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Most “free” games are used to push ads, subscriptions, microtransactions, and dubious games of chance (that never quite meet the legal definition of gambling). They can leave you feeling frustrated, even if you haven’t spent a penny. Here are 12 completely free games that don’t do any of that. What Makes a Game Truly Free? I’ve set a few conditions for this roundup to make sure these games are as ‘free’ as free can be:
- They must be open-source, meaning they can be freely distributed for any platform (Mac, Windows, Linux, and mobile in some cases).
- None of the games have advertisements, microtransactions, battlepasses, or subscriptions! You shouldn’t have to pay a cent to experience the game in full, nor should you have to watch annoying ads.
- Like any game worth the disk space, they actually have to be fun!
Note that I haven’t mentioned photorealistic graphics or high-fidelity sound as part of the criteria. Due to limited developer resources, open-source games tend to rely more on stylized retro graphics than the latest pixel-pushing technologies (which is less of a problem now that these visual styles are in vogue).
In addition to the game’s development usually hinging on donated time, the underlying tools also have to accommodate a no-budget development scenario. This can push the latest and greatest technologies out of reach, but that’s ok since good graphics do not necessarily make for a good game.
Now on to the list!
Battle for Wesnoth is a highly polished real-time strategy game with a great single-player campaign, as well as compelling multiplayer. It looks great, plays well, and has a big dedicated community. It pretty much sets the standard for what an open-source game should be.
OpenTTD (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Open Transport Tycoon Deluxe, known simply as OpenTTD, is a simulation game about building and managing transport networks including rail, air, roads, canals, and maritime. It’s got the retro pixel graphics of its 90s namesake, and support for huge maps. Be warned, it’s a total time sink.
This one’s for the mobile gamers, with iPhone and Android versions ready to download. Shattered Pixel Dungeon is an RPG where you play as one of 5 character classes, and crawl through randomly generated dungeons (so no playthrough is ever the same). It’s both difficult and rewarding, and so well presented you’ll forget you didn’t pay anything for it.
Explore the Endless Sky universe to trade, fight, and conquer space. You can follow the included plot line, or make your own way through the cosmos and write your own fate. I’m not the biggest fan of this game’s graphical style, but if you look past it, you’ll find an addictive space sim.
The predecessor to the Halo franchise, the Macintosh-only Marathon games were once the envy of PC gamers (though they’d never have admitted it at the time). Now they’re free, and the engine has been open-sourced, so they’re available to Windows and Linux gamers, too. This is a great way to catch up on Bungie’s back catalog, especially with a Marathon reboot in the works.
Ysoccer (Mac, Windows, Linux)
Ysoccer is a tidy little soccer sim based on the Amiga (among others) classic Sensible Soccer. Not much more to be said: launch it, and guide your little pixelated soccer team around the field to score goals. Makes for some great local multiplayer.
Hedgewars (Mac, Windows, Linux, iPad/iPhone)
A Worms clone with hedgehogs, Hedgewars is a single player distraction at best. But if you get a few friends together for multiplayer, you’ll all be up late into the night cursing each other as you perforate, detonate, and deflagrate each other’s cute hedgehog avatars.
0 A.D. (Mac, Windows, Linux)
0 A.D began life as an Age of Empires II mod and has somehow spent more than two decades in development. It’s worth a look if you’re looking for a more modern-looking and historically-grounded real-time strategy game.
Xonotic (Mac, Windows, Linux)
Hard to say, hard to spell (at least for me), but fun to play. Get some friends together for an old-fashioned LAN party, or play the Quake 3-inspired shooter Xonotic online with an active player base.
FlightGear (Windows, Mac, Linux)
This one isn’t for the casual player who just wants to jump into a virtual jet and fly around. FlightGear is a meticulously crafted flight simulator that aims to be as realistic as possible, which means learning how to actually operate the planes it simulates. And crashing. A lot.
Ryzom (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Get the guild together and check out a totally free, open-source MMORPG. Ryzom has an active community, and an evolving world with events and optional PvP. Best of all, there are no pesky monthly subscriptions to worry about.
LinCity-NG (Windows, Mac, Linux)
It’s just like SimCity, but free. Plan and build cities, clean up after natural disasters (or create them) in free city building and urban management sim LinCity-NG. Build a utopia or subjugate your citizens, the choice is yours.
Want More Free Stuff?
The best thing about all of these games? They didn’t cost you anything: so if you don’t like them, you don’t feel like you have to play them.
Some of these games do have iOS and Android releases, too, but some of those are released by third parties and may have ads. They might be worth a shot if you want to take them on the go.
If you want more free stuff, you can check out the streaming services that offer free trials and check our guide to downloading free software from GitHub.
