GameVettedHonest game reviews.

Best free PC games

Every free game with a Windows version that we have reviewed, ranked by our review score, with what money buys and what PC it needs.

Updated · Ranked by our review scores. Partner links never change the order. How we rate

Scores on this list come from our research reviews: official sources and player reviews, not our own play time. Each score follows a fixed formula. When we play a game, its score can change and the order with it.

At a glance

#GameOur scorePay to winSteam reviewsMin. RAMStorage
1Once Human8.6No81% of 94,9378 GB100 GB
2Where Winds Meet8.2No86% of 64,90316 GB130 GB
3Arknights: Endfield8.1Mild89% of 1,27616 GB50 GB
4Neverness To Everness8.1Mild82% of 3,42316 GB110 GB
5Wuthering Waves8.1Mild87% of 30,82716 GB150 GB
6Heroes of History8.0Strong—4 GB4 GB
7Marvel Rivals8.0No75% of 306,71216 GB70 GB
8Delta Force7.9Mild65% of 69,9438 GB88 GB
9World of Warships7.9Mild79% of 49,6656 GB67.2 GB
10Watcher of Realms7.8Strong——391.1 MB
11Honkai: Star Rail7.7Mild—6 GB—
12Naraka: Bladepoint7.7Mild81% of 23,9148 GB90 GB
13Sea of Conquest: Pirate War7.7Strong——933.7 MB
14World of Tanks7.6Mild73% of 25,6288 GB70 GB
15World of Tanks: HEAT7.6Mild50% of 2,4068 GB60 GB
16Aniimo7.5Mild71% of 13,9078 GB40 GB
17Invokers: Titan Legacy7.5Strong———
18State of Survival7.5Strong55% of 4834 GB8 GB
19Tiles Survive!7.5Strong———
20Zenless Zone Zero7.5Mild88% of 7,9808 GB75 GB
21AFK Journey7.4Strong77% of 8908 GB8 GB
22Crossout7.4Strong68% of 22,6824 GB24 GB
23Rise of Kingdoms7.4Strong——2.2 GB
24War Thunder7.4Mild72% of 329,9014 GB23.1 GB
25Genshin Impact7.3Mild—8 GB110 GB
26Mech Arena7.3Strong—5 GB6 GB
27Ragnarok X: Next Generation7.3Strong—8 GB—
28Project Entropy7.2Strong51% of 2714 GB8 GB
29Summoners War: Sky Arena7.2Strong67% of 4,0934 GB10 GB
30Evony: The King's Return7.1Strong———
31Foundation: Galactic Frontier7.1Strong—4 GB8 GB
32Lords Mobile7.1Strong60% of 1,7712 GB1 GB
33RAID: Shadow Legends7.1Strong58% of 1,4598 GB5 GB
34Vikings: War of Clans7.1Strong—4 GB500 MB
35Last Fiefdom7.0Strong20% of 204 GB8 GB
36Star Trek Fleet Command7.0Strong———
37CRSED6.9No75% of 13,72710 GB12 GB
38Game of Thrones: Winter is Coming6.9Strong58% of 1,1274 GB—
39Guns of Glory: Lost Island6.9Strong———
40Wizard1016.9Strong83% of 8,7724 GB33 GB
41Tribal Wars6.8Strong71% of 845512 MB200 MB
42Enlisted6.7Strong78% of 20,9478 GB49 GB
43Lost Ark6.7Mild67% of 104,97816 GB110 GB
44STALZONE6.3Strong67% of 19,1104 GB50 GB
45NosTale6.1Strong61% of 704512 MB6 GB
46Drakensang Online6.0Strong55% of 5334 GB1 GB
47DarkOrbit Reloaded5.1Strong32% of 536——

Our ranking

Ranked by our review scores
  1. Best for open-world survival

    Starry Studio's survival game, published by NetEase, has run on PC since July 2024 and reached PS5 and Xbox in August 2026, with cross-platform play. Its paid crates hold cosmetics and currency with published odds, so it rates as not pay to win, and 81% of its 94,937 English Steam reviews are positive. The PC minimum asks for 8 GB of RAM but 100 GB of storage.

