The Best Games You Can Play With Just A Mouse, Ranked

Sometimes, players just want to relax and do a bit of one handed gaming, or may need to due to an injury or disability. Alternatively, there may be times when players don't have a keyboard available to them due to travel or a breakage.

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Whatever the case, many great games can be played with just a mouse, and while players might miss out on some useful keyboard hotkeys and shortcuts, no aspect of the gameplay is lost, just a few seconds of time. Furthermore, although there are gaming mice with tonnes of custom buttons available which grant access to even more games, this list will only detail games that can be played with a standard mouse.

Updated March 24, 2024 by Joe Grantham: There is no shortage of PC games that can be played with just a mouse, and while of course a lot of simple games fall under this umbrella, players might be surprised to learn of some pretty great examples. From grand strategy and management games to turn-based RPGs and deck-building adventures, there is a wide variety of genres that allow players to get by perfectly fine without a keyboard or a controller.

8 The Sims 4

Metascore: 70

The Sims franchise is one of the most iconic in the gaming industry, and, as with previous installments, players can enjoy The Sims 4 with just a mouse. Although there are keyboard shortcuts to make certain actions faster, they can all be made with the click of the mouse, and if there is a need for urgency, players can simply pause the game and take all the time they need.

The chilled-out nature of the Sims makes it perfect for sitting back in a nice gaming chair without having to hunch over a keyboard. Players can unleash their creativity in both the character creation and when designing houses while also watching their Sim climb corporate ladders, make friends, and find love. The Sims 4 also has the huge advantage of being a free-to-play game, although it is at its best when supplemented with paid expansion packs.

7 Bloons TD 6

Metacritic User Score: 8.1

If players are looking for a relaxing game to play with just a mouse, then the iconic experience offered by Bloons TD 6 might just be for them. The whole game, from the player's perspective, is simply pointing and clicking as they set up their monkeys and other defenses, ready for the incoming balloon invaders.

Compared to previous installments in the franchise, Bloons TD 6 is packed full of content, including a plethora of great maps, quests, and boss battles. There are many reasons why it is considered one of the best tower defense games, but the chill nature of the Bloons world is certainly a huge factor, especially as a counter to the stress of being overwhelmed by balloons. While the scale of Bloons TD 6 means it can't fully compete with the best games on this list, it is nonetheless a great option for players who can't run the likes of Baldur's Gate 3 on their current device.

6 RimWorld

Metascore: 87

RimWorld is a sci-fi colony-building simulator with sandbox elements, but one of its biggest drawing points is that it generates stories based on practically every aspect of intergalactic life. Starting with three survivors of a crashed spaceship, players must first expand and tend to their population, but before long, the entire universe will be their oyster with endless possibilities awaiting.

Players could settle down and focus on farming, or they could instead invest in the space trade or even become pirates who interfere with said trade. Whatever players decide to focus on, it's guaranteed that their colonists will cause trouble, which is weirdly a joy to watch unfold. Despite everything going on in the game, players only need a mouse to manage everything.

5 Sid Meier's Civilization 6

Metascore: 88

The Sid Meier's Civilisation franchise is one of the most well-known in the strategy game genre, and most installments, including the latest and greatest, Civilisation 6, can be played with just a mouse. This grid-based strategy game sees players start with just one city, which they can expand and use to spawn warriors and settlers who will carve out new territory.

Victory can eventually be achieved by domination in war, scientific advancement, cultural superiority, or through religion. The game is predominantly played by pointing and clicking with the mouse, and while a keyboard can make certain actions faster, nothing is lost by purely using a mouse, as the game operates on a turn-based system.

4 Slay The Spire

Metascore: 89

Slay the Spire is a hit game that combines deckbuilding and roguelike elements to create an epic adventure of discovery and satisfying fights. It also happens to be completely playable with just a mouse, as players will mostly be clicking on cards and other aspects of the UI.

As a fully single-player game, players can take all the time they need, and time spent reading the effects of each card and building a deck based on wacky synergy will always pay off. For newcomers to either of the genres it is based on, the game is thankfully easy to get into and yet still has an incredibly high ceiling and near-infinite replayability.

3 Divinity Originial Sin 2

Metascore: 93

While not as well known as Baldur's Gate 3, Divinity: Original Sin 2 is another critically acclaimed RPG from Larian Studios and arguably raised the bar and set up BG3 for success. As a turn-based game where players are in no rush, it works perfectly well with no keyboard and just a mouse.

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For example, players can move the camera by panning the cursor to the edge of the screen, and all movement commands are issued with clicks. In combat, players will want to take their time choosing the best actions, which they will then click. Set in the unique world of Rivellon, Divinity Original Sin 2 is also known as one of the best-written RPGs. While the game was phenomenal at launch, players who experience it after playing BG3 might notice a few pitfalls.

2 Crusader Kings 3

Metascore: 91

Crusader Kings 3 is arguably the greatest grand strategy game of all time, and like many games within the genre, can be played with just a mouse. While keyboard shortcuts can make certain actions faster, players will often make decisions or direct armies while the game is paused or at a low speed, so gameplay is not affected.

The premise of CK3 is that players take on the role of a real or player-created medieval ruler and not only control their political ambitions on the map but also see the personal side of the aristocracy. CK3 excels at letting players role-play, allowing them to shape their own stories and adventures. In the years since its release, Crusader Kings 3 has been improved even further with regular DLC packs and free updates, pushing players' experiences to new heights.

1 Baldur's Gate 3

Metascore: 96

Baldur's Gate 3 is one of the greatest games ever made, and yet, incredibly, it is perfectly playable with just a mouse. This is mostly due to the fact that the massive RPG game based on Dungeons & Dragons features turn-based combat, meaning players don't need to be hot on the trigger at any moment.

When players do enter battle, they will need to click on most of their actions or spells anyway, with only a few common options, such as Jump having a hotkey. Players also move by clicking the ground, rather than relying on WASD, and much of the fun of BG3 lies in the decisions and dialogue options that players make, meaning it's the perfect game for mouse-only users.

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