What Is RAWG.io? A Video Game Discovery Database Explained

Updated

RAWG.io is a video game discovery service and database that lets you browse games, filter them by platform, sort by relevance or release date, and maintain a personal game profile. It's useful if you want one place to track what you're playing, see what friends are playing, and find your next game without jumping between store pages and review sites.

What RAWG.io actually is

RAWG describes itself as "The Biggest Video Game Database" and a "Video Game Discovery Service." In practice, that means two connected things:

  • A database you browse — game entries organized so you can search, sort, and filter them.
  • A profile you keep — a personal collection of games tied to your account, which also lets you see what friends are playing.

The discovery angle is the point: the site is built to move you from "I don't know what to play" to a shortlist of candidates.

What you can do on the homepage

The homepage surfaces a "New and trending" section. According to the page, this list is "Based on player counts and release date," so it mixes what's popular right now with what's recent.

Two controls sit above the list:

Control What it does
Order by: Relevance Changes how results are ranked
Platforms Filters the list to specific platforms
Display options Adjusts how results are shown

The list itself is paginated — the page shows numbered pages (1, 2, 3, 4 >), so you can keep browsing beyond the first screen.

Examples of titles appearing in the trending list include Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake, Enshrouded, Path of Exile 2, Valheim, Grand Theft Auto VI, and Marvel's Wolverine. Some entries carry a number next to them (for example, Valheim at 4,792 or Prince of Persia at 443), which reflects the player-count signal the ranking is based on.

How to use it to find your next game

A practical workflow:

  1. Open the "New and trending" section to see what's currently drawing players.
  2. Set the Platforms filter to the hardware you actually own, so you don't waste time on games you can't play.
  3. Switch "Order by" between Relevance and other options depending on whether you want the most prominent results or a different ranking.
  4. Page through the results rather than stopping at the first screen — the list runs across multiple pages.
  5. Open a game's entry to decide whether it's worth adding to your profile.

The expected result is a shortlist of games matched to your platform and current interest, rather than an open-ended search.

The profile side: tracking and friends

Beyond browsing, RAWG positions itself around keeping "all games in one profile." Two stated uses:

  • See what friends are playing — social context for your next pick.
  • Find your next great game — the discovery goal the whole site is oriented around.

This is the difference between RAWG and a plain database: the profile turns browsing into a personal list you return to.

What RAWG is not

Based on the available page content, RAWG is a discovery and database layer, not a storefront. The page evidence covers browsing, filtering, sorting, and profiles — it does not show pricing, purchase flows, or payment platforms. So treat it as a place to decide what to play, not necessarily where you buy it.

Who it's for

  • Players with a backlog problem who want a ranked, filterable view of what's new and popular.
  • Multi-platform owners who need to filter by the systems they own.
  • People who like social signals and want to see friends' activity alongside their own list.

If you only ever play one game and never look for the next one, a discovery database adds little. If you regularly ask "what should I play next?", the combination of trending rankings, platform filters, and a personal profile is the reason to use it.