Best free Steam games March 2024

What are the best free Steam games in 2024? If you are bored and don’t have much spare cash, you don’t need to fear a gaming drought. Steam is loaded with games you can play without spending a dime. What’s more, many of them are very good indeed: games that are just as much fun to play as their full-price, wallet-destroying siblings.

In recent years, free Steam games have become the norm, with some even overtaking paid-for triple-A tiles as the leaders of the PC gaming hobby. Take a quick look at the platform’s most-played list, and from FPS games to MMORPGs, you’ll see that a significant proportion of the most popular and best PC games on the platform happen to be free-to-play. So, because we desperately care about the health of your bank account – and honestly worry about how much money you’re spending on your nasty gaming habit – we want to help you find all the best free PC games you can play right now.

Here are the best free Steam games:

Sheepy: A Short Adventure

OK, Sheepy might not keep you busy for long – we completed it in about an hour – but it is free, and, despite its short length, its story serves up more emotion and style than games ten times as long. As you take on the role of an adorable plush sheep come to life, you might think that this 2D platformer is an adorable jaunt through a sweet, childlike world. You’d be wrong.

Instead, Sheepy: A Short Adventure is a gloomy escapade through the dark past of a corrupt business, as the bodies of its employees punctuate your journey above and below ground. Don’t worry, though, this isn’t a horror, there are no jumpscares or serious spooks, but there are plenty of cute and fun moments, one particular scene that brings the stunning soundtrack to life and even made some of us PCGN writers shed a tear.

If your lip doesn’t wobble there, then we defy you to keep your tears in at the end, when you meet Patches, the game’s recurring boss, for one last time. The difficulty increases with each of the surprisingly challenging boss fights, but by the third and final challenge, your relationship with Patches starts to change as you get to know more about the bear, and even Sheepy themselves. Just weeks after the game’s release, the debut game from MrSuicideSheep has thousands of Overwhelmingly Positive Steam reviews, so don’t miss out.

The Sims 4

As with its prequels, there are loads of Sims 4 expansion packs to really bulk out the game’s content, but this time, you can actually play the base game itself for free. While we’re sure that the number of PC gamers who have never played any version of The Sims before is pretty low, if you’re one of the few who hasn’t, this is the ideal place to start (and we’re sure old fans are going to love revisiting the franchise).

Designing your Sims, building their perfect home, and then guiding them through their lives is such an addictive experience. You can work hard to make all their dreams come true, or you can mess around and cause havoc. Throw all the best Sims 4 mods into the mix, and there’s virtually no limit to what you can do with this game.

Read our full Sims 4 review.

Play for free

World of Tanks

World of Tanks has been around for over a decade now, and it shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Wargaming’s MMO features over 800 vehicles, each carefully designed to take on other tanks on the battlefield.

Players have access to five different types of vehicle: light tanks, medium tanks, heavy tanks, tank destroyers, and SPGs (self-propelled guns). In large-scale battles, teams must work together as a well-oiled machine in order to crush the opposing team. If you enjoy the tactical side of tank warfare, World of Tanks is perfect for you – and if you like gaming on the go, there’s a separate mobile version to enjoy too.

Play World of Tanks for free

Apex Legends

Apex Legends, Respawn Entertainment’s hybrid of the hero shooter and battle royale genres, may be a few years old, but its wide range of characters inspires many different playstyles. Characters have a vast range of abilities to aid their two squad mates in getting the victory, with some excelling in power, speed, or even healing their allies. The Apex Legends season 18 release date gives us a rework of Revenant and tweaks to the ranked play to keep it fresh. Check out our Apex Legends tier list, as well as all the Apex Legends skins, to see what’s available to buy.

Read our Apex Legends review to learn what made this battle royale game so special in 2019, and don’t forget to check out our recent guides to see why people keep coming back to it.

Play for free

Raid: Shadow Legends

For the longest time, this was one free PC game that you couldn’t download through Steam, but now it’s there to reach a whole new audience. No doubt you’ve heard of it before, as Plarium, the company behind it, employs a rather aggressive advertising campaign, but there’s a reason so many YouTubers choose Raid as a sponsor – it’s fun and addictive.

The game is all about building up a team of Champions to face endless foes in turn-based battles. The Champions you collect range from comical skeletons to edgy reinterpretations of folk figures (there’s even a real-life wrestler in the mix), and honing just the right team for each unique challenge requires a lot of thought and strategy. It caters to those who like to play alone (with tons of CPU enemies) as well as those who prefer more competitive games, as you can also put your team against the teams of other players around the world. If you’re looking for a new rabbit hole to lose yourself in, this could be it.