    Pay to win: NoLoot boxes: Yes
    Read the research review
  2. Best for a huge martial-arts open world

    A wuxia open-world action RPG from NetEase, free on PC, consoles and mobile with cross-progression. Its publisher says paid items are cosmetic only, so it rates as not pay to win, and 86% of its 64,903 English Steam reviews are positive. The catch is the PC it needs: 16 GB of RAM and 130 GB of storage at minimum.

    Pay to win: NoLoot boxes: Yes
  3. Best for gacha fans who want published odds

    A real-time 3D RPG with factory building from Hypergryph, on Steam since October 2026. Its official odds are 0.8% for a 6-star operator, with one guaranteed by pull 80, and 89% of its Steam reviews are positive. Operators and weapons still come from paid random pulls.

    Pay to win: MildLoot boxes: Yes
  4. Best for a modern-city open world

    A supernatural open-world RPG from Hotta Studio and Perfect World, launched in April 2026 on PC, Mac, PS5 and mobile with shared progress. Limited characters come from paid dice-roll boards whose odds are shown only in the game. Like Where Winds Meet, it asks for 16 GB of RAM, plus 110 GB of storage.

    Pay to win: MildLoot boxes: Yes
  5. Best for a gacha RPG on every platform

    Kuro Games' open-world action RPG is free on PC, Mac, mobile, PS5 and Xbox with shared progress. Its official rates give a 0.8% base chance for a 5-star, guaranteed within 80 pulls, and 87% of its 30,827 English Steam reviews are positive. It is one of the heaviest games here: 16 GB of RAM and 150 GB of storage.

    Pay to win: MildLoot boxes: Yes
  6. Best for city building with historical heroes

    InnoGames mixes city building through the ages with collecting historical heroes for real-time battles, Arena PvP and Alliance wars. It runs in a browser, on Windows and Mac through Plarium Play, and on mobile with shared progress, with 4.71 stars from 15,531 US App Store ratings. Antimatter buys random hero summons with a 0.5% base 5-star rate.

    Pay to win: StrongLoot boxes: Yes
  7. Best for team hero shooters

    NetEase's 6v6 Marvel hero shooter has been free since December 2024, and NetEase says all heroes are free. Money buys cosmetics, Battle Passes and Pop & Win costume draws without published odds, so it rates as not pay to win. It has 306,712 English Steam reviews, 75% of them positive, and needs 16 GB of RAM.

    Pay to win: NoLoot boxes: Yes
  8. Best for extraction raids and large-scale battles

    Team Jade's tactical shooter has two modes: Operations, an extraction shooter, and Warfare, large combined-arms battles. Money buys Delta Coins for cosmetics, random appearance draws with no official odds page, and a Season Pass. Steam reviews are mixed, 65% positive of 69,943, and Steam play needs a LEVEL INFINITE PASS account and the kernel-level ACE anti-cheat.

    Pay to win: MildLoot boxes: Yes
  9. Best for naval battles

    Wargaming's naval game has run since 2015 and has more than 800 ships from the first half of the 20th century. Wargaming publishes drop chances for its Premium containers. Premium ships earn more XP and Credits than tech-tree ships, which makes it mildly pay to win.

    Pay to win: MildLoot boxes: Yes
  10. Best for hero collection with tower defense

    Moonton's fantasy RPG combines hero collection with tower-defense battles, and in the US Skystone Games publishes it, with a Windows launcher next to the mobile apps. Apple lists loot boxes, no official web page shows summon odds, and the same heroes fight in Arena, Honor's Gauntlet and Guild War, so it rates as strongly pay to win.

    Pay to win: StrongLoot boxes: Yes
  11. Best if you prefer turn-based combat

    HoYoverse's turn-based space fantasy RPG is free on Windows, PS5, iOS and Android. Characters and Light Cones come from paid Warps with published rates: 0.6% base for a 5-star character, guaranteed within 90 pulls. It has no PvP, and its official PC minimum asks for 6 GB of RAM.

