The 20 best free PC games
Gaming is an expensive hobby, and demos aren’t as common as they once were. Do you really want to drop $60 on a new game without trying it? What if you hate it? Retailers probably won’t accept your opened copy, and many PC gamers exclusively use digital distribution anyway. Thankfully, there is an entire class of games that offer up countless hours of entertainment with absolutely no upfront cost: Free games!
Free and free-to-play games are plentiful, popular, and many of them are actually superb titles in their own right. It’s true that most of them are designed to get you hooked, and then extract your hard-earned cash through microtransactions, but is that so bad? If you actually enjoy the game you’re playing, there isn’t anything inherently wrong with paying the developer for more content. After all, you at least know what you’re paying for with a free game. The traditional sales model demands that you pay $60 upfront before you even play the game, so I’d argue that this is a step in the right direction even if it isn’t always handled tactfully.
That said, there are a lot of bad games trying to get in on the free-to-play land grab, so it’s a bit of a minefield out there. So, today I am going to list off twenty of the very best free games on the PC to help you find something you’ll really love. There’s a lot to cover, so follow along, and something is bound to strike your fancy.
Of course, if we miss a game that you think should be on the list, leave a comment!
Dota 2
Based on the popular Warcraft III mod called Defense of the Ancients (DotA for short), Valve’s Dota 2 (pictured top) is a model free-to-play game. Without spending one red cent, you get access to the entire gameplay experience. Of course, Valve makes a tidy profit from selling cosmetic and ancillary items. The Bellevue company is well-versed in the realm of free-to-play games, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself buying new loot for this “free” game once you’re hooked.
League of Legends
Just like Dota 2, League of Legends is a MOBA (multiplayer online batter arena) derived from the same Warcraft III mod. However, the folks at Riot Games have a very different pricing model than Valve’s. You can play a select number of characters for free, but access to additional characters is going to cost you. Regardless of the value proposition compared to other MOBAs, this game remains insanely popular across the globe.
Diablo III
Blizzard is well known for creating some of the world’s best PC games, and now you can try them for free. Diablo III: Starter Edition lets you get a taste of the full game without paying a dime. Just sign up for a Battle.net account, and you’ll be able to level your character up to 13 while enjoying some limited multiplayer matchmaking. It’s not the entire Diablo experience, but you’ll get to see a hefty portion of one of the most polished gameplay experiences on the market. If you like it, you can upgrade to the full game for $40.
StarCraft II
StarCraft is by far the most popular real-time strategy franchise in existence, and now you can have a taste of the game at no cost. You’ll get to play four single-player missions, have access to two challenges, and try out custom battles against the AI. All of your progress is saved, and if you spend the $20 to upgrade to the full game, you can pick up right where you left off.
World of Warcraft
Ever since World of Warcraft came out a decade ago, it has been the premiere massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). Now, you can play up to level 20 without paying Blizzard a dime. If you like what you play, you can buy the full game for $20. However, you’ll need to pony up for a monthly subscription as well, so keep that in mind before you buy in.
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Maybe you prefer your MMORPG set in a sci-fi universe. If so, check out BioWare’s Star Wars: The Old Republic. All of the core content is free-to-play, but you pay for a higher tier of service that will net you more currency and more perks. This game isn’t as popular as World of Warcraft, but you can do a whole lot more with it before you need to pull out your wallet.
Team Fortress 2
Dota 2 isn’t Valve’s first free-to-play game — the house that Gordon built cut its F2P teeth on Team Fortress 2. Originally released as part of a bundle called The Orange Box, Valve made Team Fortress 2 free-to-play nearly four years after its original release. This class-based shooter is now infamous for its item-based economy, and maintains a surprisingly large user base. It is probably the best free first-person shooter (FPS) available.
Path of Exile
If you liked the Diablo series, Path of Exile is right up your alley. At its core, this is an action RPG mashed together with a free-to-play business model. You walk around destroying everything in your wake with blades, bows, and magic — paying for aesthetic changes and convenience upgrades as you go. If you loved Diablo 2, and weren’t so keen on the direction taken by Diablo 3, you should check out POE.
Warframe
This sci-fi third-person shooter from Digital Extremes has a lot to offer for thrifty players. You can spend dozens of hours shooting and slashing away with other players online, and you don’t have to invest anything other than your time. Of course, you can spend real money on in-game currency and items, but it’s definitely not necessary to have a good time. Even better, it works surprisingly well on older systems, so almost anyone with a dedicated graphics card can join in.