Play Raid: Shadow Legends for free.

PUBG

The battle royale game that started it all, PUBG is now free to play with more seasonal trailers, new maps and vehicles, ziplines, and much more. It still retains its unforgiving edge, but with any luck, you should be the last one standing and get the coveted chicken dinner. So, if you’re looking for a super-intense shooter where death could come at any second, check out our PUBG maps guide to see how they’ve changed over the years.

Read our PUBG review.

Play for free

Stormshot

You’ve probably seen tonnes of Stormshot adverts before YouTube videos and not even realized it. You know that game that shows a character aiming a gun, and then the bullet bounces off the walls and around the corners and toward their foe? Except that the adverts almost always have them doing it just slightly wrong, killing themselves in the process and leaving you to want to have a crack at it yourself. That’s Stormshot, and it’s on Steam.

What the adverts show is actually only part of the game. At its heart, Stormshot is a classical pirate adventure that sees seafarers working to obtain the lost treasures of Skull Isle. To do this, you also have to build up a base on the high seas and cultivate your forces along the way – with those bullet-based challenges popping up as you go. It’s one of those games that can become endlessly addictive and a strong contender if you’re looking for a new time sink.

Play Stormshot for free.

Overwatch 2

Believe it or not, Overwatch 2 is now available on Steam. As an update to one of the first successful hero shooters, Blizzard’s FPS game has a huge roster of characters to pick from, including every single hero from the first game. Each character has its load-outs, skills, and ways to hinder the progress of your opposition as you race to complete objectives. With several seasons under its belt, you can check out the Overwatch 2 tier list to see who are the best heroes and which characters are zeroes.

Read our Overwatch 2 review.

Play for free

War Thunder

In World War II soldiers would often hear thunder in the distance and prepare themselves for rain, only for them to discover it was actually War Thunder; a tank game about planes and tanks shooting each other. Gaijin’s flight game straps you into a mind-shattering variety of authentic 1940s war machines and tasks you with surviving countless dogfights and land battles with other players.

It is a game that is constantly being updated and improved, with the biggest additions providing whole new types of vehicles like warships for massive naval battles. To help you make sense of it all we have put together a guide to the best War Thunder tier 1 planes, and a tank battles guide, too.

Play War Thunder for free.

Destiny 2

Destiny 2 is a huge game about exploring a galaxy filled with mysteries. You are a Guardian defending the bastion of Earth’s defenses. You can select one of three unique Destiny 2 classes and use their godlike powers to decimate foes.

While it’s not the easiest game to get into, owing to its years of content, it’s more than worth the trouble, thanks to its excellent gunplay. The base game only gets you far, but there are plenty of Destiny 2 expansions to give you more to explore, and new OP Destiny 2 builds to exploit. Give our Destiny 2 review a read to see how Bungie’s sequel compares to other live service titles.

Play for free

World of Warships

While there are heaps of quality tank games available on Steam, prospective admirals have far fewer options. Fortunately, then, there’s World of Warships, which is not only one of the very best naval warfare simulation games but also a free Steam game.

With over 500 of the titular warships for players to unlock, from destroyers and cruisers to battleships and aircraft carriers, players can rest assured they won’t run out of new toys to aim for. Not that you’ll notice the grind: the multiplayer naval battles of World of Warships are pure spectacle.

Play World of Warships for free.

Counter-Strike 2

Stepping into the shoes of possibly the most popular competitive FPS game of all time, Counter-Strike 2 is a “technical upgrade” to CS:GO, so it’s still the same game you know and love, but with a fresh coat of paint. Incredibly fresh new mechanics, like tick-rate-independent gameplay and dynamic smoke grenades, allow for the most accurate and technical experience in Counter-Strike history and it shows, as Counter-Strike 2 remains the most played game on the internet.

Whether you like stealth or noise as you take on the best of the best in CS2, we’ve got you covered with our guides on the best CS2 knives or the most helpful Counter-Strike 2 crosshair codes. Not sure if you should commit to Valve’s FPS? Read our CS2 review to see what we thought about the evolution of the Counter-Strike series.

Play for free

Star Conflict

Do you long for a free Steam game that is effectively one gigantic, endless spaceship dogfighting simulator? Star Conflict takes the idea of player-driven stories spawned by Eve Online and condenses it to a much more action-packed, combat-oriented experience with a much more gentle onboarding process.