    Pay to win: MildLoot boxes: Yes
  12. Best for melee battle royale

    A battle royale for up to 60 players built around melee combat, free since July 2023. Its paid chests hold cosmetics, not gear, but the $14.99 season pack unlocks Ranked and removes the weekly Hero Coin limit. On Steam it asks you to turn off Windows Memory Integrity.

    Pay to win: MildLoot boxes: Yes
  13. Best for pirate fleet strategy

    FunPlus's pirate strategy game, out since January 2024, has you captain a fleet, upgrade a Flagship and recruit heroes for real-time naval battles against monsters and other players. On PC it runs through FunPlus's own Windows launcher. Paid random recruitment feeds heroes used in PvP, and the official odds page, with 80- and 100-recruit Legendary guarantees, is only in Korean.

    Pay to win: StrongLoot boxes: Yes
  14. Best classic tank MMO

    Wargaming's team tank game has run since 2010 with more than 800 vehicles, and it needs only 8 GB of RAM. Gold, Premium vehicles, a Premium Account and the WoT Plus subscription all shorten the grind. Wargaming lists odds on its random-box offers.

    Pay to win: MildLoot boxes: Yes
  15. Best for tank fights with hero abilities

    A separate Wargaming game from May 2026 in which each player picks an Agent with special abilities and a customizable tank. It sells no random items, according to the ESRB, and its Premium Battle Pass changes claim order only. Its Steam reviews are split: 50% positive of 2,406.

    Pay to win: MildLoot boxes: No
  16. Best for open-world creature catching

    Pawprint Studio's creature-catching open-world RPG launched in September 2026 on PC, consoles and mobile, and 71% of its 13,907 English Steam reviews are positive. Paid Companion Handbook tiers include a Perfect Potential Aniimo and stores flag paid random items without an official odds page, but its announced PvP modes use balanced stats, so it rates as mildly pay to win.

    Pay to win: MildLoot boxes: Yes
  17. Best for real-time hero battles

    HitZone's real-time action RPG has you summon Invokers and Titans for bosses, Spires, Clan Bosses and an asynchronous Arena, on mobile and an official Windows and Mac launcher. At version 0.62 it is still before its global launch. It sells packs, Gems and random summons with no official odds page.

    Pay to win: StrongLoot boxes: Yes
  18. Best for zombie base-building strategy

    FunPlus's zombie strategy MMO has been on Steam since 2023: you build a settlement, recruit heroes and fight zombies and other players with an alliance. It needs only 4 GB of RAM and 8 GB of storage. It rates as strongly pay to win because Biocaps heal troops and buy march boosts used in PvP; FunPlus publishes its odds only in Korean.

    Pay to win: StrongLoot boxes: Yes
  19. Best for tile-by-tile survival strategy

    FunPlus's survival strategy game has you expand across map tiles, build a shelter and send heroes on marches, with alliances fighting in States and Seasons, on mobile and an official Windows launcher. FunPlus publishes recruitment odds with pity counts in English, but random SSR recruitment feeds hero Power used in PvP.

    Pay to win: StrongLoot boxes: Yes
  20. Best for an urban-fantasy action RPG

    HoYoverse's action RPG has been on Steam since June 2026 and is also free on PS5, Xbox and mobile. Its official odds give a 0.6% base chance for an S-Rank Agent, guaranteed within 90 pulls, and 88% of its English Steam reviews are positive. Agents and W-Engines still come from paid pulls.

    Pay to win: MildLoot boxes: Yes
  21. Best for a storybook hero-collection RPG

    Lilith Games' card RPG, published by Farlight Games, is free on Windows, Mac and mobile with cross-platform accounts, and hero levels are shared across the whole roster. Diamonds buy recruitment pulls for heroes that also fight in Arena PvP, so it rates as strongly pay to win. Its odds and pity rules are posted only in Korean.

    Pay to win: StrongLoot boxes: Yes
  22. Best for building your own war machine

    You assemble buggies, tracked rovers and hovering platforms from parts and fight other players, and shots knock individual parts off. Its PC minimum is low: 4 GB of RAM and 24 GB of storage. It rates as strongly pay to win because paid packs give early access to new parts and a higher part limit.

