What are the best free Steam games 2022? Games to play for free right now from Valve classics to newer F2P games
What are the best free Steam games? If you are bored and penniless, you don’t need to fear a gaming drought. Steam is full of games to play without spending a penny (no, not like that). 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 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 Steam’s most-played list and you’ll see that a significant proportion of the biggest games in the world 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 free games worth your time. Below you’ll find a bounty of free Steam games, all available to download and play right now. What are you waiting for?
The best free Steam games are:
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.
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World of Tanks has been around for over a decade now, but it shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. Wargaming’s MMO features over 800 vehicles, each one 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 the 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.
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There are heaps of quality tank games available on Steam, but 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 Play for free
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 you won’t get bored, with each new season bringing 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 pursestrings to splash out on a battle pass or cosmetic items, but the core of the game is entirely free.
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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.
Related: Read about the best space games on PC
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.
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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 humour. While you’ll spend most of a match in PUBG tracking down a hefty set of plate armour, 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 superpowered demons being rotated in and out of the free-to-play battle royale game.
Play CRSED: F.O.A.D for free Play for free
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. So 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.
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Neverwinter is the MMO take on Wizards of the Coast’s genre-defining tabletop RPG Dungeons & Dragons, taking you to the Forgotten Realms and pitting 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.
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Star Trek Online is an MMO set in the unmistakable sci-fi world of the starship Enterprise, where you are given a ship, 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
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 so you can clear levels and grind faster than anyone else.
Read more: The best co-op games on PC
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 powersliding around on your knees for most of that, so don’t be too concerned. It is one of the most popular free Steam games, meaning there is always people to play with, and frequent huge, updates like Plains of Eidolon and the even larger Warframe Fortuna expansion.
ArcheAge, Trion’s free-to-play MMO, begins very much in the mould of tradition: quests, crafting, and slightly humdrum fantasy adventures. Get past that though, and the game quickly makes way for high seas escapades as you and some chums set off on your very own ship, becoming wealthy traders or unfriendly pirates, preying on other players. It is a true sandbox MMO that is vastly accommodating to the ambitious merchant, explorer, or scallywag.
ArcheAge is free-to-play, with some premium content unlocked by a subscription – or alternatively, you can purchase the identical but separate game ArcheAge: Unchained to experience everything the game has to offer.
Rift is an exciting MMORPG from Trion Games, and it is a pretty popular free Steam game. Set in the epic fantasy world of Telara, you will be embarking upon a journey that sees your character grow, develop new skills, wield special weapons, and defeat dangerous beasts. It’s got everything you could want from one of the best MMORPGs.
Once you have decided which faction you will be siding with – either the Guardians or the Defiant – you can start your adventure in this massive, rich world. You also have plenty of choice in which Calling you choose. Will you be a Warrior, Cleric, Mage, Rogue, or Primalist? Or, if you just want to bypass all that rigmarole, you can choose a Purpose: a pre-made profile so you can just get stuck in straight away.
Don’t be fooled by its blocky, Minecraft-like aesthetic, Trove is a hardcore MMO for players that 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, constantly leveling up, fighting cube-y monsters, delving into dungeons, and unlocking 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.
Science fiction meets fantasy in this action-heavy MMO where players gain power with the ultimate goal of becoming a deity. Lofty is an understatement, but Skyforge delivers countless hours of action with a lot less grind than average free Steam games.
How? Skyforge ditches traditional levelling structures and set classes and instead lets you progress your character based on your total stats and XP. As for classes, you can swap between any of the 18 classes at will, giving you plenty of flexibility when approaching a new combat scenario.
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.
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.
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, 10 and every fifth round after that are creep rounds that give you the choice of three items. Valve have also introduced the powerful presence of the Underlords themselves to each players’ team, providing each lineup with significant additional buffs and damage, according to the skills you select for your Underlord each game.
With over five different aircraft at your disposal with which to deal wartime airborne damage, this free Steam game puts you at the centre of perennial scrap during the Golden Age of military aviation with high-octane 12v12 battles.
This WW2 game lets you fight for the flags of seven different contemporary powers with environments that take inspiration from regions across the globe. There’s also over four thousand customisation options spread across each of your available crafts, which will certainly keep you busy.
Wish that Rocket League was a little more Mad Max? Well now you can headbang and prepare for the apocalypse in Heavy Metal Machines, a 4v4 MOBA car action game. Help your team of hooligans nab and volley a bomb ball into the opposition’s goal to score with the first team to three wins the match. Even though the game in currently in Early Access the developers, Hoplon, have pinky promised that the game will now and always be free to play.