When you are not skirmishing in nimble fighters or massive frigates, you can simply explore the beautiful, vibrant cluster of ancient worlds scattered through its sizeable void.

Play Star Conflict for free.

Lost Ark

Amazon Games and Smilegate launched the free-to-play MMORPG Lost Ark across the West in 2022, following an initial 2019 launch in South Korea. Since then, hundreds of thousands of players have descended upon the world of Arkesia, cementing Lost Ark as one of the best MMORPGs. And it’s no wonder, as Lost Ark is one of the best-looking fantasy MMOs around, on top of being packed full of bosses, raids, and quests. In fact, you can read just how much we love it in our Lost Ark review.

With 20 Lost Ark classes to choose from, ranging from MMO essentials like Bard, Paladin, and Sorceress to unique entries like Gunslinger and Wardancer, there are many ways to make your Arkesia experience your own. Smilegate is pretty good at listening to community feedback as well, adding more gender options for classes, regular content updates, and loads of free Twitch Drops and Prime Gaming goodies to keep you coming back. Read our Lost Ark review to see how this MMORPG stacks among the best of the genre.

Play for free

Supremacy 1914

There aren’t a lot of grand strategy games among the free games on Steam, but one of the few that you’ll find there is Supremacy 1914, a fantastic game that allows you to play as any of the nations that were involved with the First World War. As an MMO, you could be playing with up to 499 other players, and with all of you using your strategic minds to secure victory, you’ll find yourself involved in very deep, intricate games.

It’s a really impressive game that history fans will really enjoy. There’s so much packed into it, and every playable country is a little different, with resources and munitions ranging between all of them. You might want to get to know all of them through different games, or maybe you’ll want to consistently use the same one in order to really master it. Either way, you’ll easily spend tons of hours in it.

Play Supremacy 1914 for free.

Goose, Goose, Duck

If you like games like Among Us, you’ll like Goose, Goose, Duck, a new social deduction game in the style of the popular, aforementioned multiplayer game – only imposters are now devilish ducks.

There’s little to say about Goose, Goose, Duck if you’ve already played Among Us, as it is essentially the same – even down to your duties and kill mechanics. If not, though, it’s a great chance to give cartoonish social deduction games a try, being free to play and all. Under the assumption that you’ve been living under an airship for the last few years, you load into a game as either a goose or a duck. If you’re the former, you’re the good guy, bumbling around trying to complete your duties. The latter are the baddies, believe it or not, and you must try and stop the geese from fulfilling their tasks – by any means necessary. Simple, silly, fun, best played with friends.

Play for free

Call of War: World War II

Following a similar mold to Supremacy 1914, Call of War: World War II gives you a chance to determine the outcome of what was potentially the biggest global conflict in history. With ten playable nations to choose from (including the US, Russia, and Germany) and all of them offering armaments and munitions that are accurate to the time period, it’s a game that offers a lot of variety and one that will put a smile onto the face of history buffs.

As a long-term strategy game, you won’t be doing little skirmishes in a single session – instead, you’ll be returning to a single game over multiple IRL weeks. Because of the depth and scope of each game, it really encourages you to think strategically and plan for the long-term consequences of your decision. It’s a game that’s easy to become invested in, and before you know it, you’ll be waiting for the school/work day to be over so you can get back to it.

Play Call of War: World War II for free.

PROJECT: Playtime

PROJECT: Playtime was the late 2022 release from MOB Games, the developer behind the viral success Poppy Playtime – and it’s already shaping up to be just as popular. Like its predecessor, Project is a horror survival game based in a toy factory, but you’re not working alone this time.

If single-player scares have you a little too afraid, then you can hide behind the relative safety of five friends in Project: Playtime as you go up against one vengeful toy – controlled by another player – in the latest asymmetrical horror game. If you’re more interested in the original, take a look at what we know about the Poppy Playtime Chapter 3 review.

Play for free

Conflict of Nations: World War III

Conflict of Nations: World War III is quite similar to the last two games on the list, except that while they focus on the First and Second World Wars, this one is based around a potential third world war. Set in a future where the global situation has deteriorated to such an extent that all the countries now exist in a state of all-out war, and you get to take control of one of many available nations.

