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. But 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.
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, or gamepad and let the good times begin.
1. Blade & Soul
There are a lot of MMORPGs to play, each with unique aesthetics, combat, and lore. Blade & Soul takes you to a fantasy world inspired by Wuxia fiction and martial arts. It's packed with dungeons and raids to conquer, as well as strong player-versus-player systems that encourage you to master your skills.
If dungeon crawling isn't your thing, Blade & Soul's arena offers excellent PVP action to slake your competitive bloodthirst. Leveling is fairly easy, too, so it doesn't take very long to get to max level, where the game's content really opens up.
Blade & Soul is free to play, of course, but you can optionally purchase new warrior outfits, additional character slots, and other items.
2. Brawlhalla
Brawlhalla is a fighting game that echoes Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. series, but with a few unique twists of its own. You can participate in up to four-player competitive matches, with the object of knocking your opponent off the arena to score points.
The game is a weapons-based affair, so each of the 40 fighters has a designated set of weapons they can use during a match. These weapons randomly rain onto stages and complement your move set. Brawlhalla has a weekly rotation of playable characters, but you can purchase you favorites using in-game currency.
Cross-platform play between PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch means you'll always find a match.
3. Dauntless
Monster Hunter World has made a massive critical and commercial impact, so it's no shock to see games that are inspired by Capcom's series. Dauntless is one such title. Dauntless pits you against vicious behemoths in a post-apocalyptic fantasy setting. It can be played in single player or multiplayer modes, with up to four people hacking at a beast's shins. Multiple combat classes keep the fighting interesting.
As a free-to-play game, Dauntless won't cost you a dime. Unless you want to apply a cool skin to your characters or weapons.
4. Dota 2
"Easy to learn, hard to master" is a phrase commonly heard in gaming circles, but few titles exemplify the idea more than Defense of the Ancients 2 (Dota 2).
This free-to-play MOBA game tasks you with selecting one of more than 100 playable Heroes to take to the battlefield (with am option to buy them), utilizing the character's unique abilities, play style, and attributes to help your team achieve victory.
5. Eggnog+
The Nidhogg games are incredible fun, but if you don't want to plunk down the cash to play them, Eggnog+ is a fantastic free-to-play alternative.
Like Nidhogg, Eggnog+ sees you clash with an opponent in sword duels as you race to the opposite side of the map. You can use your weapon as a projectile, as well as a melee tool. In addition, Eggnog+ features retro style visuals that give the game plenty of old school charm as you parry and thrust.
6. Fortnite
Fornite, the incredibly popular battle royale game, pits 100 players against one another in an increasingly shrinking map, until a single player or squad is left standing. Fortnite incorporates resource gathering and building, in addition to the gunplay, so you must run around the field with your handy pickax to collect fort-worthy materials.
Matches are easy to find and highly addictive, so give it a try if you want some zany shooting action. Thankfully, experiencing the action won't cost you a cent, whether you're playing on PC, console, or mobile. Optional in-app purchases let you buy new outfits, emotes, and pickaxes.
7. Hearthstone
There are plenty of excellent card-based games on the market, and Hearthstone is definitely high on that list. Hearthstone draws its cards from Warcraft lore, and features relics and characters from the series.
Card battles pit two players against one another in a turn-based struggle, where each player uses their 30-card deck and a special hero to strategically whittle their opponent's health to zero. You can take on challenges and beat opponents to earn gold, which you can then use to purchase more cards to customize your deck
8. League of Legends
League of Legends is one of the largest, most highly played MOBAs available on PC. In League, you play as a champion, a warrior with unique skills and mobility, and must coordinate with teammates to destroy the opposing team's base. Naturally, matches can become decidedly more complex as you face stiffer competition, and can last up to an hour.
League uses a freemium transaction model; free champions rotate weekly, unless you decide to pay cash to permanently keep a character. You can also play regularly to earn in-game currency, which can be used to purchase champions.
9. Smite
Smite is a third-person MOBA that pulls its champions straight out of classic myths and ancient pantheons. Matches are team-based, 5-on-5 ordeals that task you with destroying your opponent's base and towers.
The third-person perspective makes combat much more dynamic when compared to League of Legends' top-down camera, and the unique cast of playable characters also adds to the aesthetic. Smite features a rotating roster of free gods to play with, which can be permanently purchased with in-game currency, or bought in packs with cash.
10. Spellbreak
If you've grown tired of the typical battle royale game in which you tote guns, download Spellbreak. This fantasy-based game sees you play as a Battlemage, a wizard who has no need for such base firearms.
Spellbreak replaces guns with different elemental gauntlets for your dominant hand. Do you want to shoot powerful fireballs, long-range ice missiles, or waves of toxic goo that poison opponents over time? You can do that. You also find more gauntlets on the battlefield to equip on your off hand, giving you access to two elements at once as you battle toward victory.
11. War Thunder
War Thunder is a vehicle-based MMO that shares a few things in common with Wargaming's World of Tanks titles, and features several game modes that suit your gaming mood.
If you want casual action, War Thunder gives you an arcade-style mode that makes it easy to drop in and wreak havoc. If you're the simulation type, War Thunder has some highly in-depth physics, ammunition, and damage systems working under the hood to drive home the sim elements and make your battles as realistic as possible. In a nice touch, War Thunder supports cross-platform play, so you can bring the business to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One gamers, too.
War Thunder is free to play, with the option to buy premium vehicles.
