20 Free Games You Can Play Right Now

We understand your plight: you saved up for months to buy Uncharted 4 and/or Overwatch and or/DOOM and now you’re flat broke.

You’ve wrapped up Nathan Drake’s story and enjoy your nightly matches with your friends, but what about the rest of the time? If you’re looking for another game or three to sink some time into but don’t have any cash to drop, we’ve got you covered. Here are the best and most loved games on each gaming platform–minus Wii U, which has no free-to-start titles–that you can get for nothing.

Know a particularly great free to play game? Let us know in the comments below!

Clash Royale

Clash Royale

Developed and published by Supercell for mobile

This cousin to the wildly popular Clash of Clans is a mashup of several genres that makes it an addictive time sink: you’ll find tower defense, MOBA, and even collectible card game mechanics all wrapped into its little package. As one of the most popular games on the Google Play and iTunes App Stores, you’ll never have a shortage of combatants to play against.

DC Universe Online

DC Universe Online

Developed and published by Daybreak Game Company for PS4, Xbox One and PC

This action MMO plays out a little like fanfiction: you create your own character and throw them into the world of DC comics, where they spend quality time with a cast of familiar and beloved heroes and villains. You can even choose whether or not to join the Justice League’s quest for goodness or hang with the baddies of The Society.

Dota 2

Developed and published by Valve for PC

The most played game on Steam since its launch in 2013, Valve’s MOBA has one of the biggest pools of players around. You’ll never want for companions and while the learning curve is steep, the depth of strategy required to get through matches is enough to keep you entertained for hours. Or weeks. Or the rest of forever.

Evolve Stage 2

Developed by Turtle Rock Studios and published by 2K for PC

Currently in alpha, Evolve Stage 2 is a free-to-play version of Evolve, 2K’s four-versus-one multiplayer game that launched in early 2015. All content from original game is available for free, as well as a handful of new content, more customization options and improved progressions systems as well as tweaks to maps and bug fixes.

Fallout Shelter

Fallout Shelter

Developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks for mobile and PC

The hype has not quite died down around Bethesda’s mobile take on Fallout, as the company is still releasing updated content for it. It’s everything you love about building settlements and resource management in Fallout distilled into a bite-sized experience, perfect for long commutes or short work breaks. And if you’ve played Fallout 4 and beaten it all, this is a good fix until the next round of updates come through.

Guns Up

Developed by Valkyrie Entertainment and published by SCEA for PS4

If you’re in the mood for something to tickle your brain and want some war games that aren’t as pricey as Call of Duty, check out Guns Up on PS4. This cartoony strategy game mixes elements of tower defense and resource management and can be enjoyed solo or with friends.

Happy Wars

Developed by Toylogic and published by Microsoft Studios for Xbox One

Happy Wars sets itself apart as the first free-to-play multiplayer game to be published back on the Xbox 360. Now on Xbox One, the strategy RPG still has a dedicated player base. Happy Wars features a single-player story campaign in addition to a multiplayer mode in which two teams of up to 15 players gather online to destroy each others’ fortresses.

Hearthstone

Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft

Developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment for mobile and PC

Like Clash Royale, Hearthstone sits at the top of the app stores’ popularity lists and has been there since its launch in 2014. In Hearthstone, two opponents face off with decks of cards and powerful heroes. Games can be played for fun or as part of the title’s ranking system. And when you’re not duking it out with another player, you can spend some time completing ever-changing daily and weekly challenges for some extra gold and goodies.

Heroes of the Storm

Developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment for PC

Blizzard’s take on the MOBA has found a dedicated fanbase and doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon. With eSports competitions already built around it just a year after it’s initial launch, the game has attracted both fans of the genre and players who just like to see their favorite Blizzard heroes duking it out in the same space.

Killer Instinct

Developed by Double Helix, Iron Galaxy, and Rare and published by Microsoft Studios for Xbox One and PC

The new Killer Instinct launched as a free-to-play title when the Xbox One released in 2013. The game is currently in its third “season,” with developer Iron Galaxy at the helm adding new fighters to the roster, including Gears of War secondary character General RAAM.

League of Legends

Developed and published by Riot Games for PC

League of Legends revolutionized the free-to-play category on PC. Not only is the game the most popular game to watch on Twitch, it’s arguably still the most popular game on PC today, despite having been released in 2009. It streamlines the MOBA genre enough to be approachable, yet offers a ton of depth at the competitive levels. LoL also features a free rotating cast of characters to play around with each week.

3098011-neverwinter.jpg

Neverwinter

Developed by Cryptic Studios and published by Perfect World for PS4, Xbox One and PC

Love Dungeons and Dragons but can’t get to your Dungeon Master friend’s house every week? Boot up Neverwinter, an MMORPG based on the town of the same name in the D&D universe’s Forgotten Realms. Even if you’re not an MMO fan, the constant updates and add-ons mean there’s plenty of content to dive into –and much more on the way for the foreseeable future.

Onigiri

Developed and published by Cyberstep for PS4, Xbox One, and PC

Onigiri is a unique addition to the free-to-play space as an MMORPG absolutely catered to anime fans. Set in an ancient fantasy land reminiscent of feudal Japan and populated by colorful humans and demons, Onigiri lacks the class-based systems of other MMOs but does offer weapon and skill customization, making it a lighter game and great for players new to MMOs.

Path of Exile

Developed and published by Grinding Gear Games for PC

If you loved and completed all of Blizzard’s Diablo games, Path of Exile is a good next step. This action role-playing game has both single-player and multiplayer components, making it great for those nights you want to keep to yourself or those long weekends raiding with friends. The game also has a robust expansion plan, with the latest releasing less than four months ago.

Pokemon Go

Pokemon Go

Developed by Niantic and published by The Pokemon Company for mobile

The latest app to soar to the top of the charts, Pokemon Go can be played without any microtransactions whatsoever. You walk around, burn some calories, and collect Pokemon–what’s better than that?

Smite

Developed and published by Hi-Rez Studios for PS4, Xbox One and PC

Hi-Rez studios’ creative, mythological take on the MOBA grew quickly in popularity following its official release in 2014. Players can choose from a variety of gods and goddesses hailing from religions and mythologies worldwide, as well as a several different gameplay modes and maps.

Star Wars: The Old Republic

Developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts for PC

Still going strong is BioWare’s The Old Republic, the only MMORPG that dumps you headfirst into the Star Wars universe. With EA’s hold on the license for the foreseeable future, and a new expansion announced for this year, it’s an excellent choice as a time sink for a Star Wars’ fan.

Warframe

Developed and published by Digital Extremes for PS4, Xbox One and PC

If you love films like Pacific Rim and the Gundam anime series, Warframe may be for you. In a war-torn world, players suit up in customizable mechanical suits called Warframes and take them into battle. This cooperative third-person shooter can be played solo or online with friends.

World of Tanks

Developed by Day 1 Studios and published by Wargaming for PS4, Xbox One and PC

After six years, World of Tanks is still going strong. With an avid community, it’s easy to grab a tank, pick a tech tree and jump right into the game’s never-ending campaign. Clan Wars is where the fun is, with teams of up to 100 players battling it out for control of territories.

World of Warcraft

Developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment for PC

That’s right: Blizzard’s ever-popular MMORPG is free to play up to level 20. So if you’re new to the MMO scene or have always been interested in testing the waters in this beloved classic: what are you waiting for?

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Leave a Reply