Free to play games have grown in popularity over the years, and it’s easy to see why.
They’re great time-wasters, and they’ve gotten so good that you never feel constrained by the fact that you’re not spending actual money on them.
If you have any spare time on your hands, you can’t go wrong with a free game—especially if you’re playing on PC, which has a plethora of free-to-play choices. However, it can be difficult to choose a game worth downloading with too many games to try. You might stick to free Steam games, but if you don’t mind venturing outside of Valve’s online video game shop, there’s a lot of interesting stuff to be found.
Our list includes several obvious choices, such as the hugely successful battle royale game Fortnite. Which mixes third-person shooting, resource collecting, and construction to produce a highly addictive multiplayer environment. Of course, no list of free-to-play PC games will be complete without Riot Games’ massively successful MOBA League of Legends. However, there are many other free-to-play games on PC, many of which may have slipped under the gaming radar.
Some of these free games are available on Steam. In contrast, others are available on the Epic Games Store. Even others can only be purchased from the game’s official website. All are enjoyable to play, so grab a keyboard, mouse, or gamepad and get started.
Brawlhalla
Brawlhalla is an action game similar to Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. franchise but with its own twists. You can compete in up to four-player friendly matches to knock the competitor off the arena to score points.
Since the game is a gun-based affair, each of the 40 fighters has a range of weapons that they can use during a battle. These weapons appear at random on stages and supplement your move collection. Brawlhalla’s player characters change weekly, but you can buy your favorites with in-game money.
You’ll still find a match thanks to cross-platform play between PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
Dauntless
Monster Hunter World has had a huge critical and commercial influence, so it’s not surprising to see games influenced by Capcom’s franchise. One such title is Dauntless. In a post-apocalyptic fantasy world, Dauntless pits you against vicious behemoths. It can be played in single-player or online mode, with up to four players hacking at a beast’s shins. The war is kept exciting by the presence of many military groups.
It uses the same core loop of knocking down giant monsters and then using their pieces to make gear for taking down even bigger monsters. Still, it makes it even more approachable with simple systems and an easy online gaming experience.
Mastering each weapon type is like playing a new game, each with its own special quirks to master. A hammer that doubles as a jetpack is a personal favorite. Best of all, smooth cross-platform play allows you to search with your mates regardless of platform, making this a simple choice for the best free games.
Dauntless is a free-to-play online, so you won’t have to pay anything. Unless you choose to give your characters or guns a cool skin.
Dota 2
“Easy to understand, difficult to master” is a term often heard in gaming circles. Still, few games exemplify the concept better than Defense of the Ancients 2.
This free-to-play MOBA game challenges you to choose one of over 100 downloadable Heroes to take to the battlefield, using the character’s special powers, play style, and attributes to help your team win.
Dive through the Steam Community forums, read some tips, speak to some fans, and then enlist the aid of a few friends to help you get hooked on the original MOBA and one of the most popular PC games of all time – you’ll quickly see why it’s a perennial choice for our list of the best free games.
Also Read, Blow of Some Steam with these iconic Shooter Games
Fortnite
Fortnite, the wildly successful battle royale game, pits 100 players against one another in an ever-shrinking map until only one player or team remains. In addition to gunplay, Fortnite combines resource collection and construction, so you must race around the field with your handy pickax to find fort-worthy resources.
Matches are easy to find and extremely addictive, so give it a shot if you’re looking for some crazy shooting fun. Fortunately, if you’re playing on a PC, console, or tablet, you won’t have to pay a dime to get in on the fun. You can buy new outfits, emotes, and pickaxes with in-app purchases.
There’s also a free Creative mode, a paying co-op, wave protection Save the World experience mode, and the easy event-hosting Party Royale. Still, Battle Royale is the game’s beating heart. If you need some assistance getting started in the Battle Royale, we have some Fortnite tips just for you.
League of Legends
League of Legends is one of the most famous and widely played MOBAs on PC. In League, you take on the role of a hero, a fighter with special abilities and mobility who must work with teammates to break the opposing team’s foundation. Matches can naturally become more complex as you face stiffer competition, and they can last up to an hour.
League operates on a freemium transaction model, with free champions rotating weekly unless you pay cash to keep a character permanently. You can also play daily to win in-game money that can be used to buy champions.
Smite
Smite, a third-person MOBA with champions drawn from classic myths and ancient pantheons. Matches are team-based, 5-on-5 battles in which you must smash your opponent’s base and towers.
Compared to League of Legends’ top-down viewpoint, the third-person view makes fighting even more complex, and the diverse cast of player characters adds to the look. Smite has a revolving pool of free gods to play with, which can be indefinitely purchased with in-game currency or purchased in packs with real money.
Smite is a third-person multiplayer battler that focuses on fights between gods and mythological figures. The community is small enough to be welcoming. At the same time, also large enough to ensure full servers, and the game is constantly updated with new characters and maps. Yes, it’s free, but a decent $30 payment brings you the Ultimate Gods Pack, which bestows you lifetime access to all fighters and any future updates.
Spellbreak
Download Spellbreak if you’re tired of the traditional battle royale game in which you tote weapons. In this fantasy-based game, you play as a Battlemage, a wizard who does not need such basic weapons.
Spellbreak swaps out weapons for elemental gauntlets for the dominant side. If you want to launch strong fireballs, long-range ice rockets, or poisonous goo waves that slowly poison opponents? You are capable of doing so. On the battlefield, you’ll also find more gauntlets to equip on your off-hand, giving you access to two elements at once as you fight for victory.
Valorant
The makers of League of Legends’ superpowered shooter infuses Overwatch-inspired legends with big powers and even bigger personas into Counter-Strike-inspired multiplayer. It’s just as important to watch your corners and know the map as it is to pick the perfect moment to unleash superpowered hell on the opposing team. As soon as you start playing, you’ll have easy access to a selection of Valorant’s heroes, and you can unlock more by completing their Contracts or paying for one-time microtransactions. Then there are the cosmetics, but you can stick to the basics and just enjoy the free hardcore shooting action.
