Best Free to Play games on Steam
Unlike generic lists, our strategy game recommendations use a rigorous analysis of Steam user reviews to identify and feature only the best, community-validated free to play games. For those who prefer not to search, lists of the most played and best free free to play games are available at the bottom of the page.
Filters & Lists
One Thousand Lies
One day, Ciarán starts receiving enigmatic emails from a mysterious sender, turning his everyday life into a mess of a romantic comedy with psychological themes mixed in. What lies beyond the mystery he's been presented with? In the words of Harry H.: "If you want to know the truth, go find it".
Crown and Council
Crown and Council is a casual strategy game with short game sessions.
Epic Clicker Journey
Experience your epic journey. Discover 20 mysterious lands and face the monsters living out there. Show that you are persistent traveler and held your adventure, even in the toughest conditions.
Bloons TD Battles
Go head to head with other players in a Bloon-popping battle for victory. From the creators of best-selling Bloons TD 5, this all new Battles game is specially designed for multiplayer combat, featuring the ability to control bloons directly and send them charging past your opponent's defenses.
The Average Everyday Adventures of Samantha Browne
An interactive story about a painfully introverted college student who must find a way to make some oatmeal in the communal kitchen of her dorm. One simple task, can you help her complete it?
Lucid9: Inciting Incident
Lucid9 is a visual novel focused on a web of intricate mysteries set in the fictional 2018 metropolis of Isamu. Lucid9: Inciting Incident is the first part of the story, focused on a string of disappearances that occur at a prestigious, uppity boarding academy.
The Cubicle.
The Cubicle is a short VR experience about your regular everyday job in an office, or is it?
Surgeon Simulator VR: Meet The Medic
Surgeon Simulator VR: Meet the Medic – be the Medic and operate on the Heavy in this free and exclusive teaser for the HTC Vive!
Age of Conquest IV
Age of Conquest is a turn-based grand strategy wargame.
Tilt Brush
Tilt Brush lets you paint in 3D space with virtual reality. Unleash your creativity with three-dimensional brush strokes, stars, light, and even fire. Your room is your canvas. Your palette is your imagination. The possibilities are endless.
IKEA VR Experience
Explore and interact with an IKEA Kitchen in Virtual Reality! Walk around freely, open drawers and put your vegetable peelings in the waste sorting station. You can even enjoy the visual impact of different material finishes and experience things from a child’s point of view.
Tasty Planet: Back for Seconds
Control a tiny ball of grey goo with the ability to eat anything smaller than itself. The more it eats, the bigger it gets! Eat rats, dinosaurs, gladiators, samurai, pyramids, volcanoes... Everything! Soon you'll be eating the entire planet.
Tree of Savior (English Ver.)
Tree of Savior(abbreviated as TOS thereafter) is an MMORPG in which you embark on a journey to search for the goddesses in the world of chaos. Fairy-tale like colors accompanied with beautiful graphics in TOS will have you reminiscing about precious moments all throughout the game.
MachineCraft
The main purpose of this game is showing and watching machines made out of blocks. Some of the game-modes allow you to battle or race against other players. (testing phase) You can create your original machine with ease by reassembling those machines that are distributed, or by using the automatic control block.
The Descendant
In THE DESCENDANT, the end of the world is only the start. With what remains of humanity protected in underground Ark facilities, your mission is to keep survivors alive, while discovering a far greater conspiracy buried within Ark-01.![Lost girl`s [diary]](https://shared.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/445230/header.jpg)
Lost girl`s [diary]
A group of girls are having their vacation, alone. What would a group of girls do on a dark Christmas night? Of course, fortunetelling! Unfortunately for them, their boyfriends are not about to leave them alone and their sudden visit totally ruins their plans for fortune telling, turning it into a scary story contest.
Spell Fighter VR
[Old archival game] An FPP fantasy VR demo made in 2016 to test Vive's motion controllers. Works only with HTC Vive and was never upgraded to work with other VR controllers after they eventually released. It was always a free, hobby project.
Mimpi Dreams
Help Mimpi save his friends by peeing on everything in his path in this sequel! No seriously, you save Mimpi’s progress by peeing on checkpoints in this game. Platform through six different worlds of puzzling dreams in this dog adventure. Chill in this trippy, casual illustration come alive.