Firefall
This open world shooter has been talked about extensively for years, but it only released to the public in the last couple of months. Firefall is something of a mash-up of a traditional MMORPG and a cooperative shooter, so you can join up with your friends to take down everything the game throws at you. As expected, in-game currency can be purchased with cold hard cash, and exchanged for a variety of customizations.
Marvel Heroes
Marvel characters and loot gathering: a match made in Valhalla. Pick from a handful of free characters, and start clicking away on the hundreds of baddies that stand between you and that sweet, sweet loot. If none of the free characters strike your fancy, you can lay down some cash for the character of your choosing, and pick out the costume that best fits your style.
TrackMania Nations Forever
TrackMania is designed around besting your friends on the leaderboards, and making the craziest race tracks imaginable. You can play the entirety of the stadium environment for free by downloading TrackMania Nations Forever. If you enjoy yourself, you can spend $30 to upgrade to TrackMania United Forever with an additional six racing environments included. This game is surprisingly fun in a simple, you-only-use-two-buttons-on-your-keyboard way, especially if you play with friends (or make friends while playing!)
Need for Speed World
If TrackMania is a little too crazy for your taste, check out EA’s free-to-play racing game. Need for Speed World gives you the same kind of racing you’ve come to expect from the franchise, but sells you everything piecemeal. You can race for free, but you can buy new cars, refill your power-ups, and double your payouts with real money.
Might & Magic: Duel of Champions
Do you like card games? If so, you should really check out Ubisoft’s Might & Magic: Duel of Champions. You can jump right in and start playing with your friends, or you can go through a step-by-step tutorial to learn the rules. Playing for free will work out just fine, but it has all of the same up-sell mechanisms that a real-life card game would have. If you want a really competitive high-end deck, you’ll probably end up buying a few booster packs here and there.
FIFA World
Sports games aren’t very well represented in the free-to-play market, so it’s good to see EA offering up FIFA World for PC gamers. Whether you want to play with a gamepad or keyboard, you’ll get a taste of the well-loved soccer franchise for free. EA isn’t offering up this game out of the goodness of its heart, though. There are plenty of microtransactions to be had for items and enhancements throughout the entirety of the game.
Blacklight: Retribution
If you just want a good old fashioned multiplayer shooter, Blacklight is the game for you. Team up with friends or match up with random players for some team death match, capture the flag, or king of the hill. It’s simple, fun, and you don’t really need the items behind the paywall to have a good time. The fast pace, small learning curve, and lack of an up-front cost makes this title compelling competition for even the Call of Duties of the world.
Neverwinter
Want to get nerdy? Check out this free-to-play MMORPG based on the world of Dungeons & Dragons. Without spending a single dollar, you can play through this fantasy world with your friends, and soak in the decades of lore built-up around the Forgotten Realms. However, you need to be careful of what you buy because you can easily drop $200 on a single pack of in-game content. Still, the more reasonable $20 packs are nothing to turn your nose up at.
Pinball Arcade
Classic arcade tables never looked so good. If you download the client for the Pinball Arcade on Steam, you get full access to the Tales of the Arabian Nights table for free. You can also try out any of the other tables for free, but you won’t be able to play past the first high score. Each additional table can be purchased à la carte, or you can invest $30 at once into an entire pack of classic tables. Whether you’re a casual fan or a pinball fanatic, this freemium product is great value for money.
War Thunder
War Thunder is a massively multiplayer online game set during World War II and the Korean War. Both air and ground combat are built into the game, and naval combat is being developed. You can play for free, but of course the cash shop lets you buy vehicles and in-game currency. If you’re a history buff, this game is the perfect way to get a little taste of classic combat machines from the safety of your own desk.
Alien Swarm
This top-down shooter developed by Valve is completely free — just download the entire game and the SDK through Steam, and play to your heart’s content. Join up with three of your friends to destroy alien monsters, or crack open the game editor to make your very own environments. With four classes, eight characters, and persistent unlocks, this game will keep you busy for months. Even better, it’s really free. No micropayments in sight.You’re free to play all day
From pinball to shooters to fantasy RPGs, the free and F2P gaming market has a little bit of everything. Don’t let the stigma of free-to-play games like FarmVille or Candy Crush Saga drive you away from a myriad of outstanding experiences. Many developers out there are trying to do good by their customers, and these games are nothing to shy away from. Sure, some games are exploitative. But by definition, you get to try these games before investing any money into them — and that can only be a good thing. If you’re willing to try some games from this list, I guarantee you’ll find something worthwhile.If we missed a game that you think should be on this list of best free PC games, don’t hesitate to leave a comment.
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