your efficiency for a certain time. You can even engage with NPCs, marry them, and have kids with them.

They’ll also help out on the farm to increase your production and reach your goal of making a grand farm sooner.

Warframe

Warframe is an action RPG game that is set in a futuristic environment. You play as an ancient race of warriors who have woken up from their slumber to fight against the alien races inside huge spaceships.

In the game, you’ll control a biomechanical character known as warframes. These warframes can wield different weapons and have various abilities to kill their enemies. They can also perform different acrobatics and move very fast, which are useful in both offense and defense.

The gameplay involves missions where you’ll be tasked to kill enemies and explore different areas of the ships. You’ll be rewarded with credits once you have completed missions which can be used for upgrading your weapons and buying new ones as well.

You can also purchase new warframes once you have enough credits.

Warframe is mostly focused on combats where you’ll be using your skills to quickly take down the enemies, but it also features different worlds for you to grind. The newer updates even feature a large open world that you can explore like an MMO and fight hordes of enemies.

The game offers various in-game powerful items that you can purchase with real money. You can also unlock them through grinding if you’re not a fan of spending money. Whatever the case, these items and weapons will make your life a lot easier when you have them equipped.

Albion Online

Welcome to an MMORPG, where everything is player-driven. This game takes on a unique approach to its gameplay where players themselves craft weapons and armors and build buildings to accommodate players. Everything you see in this game is made by players.

Albion Online introduces the true classless system in the MMORPG. You don’t have to worry about not being able to wield certain weapons or only being able to learn certain abilities no more. You are what you wear in this game. So, you can make your own little class by combining different weapons and armors.

The weapons and armors you’re wearing determine what abilities you’ll be having and what skills you can use. The game features both PVE or PVP elements for you to battle to your heart’s content. You can engage in a 1v1 battle against other players or go all out in a full-scale war and take all their resources.

But just like every other MMORPG game, it all begins with a small step. You start the game with some basic weapons and work your way up from there. The game starts to look different once you gain levels and have high-value equipment.

Apex Legends

Apex Legends is one of the most popular battle royale games in recent years. It has amazing graphics, gameplay, and high-octane combats, which will make you enjoy every moment in the game.

You play inside a map with 59 other players, fighting to be the ultimate survivor. The game features solo, duo, and trio gameplay where each player’s objective is to survive till the end and kill all other players.

At the start of each game, you’ll be able to choose a legend with unique abilities and play as them. The gameplay focuses on these legends battling with different weapons and equipment around the map while staying inside a circle called a safe zone.

The game contains several high-tech weapons and explosives. The legends you choose will determine how you want to proceed with the game and whether your team wants to play defensive or offense. But whatever path you choose, fighting with enemies is inevitable.

You don’t need to levels and in-game currency in Apex Legends, but it does have a battle-pass system that requires you to play a lot of games in order to level up. You’ll get weekly missions, which you need to complete if you want to level up.