In its current state, PC gaming is arguably more popular than ever. Nowadays, most non-Nintendo console games tend to make their way to Microsoft Windows sooner rather than later, allowing PC owners to try out projects that were once exclusive to PlayStation or Xbox. New indie titles are also released on platforms like Steam and Epic Games Store every day, ensuring there is always something new to play. While most projects require cash investment, free PC games are not in short supply either, and some of them are even fantastic.
Despite earning a fairly negative stigma over the decades, the free-to-play market has not only endured but grown. PC players can pick up MMORPGs, multiplayer shooters, battle royales, and indie titles without spending a dime; however, just because a game is free does not mean it is worth playing. Therefore, let's take a look at the best free games on PC.
The games are not ranked solely by quality. For example, new additions are temporarily ranked in the top spots to increase their visibility.
Updated on February 3, 2025, by Mark Sammut: 2025 has gotten off to a decent start, although major free PC games have not really debuted yet. Still, that should change over the coming month. In March 2025, FragPunk and Mini Royale will be making their debuts, although the latter will be entering early access. The former is a first-person hero shooter that has been attracting quite a bit of positive attention due to its tight gameplay and vibrant design. Hero shooters are very much sink-or-swim releases, so hopefully, FragPunk will be another Marvel Rivals and not Concord. Mini Royale is, well, a battle royale featuring toy soldiers. While the genre's heyday arguably happened a few years ago, it has been a while since a new successful project debuted.
Looking for a social deduction game. Check out the following free-to-play Steam title.
1 Infinity Nikki
Explore And Look Great While Doing It
Infinity Nikki
- Released
- December 5, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Papergames, Infold Games
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC, Mobile, Android, iOS
- Genre(s)
- Adventure, Open-World, Dress-Up, RPG
Now, this is how to hit the ground running. The Nikki Up2U series has been around for quite a while, with the franchise producing a few mobile games that have generally performed well. However, Infinity Nikki represents a significant leap forward, in terms of both mainstream exposure and just sheer ambition. Papaergames and Infold Games put together a gorgeous open-world game that offers the ultimate relaxing escape from reality, with the focus being on exploration, life-sim elements, and (naturally) dress-up.
Infinity Nikki: How to Make and Equip Custom Looks
If you find it hard to choose just one favorite outfit in Infinity Nikki, there's a way to switch between multiple looks at the drop of a hat.
Rather than focus on action or an intense sprint to save the world (although there are aspects of that in the main story), Infinity Nikki takes a refreshingly laid-back approach, one that encourages players to just embrace the moment, enjoy the sights, talk to NPC, take photos, change outfits, and try some fishing. Just to be clear, the game is stuffed with content, and there is even combat that complements the rest of the project's tone.
2 Marvel Rivals
A New Contender Enters The Field
Marvel Rivals
- Released
- December 6, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- NetEase Games
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Action, Multiplayer
Hero shooters have arguably already had their day, and their time in the sun seemed to come to an end a few years back. However, there is still some craving for another great entry in the genre, one that can potentially challenge Overwatch 2 as a free-to-play option worth investing in. If Marvel Rivals fails to become that game, it might be a while before another candidate takes up the mantle.
Honestly, it is still too early to say if NetEase's project will be a long-standing success or not. That said, Marvel Rivals has gotten off to an encouraging start. In a licensed game like this, an impressive roster is of the utmost importance, and NetEase largely knocked this out of the park with more than 30 options covering heroes and villains. The gameplay is also rock-solid, taking most of its lessons from the definitive hero shooter (Overwatch). While still in its infancy, Marvel Rivals' future seems bright.
3 Throne and Liberty
An MMORPG That Delivers Large-Scale Battles & Flexible Character Builds
Throne and Liberty
- Released
- October 1, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- NCSoft
- Genre(s)
- MMORPG
MMOs are (obviously) staples of the free scene, and most years tend to produce one or two projects that seem marked for global success. However, more often than not, these releases enjoy a strong start before gradually fading into the backdrop, becoming b- and c-tier players in a genre that is not kind to anything but the best and most popular. While way too early to predict its staying power, Throne and Liberty appears to have that “IT” factor required to survive as a long-term option rather than a flash in the pan destined to be forgotten in favor of the next hot release.
Now, that’s not to say NCSoft’s game is perfect, but the positives generally outweigh the negatives, provided players enjoy the grind and guild system. Built on the foundations laid by Lineage more than two decades ago, Throne and Liberty has an old-school charm, despite featuring fairly high-end visuals and modern quality-of-life adjustments. As with most MMOs, this game offers both PvE and PvP content, with the latter taking up most of the endgame. Players will need to play through a relatively decent storyline that should ensure they reach max level, setting them up to engage in large-scale warfare as part of their chosen guild. While co-op play is recommended, most of the PvE content can be done solo.
Let’s go through a few of Throne and Liberty's strongest features and ideas. The MMO opts against conventional classes, instead encouraging players to specialize in multiple weapon types, each coming with skill trees that can be combined. Consequently, build variety is a huge positive, and it is fairly easy to try out different combos. Traversal is also fantastic, with players being able to transform into different animals. Finally, PvP battles are impressive in size and unpredictability.
4 Once Human
An Open-World Survival Game With A Fun Setting
Once Human
- Released
- July 9, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Starry Studio
- Genre(s)
- Survival, Shooter, Open-World
July 2024's first two weeks were defined by three free-to-play projects, all of which should be around for a long time. The First Descendant is pretty comfortably the worst of the trio, although the third-person shooter has fun gameplay and great visuals, so it is hardly without merit. Zenless Zone Zero is another miHoYo success story and a decent recommendation for gacha fans seeking fast-paced combat. Finally, there is Once Human, which presents a strong case for being July 2024's best free PC game, as long as its unique blend of genres appeals to a player.
