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Best Free PC Games

Updated 14. May 2013 - 11:10 by George.J
Best Free PC Games - Page Index
 
What's New

Items added or updated most recently:NewStreets of Rage Remake | Focus | Frets on Fire X
 
Other Language?
  Read this article in Chinese
 
How To Use This List

This is a multi-page article. To quickly find what you want, either:

  1. Check out the Page Index above, or
  2. View everything as one huge page by clicking here .
 
Introduction

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. I couldn't agree more with this wonderful proverb. The first game made on a computer, titled "Tennis for Two", was way back in 1947 and later, in 1962, came the first popular digital game named "Spacewar!". Thereafter, man has been trying to expand the capabilities of gaming on a personal computer. Computer games and gaming engines have come a long way since then.

Passion for developing games had reached another level, and developers started giving out their work for free to people.

I've been asked numerous times whether freeware games are worth it and whether they give the same amount of enjoyment as other big name commercial games. The answer I give them is yes. In fact, I've had the most fun playing freeware games in this list.

The next question, which pops up in the minds of people, is why do developers give away their hard work in creating these games for nothing. The first reason is that game development is their personal hobby or passion, just like each one of us has a hobby. Secondly, they create a name for themselves and get appreciated by people from all walks of life and subsequently have a fan following. Thirdly, they might also get donations from hammer legion gamers and hence, earn quite enough bucks. Fourthly, some of them create games for their project works and get recognized for their work by bigger gaming companies.

Love for gaming has no age boundaries. This section has all the games that will be relished by the kids and the elderly alike. The article lists quality freeware games from many different categories and genres that may suit your interests. Since everyone has their own style of gaming and interests for a particular genre, you'll surely find many games that you might love to the core from this list.
 
 
Requirements
  • Various games have different system requirements. While 3D games have higher requirements over its 2D counter-parts, older games require lower specs than newer games. Nevertheless, most 3D games listed here should run fine on the latest built-in Intel HD graphics and don't require external graphics cards as such. Although, having one would improve the overall experience of the game. 
  • Download managers like FDM should come in handy for managing big downloads and also for numerous small downloads. For downloading torrent files, a Bittorrent client like qBitTorrent is required. 
  • While games usually come as installers (.exe), they may also be packed as archives (.zip, .7zip, .rar etc) and you will require an archiver like 7-zip to extract these games and play. Usually they don't require installation, but certain installers may also be packed. 
  • Few games listed here might require Steam, the gaming and distribution platform from Valve.
  • Games downloaded in the form of image file format (.iso), must be mounted in virtual drives using tools like Winarchiver Virtual Drive. 
  • Certain games requires Direct X11 which is provided only in Vista and Win 7. Win XP has support only for Direct X9 which is required if you don't have Win 7.
  • It's good to install .Net Framework and Visual C++  from Microsoft as games might require them.
  • While most games listed here will run offline, very few require an internet connection, and others can be played across LAN.

Browser games, MMO games, exclusive mutiplayer-online games won't be featured here.
 
Summary

This list of Best Free PC Games now includes 172 items in 40 categories. To read brief descriptions of the games, click a page number below.
  • Page 1. What's New / Summary
     
  • Page 2. Action Games
    Arcade or Shmup Game Focus | Viriax | Super Crate Box | RunMan: Race Around the World | Hydorah | Spelunky | Warning Forever 
    Fighting or Beat 'em Up Game Streets of Rage Remake | Little Fighter 2 | Lugaru | Toribash | OpenBor Mods
    Maze Game  
    Pinball Game Future Pinball | Visual Pinball | Pinball FX2
    Platformer (Action) Cave Story | Iji | TAGAP 2 | Hero Core | Gun Girl 2 | I Wanna Be the Guy | Pixel Force Halo | Legend of Princess
    First Person Shooter Black Mesa | Team Fortress 2 | America's Army: Special Forces | Tribes 2 akaTribesNext | Area51 | Xonotic | Cube 2:Sauerbraten | WG Realms 2: Siege Breaker | Urban Terror | OpenArena
    Third Person Shooter Psi Ops: The Mind Gate Conspiracy | Hidden and Dangeours Deluxe | Crime Life 2 | Dark Ocean | Noxious
    Top Down Shooter Alien Swarm | GTA 2 | Counter Strike 2D | Subvein: Mutant Factions | Notrium | Thesus: Return of the Hero | Killing Engine | Bloodmasters
     