They all have their own unique strengths and weaknesses, with some having a clear advantage over others, whether that’s because they have more cities and cover more land or because they have a strategic location on the map. A game will easily last for weeks, probably even months, and as you delve into this strategy game for the long haul, you’ll need to use all of your expertise in order to cement yourself as a global superpower.

Play Conflict of Nations: World War III for free.

Conqueror’s Blade

Conqueror’s Blade offers a devilish blend of top-down battle strategy and third-person fighting that few other war games dare attempt. The medieval MMO receives regular updates and support from developers My.Games so that you won’t get bored. Each new season brings fresh units, areas of the map to explore, and new epochs to delve into.

Season 9 invites you to incite a rebellion to liberate The Borderlands with the help of three brand-new Seasonal Units. Of course, you can loosen your purse strings to splash out on a battle pass or cosmetic items, but the core of the game is entirely free.

Play for free

War Robots

Those who just want to pilot robots in destructive battles will find few options out there, especially ones that are free. However, there’s a good chance that you’ll find something appealing as you blast your way through the 14 maps on offer in War Robots.

Battle with your choice of robot, armed to the teeth with all sorts of guns and explosive ordinance in 6v6 multiplayer battles. Do you want your mech to be a sneaky sniper lurking on hilltops, or perhaps you fancy rushing your foes with a nimble skirmisher? With 50+ robots spanning across two classes, it’s up to you to find the best destructive mech.

Play War Robots for free.

Tower of Fantasy

Looking for the next big open-world action RPG hit after Genshin Impact? Well, look no further than Tower of Fantasy. While the general formula may not exactly be original, this anime game offers a new take on a style of game that resonated with millions of players. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?

Tower of Fantasy features a sci-fi setting, with a story that focuses on humans living on the planet Aida hundreds of years in the future. What you do there is up to you. Want to gallop across the countryside atop a robotic unicorn? Want to do battle against monsters with your friends? Want to gather ingredients so you can follow recipes and become a culinary expert? This game will keep you occupied for a long time because there’s so much to do.

Play for free

CRSED: F.O.A.D

Funny free Steam games aren’t all that common, but CRSED, which started life as a joke spinoff for squad-based MMO shooter Enlisted, earned its place on this list through constant quality updates and its madcap sense of humor. While you’ll spend most of a match in PUBG tracking down a hefty set of plate armor, in CRSED (or, as it used to be known, Cuisine Royale) you just need to find a kitchen, strap some metal cookware over your vital organs, and you’re good to go.

Regular content updates also keep things fresh and funny, with everything from historic figures to super-powered demons being rotated in and out of the free-to-play battle royale game.

Play CRSED: F.O.A.D for free.

Unturned

One of our favorite free games like Minecraft, Unturned is perfect for fans of the blocky game and its other counterparts, like Roblox. We’re all familiar with the zombies of Minecraft, but Unturned takes that one step further as a true zombie apocalypse game, complete with the crafting, building, and creative aspects of its predecessors as well.

Play with friends or combat other survivors, gun down hordes of zombies, complete NPC quests, and even take to the seas or skies in a variety of vehicles. There’s plenty to keep you busy and get your, um, money’s worth in this free game, so there’s no excuse not to give it a try. If you do need further convincing, though, the thousands of “Very Positive” Steam reviews might help.

Play for free

Crossout

Crossout is a post-apocalyptic MMO action game in which you craft and build monstrously-sized machines and use them to bash others in explosive online games. It is basically what you used to do during your childhood with Lego but with the magic of computers.

You can craft a wide variety of vehicles – from small, nimble buggies to rugged off-roaders – with an arsenal of weapons just as large: get your murderous hands on power drills, machine guns, and rocket launchers, or even stealth generators if you fancy a quieter approach. With an arsenal like that, it is easy to see why Crossout is one of the best free Steam games.

As you fight, you build your reputation with your chosen Crossout faction. In PvP or PvE (where you can even fight user-created bosses), engaging in some good ol’ shooting will grant you new parts and blueprints to continue your vehicular crusade. If you need a hand getting started, just consult our Crossout beginner’s guide.

Play Crossout for free.

Warframe

Warframe lets you play as a space ninja, and that is probably all that you need to know to start getting excited. Beyond that, it is a third-person co-op affair that pits you against goons and other space ninjas, all wearing fancy ‘Warframes’ that provide special abilities. It is a slick action game with a hint of Destiny about it, thanks to its buddy-up mission design and shared-world social environments. Part of the attraction is perfecting your own Warframe build to clear levels and grind faster than anyone else.

