Free PC games used to be the realm of quirky flash games or weird indie projects, but the free-to-play phenomenon has really taken off in the last couple of years. Now, the $60 AAA games that once ruled the roost are getting some real competition from games that offer hundreds of hours of gameplay for free.
There are innumerable free-to-play games available for the PC, and with that comes both good and bad. The large selection means that there is something to fit just about any taste, but the signal-to-noise ratio is truly atrocious. Instead of trudging through dozens of clones and half-hearted cash grabs, let me separate the wheat from the chaff for you. Today, I’m highlighting 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 here is bound to strike your fancy.
Dota 2
Based on the popular Warcraft III mod called Defense of the Ancients (DotA for short), Valve’s Dota 2 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.
Heroes of the Storm
As if there wasn’t enough competition in the MOBA space, Blizzard is getting in on the action as well. Heroes of the Storm takes elements from all of Blizzard’s various franchises, and melds them all together in a single DotA-like. This particular iteration of the MOBA concept has been lauded as more approachable than others in the genre, but it’s still in beta testing. If you want to play it, you’ll need to apply for access. Of course, Blizzard is more than happy to take your money for heroes and skins regardless. Most purchases range between $4 and $20, but there are a few outliers here and there. Anything could change, though, so buy carefully. A nerf is always around the corner.
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft
Based on the artwork and setting of Blizzard’s incredibly popular Warcraft franchise,Hearthstone is a phenomenon in and of itself. This turn-based collectable card game is hugely successful on PC and mobile, and the low barrier to entry is the reason why. All you need is a free Battle.net account, and you can join in on the fun. As it stands, there are two single player campaigns that cost $25 each, and you can spend anywhere from $3 to $70 at a shot on booster packs. But if you just buckle down and play the game on a regular basis, you’ll soon earn enough good cards that you won’t really need to buy boosters to stay competitive.
AdVenture Capitalist
If you’ve ever played a game like Cookie Clicker or Candy Box, you’ll be very familiar with the way this game works. When broken down into its component parts, you do little more than click buttons and watch numbers grow higher, but there’s something so viscerally satisfying about this style of game. AdVenture Capitalist, fundamentally, is a dopamine machine. You can download it for free on Steam, and you can spend anywhere from $2 to $100 at a shot for currency that will essentially speed up your progress. The problem is… the progress is all this game has to offer. What is even the point of clicking these damned buttons if you don’t enjoy the slow progress of it all? It’s hard to explain the appeal, but since it’s free, you can simply go see for yourself.
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Is all the hype surrounding the new movie kickstarting your interest in Star Wars? If so, check out BioWare’s Star Wars: The Old Republic MMORPG. All of the core story content is free-to-play, but if you’re interested in even more gameplay, you can pay for expansions ($20) and a higher tier of service ($15 per month) that will net you more currency and more perks. This game isn’t as popular as World of Warcraft, but it offers a lot more content before hitting the paywall.
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. Give it a go, but don’t let the virtual hat mafia get ahold of your Steam account.
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 had a long and much-discussed development period, but it finally made its way to the public in the summer of 2014. 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, you can drop between $20 and $60 on boosters, and premium packs go for 50 to 60 bucks. But you should definitely give the game a thorough workout before investing in any of that.
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 Diabloexperience, 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.
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 ($10 to $50), 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. And if you just can’t get enough, you can always move on to TrackMania 2.
Might & Magic: Duel of Champions
Are card games your jam? 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 ($5 to $70).
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 ($15 to $40) 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 if you’re having a good time.
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 a great value.
War Thunder
War Thunder is a massively multiplayer online game set during World War II and the Korean War. Both air and ground vehicles are available for you to control, and you can fight head-to-head with players on Windows, Linux, OS X, and the PS4. Of course, you can play for free, but the cash shop lets you buy vehicle packs ($5 to $80) and in-game currency as you see fit. 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
Regardless of what kinds of games you like the most, you won’t have to spend a lot to enjoy yourself these days. Sure, the free-to-play concept gets a bad rap from games likeGame of War and Candy Crush Saga, but there’s still so much worth exploring. As long as you select your games carefully, and spend wisely, your free-to-play experience will be rosy from tip to tail. And since there are so many fish in this particular sea, don’t hesitate to try something else if the monetization pressure is getting a little too intense from one specific title.
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