PCGame

Half-Life

Classic sci-fi first-person shooter mixing alien combat and environmental puzzles

Valve · Released Nov 19, 1998

Action

Reviews
Overwhelmingly Positive
96% of 133K
Recent reviews
Very Positive
94% of 910 in 30 days
Players
730
daily peak, Nov 7, 2026
Steam Deck
Verified
Last update on Steam
2 years ago
Oct 9, 2024
Minimum PC
–
not published

Metacritic: 96/100 (critic reviews)

What is Half-Life?

A science-fiction first-person shooter built around a story-driven single-player campaign, with online PvP multiplayer. You guide a silent protagonist through industrial environments, fighting aliens, exploring, and solving puzzles.

For you if...

  • +you want a story-driven science-fiction shooter
  • +you enjoy fast shooting and environmental puzzles
  • +you also want online player-versus-player matches

Not for you if...

  • −you dislike high difficulty and frequent deaths
  • −you want smooth modern movement and platforming
  • −you prefer clearly signposted puzzles and routes

What players say

96% of 132,615 reviews are positive · 94% of 910 in the last 30 days

Players praise the industrial atmosphere, world-building, fast shooting, and puzzle-focused level design. Common complaints include high difficulty, frequent deaths, unclear routes, slippery movement, awkward platforming, and heavy reliance on manual saves.

Players over time

▼ -29% vs a month ago

Players online on Steam, one sample a day.

Highest since Sep 2026: 1,056 players on Oct 5, 2026.

Show the data
DayPlayers
Nov 7, 2026730
Nov 6, 2026589
Nov 5, 2026668
Nov 4, 2026640
Nov 3, 2026644
Nov 2, 2026803
Nov 1, 2026705
Oct 31, 2026697
Oct 30, 2026681
Oct 29, 2026667
Oct 28, 2026644
Oct 27, 2026397
Oct 27, 2026635
Oct 26, 2026778
Oct 25, 2026786
Oct 24, 2026745
Oct 23, 2026625
Oct 22, 20260
Oct 21, 2026654
Oct 20, 2026691
Oct 19, 2026785
Oct 18, 2026809
Oct 17, 2026756
Oct 16, 2026675
Oct 15, 2026736
Oct 14, 2026724
Oct 13, 2026837
Oct 12, 2026943
Oct 11, 2026988
Oct 10, 2026922
Oct 9, 2026970
Oct 8, 2026946
Oct 7, 2026911
Oct 6, 2026973
Oct 5, 20261,056
Oct 4, 20261,001
Oct 3, 2026933
Oct 2, 2026702
Oct 1, 2026582
Sep 30, 2026603
Sep 29, 2026643
Sep 28, 2026685
Sep 27, 2026702
Sep 26, 2026678
Sep 25, 2026643
Sep 24, 2026621
Sep 23, 2026398
Sep 23, 2026597
Sep 22, 2026614
Sep 21, 2026676

Screenshots and trailer

Half-Life screenshot 1

Half-Life system requirements

As published by the developer.

Can my PC run Half-Life?

The published requirements do not name a graphics card we can compare.

Set up my PC →

Minimum

500 mhz processor, 96mb ram, 16mb video card, Windows XP, Mouse, Keyboard, Internet Connection Recommended: 800 mhz processor, 128mb ram, 32mb+ video card, Windows XP, Mouse, Keyboard, Internet Connection

Does Half-Life have co-op or multiplayer?

Yes: PvP online. It also has a single-player mode.

Does Half-Life run on Steam Deck?

Verified Yes, Verified by Valve: it works on Steam Deck out of the box.

  • All functionality is accessible with the default controller configuration
  • Shows Steam Deck controller icons
  • In-game text is legible on Steam Deck
  • Default graphics settings perform well on Steam Deck
  • External controllers are not supported for the primary player

PC version details

DRM
None declared on Steam
Controller
Full controller support
Platforms
Windows, macOS, Linux
Steam features
Cloud saves, Family Sharing
Languages
Full audio: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish - Spain, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean.

Does Half-Life use AI-generated content?

No AI-generated content is disclosed on the game's Steam page.

Self-reported by the developer under Steam rules: it covers AI content that ships in the game, not tools used to make it. Steam page checked on Nov 6, 2026. How to filter AI games on Steam

Tags

Recent updates

1 DLC available.

Games like Half-Life