There may be a bit of grind involved if you want to craft the coolest gear, but you will be slicing people in half and power-sliding around on your knees for most of that, so don’t be too concerned. Despite being nearly a decade old, there are still regular content updates added to Warframe and a huge number of concurrent players, so it’s never too late to start, and you won’t be short on other players to team up with. Try the latest update, Whisper in the Walls, for brand-new player path improvements, and give our Warframe review a read to discover our verdict on the game.

Play for free

Neverwinter

Neverwinter is an MMO version of Wizards of the Coast’s genre-defining tabletop RPG Dungeons & Dragons. It takes you to the Forgotten Realms and pits you against hobgoblins, kobolds, and much, much worse. It is a surprisingly robust action MMO, with a strong emphasis on skill-heavy combat and a pretty world to explore.

There is a bit of a push for players to buy things in the in-game store, but you can do everything without paying a penny. That even includes playing the frequent expansions, such as the recent Jewel of the North update that adds a new Bard class and refines the leveling system.

Play Neverwinter for free.

Trove

Don’t be fooled by its blocky, Minecraft-like aesthetic. Trove is a hardcore MMO for players who live for the grind and action-adventure combat.

In Trove, you start by picking from a selection of fantasy-inspired classes and set off across a series of realms. You constantly level up, fight cube-y monsters, delve into dungeons, and unlock new gear, which you can show off back at your home base. If you’re a hoarder at heart, then Trove will appeal to you.

Play for free

Star Trek Online

Star Trek Online is an MMO set in the unmistakable sci-fi world of the starship Enterprise, where you are given a ship and a crew and sent off on sci-fi adventures that feel authentically Star Trek. Though it’s ever-ageing, it continues to get regular free updates that add new, elaborate episodic missions, additional gear, seasonal events, and even the crew of Deep Space Nine in Star Trek Online.

The story also has a tangible impact on the evolving galaxy. While there is a cash shop and premium ships, the game continues to be extremely generous toward free players, allowing them freedom in their exploration of the final frontier.

Play Star Trek Online for free.

Albion Online

Albion Online is a sandbox MMO in which characters don’t belong to specific classes, allowing for a more adaptable playstyle where you’ll need to progress your character and adjust your combat style by gathering resources, buying and selling gear, and slowly building up your loot stash. It’s no surprise players are sinking hours into this free MMO; the world has a lot to offer, including deadly fights against other players, different biomes to explore, and a loot system that drives players from the comfort of any one area in Albion’s expansive map.

Albion’s the name, and PvP’s the game, so don’t get bogged down in farming and riding your horse into the great unknown. Ambushes are common and brutal, so come prepared, but not too prepared, as the unforgiving full-loot drop system on death can be incredibly frustrating.

Play for free

Wizard101

Wizard101 is a fantasy MMORPG that has been captivating players for over a decade. In it, you play as a student of the Ravenwood School for Magical Arts. You choose whether you want to specialize in Fire, Ice, Storm, Myth, Life, Death, or Balance, which then determines the magical abilities that you’ll develop during your time within the world of the Spiral.

The game’s world is huge, and you’ll find yourself visiting a variety of locales, including snowy outposts, cities under the sea, Ancient Egyptian-style desert communities, and much more besides. The game has quite an enticing storyline too, with more depth than you might have expected, based on its cutesy art style.

Play Wizard101 for free.

The Finals

The Finals is a team-based shooter that boasts a unique blend of acclaimed FPS games like Team Fortress 2 and Rainbow Six to create a new chaotic formula that, in our assessment, makes other “modern FPS games look boring” by comparison. Its reality show conceit encourages unbridled mayhem and copious destruction with The Finals weapons, which range from the classic XP-54 to the sci-fi Goo Gun.

Crafting the best The Finals build for your The Finals class should be your aim, especially if you’re looking to kit yourself out with the wild and wonderful cosmetics locked behind The Finals battle pass. Embark Studios has also endeavored to shake things up by introducing a new mode that pits you against 11 other players on a free-for-all mission to collect $40,000, and we expect even more to come. If all of this sounds right up your alley, check out The Finals settings to see if your rig can handle the heat

Play for free

Hawked

Hawked is an extraction shooter with a mix of familiar visual styles popularized by Fortnite and Borderlands. In it, you must battle your way through monsters to uncover the treasure and escape the island without losing your booty to the enemy teams.