  • Page 3. Adventure Games
    Horror or Survival Game The Suffering | Penumbra | Erie | SCP Containment Breach | Slender: The Eight Pages | Euthanasia | Which | 1213 (Series) | Candles
    Interactive Fiction: Graphic Adventure/Point 'n Click Sam & Max: Abe Lincoln Must Die | King's Quest III Redux | Chzo Mythos | Beneath A Steel Sky | Out of Order | The Journey Down: Over the Edge | Ben There, Dan That | The Museum of Broken Memories
    Interactive Fiction: Text Based/Narrative Blue Lacuna | Lost Pig | Violet | Aotearoa | Slouching towards Bedlam | Blue Chairs | Vespers | Suveh Nux
    Interactive Fiction: Visual or Graphic Novels Katawa Shoujo | Narcissu 1 & 2 | True Remembrance | Brass Restoration | Re: Alistair++ | Digital: A Love Story | Red Shift
    Platformer (Adventure) Game An Untitled Story | Treasure Adventure Game | Within a deep forest | Knytt Stories | Eternal Daughter | La-Mulana | Frogatto and Friends | Escape from the Underworld
    Mario Fan Game Super Mario Bros X | New Super Mario Forever 2012 | Mari0
    Stealth Game Stealth Bastard | TRILBY: The Art of Theft | N: The Way of the Ninja | Merry Gear Solid Series | Kleptocracy | Diety
     
  • Page 4. Entertainment Games
    Music, Dance or Rhythm Frets on Fire X | Ultrastar Deluxe | StepMania | PhaseShift | Opera Slinger | Synthesia
    Party / LAN Game TrackMania Nations Forever | Team Fortress 2 | Soldat | Build and Shoot | Bontago | At A Distance | Counter Strike 2D
    Programming Game  
    Puzzle Game BrainSplode! | BLOCKSUM | Farsh | Corrypt | Quadrax Series | Brain Workshop | The Sense of Connectedness | Puzzles (increpare)
    Platformer (Puzzle) SuteF | Floating Islands Game | Karoshi 2.0 | SpAI | Logi-Gun | The Illusionary Persistance of Love | Flail | FinCK
    Sports Game FooBillard++ | Neverball | Fantasy Tennis | Jet Ball
    Trivia Game  
    Card Game PySolFC | 123 Free Solitaire
     
  • Page 5. Role Playing Games
    Rogue Game Tales of Maj'Eyal: Age of Ascendancy | Dungeon Crawl: Stone Soup | Dwarf Fortress | King Arthur's Gold | DoomRL | ADOM | AngBand | NetHack: Falcon's Eye | Desktop Dungeons
    Turn Based (Role Playing) Game The Spirit Engine 2 | Runesword I and II | Dark Disciples I and II | Ultima 4 Part 2
    Real Time (Role Playing) Game FreedroidRPG | Holyspirit | FLARE
     
  • Page 6. Simulation Games
    Construction or Management: City Building Game LinCity-NG | OpenCity | Unknown Horizons
    Construction or Management: Business or Tycoon Game OpenTTD | Ore No Ryomi 2 | Simutrans | Chart Wars 3
    Construction or Management: Life (Sims) Game Cart Life | Another Day In the Life of Bob | Evolites
    Vehicle: Flight Game Wing Commander Saga: The Darkest Dawn | Battlestar Galactica: Beyond the Red Line | Flight Gear | Orbiter | Babylon 5: I've found Her | Star Wrath 4: Reviction | Wing Commander - Privateer Gemini Gold | No Gravity (Space Girl)
    Vehicle: Racing Game Trackmania Nations Forever | TORCS | VDrift | Generally | Speed Dreams : an Open Motorsport Sim | SuperTuxKart | Ultimate Stunts | ManiaDrive | Dolphinity Racer
     
  • Page 7. Strategy Games
    4X (Civ) Game FreeCol | FreeCiv | FreeOrion | AnaCreon | C-evo
    Artillery Game Scorched 3D | Hedgewars | WarMUX | Carnage Contest
    Real Time (Strategy) Game WarZone 2100 | MegaGlest | EndGame: Singularity | Command and Conquer | 0 A.D | Glest
    Turn Based (Strategy) Game Battle for Wesnoth | Planet M.U.L.E | Triple A | UFO: Alien Invasion
     
  • Page 8. Casual Games
    Interactive Art or Experimental Game Facade | De Blob | Mightier | Chalk
    Educational (Math, Typing) Game Food Force 2 | Re-Mission
    Sandbox or Physics Game Rigs of Rods | Numpty Physics | The Powder Toy | Bontago | Dismount Games
    Digipen Game TAG: The Power of Paint | Toblo | Nitronic Rush | Perspective | Narbacular Drop | Synaesthete | RumbleBox | Solace
 
Related Links
 
Editor

This software category is maintained by volunteer editor George.J. Registered members can contact the editor with any comments or questions they might have by clicking here.

