Free-to-play games have become increasingly popular over the years, and it’s easy to understand why. They’re excellent time sinks, and are now so robust that you never feel handcuffed for not plunking down real cash.
If you have some time to kill, you can’t go wrong with a free title—especially if you’re playing on PC, which has many free-to-play options. Still, with so many games to sample, it can be daunting to find a game worth downloading. You could stick to free Steam games, but if you don’t mind venturing outside the comfy convenience of Valve’s online video game store, you’ll find a lot of good stuff.
We’ve got some obvious picks in our list, like the massively popular battle royale game Fortnite, which combines third-person shooting, resource gathering, and building to create a highly addicting multiplayer experience. Of course, no free-to-play PC list would be complete without Riot Games’ highly popular MOBA League of Legends. That said, there are numerous other free-to-play games on PC, many of which may have flown under your gaming radar.
If you’re a PC gamer, you’re likely playing games on a Windows-based PC. In that case, simply download and install these free titles. However, if you want to play these games on Steam Deck, check out Valve’s game compatibility list. It showcases the PC games that work with SteamOS. Right now, there are many Steam Deck-verified titles, according to info pulled from SteamDB. Here’s what you need to know: A green checkmark indicates that game is fully verified to run well on Steam Deck, while a yellow checkmark indicates that the game is playable on Steam Deck, “but requires extra steps or manual work from the user.” Of course, you could always install Windows on your Steam Deck.
Keep in mind, games that require an online connection may not be ideal for on-the-go-Steam Deck play unless you can find a Wi-Fi signal.
Some of these free titles you can find on Steam, others are on Epic Games Store, and still others can only be downloaded from a game’s official website. All are well worth playing, so grab a keyboard, mouse, fight stick, or gamepad and let the good times begin.