With a mix of melee weapons to slug players and beasts with, powers that raise barriers to protect yourself from danger and a whole arsenal of weird and wonderful guns, there’s a lot to like here. It also entered early access relatively recently, so now’s the best time to jump on board.

Play Hawked for free.

Eve Online

One of the great MMOs of our time, EVE Online is now available to play without a subscription fee. This means that literally, anyone with a PC can start their own voyage of discovery within the vastness of space. The only question is: who will you be? Unlike class-based fantasy RPG games, EVE isn’t about being a ranger or a warrior and saving the world. It’s about becoming a cog within a huge, player-controlled universe.

So, will you be a trader and help bring much-needed items to others? Or will you rise through the ranks of a corrupt corporation and engage in tactical sabotage against your enemies? These are just two of the countless thousands of paths that are available to you in this incredible, unrivaled MMO.

Play for free

Naraka Bladepoint

The fortunes of this battle royale game have certainly turned around since it went free-to-play. Each warrior you unlock in Naraka Bladepoint has its own move set and powers, but you can also activate environmental traps to outwit your fellow rivals on the path to victory.

If you’re worried that this is just another one of those free games that you’ll need to wait in a lobby for, then you can read our Naraka Bladepoint review from when the game made its debut. Also, at any given time, there are at least a quarter million players online in each 24-hour period. You’ll always have someone to play against of a similar skill level, making for an intense match. Read our full Naraka Bladepoint review for more.

Play Naraka Bladepoint for free.

Crusader Kings 2

Crusader Kings 2 puts you in the shoes of a Christian lord and tasks you with ensuring the survival of a medieval dynasty through the end of the Dark Ages. To succeed, you and your descendants must fend off an army of nobles, heretics, and even the Pope while expanding your territories. However, you’ll be going up against not just the Mongols but also ambitious vassals and scheming illegitimate heirs.

The learning curve is undeniably steep, but Paradox Interactive’s ample experience with the genre ensures that Crusader Kings 2 is the perfect first step into grand strategy without needing to spend a cent. We’ve got Crusader Kings 2 tips to assist any budding ruler, as well as the best CK2 mods to spice things up once you’ve found your footing. We can also help you expand your experience with the best CK2 DLC if you’re in it for the long haul.

Play for free

Final Fantasy XIV

Yes, that’s right: you can play Final Fantasy XIV for free. The most recent MMO incarnation of this iconic Square series has won over a sizeable number of fans. Even if you’ve never played any Final Fantasy games before, it could be a good place to start. Set in the sprawling world of Hydaelyn, this is one of those MMO games that are fun to play even when you’re keeping yourself busy running errands for villagers, going fishing, hunting, or passing your time in one of countless other ways.

Of course, there is still a huge and compelling story at the heart of the game. You’ll easily spend around 120 hours on the Realm Reborn storyline that was part of the base game, but on top of that, Square has periodically added new story expansions, so now, after that, you can play through Heavensward, Stormblood, Shadowbringers, and Endwalker – some of which are even longer than the base story itself. While you can only get up to level 60 without paying, that’s an enormous amount of content, so we recommend taking it for a spin. Read our Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker review for more information on the latest expansion.

Runescape

The past couple of decades have seen countless MMORPGs rise and fall – and through it all, Runescape endures. The very thought of Runescape might send you on a nostalgia trip of trading at Varrock bank or poaching newbies in the wilderness, but Jagex’s critically acclaimed RPG is still going strong to this day. After Runescape’s 20th anniversary, it’s amazing to look back and see how the humble MMORPG has evolved.

While Runescape 3 may be a world away from Old School Runescape, it still retains the same approach to character progression and exploration. Its sheer longevity has infused it with a mythology all its own, from the Runescape party hat to account robberies and in-game riots. You can be a part of shaping its bright future, or you can stick closer to home and improve your woodcutting skills. The choice is truly yours.

Cry of Fear

It’s no great surprise that the vast majority of free Steam games are live service multiplayer games. However, Cry of Fear bucks that trend entirely, offering a top-of-the-range horror experience for absolutely free. The humble horror began life as a Half-Life mod, taking direct inspiration from classic survival horror experiences like Silent Hill to create an all-new allegory of trauma, psychosis, and recovery. Expect copious jump scares, twisted enemies, and an oppressive atmosphere that’s befitting its Scandinavian setting.

It’s an undoubtedly terrifying single-player game experience in its own right, but it does support co-op for up to four players if you need some additional support to see it through to the end.

