There are hundreds upon hundreds of free games onSteam, but most of them fit into two categories: microtransaction-ridden slop or CS-grad’s first game. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with playing F2P games with microtransactions like gacha games or supporting new game developers, but if you’re looking for free games that actually respect your time, you’ve come to the right place.
If you’re on a budget but still want to have fun, here are some free games on Steam that are actually worth playing. These games are truly free, in that they have absolutely no microtransactions or in-app purchases. Just download the game and you’ve got the whole experience ready to go.
Doki Doki Literature Club is a visual novel where you join your school’s literature club and get closer to four girls. Your daily activities include writing poetry, as well as chatting with the girls to get to know them better.
There’s a paid version—Doki Doki Literature Club Plus—which adds a few new side stories and unlockable art, but the free version is essentially the same game, so you can enjoy it without spending a cent. There are also fan-created mods that offer even more stories to experience within Doki Doki Literature Club.
Moonring is a retro-inspired roguelike RPG with an immersive world to explore, engaging combat, and intriguing lore to discover. If you’re a fan of games like Caves of Qud or the older Ultima titles, Moonring will definitely scratch a similar itch.
The level of depth and passion found in this free title is absolutely staggering, to the point where it kind of feels like you’re stealing from the developer. If that feels like the case, you can support them by buying the Moonring DX DLC, which adds a massive 100-floor mega dungeon to explore, or you can follow the development for Moonring 2, which will be a paid game.
The Elder Scrolls: Arena is the first game in The Elder Scrolls series, which sees you trying to save the Emperor Uriel Septim, who is imprisoned in an alternate dimension. It may not be as polished as later titles in the series, but TES: Arena is still a great game, and you may get it entirely for free.
Arena is an old-school RPG in the best way possible, so expect to make physical notes of your journey, get lost exploring dungeons, wrestle with its combat system, and overall have a great time. If you’re familiar with games like Skyrim, it’s very interesting to see how the whole series started in Arena.
The second game in the series, Daggerfall, is also completely free on Steam.
OpenTTD is an open-source fan-created recreation of Transport Tycoon Deluxe, a business management simulator in which you transport goods and people and receive compensation. Like with most tycoon games, OpenTTD has a rather steep learning curve, but it’s well worth investing the time into this endlessly replayable sandbox game.
OpenTTD is like a city-builder, but you’re just in charge of transportation. Connecting railroads, airports, and docks are your main concerns, which all contribute to your income, which will then let you upgrade your technology to improve your business.
Eternal Senia is an action RPG visual novel with a short but sweet story. The game is designed so that you don’t have to be a master gamer to engage with its systems; for some, this might mean the combat is lackluster, but the game’s emotional rollercoaster of a story is definitely the main draw.
Unlike a few other games on this list, you won’t be playing Eternal Senia for dozens of hours to come. Instead, it’s an entirely free game with a great story and decent combat that absolutely respects your time. If you’re looking for a game you can beat in two or three sessions, Eternal Senia is just that.
HoloCure - Save the Fans is a roguelike bullet heaven in the style of Vampire Survivors, all centered around Vtubers. If you’re a fan of this style of game, or if you want to try out a free version before spending your hard-earned five dollars on Vampire Survivors, HoloCure is the place to start.
Despite being free, HoloCure doesn’t lack any of the depth found in paid games in the same genre, and in some cases, it’s actually better. There are a ton of fun ideas at play here and tons of content and characters to unlock. Even if you aren’t a Hololive fan, HoloCure is definitely worth your time.
Also, check out Idol Showdown; it’s a Hololive-themed fighting game that’s also entirely free on Steam.
No More Room In Hell is a multiplayer zombie FPS. If you’ve played almost any other multiplayer zombie shooter, you probably have a good idea of what to expect with this game. That said, there are some great inclusions in No More Room In Hell, such as proximity voice chat, dynamic objectives, and the ability to play with up to eight players.
If you have a bigger group of friends and games like Left 4 Dead can’t hold all of you, No More Room In Hell is a great alternative. It’s also a lot of fun with randoms, if you’re willing to turn on your mic, since the proximity voice chat adds a realistic level of immersion to the experience.