Jesus Christ RPG Trilogy
A Role-Playing Game where you can play as Jesus Christ and the Apostles in turn-based battles
Black Rose
Equipped with a flashlight, investigate an abandoned funeral home that's said to be haunted. Find out what really happened to the people who once worked there, and hope that this dark, eerie building doesn't become your final resting place.
Lost Lands: Mahjong
Solve many tile sets, quests and adventures to get your prizes and collections. Help the elves to survive on the lost island.
Star Realms
Star Realms is a hugely popular space combat deckbuilding game. Download and play today (note: base set is required to play online) to find out why Star Realms is the winner of SXSW 2014 Board Game of the Year, 7 Golden Geek Awards from BoardGameGeek, and 2 Dice Tower awards!Most played free to play games on Steam
Take a look at the top free to play games that are currently attracting the largest player bases on the Steam platform, as of April 20th 2025.
1. Dota 2
Every day, millions of players worldwide enter battle as one of over a hundred Dota heroes. And no matter if it's their 10th hour of play or 1,000th, there's always something new to discover. With regular updates that ensure a constant evolution of gameplay, features, and heroes, Dota 2 has taken on a life of its own. Dota 2 is a free to play, moba and multiplayer game developed and published by Valve. Released on July 09th 2013 has received 2,466,311 reviews of which 2,010,666 were positive and 455,645 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.1 out of 10. The game has hit the top spot as the #1 most played free to play game, thanks to its 424,747 peak concurrent players over the last day.
8.1
2,010,666
455,645
424,747
players
2. Marvel Rivals
Marvel Rivals is a Super Hero Team-Based PVP Shooter! Assemble an all-star Marvel squad, devise countless strategies by combining powers to form unique Team-Up skills and fight in destructible, ever-changing battlefields across the continually evolving Marvel universe! Marvel Rivals is a free to play, multiplayer and hero shooter game developed and published by NetEase Games. Released on December 05th 2024 has received 264,904 reviews of which 213,442 were positive and 51,462 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.0 out of 10. While seeing 184,867 players online at once in the last 24 hours, this game is currently ranked #2 among free to play games based on player count.
8.0
213,442
51,462
184,867
players
3. Apex Legends™
Apex Legends is the award-winning, free-to-play Hero Shooter from Respawn Entertainment. Master an ever-growing roster of legendary characters with powerful abilities, and experience strategic squad play and innovative gameplay in the next evolution of Hero Shooter and Battle Royale. Apex Legends™ is a free to play, battle royale and multiplayer game developed by Respawn and published by Electronic Arts. Released on November 04th 2020 has received 987,640 reviews of which 663,258 were positive and 324,382 were negative resulting in a rating of 6.7 out of 10. While seeing 132,343 players online at once in the last 24 hours, this game is currently ranked #3 among free to play games based on player count.
6.7
663,258
324,382
132,343
players
4. Bongo Cat
Bongo cat needs your help. Bongo cat needz more hatz!!! Every time you press a key, Bongo cat will punch your taskbar. Type, click, play, work to collect more points. Which hats will you find? Bongo Cat is a casual, cats and clicker game developed by Marcel Zurawka and published by Irox Games. Released on March 05th 2025 has received 6,924 reviews of which 6,686 were positive and 238 were negative resulting in an impressive rating of 9.3 out of 10. With 108,231 concurrent players in the last 24 hours, the game currently holds the #4 spot among the most played free to play games.
9.3
6,686
238
108,231
players
5. Banana
Banana is a clicker Game, in which you click a Banana! In Banana you click the Banana to gain even more Bananas! Every 3 hours, you get dropped a banana. Each banana is also made by the community in discord. Come hang out with us and let's grow into something awesome ! Banana is a free to play, clicker and singleplayer game developed by Sky, AestheticSpartan and O'Brian and published by Sky. Released on April 23rd 2024 has received 88,204 reviews of which 72,799 were positive and 15,405 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.2 out of 10. With 107,276 concurrent players in the last 24 hours, the game currently holds the #5 spot among the most played free to play games.
8.2
72,799
15,405
107,276
players
6. War Thunder
War Thunder is the most comprehensive free-to-play, cross-platform, MMO military game dedicated to aviation, armoured vehicles, and naval craft, from the early 20th century to the most advanced modern combat units. Join now and take part in major battles on land, in the air, and at sea. War Thunder is a free to play, simulation and vehicular combat game developed by Gaijin Entertainment and published by Gaijin Network Ltd. Released on August 15th 2013 has received 743,117 reviews of which 473,366 were positive and 269,751 were negative resulting in a rating of 6.4 out of 10. With 63,314 concurrent players in the last 24 hours, the game currently holds the #6 spot among the most played free to play games.
