Steam has always promoted many great games for free in the store. Here's our list of the best free games on Steam.
AAA games are expensive. We get it. After all, it can get pretty heavy on the wallet to pay $60, or even $40 for these games month after month. Here’s our list of the best free games on Steam, so you won’t have to break the bank to have some fun time with your friends. Do take note that most of these games here have some multiplayer components, so all of these games rely on in-game microtransactions. With that said, let’s get into it:
Bungie’s magnum opus (after halo of course) went free to play last year on Steam and all other platforms. The game is a looter-shooter with a big focus on loot and character progression. With some decent campaigns and awesome PvP and PvE modes, Destiny 2 is probably one of the best free games on Steam right now. You can spend countless hours lost in the game, exploring the barren ruins of planets and listening to a great soundtrack. The game also has extensively rich lore, so it’ll take you some time to understand what’s happening in the story. But in the end, it’s worth it.
Counter-Strike is Valve’s classic franchise which just refuses to die. The game has been updated so many times over the past couple of decades (yes, decades), and CSGO is the latest iteration of the game. It went Free to play last year too, and in doing so saw a huge increase in player count. The game is quite tough for new players, as it’s movement and gunplay mechanics are one of a kind. However, once you start getting into the groove of the game, it can become quite rewarding. CSGO is the most skill-based game on this list, which is why it takes a lot of time to master it. But since it’s free, there’s no harm in trying it, right?
Before Destiny, there was Warframe. Many consider it to be the best free game on steam before Destiny 2 went f2p. Similar to that game, Warframe is also a multiplayer-focused looter-shooter, with a focus on character progression. The game also contains a story mode that you can use to get started with the mechanics of the game. Warframe has been updated a LOT over the years, adding in a lot of new weapons, characters, vehicles, planets, and completely new game mechanics.
Think of Warface as the free version of Call of Duty. The game has many similarities to Activision’s signature franchise. The realistic gunplay and animations, along with CSGO-like round mechanics make it a pretty interesting game. Of course, it’s not quite as popular as those games because it borrows a bit too much from them. I’ve played the game on both Steam as well as PS4, and the visuals, as well as the performance, is actually pretty impressive, considering it’s a free game.
Planetside 2 is a hero-shooter but on steroids. Instead of being restricted to one small map, the game will have you moving around a very huge world. In its truest sense, it takes a lot from old MMORPGs. Just be equipped with a mic, and a good lobby of friends as the game includes so many players at once. The game saw some controversy last year owing to delayed updates but considering it’s free, it’s worth giving it a try.
DOTA 2 is one of the oldest free games on this list. The game is a MOBA with a special focus on PvP modes. When compared to other games on this list, DOTA 2 has one of the most steady player counts, and it continues to rise with regular content updates coming in by Valve. The game has a very active eSports presence, so if you’re good enough, you could actually make a career out of playing DOTA!
Overwatch but free? That’s basically what Paladins boils down to. The game has many similarities to Blizzard’s hero shooter, sometimes a little too much. However, that shouldn’t stop you from playing it. The game includes an interesting cast of characters to choose from. Each of these ‘Champions’ brings a unique set of abilities to the battlefield and new Champions are regularly added to Paladins, keeping the game exciting.