Each machine has its own abilities, play style and punk-inspired character, one of them being a batty old lady riding a reinforced hover bike. Each character has their own personality, heavy metal soundtrack, and a detailed background story over on the website. It’s hectic, explosive and good fun to play.
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 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 ever added to. If you are just getting started, check out our Smite beginner’s guide.
Warface is a gritty free-to-play first-person shooter that you can tackle with or against your friends in co-op or competitive versus modes. You will find plenty of variety while playing with others as you attempt to master a range of teamwork strategies and playstyles on multiplayer maps that change every day.
Read more: Check out the best FPS games on PC
Get to grips with the Rifleman, Sniper, Engineer, and Medic classes, and bask in the atmospheric environments that are beautifully rendered by Crytek’s CryEngine. With a substantial array of weapons and difficulty levels all available without spending a penny, Warface is a great option for some free FPS action.
You might have spent many hours with Hearthstone, but a true rival to Blizzard’s epic CCG looks to be on the cards, so to speak. Shadowverse is an immensely popular game in Japan – quickly becoming its biggest of the genre after the mobile release in 2016 – and is already setting the rest of the world on fire as one of the best card games on PC. It is destined to be your next free CCG fix.
With the freedom of many strategies and playstyles to experiment with, and minimal RNG, Shadowverse always feels fresh. And that is before we mention the new card expansions that hit every three months. It is very easy to get started with, too: a tutorial, single-player story, and free card packs for beginners will get you going, but Shadowverse takes time to master.
Battle royale is Steam’s biggest export right now, with PUBG commanding the gaming hours of millions. But what if you don’t want to splash out on PlayerUnknown’s wares, and you don’t fancy leaving the perimeter of Steam? You need Realm Royale, the fantasy 100-player deathmatch from Hi-Rez.
The winner takes it all: The best battle royale games
While it may look a bit like Fortnite from the outside, dive into a match and you’ll soon see that Realm Royale has several of its own ideas that solve some of the genre’s long-standing problems. You don’t have to leave behind loot that’s unuseful; simply disenchant it into shards, and spend these at a Forge to craft new, legendary-grade weapons and armour.
But watch out: fire up the Forge and you’ll suddenly become the target of dozens of foes looking to swipe that new gear from under your nose. It adds a new level of tension to the mid-game, something Fortnite and PUBG has yet to crack. Need help mastering it? Here’s our Realm Royale guide.
It may get a lot of stick for looking like Overwatch, but Paladins has got its own take on the hero shooter formula. Using a deck of cards that imbue special passive abilities, you help your team capture control points and escort a siege engine to the front door of an enemy fortress – read our Paladins beginner’s guide for some advice on this system. Paladins Champions level up throughout a match, with each new level upgrading their skills by drawing new buff cards. Afterwards, you can open chests, pick up more cards for your decks, and voila, you’ve got a new favourite free Steam game.
Considerably more grim and gothic than other action games out there, Path of Exile is also blessed with one of the most compelling levelling 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 which way you see fit. To unlock those tantalising abilities you’ll need to battle your way through the monster-infested world, making use of 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 like the recent Path of Exile: Expedition update. We’re also eagerly awaiting the Path of Exile 2 release date, which will introduce a massive new campaign, a reworked skill system and new ascendancy classes.
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.
Not on Steam: Read our list of the best free PC games if you’re not fussy about using Valve’s platform
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 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.
PlanetSide 2’s scale is something to behold. Whole continents are locked in constant conflict, with armies clashing over bases, vehicles speeding across the ground, aircraft lighting up the sky – it is glorious… until you die thanks to a sniper sitting a mile away. You will want to play with friends for this one, or at least be equipped with a microphone, as the chaos of battle only starts to make sense when you are in a squad that communicates. Think Battlefield’s capture-point style gameplay, but on a large, never-ending scale, with three factions locked in ceaseless combat. Absolute FPS bliss.
What should you do when a load of terrifying alien monsters invade your city through breaches in your very dimension? Since there is not really a precedent for it, we recommend hiring the closers, an elite band of psychic teens with a penchant for alien bashing. Choose one of five colourful characters from the Black Lambs team and introduce these beasts to their interdimensional maker with chains of ridiculous combos. In both PvE and PvP modes, you can smash aliens through the gravel with buses and slash them in a flurry of sword strikes. Now that is how to deal with an alien invasion. Closers is great fun for fans of anime games who don’t fancy parting with their cash.
And there you have it: the very best games available on Steam that will cost you absolutely nothing. We’d even consider some of them the best games on PC. And since they all come at everybody’s favourite price, it means you can play even more games than before. Why not try them all and see which ones are for you? It’s not like it will cost you anything.
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