6.4
473,366
269,751
63,314
players
7. Team Fortress 2
Nine distinct classes provide a broad range of tactical abilities and personalities. Constantly updated with new game modes, maps, equipment and, most importantly, hats! Team Fortress 2 is a free to play, hero shooter and multiplayer game developed and published by Valve. Released on October 10th 2007 has received 1,152,027 reviews of which 1,032,952 were positive and 119,075 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.9 out of 10. With 47,712 concurrent players in the last 24 hours, the game currently holds the #7 spot among the most played free to play games.
8.9
1,032,952
119,075
47,712
players
8. Warframe
Awaken as an unstoppable warrior and battle alongside your friends in this story-driven free-to-play online action game Warframe is a free to play, action rpg and looter shooter game developed and published by Digital Extremes. Released on March 25th 2013 has received 621,274 reviews of which 541,215 were positive and 80,059 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.6 out of 10. With 43,982 concurrent players in the last 24 hours, the game currently holds the #8 spot among the most played free to play games.
8.6
541,215
80,059
43,982
players
9. VRChat
Join our growing community as you explore, play, and help craft the future of social VR. Create worlds and custom avatars. Welcome to VRChat. VRChat is a vr, free to play and multiplayer game developed and published by VRChat Inc.. Released on February 01st 2017 has received 237,151 reviews of which 179,218 were positive and 57,933 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.5 out of 10. With 36,772 concurrent players in the last 24 hours, the game currently holds the #9 spot among the most played free to play games.
7.5
179,218
57,933
36,772
players
10. The Sims™ 4
Play with life and discover the possibilities. Unleash your imagination and create a world of Sims that’s wholly unique. Explore and customize every detail from Sims to homes–and much more. The Sims™ 4 is a life sim, character customization and free to play game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. Released on June 18th 2020 has received 167,109 reviews of which 145,918 were positive and 21,191 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.6 out of 10. With 33,330 concurrent players in the last 24 hours, the game currently holds the #10 spot among the most played free to play games.
8.6
145,918
21,191
33,330
players
Free free to play games on Steam
Check out this fantastic list of free-to-play free to play games you can enjoy on Steam right now, updated on April 20th 2025. Looking for even more free titles? Use the search filters to explore a wider range of free to play free to play games.
1. Dota 2
Every day, millions of players worldwide enter battle as one of over a hundred Dota heroes. And no matter if it's their 10th hour of play or 1,000th, there's always something new to discover. With regular updates that ensure a constant evolution of gameplay, features, and heroes, Dota 2 has taken on a life of its own. Dota 2 is a free to play, moba and multiplayer game developed and published by Valve. Released on July 09th 2013 has received 2,466,311 reviews of which 2,010,666 were positive and 455,645 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.1 out of 10. With 424,747 active players enjoying it for free, this strategy game has reached the #1 spot among the top free free to play games on Steam.
8.1
2,010,666
455,645
424,747
players
2. Marvel Rivals
Marvel Rivals is a Super Hero Team-Based PVP Shooter! Assemble an all-star Marvel squad, devise countless strategies by combining powers to form unique Team-Up skills and fight in destructible, ever-changing battlefields across the continually evolving Marvel universe! Marvel Rivals is a free to play, multiplayer and hero shooter game developed and published by NetEase Games. Released on December 05th 2024 has received 264,904 reviews of which 213,442 were positive and 51,462 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.0 out of 10. Thanks to its free to play tag and a daily player base of 184,867, this free to play game has secured the #2 spot in the ranking of free free to play games on Steam.
8.0
213,442
51,462
184,867
players
3. Apex Legends™
Apex Legends is the award-winning, free-to-play Hero Shooter from Respawn Entertainment. Master an ever-growing roster of legendary characters with powerful abilities, and experience strategic squad play and innovative gameplay in the next evolution of Hero Shooter and Battle Royale. Apex Legends™ is a free to play, battle royale and multiplayer game developed by Respawn and published by Electronic Arts. Released on November 04th 2020 has received 987,640 reviews of which 663,258 were positive and 324,382 were negative resulting in a rating of 6.7 out of 10. Thanks to its free to play tag and a daily player base of 132,343, this free to play game has secured the #3 spot in the ranking of free free to play games on Steam.
