The best free games for every taste

Nowadays, many interesting projects are distributed completely free of charge. Among them, you can find representatives of a wide variety of genres, from shooters to survival games and fighting games. In this article, we have collected the most interesting games for which you don’t have to pay a penny.

Initially, Counter-Strike was a modification for the first Half-Life. Then it was released as a separate paid game, and since 2018, anyone with a Steam account and a suitable computer can launch this shooter. On September 28, 2023, Counter-Strike received version 2.0 with improved graphics and interesting innovations in the spirit of black smoke, which spreads according to the laws of physics.

But at its core, the project remained the same as in 1999. All players are divided into two teams and try to kill opponents in a small location. There is also an alternative way to achieve victory — to detonate a bomb or save hostages, depending on the type of map. In shootouts, your skill and the type of weapon you are firing from play an important role. If desired, you can use flashbang or smoke grenades.

Compared to Battlefield, where armored vehicles and aircraft fight, Counter-Strike's gameplay may seem too simple. However, it allows you to focus on the main thing — shooting and tactical team actions. This mechanic attracts many people. In the top of the most popular Steam games, Counter-Strike is in first place with a large gap from the second.

Overwatch 2 disappointed many fans of team shooters. But if until December 2024 they did not have much choice, now there is an alternative. Marvel Rivals offers similar gameplay with an adjustment for a third-person view. There are three dozen fighters to choose from, each with their own unique abilities.

But the game may appeal not only to fans of online battles, but also to comic book fans. You will have to play for Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, Venom and other heroes familiar from films and graphic novels. Moreover, the list of characters is regularly updated. For example, in the winter of 2025, the Fantastic Four appeared in the game in full force.

In December 2024, Path of Exile 2 appeared in early access. But if you have to pay money for it, then the first part is distributed completely free of charge. This game will surely appeal to fans of the hack & slash genre. Its gameplay is reminiscent of the Diablo series, but at the same time it has its own features in the spirit of searching for skill stones, which are responsible for active skills here.

The key feature of the project is high complexity. The first acts of the story campaign should be perceived as a big tutorial. The real hardcore begins in the second half of the single-player mode. There you will have to remember the strengths and weaknesses of your character, as well as learn the movements of mobs and bosses. At the same time, an accidental mistake can easily lead to the death of the hero. If this does not bother you, try it.

Collectible card games are a very specific genre that can captivate you for months and even years. If you want to get to know it, it is better to start with Hearthstone. It has high-quality, well-thought-out gameplay, colorful graphics and pleasant animations. And if you are not indifferent to the Warcraft universe, you will get special pleasure from the game, because you will constantly meet familiar characters.

The project is often criticized for aggressive monetization. However, if you want to participate in local battles and collect a deck of cards, you can even without monetary investments. At the stage of getting to know the game, this is not at all necessary.

Those interested in battle royales should pay attention to Apex Legends. Its main advantage over the competitionntami — excellent shooter mechanics and parkour, which migrated from the Titanfall dilogy. And characters with unique skills were borrowed from Overwatch. The result is a high-quality hybrid of different ideas. It is important to note that the game is actively supported — updates with new features are regularly released for it.

It is important to clarify that not all of the content in Destiny 2 is free. However, you can complete 5 hours of the story campaign without spending any extra money, as well as take part in a variety of multiplayer modes, including raids. During this time, you can decide whether you want to continue playing or not. If you want to continue, you can purchase add-ons.

The game itself is a hybrid of an RPG and a first-person shooter with mechanics that resemble the Halo series. You choose a character class, level it up, find the best gear, and take part in various activities. In addition to the single-player mode, Destiny 2 has a lot of PvE and PvP content.

Among the representatives of the MOBA genre, we decided to highlight not Dota 2 or "League of Legends", but SMITE. First of all, the game surprises with its setting. In it, representatives of various mythologies, including ancient Greek, Scandinavian, Chinese and Japanese, meet in the arenas. I would also like to note the variety of modes. There are team battles, sieges and assaults. Moreover, the battles are conducted from a third-person view, due to which the events resemble a full-fledged action game.

This third-person shooter with elements of survival and role-playing has an excellent combat system. High-quality shooting mechanics are combined with hand-to-hand combat and active use of telekinesis. Thanks to it, you can throw improvised objects at enemies, including barrels of fuel.

I would also like to note the large open world, which is interesting to explore, huge bosses, a well-thought-out system for crafting weapons and armor, as well as computer deviant partners. They will help you both during battle and in building a base.

Free analogue Super Smash Bros. with similar mechanics. Only instead of Nintendo mascots, there are original heroes, as well as guest characters, including Han Solo, Spongebob and Mega Man. The battles take place in small locations, and the camera is located so far away that it looks like a platformer, not a fighting game. Your ultimate goal is to knock your opponent off the arena. The fewer lives he has, the further he will fly from each hit. The gameplay is simple, but it can captivate you for a long time, especially in multiplayer mode.

If you want to get acquainted with the visual novel genre, but don’t know where to start, we recommend paying attention to Doki Doki Literature Club. But keep in mind that it starts as a simple romantic story, but then turns into a real horror. It turns out to be an unusual game on emotions, which will bring much more pleasure than the standard story about a modest guy and cute girls.

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Do you play free games? Or do you ignore them for some reason? Share your opinions in the comments!