Dota Underlords

The first official auto chess game out of the blocks following Drodo’s Dota 2 mods, Dota Underlords, Valve’s mobile, and PC effort set a high starting bar. It’s a bit more user-friendly than its custom inspiration, and veteran players of the notoriously tough MOBA will feel right at home.

One of the crucial differences this free Steam game has to its big rival, Riot’s Teamfight Tactics, is the Dota Underlords items system. Rounds one, two, three, ten, and every fifth round after that are creep rounds that give you the choice of three items. Valve has also introduced the powerful presence of the Underlords themselves to each player’s team, providing each lineup with significant additional buffs and damage according to the skills you select for your Underlord each game. There have been a lack of updates recently, though, so just keep that in mind if you decide to download it.

Smite

Smite is a MOBA with a twist: you control your religion-influenced gods like you would in a third-person action game, with the camera positioned behind them. This makes Smite feel like a very different kind of 5v5 game, and the differences do not stop there.

Smite has numerous modes, including the team deathmatch-influenced Arena. That said, it has still got plenty of familiar stuff: lanes, creeps, and items are all present and correct, and the pantheon of gods is being added to. If you are just getting started, check out our Smite beginner’s guide. Don’t forget to check out our Smite review to see what we thought of the unique MOBA.

Marvel Snap

One of the breakout stars of 2022, Marvel Snap gives deck-building card battler fans a brand new collection to get into, this time featuring everyone’s favorite superheroes. It’s so good it’s even converted Marvel fans to the card-battling genre and vice versa, so you don’t need to be a fan of both to try it.

This free game does have cross-platform support, so you can also play across PC and mobile devices, keeping your progress and your collection with you as you switch between them. As you build out your collection, familiarize yourself with the best Marvel Snap decks to build out, whichever level or Marvel Snap pool you currently reside in.

Path of Exile

Considerably more grim and gothic than other action games out there, Path of Exile is also blessed with one of the most compelling leveling systems seen in an RPG. An impossibly large and liberating grid of abilities and improvements awaits, ready to allow you to enhance your character in any way you see fit.

To unlock those tantalizing abilities, you’ll need to battle your way through the monster-infested world using a combat system that is (whisper it now) possibly a bit better than Diablo III. On top of all that, it also gets a massive expansion and new competitive league every few months, which will keep you busy while we still wait for the Path of Exile 2 release date, the huge upcoming expansion to the base game.

Team Fortress 2

What can one say about Team Fortress 2, Valve’s mega-popular, constantly evolving shooter? It has many hats. It is also extremely refined, always full of players despite launching in 2007, and gets frequent updates to fatten the game up with even more hats, modes, and maps.

But despite how much the game has grown in the nine years since it launched, it remains easy to pick up, especially if you have some chums to play with. The package itself now feels infinitely huge, with a great variety of game types, from the classic capture point Red vs. Blu games to co-op Mann vs. Machine, where players band together to keep waves of murderous robots at bay.

Dota 2

Dota 2 is massive, second only to League of Legends in the realm of MOBAs. Millions of people seemingly play it constantly, always coming back to check out new characters and patches. As a MOBA with roots in the origin of the genre, you know exactly what to expect: an eclectic roster of Dota 2 heroes, a huge list of powerful items, ten players, three lanes, and a massive emphasis on skill.

You could spend days and days just thinking about the metagame, not to mention honing your talents by spectating the biggest matches come tournament season. Budding players need to get started somewhere with this free Steam game, so check out our guide to the best Dota 2 heroes.

Disney Speedstorm

Any good list of games should include a kart or racing game – Disney Speedstorm might not be the most challenging or complex game on this list, but it sure is good fun. Take on the role of some of your favorite Disney characters, don stylish racing gear, and slip into the seat of a speedy motor as you race around Disney and Pixar-themed tracks. This free Steam game changes seasonally, with new characters and courses being added all the time, along with its seasonal battle pass. While you can pay for additional content, Disney Speedstorm is enjoyable and competitive without parting with a single cent.

And there you have it: the very best games available on Steam that will cost you absolutely nothing. And since they all come at everybody’s favorite price, it means you can play even more games than before. With everything from terrifying horror games to logical war games, why not try them all and see which ones are for you? It’s not like it will cost you anything but a little RAM, and you might even discover a new favorite. We also have a list of the upcoming PC games if you can wait a bit for your next gaming fix.