By In this post, we take a look at some of the best free Steam games you can download right now to play alone or with your friends.
Steam is filled with great free games that will keep you busy for hundreds of hours without having to spend a single dime. These are some of the games you can download and play for free forever.
Of course, they will include in-game microtransactions. But it’s not required to buy cosmetics to play these games.
You can pay to get cosmetics if you want. Otherwise, you can enjoy these games freely without spending any money, as long as you can resist the need to make your characters look cool.
Now, let’s get to the list.
#1 Warframe
First up, one of my all-time favorite games, Warframe. This game has been around for many years but it still has a highly active community of players and the developers release new content throughout the year.
Warframe is a third-person shooter with tons of gameplay value. I’ve put in over 400 hours into this game and still haven’t gotten through all the side missions yet.
#2 Where Winds Meet
This is an incredible Chinese MMO that will make you question the quality of some of the full-price triple-AAA games we’ve been playing lately. It’s that good!
Where Winds Meet is an MMORPG that can be played completely solo or in multiplayer mode. The game has a fascinating campaign with good missions. And lots of challenging boss battles.
It’s actually hard to believe this game is free to play, but it is. And surprisignly enough, it doesn’t have any pay-to-win elements at all.
#3 Blue Protocol
If you’re a fan of anime-style MMOs, Blue Protocol is worth checking out. This game plays similarly to games like Genshin Impact and features all the same things you can expect from a Gacha game.
It has engaging combat, fun anime characters, boss battles, team events, and more. I’m not a huge fan of anime gacha games, but I enjoyed this game for a bit.
#4 Once Human
Once Human is a fun third-person survival game where you get to experience a triple-A quality game for absolutely free.
In this game, you get to explore a huge map, fight massive bosses, build houses, level up, and do tons more. The best part about this game is the loot. There’s loads of loot in abundance for you to gather in your base and build cool stuff.
I recently put in more than 100 hours into this game, all without spending a single dollar in the microtransactions. It’s a great game worth its’ price.
#5 Delta Force
Delta Force made a comeback in 2025, and it’s one of the top free-to-play games on Steam right now.
Delta Force features two modes. You can play a single-player campaign, called Black Hawk Down. Or you can play the multiplayer modes. All for free.
The gunplay in Delta Force feels just as smooth as a Call of Duty game. You’ll immediately fall in love with this one.
#6 Apex Legends
The fast-paced battle royale game recently arrived on Steam and you can now play it free of charge. Apex Legends is one of the most exciting shooters you can play. And it’s even better when playing with a couple of friends.
Even if you hate BR games like Fortnite and PUBG, give Apex Legends a try. The fast-paced gameplay and its cool hero character system make the game a really fun experience.
#7 Stalcraft X
If you can look past the funny-looking blocky graphics, this game can be quite fun.
I’ve been addicted to Stalcraft X for a while and as a fan of Stalker games, this one kept me hooked for months. It features a post apocalyptic world inspired by the Stalker universe, along with its anomalies, artifacts, emissions, weapons, and all that.
It’s a fun game to play solo or with friends. It has a good campaign and satisfying character progression. Open PVP is the only thing I didn’t like about this game. But I’ve learned to tolerate it.
#8 PUBG
PUBG also went free-to-play in January 2022. This move came after a few F2P competitors, like Apex Legends, saw a rise in popularity.
You can now play the game for free. However, it’s not entirely free. While you have access to most of the content and maps, you’ll have to buy a one-time add-on to access the full game.
Either way, it’s still a pretty great BR game you’ll definitely enjoy, especially since it’s free. More info here.
#9 Path Of Exile
My second favorite game on Steam. Path Of Exile is an action RPG game that’s also a pretty old game but you’d be surprised how often the game gets new content and how popular it is.
If you loved games like Diablo 3 and Torchlight, you’ll instantly fall in love with Path of Exile. Fair warning, it can get a bit confusing and tough at the beginning of the game. Check out some tutorial videos on YouTube before you get started.
Path of Exile 2 is also available. It’s currently in early access. Once it leaves EA, the game will be available for free.
#10 Undecember
Undecember is a new ARPG that was released in late 2022. This game is quite similar to Diablo 3 and Path of Exile but offers a much more polished gameplay experience.
What I loved the most about this game is that it features cross-play and cross-save between mobile and PC. This allows you to play the game on PC and continue your playthrough on mobile while you’re on the go.
#11 CS: GO 2
Valve recently made CS:GO a free-to-play title a while back but now it’s even better.
CS:GO received a massive new update recently turning it into CS:GO 2. You can now jump right in and play this iconic FPS for absolutely free. The game looks much smoother and runs much better than ever before. Just beware of spending cash on skins, though.
#12 Guild Wars 2
Guild Wars 2 is one of the longest-running MMORPGs out there and it recently came over to Steam. You can now download the game directly from Steam and play the base game for free.
The base game packs a tons of content for you to enjoy and if you’re into MMORPGs like WoW, this one is a must-try.
#13 Albion Online
Albion Online recently went free-to-play and it managed to amass a great number of new players since. This is a top-down MMORPG with a player-based economy. You can grind to build stuff and go on missions. Players have complained this game to be too grindy, but at least it’s now free for everyone to try and find out.
#14 DOTA 2
DOTA 2 is a game that doesn’t require an introduction. Everyone knows this massively multiplayer battle arena game and how it works. If you still haven’t tried this game, give it a try. It’s free after all!
#15 Paladins
Some say Paladins is a direct clone of Overwatch. Others say Paladins was in development way before Overwatch. There’s much debate. But, don’t worry about all that.
If you love FPS multiplayer shooters, you’ll love this game. There’s no story or missions. Just plain PVP team-based shooting action.
This is a fun game once you get the hang of it. I’ve put in around 100 hours into this game.
#16 Quake Champions
Remember Quake? Well this new free-to-play game is even more fun than the old games. Quake Champions is an FPS game with awesome action-based multiplayer combat where you just shoot the crap out of everyone using massive and explosive weapons. To sum it up, this is the bloody fun.
#17 Neverwinter
Neverwinter is an online role-playing game or MMORPG with bits of similarities to World of Warcraft. Even though it was released in 2013 the game still has a large active community. Give this one a try if you’re a fan of roleplay games.
#18 SIMS 4
SIMS 4 is now free to play! That’s right. You can now play god and do evil things in your own tiny world for free.
Of course, the expansions are still there and you need a fortune to buy all those expansions. But the base game has lots to explore and enjoy. And for the low price of free, it’s well worth the download.
#19 Marvel Rivals
This one is for the fans of hero shooter games. Marvel Rivals is now more popular than some of the biggest franchises in this genre, including Overwatch.
Marvel Rivals is a fun team-based hero shooter where you get to play as your favorite characters from the Marvel universe. They have cool superpowers and satifying gameplay mechanics as well.
#20 SMITE
SMITE is another free to play battle arena game. Once you get tired of DOTA 2, you should try this game. Although, try to keep player mics muted if you don’t want to get yelled at by a random Russian.
#21 The Expendabros
The Expendabros is a free-to-play limited-edition version of the fun platformer game Broforce. This game was released to promote the movie Expendables when it was first released. The game is old, but let me tell you it’s still super fun to play.