Once Human: 7 Best Places To Farm Loot
All players in Once Human have to farm loot now and then, to keep up with crafting requirements and gear progression.
Set in an impressively large open-world, Once Human is a survival game that focuses quite a bit on crafting, albeit featuring mechanics that are fairly accessible compared to some other entries in the genre. Due to aliens, the world has become infested with malformed people and intimate objects, including rather creative monsters that are both intimidating and hilariously silly. Regardless of what someone's opinion on the overall project might be, it is difficult to argue against the quality of Once Human's creature designs. It is arguably the best part of the game.
Focusing on the gameplay, players will spend most of their time picking up resources, finding weapons in the wild that eventually result in blueprints, crafting, building, and engaging in decent third-person action. Exploration is also central, and the map expands fairly consistently as players level up. Once Human is far from perfect and has plenty of room for improvement, but the current version is pretty impressive.
5 Rocket League
A Staple Of The Free-To-Play PC Scene With A Great Core Concept
Rocket League
- Released
- July 7, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
In September 2020, Rocket League went free-to-play, opening the already popular game to an even wider audience than it had already attracted. On the surface, "soccer meets cars" sounds like too bizarre of a concept to be anything but a novelty; yet, Psyonix's project exploded out of the gate and has only gotten better since then, both commercially and critically.
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Celebrate in style with the best goal explosions in Rocket League.
Rocket League seems to have become the quintessential game that someone throws on when they have 30 minutes to kill and nothing else to play. Accessible but still skill-based, this is not only one of the best free games but simply one of the greatest releases of the last decade.
6 Counter-Strike 2
Rough Relaunch But Still A Brilliant & Competitive Multiplayer Shooter
Counter-Strike 2
- Released
- September 27, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
A free update to CS:GO, Valve's eternal free-to-play shooter, Counter-Strike 2 earns its sequel title by providing the base experience with its biggest overhaul to date. At its core, this is largely still the same game that Steam users have been playing for roughly a decade, which automatically places CS2 among the best FPS games on the market. That said, the September 2023 release brought a few notable additions or changes, such as the introduction of a CS Rating and a revamped loadout.
More importantly, Counter-Strike 2 uses the Source 2 engine, which naturally delivers a significant jump in visual quality over its predecessor's Source engine. While it is frustrating that Global Offensive is no longer available to play, CS2 represents the license's present and future.
7 Genshin Impact
An Ambitious Action RPG With So Much Content
Genshin Impact
- Released
- September 28, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- HoYoverse (Formerly miHoYo)
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Action, Adventure, Gacha, Open-World
In 2020, MiHoYo's action RPG took the world by storm. Initially viewed as a clone of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Genshin Impact quickly established its own voice through its anime aesthetic, progression system, and team-based combat. Set in the gorgeous Teyvat, players step into the role of the Traveler, a being who jumps across worlds.
As they explore the game's massive open-world, players unlock more of Genshin Impact's effective lore while building a party of playable characters. Genshin Impact is frequently updated with new heroes, locations, story beats, and unlockable items, and the game has maintained its popularity throughout its entire lifespan. At this point, any newcomers can look forward to hundreds of hours worth of high-quality content.
8 Warframe
Has Come Far Since Its 2013 Debut
Warframe
- Released
- March 25, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Digital Extremes
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter
Metacritic scores reflect a game's launch state, which makes sense since studios should be analyzed on whether they provide a solid experience out of the gate. However, for a service title like Warframe, its critic score of "69" doesn't reflect its current level of quality. Digital Extremes' action RPG has come far since its debut, adding more open worlds to explore along with expanding its lore beautifully.
Warframe's fast-paced gameplay has always been great, and it only got better as the game incorporated new suits, weapons, and ways for players to interact with the world and each other. At this point, Warframe contains so much content that new players could dedicate six months to the game and still not come close to witnessing everything it has to offer.
9 Guild Wars 2
A Fantastic Online RPG, Rather Than An MMORPG
Guild Wars 2
- Released
- August 28, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
Debuting in 2012, Guild Wars 2 has been free-to-play since August 2015. Except for a handful of restrictions, free players have access to the core experience, although they will have to pay if they wish to try the three expansions. While the latter are great in their own right, Guild Wars 2's vanilla campaign is the reason the game is considered one of the best MMORPGs of all time. Unlike some other entries in the genre, ArenaNet's project is quite story-driven, and the primary campaign should keep someone engaged for close to 100 hours.
With nine professions, two character slots, and two Living World seasons, players have a ton of content to work through. Guild Wars 2 also adapts the narrative to fit the user's actions, ensuring that no two playthroughs are exactly alike. Even a decade after its release, this game still has very few peers in the MMORPG scene, making it comfortably one of the best free PC games.
10 Path Of Exile
An Example Of How To Make A Genuinely Free RPG
Path of Exile
- Released
- October 23, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Grinding Gear Games
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
When Path of Exile was released it was immediately compared to Diablo 3. While the graphics aren’t quite as polished as that premium title, Path of Exile might be a better option in some ways. This game truly delivers a near-AAA game experience at no cost to the player.
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One of the best aspects of Path of Exile is the game is completely free of pay-to-win influences – all content in the game is accessible. Path of Exile has more content and replay value than most other free games.