6.7
663,258
324,382
132,343
players
4. Bongo Cat
Bongo cat needs your help. Bongo cat needz more hatz!!! Every time you press a key, Bongo cat will punch your taskbar. Type, click, play, work to collect more points. Which hats will you find? Bongo Cat is a casual, cats and clicker game developed by Marcel Zurawka and published by Irox Games. Released on March 05th 2025 has received 6,924 reviews of which 6,686 were positive and 238 were negative resulting in an impressive rating of 9.3 out of 10. Attracting a solid base of 108,231 players due to its free access, this strategy game has achieved the #4 position in the best free free to play games on Steam.
9.3
6,686
238
108,231
players
5. Banana
Banana is a clicker Game, in which you click a Banana! In Banana you click the Banana to gain even more Bananas! Every 3 hours, you get dropped a banana. Each banana is also made by the community in discord. Come hang out with us and let's grow into something awesome ! Banana is a free to play, clicker and singleplayer game developed by Sky, AestheticSpartan and O'Brian and published by Sky. Released on April 23rd 2024 has received 88,204 reviews of which 72,799 were positive and 15,405 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.2 out of 10. Attracting a solid base of 107,276 players due to its free access, this strategy game has achieved the #5 position in the best free free to play games on Steam.
8.2
72,799
15,405
107,276
players
6. War Thunder
War Thunder is the most comprehensive free-to-play, cross-platform, MMO military game dedicated to aviation, armoured vehicles, and naval craft, from the early 20th century to the most advanced modern combat units. Join now and take part in major battles on land, in the air, and at sea. War Thunder is a free to play, simulation and vehicular combat game developed by Gaijin Entertainment and published by Gaijin Network Ltd. Released on August 15th 2013 has received 743,117 reviews of which 473,366 were positive and 269,751 were negative resulting in a rating of 6.4 out of 10. Attracting a solid base of 63,314 players due to its free access, this strategy game has achieved the #6 position in the best free free to play games on Steam.
6.4
473,366
269,751
63,314
players
7. Team Fortress 2
Nine distinct classes provide a broad range of tactical abilities and personalities. Constantly updated with new game modes, maps, equipment and, most importantly, hats! Team Fortress 2 is a free to play, hero shooter and multiplayer game developed and published by Valve. Released on October 10th 2007 has received 1,152,027 reviews of which 1,032,952 were positive and 119,075 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.9 out of 10. Attracting a solid base of 47,712 players due to its free access, this strategy game has achieved the #7 position in the best free free to play games on Steam.
8.9
1,032,952
119,075
47,712
players
8. Warframe
Awaken as an unstoppable warrior and battle alongside your friends in this story-driven free-to-play online action game Warframe is a free to play, action rpg and looter shooter game developed and published by Digital Extremes. Released on March 25th 2013 has received 621,274 reviews of which 541,215 were positive and 80,059 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.6 out of 10. Attracting a solid base of 43,982 players due to its free access, this strategy game has achieved the #8 position in the best free free to play games on Steam.
8.6
541,215
80,059
43,982
players
9. VRChat
Join our growing community as you explore, play, and help craft the future of social VR. Create worlds and custom avatars. Welcome to VRChat. VRChat is a vr, free to play and multiplayer game developed and published by VRChat Inc.. Released on February 01st 2017 has received 237,151 reviews of which 179,218 were positive and 57,933 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.5 out of 10. Attracting a solid base of 36,772 players due to its free access, this strategy game has achieved the #9 position in the best free free to play games on Steam.
7.5
179,218
57,933
36,772
players
10. The Sims™ 4
Play with life and discover the possibilities. Unleash your imagination and create a world of Sims that’s wholly unique. Explore and customize every detail from Sims to homes–and much more. The Sims™ 4 is a life sim, character customization and free to play game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. Released on June 18th 2020 has received 167,109 reviews of which 145,918 were positive and 21,191 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.6 out of 10. Attracting a solid base of 33,330 players due to its free access, this strategy game has achieved the #10 position in the best free free to play games on Steam.
8.6
145,918
21,191
33,330
players