    Pay to win: StrongLoot boxes: No
  23. Best for real-time war across 15 civilizations

    Lilith Games' war strategy game puts 15 civilizations and historical commanders on one shared world map. On PC it runs through Lilith's own Windows client, and it also runs on Apple silicon Macs. Gem packs, commander training and paid random items feed PvP armies, and Lilith publishes odds for armaments only.

    Pay to win: StrongLoot boxes: Yes
  24. Best for air, land and sea in one game

    Gaijin's military game has aircraft, helicopters, tanks and ships from before World War II to modern units, on Windows, Mac and Linux. It has the most Steam reviews on this list, 329,901, and 72% are positive. Premium time and Golden Eagles shorten the grind; Gaijin says you cannot win simply by paying.

    Pay to win: MildLoot boxes: Yes
  25. Best for HoYoverse's long-running open world

    HoYoverse's open-world action RPG has been free since September 2020 on Windows, PS5, Xbox and mobile with cross-progression. Characters and weapons come from Wishes with published rates: 0.6% base for a 5-star character, guaranteed within 90 pulls. On PC it needs 110 GB of storage, and it is not on Steam.

    Pay to win: MildLoot boxes: Yes
  26. Best for mech PvP on PC and mobile

    Plarium's PvP mech shooter has 5v5 Control Point Clash and Deathmatch, 2v2 and Free-For-All modes, with cross-platform play between PC, Mac and mobile. Its PC minimum is low: 5 GB of RAM and 6 GB of storage. A-Coins buy mechs, pilots and upgrades used in PvP, and crate drop chances are not listed on Plarium's website.

    Pay to win: StrongLoot boxes: Yes
  27. Best for Ragnarok Online fans

    Gravity's licensed MMORPG based on Ragnarok Online is free in the US on iOS, Android and Windows through Gravity Game Hub's global edition, with progress shared between mobile and PC. Diamonds buy Divinities and PvP pets on the Exchange Center, and several paid random draws have no odds on the web.

    Pay to win: StrongLoot boxes: Yes
  28. Best for sci-fi alliance strategy

    FunPlus's seasonal strategy game has you lead heroes, tanks, aircraft and mechs against the alien Grod and rival alliances on a shared region map, on Steam, mobile and an official Windows launcher. A paid pass unlocks a Legendary Hero in a game built on alliance PvP, and no official odds page is available. Its Steam reviews are Mixed, 51% of 271.

    Pay to win: StrongLoot boxes: Yes
  29. Best for monster-collecting RPG fans

    Com2uS's turn-based RPG has run since 2014 with more than 1,000 Monsters, and its Steam version keeps your mobile progress. It needs only 4 GB of RAM. Paid summons and Rune packs feed PvP rosters and the official website publishes no summon odds, so it rates as strongly pay to win.

    Pay to win: StrongLoot boxes: Yes
  30. Best for medieval city building with large-scale war

    Top Games' strategy MMO pairs city building with world-map PvP and alliances. On PC it runs through a Microsoft Store edition or Google Play Games. Top Games publishes odds for its chests, Generals and Wheel of Fortune, but monthly cards, VIP and packages sell Generals and gear used in PvP, so it rates as strongly pay to win.

    Pay to win: StrongLoot boxes: Yes
  31. Best for Asimov fans who like 4X strategy

    FunPlus's licensed space strategy RPG is based on Isaac Asimov's novels and the Apple TV+ series. It runs on Windows through an official launcher, and on Mac, iOS and Android with shared progress, with a light PC minimum of 4 GB of RAM. Its own FAQ says money buys progression boosts and faster access to champions and ships.

    Pay to win: StrongLoot boxes: Yes
  32. Best for a light kingdom-war game

    IGG's kingdom-building war strategy game has been on Steam since 2019, and its PC minimum is 2 GB of RAM. IGG publishes drop rates for its chests. Paid Jewels, Hero chests, boosts and auto-renewing subscriptions up to $9.99 a month feed PvP armies, so it rates as strongly pay to win.

