Here's the weekly round-up of the best PC Gamer forum threads

(Image credit: Volition)

This week on the PC Gamer forums, our SpecialEffect awareness campaign has reset for June, the rarest achievements in our Steam libraries, demos we loved so much we played them to death, and games we would like to see in a different genre.

May was a busy time for the PCG forum. Atomhawk joined us for a Studio Spotlight, we had our SpecialEffect awareness week, and we ran a bunch of competitions including a chance to win a Cyberpunk GeForce graphics card and a copy of the Cyberpunk Red Jumpstart kit signed by Mike Pondsmith. The lovely community managers on the forum have gathered everything into one post, so head on over to the May monthly round-up for more information. Some of our giveaways go into June so make sure to read up on what we've got going on. 

Here's what's been going on in the forums this past week:

What demo did you play to death?

Forum user Mazer takes us on a trip down memory lane in their thread asking what game demos we played to death. Getting a CD demo disk for free was a magical experience. Getting them in magazines, through the mail, or coupled with other games was pretty cool. Where there any demo disks you were obsessed with? Make sure to pop a comment in the thread. 

The demo for the first GTA only gave you a few missions, but you had free reign of the entire city for six minutes. The demo for Red Faction was one level of painfully generic sci-fi shooting, but also a playground level for trying out the gimmicky terrain destruction tech. Then there's the age of shareware; the golden age when, for a kid with no money who would be happy with the first quarter of a game, everything was free.Mazer

Oh boy.... sooo many. Demos coming from magazines on CD/DVD were something I was digging into every month - for somebody without internet, these magazines were the window into the "world". Quake / Arena, Battlefield 1942, some Destruction Derby clone name I forgot now, Takeda demo with only one battle (who remembers that game, huh?), Devastation (another forgotten game from early 2000s), Warlords Battlecry, Metal Fatique and so many more. Brb, browsing old magazines.OsaX Nymloth

Here's the thread.

(Image credit: Firaxis Games)

Rarest /  Proudest Achievement

Are you a completionist when you play games, having to get every achievement and reward that a game has to offer? Now is your time to boast about it! This thread started by McStabStab asks the community to comment with their rarest Steam game achievement or a game reward that brings them pride.

According to Steam, the rarest achievement I have is Pyramid Scheme for Civilization V: "Playing as France, get the Louvre to the maximum theming bonus of 16." It's not particularly hard to get if you really want it, but apparently only 1% of players has completed it.—Pifanjr

I love getting achievements. Not to the point of being a completionist, but when that little notification pops up in the corner of my screen I feel elated. Not because those achievements really mean anything, but because they make me feel like I've accomplished something.McStabStab

Here's the thread.

(Image credit: Epos)

Our SpecialEffect Awareness Campaign resets for a new month

As part of our SpecialEffect Awareness campaign, the PC Gamer forums are giving away an EPOS | SENNHEISER GSP 370 headset every month for a year. Now that May is over the giveaway has reset for June, so head on over to the giveaway thread and enter for a chance to win. 

Usually when I play video games I don't think how difficult would be playing with disability. I'm glad that there are people who think about that and can help people in need, so at least when they play games they have same experience as everyone else.—5UDO

Throughout my life, gaming has been a huge outlet that has helped me through a lot of tough times. It's wonderful knowing that people who live with disabilities can also enjoy gaming to the full extent. Round of applause to Special Effect! 👏—SexualSegull

Here's a link to the giveaway.

Gears of War 5 screenshots

(Image credit: Microsoft)

What game would you like to see in a different genre?

For this weekend's question, Jody asks the community what game would you like to see in a different genre? The example that he gives is that Gears of War would make a fine turn-based strategy game. Do you think that XCOM would make an awesome RPG? Or maybe you think that the Witcher 3 would make a great dating sim (totally not me, I swear...)? Leave your answers in the thread. 

I think Mass Effect would be perfect as a turn-based tactics game or cRPG as well. The squad based combat with complementary abilities would be great in a Dragon Age like game for example.—Pifanjr

I think the brutal, militaristic universe of Warhammer 40k possesses all the necessary qualities to create a relationship destroying go-kart racer. A grinning Tyranid Hive Tyrant unleashes a ripper brood swarm on the first place racer. A single macrostub shot vaprizes Monty Mole into a pink mist. Tires sequelch cross a pool of blood as you round the corner. The finishline is in sight. You think you're going to win! But then you hear it... "WAAAGH!" Honestly I cannot think of a more appropriate conduit of the Grimdark.—XoRn

Here's a link to the thread.

The top threads this week.

What was the first video game you remember playing?
Can real-time strategy come back from the brink of death?
Your favourite building/management games
Can real-time strategy come back from the brink of death?

Rachel Watts

Rachel had been bouncing around different gaming websites as a freelancer and staff writer for three years before settling at PC Gamer back in 2019. She mainly writes reviews, previews, and features, but on rare occasions will switch it up with news and guides. When she's not taking hundreds of screenshots of the latest indie darling, you can find her nurturing her parsnip empire in Stardew Valley and planning an axolotl uprising in Minecraft. She loves 'stop and smell the roses' games—her proudest gaming moment being the one time she kept her virtual potted plants alive for over a year.