Since the comments section in the article has been overflowing with game suggestions, I've decided to create a thread to suggest freeware games that you come across around the web. Please use the thread for recommendations. 

If you are a developer and want to recommend your game please use the contact form.
 
Tags

best, top, free, PC, computer, games

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Comments

by Panzer on 22. May 2013 - 9:03  (107948)

Freeciv has moved to HTML5 - now you can you play it right in your browser:
http://play.freeciv.org/
by Panzer on 11. May 2013 - 8:36  (107652)

Star Conflict is an action-packed, massively multiplayer space simulation game (F2P) that puts players in the role of elite pilots engaging in a widespread interplanetary skirmish:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/212070/?snr=1_7_15__13
http://star-conflict.com/
by Panzer on 7. May 2013 - 7:34  (107507)

Dungeon-Party:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/215870/
by Panzer on 6. May 2013 - 9:27  (107486)

Bloodline Champions:
http://www.bloodlinechampions.com/
by Panzer on 6. May 2013 - 9:18  (107485)

The Nameless Mod is a total conversion mod for the hit video game Deus Ex:
http://thenamelessmod.com/
by Panzer on 23. April 2013 - 9:48  (107280)

Bitfighter is a fast-paced team-based outer-space multi-player combat game:
http://bitfighter.org/
by Panzer on 23. April 2013 - 8:47  (107278)

Dead Cyborg (Episode 1 and 2) - free old school sci-fi adventure game:
http://www.deadcyborg.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euGnVNNfMhE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_2wCGEV3aI
by Panzer on 9. April 2013 - 8:03  (106935)

osu! is a free-to-play online rhythm game:
http://osu.ppy.sh/
by Panzer on 8. April 2013 - 8:09  (106892)

The Hunter:
http://www.thehunter.com/
by Panzer on 4. April 2013 - 7:49  (106805)

Contre Jour:
http://www.contrejour.ie/
by Panzer on 28. March 2013 - 10:35  (106597)

"... AstroMenace is a brilliant 3d scroll-shooter allowing you to feel the adrenalin rush of a fierce space battle against relentless swarms of alien invaders. Immerse into a decisive battle against tons of cunning foes, face the terrifying bosses and protect your homeland throughout 15 diverse levels of the game. The hardcore gameplay of AstroMenace, packed with pure non-stop action, will become a full scale test for your basic instinct of survival ...":
http://www.viewizard.com/

Blobby Volley 2:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/blobby/
by Panzer on 25. March 2013 - 8:33  (106512)

Micropolis is one of the oldest and greatest city-building games based on the original code for SimCity.

Features:

* Unlimited playability offers hours of fun
* Eight included scenarios, each a game in itself, with an unlimited number of ways to win or lose
* Multiple Views allows you to open up any number of animated city maps and editors at once
* Micropolis features pop up "pie menus" for quickly selecting city editing tools

http://sourceforge.net/projects/micropolis.mirror/

No Time to Explain:
http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/558562
by Panzer on 23. March 2013 - 8:00  (106483)

Trigonometry Wars 3 remake - Shoot 'Em Up Game:
http://indiegames.com/2013/03/freeware_game_pick_trigonometr.html
http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=43043
by Panzer on 22. March 2013 - 10:18  (106460)

OGame is a strategy-game set in space. Thousands of players across the world compete at the same time. In order to play you only need a web browser:
http://www.ogame.org/
by George.J on 22. March 2013 - 18:09  (106475)

Hi Panzer, browser games won't be discussed here.

by Panzer on 23. March 2013 - 8:05  (106484)

I think I can live with that ... :)
by Panzer on 11. March 2013 - 10:14  (106119)

UnReal World is a unique graphical roguelike RPG taking place in the Far North long, long ago. It brings you a realistic game world rich with historical atmosphere in which northern folklore, knowledge and way of life play an important part:
http://www.jmp.fi/~smaarane/urw.html
by Panzer on 9. March 2013 - 10:02  (106074)

Egoboo:

Features:

* Over 40 uniquely hand-crafted mystical dungeons
* Choose between 8 different classes like the Wizard, Elf or Rogue
* Play with up to four players using hotseat!
* Awesome 3D graphics with cute and funny character models

http://egoboo.sourceforge.net/

Project gnh20:
http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=26591.0

POWDER:
http://www.zincland.com/powder/index.php?pagename=about

Runesworld 2:
http://www.runesword.com/rs2.html

Dungeon Door is a fast isometric turn-based tactical RPG played in a classic dungeon crawl setting. It is a blend of a role-playing game and a tactical strategy game:
http://dd.penguinadventure.com/index.php?file=main
by Panzer on 2. March 2013 - 9:04  (105883)

flOw (download link at the upper right section of the page):
http://interactive.usc.edu/projects/cloud/flowing/

Dyadin is a 3D action puzzle game for two players at one time. Each player must navigate their character through the gamespace by closely interacting with one another both in the virtual sense and the real. The game is played on two personal computers located next to each other:
http://dyadin.paradiseworld.net/about-dyadin
by Panzer on 2. March 2013 - 8:06  (105878)

Bombermine - The most Massively Multiplayer Online Bomberman on the web — up to 1000 players on a single map:
http://bombermine.com/
by George.J on 2. March 2013 - 8:22  (105880)

MMO's won't be featured in this category....
by Panzer on 2. March 2013 - 9:11  (105884)

I know. But since we do not have a page for MMO's, I posting them into main games thread ...
by Panzer on 28. February 2013 - 10:37  (105815)

ShadowFlare: Episode One:
http://www.shadowflare.us/download.htm

Summoning Wars:
http://sumwars.org/wiki/Main_Page

Elder Scrolls Arena and Daggerfall:
http://www.elderscrolls.com/arena/
http://www.elderscrolls.com/daggerfall/

Legionwood: Tale of the Two Swords:
http://rpgmaker.net/games/792/
by Panzer on 27. February 2013 - 9:36  (105794)

The eyeballing game:
http://woodgears.ca/eyeball/
by Panzer on 22. February 2013 - 9:16  (105655)

One Late Night is a short immersive horror-game experience, starring an unnamed graphic designer employee, working late one night at the office, until strange things start to happen:
http://www.moddb.com/games/one-late-night
by Panzer on 21. February 2013 - 10:27  (105636)

PoxNora is a collectible, turn-based, tactical, online fantasy game. Players command armies of fantastic creatures, cast spells of devastating power, and summon relics and equipment of ancient renown in order to defeat their opponents:
http://poxnora.station.sony.com/index.do

FoFiX is a fork of Frets On Fire:
http://code.google.com/p/fofix/
by Panzer on 21. February 2013 - 10:12  (105634)

Nikki and the Robots Free Version 1.0 is a 2D platformer game with a cute protagonist, various robots and diverse levels. It combines modern gameplay — including simulated physics and wall-jumping — with innovative überpixel retro style (download can be found under the picture):
http://joyridelabs.de/game/
by Panzer on 20. February 2013 - 9:15  (105568)

"... Xonotic is a free and fast-paced first person shooter. It combines addictive, arena-style gameplay with rapid movement and a wide array of weapons ...":
http://www.xonotic.org/

"... Kernel Panic is a game about computers. Systems, Hackers and Networks wage war in a matrix of DOOM ...":
http://springrts.com/wiki/Kernel_Panic

by Panzer on 20. February 2013 - 8:22  (105564)

"... Wartune is an epic hybrid turn-based RPG/strategy game. Featuring four unique classes, single and multiplayer dungeons, PvP arenas, competitive battlegrounds, thousand player boss battles, a robust guild system and even farming - Wartune combines some of your favorite online massively multiplayer game features from multiple game genres ...":
https://www.kabam.com/games/wartune
by Panzer on 15. February 2013 - 9:32  (105425)

"... War Thunder is an MMO combat game dedicated to World War II military aviation, armored vehicles, and fleets. You will take part in all of the major combat battles, fighting with real players all over the world ...":

Features include:

-Varied PvP-experiences set in full-scale combat missions
-Multiple settings options allow advanced virtual pilots and beginners to enjoy playing the game together
-Rich PvE content: dynamic campaigns, solo missions, mission editor, and much more for single-player and cooperative gameplay
-Impressive diversity includes detailed models of planes and their cockpits, as well as tanks and ships
-Astonishing graphics, authentic sound effects, and beautiful music

http://warthunder.ru/en/game/