    Pay to win: StrongLoot boxes: Yes
  33. Best for collecting Champions for PvE and PvP

    Plarium's turn-based RPG counts more than 900 Champions and runs on Windows, Mac and mobile with one Plarium ID. Its PC minimum is light: 8 GB of RAM and 5 GB of storage. It rates as strongly pay to win because Champions from paid Shards also fight in Arena and Siege, and its Steam reviews are Mixed, 58% positive of 1,459.

    Pay to win: StrongLoot boxes: Yes
  34. Best for clan wars in a Norse setting

    Plarium's Norse strategy MMO has been on iOS since 2015 and also runs on Android, and on Windows and Mac through Plarium Play with synced progress. It needs only 4 GB of RAM on PC. Gold and Bank packages buy boosts to military stats, and there is no official drop-rate page for its loot boxes.

    Pay to win: StrongLoot boxes: Yes
  35. Best for dragon sieges

    Puzala's online strategy MMO has you build a stronghold, raise dragons and join alliances for 100v100 real-time sieges, free on Steam and mobile. Mobile players rate it 4.4 to 4.58 stars, while its 20 Steam reviews are Mostly Negative. It sells Gold, packs and a $29.99 monthly subscription, with no official odds page.

    Pay to win: StrongLoot boxes: Yes
  36. Best for Star Trek fans

    Scopely's strategy game, live since November 2018, puts you in charge of a starbase and a fleet of Star Trek ships and officers, on Windows, Mac and mobile with a shared Scopely Account. Paid packs include boosters and structures with PvP damage bonuses, and its loot boxes have no published odds.

    Pay to win: StrongLoot boxes: Yes
  37. 37. CRSED

    6.9/10

    Best for a small install

    A last-man-standing shooter from Gaijin and Darkflow Software that needs only 12 GB of storage. Its official FAQ says money goes on a battle pass and customization, so it rates as not pay to win. Updates have slowed: the last numbered patch came out on February 10, 2026.

    Pay to win: NoLoot boxes: Yes
  38. Best for Game of Thrones fans who like strategy

    YOOZOO Games' HBO-licensed strategy game has you build a castle, recruit commanders from the show and fight other lords for Westeros, on GTarcade Desktop, Steam and Epic. VIP levels raise army attack, defense and health, and VIP Points are sold, so it rates as strongly pay to win. Facebook web play ended on September 30, 2026.

    Pay to win: StrongLoot boxes: No
  39. Best for musketeer-era war strategy

    FunPlus's 2017 strategy MMO, now titled Guns of Glory: Lost Island, has you build a city, raise an army and fight alongside an alliance, on mobile and a Windows client. It sells Gold, gift packs, random chests and a $19.99 monthly subscription that renews automatically; FunPlus publishes odds in Korean.

    Pay to win: StrongLoot boxes: Yes
  40. Best for turn-based card battles

    KingsIsle's card-battle MMORPG has run since 2008 and joined Steam in 2018; 83% of its 8,772 English Steam reviews are positive. The opening areas are free, but later zones need a $9.95-a-month membership or Crowns. It rates as strongly pay to win because Crowns also buy gear and random packs, and the game has ranked PvP.

    Pay to win: StrongLoot boxes: Yes
  41. Best for long PvP strategy in a browser

    InnoGames' medieval strategy MMO has run in browsers since 2003 and also has a Steam client and mobile apps. Each world is a persistent PvP map. Premium Points turn into resources, faster builds and automation with no permanent cap, so it rates as strongly pay to win.

    Pay to win: StrongLoot boxes: Yes
  42. Best for World War II squad battles

    A squad shooter in which each player commands AI soldiers alongside tanks and aircraft, with 78% positive Steam reviews. It rates as strongly pay to win: a Premium account adds an extra infantry squad and vehicle squad to every battle.

    Pay to win: StrongLoot boxes: Yes
  43. Best for an action MMORPG with raids

    Smilegate's isometric action MMORPG publishes odds for its random shop items, and its PvP mode uses standard stats, so paid upgrades count only against raids and bosses. Amazon hands the Western service to Smilegate in early 2027, with characters and purchases carried over. It is one of the heaviest games here: 16 GB of RAM and 110 GB of storage.

    Pay to win: MildLoot boxes: Yes
  44. Best for a persistent extraction shooter

    EXBO's PvPvE extraction shooter, renamed from STALCRAFT: X, is set in a persistent online Chernobyl Exclusion Zone with a story campaign of more than 50 hours. Shop packs sell Season Pass levels whose rewards include weapons and exoarmor, and no mode turns PvP off, so it rates as strongly pay to win. It needs only 4 GB of RAM.

    Pay to win: StrongLoot boxes: Yes
  45. Best for a light anime MMORPG

    Entwell's anime MMORPG, published by Gameforge since 2007, has more than 30 specialist classes, pets, raids and PvP arenas, and needs only 512 MB of RAM. NosMall chests and NosWheel spins can give attack-boosting titles and partners, and the official posts list their contents but not drop rates.

    Pay to win: StrongLoot boxes: Yes
  46. Best for a classic action MMORPG

    Bigpoint's action MMORPG has run since 2011 and has been on Steam since May 2023, with four classes in the world of Dracania, PvP duels and group battles. Shop bundles have included stat-raising pets and jewels, such as a pet with +25% damage, and only some chests list odds. It needs 4 GB of RAM.

    Pay to win: StrongLoot boxes: Yes
  47. Best for a classic space MMO

    Bigpoint's space MMO, on Steam as DarkOrbit Reloaded since December 2025, has pilots join one of three companies and fight aliens and each other. Money buys ships, lasers, modules, a paid Extra Gold Pass and keys for random boxes; Bigpoint publishes odds for some of them. Its all-time Steam rating is Mostly Negative, 32% of 536.

    Pay to win: StrongLoot boxes: Yes

How we ranked these free PC games

This list holds every free game with an official Windows, Mac or Linux version that we have reviewed: 47 so far. The order follows our review score and nothing else, and ties are listed alphabetically. All 47 are research reviews built from official sources and player ratings. Partner links never change the order.

Paid games such as Space Engineers and Chernobylite, games that run on PC only in a browser, and Star Stable Online, which is free only up to level 5, are not on this list.

Pay to win at a glance

4 of the 47 rate as not pay to win: Once Human, Where Winds Meet, Marvel Rivals and CRSED. In these, money buys cosmetics, passes or currency rather than power. 14 rate as mildly pay to win, mostly because money buys time-savers or strength against the game itself. 29 rate as strongly pay to win; most of them are strategy and hero-collection games in which paid heroes, troops or boosts count in PvP.

Free PC games for a low-end PC

By official minimums, these need 4 GB of RAM or less: Heroes of History, State of Survival, Crossout, War Thunder, Project Entropy, Summoners War: Sky Arena, Foundation: Galactic Frontier, Lords Mobile, Vikings: War of Clans, Last Fiefdom, Game of Thrones: Winter is Coming, Wizard101, Tribal Wars, STALZONE, NosTale and Drakensang Online.

At the other end, these ask for 16 GB: Where Winds Meet, Arknights: Endfield, Neverness To Everness, Wuthering Waves, Marvel Rivals and Lost Ark. Several games here also need 100 GB of storage or more; the table above shows each game's minimum RAM and storage.

FAQ

What is the best free PC game?

Among the games we have reviewed, Once Human ranks first with 8.6 out of 10. The score comes from a research review and can change once we play it.

Which free PC games are not pay to win?

On this list: Once Human, Where Winds Meet, Marvel Rivals and CRSED. In each, official information shows money buying cosmetics, passes or currency rather than strength.

Are these games on Steam?

Most are, but not all. Our platform check found no US Steam version of these, which install from their publishers' own launchers or stores: Heroes of History, Watcher of Realms, Honkai: Star Rail, Sea of Conquest: Pirate War, Invokers: Titan Legacy, Tiles Survive!, Rise of Kingdoms, Genshin Impact, Mech Arena, Ragnarok X: Next Generation, Evony: The King's Return, Foundation: Galactic Frontier, Vikings: War of Clans, Star Trek Fleet Command and Guns of Glory: Lost Island. Our list of the best free games on Steam covers the Steam ones.