Everyone loves free games. Steam has a hefty collection of them, but some places offer titles for only a limited amount of time. Epic Games gives away multiple games a week. Amazon's Prime Gaming subscription service has new titles each month. But if you're not paying attention, you'll lose out on a PC game you could have kept forever.
In an effort to help gamers know what's out there to claim, we're tracking the best free games available in a given month. While some titles are free outright, others are included as part of a subscription service. Here's everything you can grab this month.
Free Epic Games Store Games
Epic Games gives away free titles every week; no need for a subscription. Head over to the Epic Games Store website or open the launcher, scroll down to the Free Games section, and hit the Free Now banner on the title you want. Then, go through the process as if you were purchasing the game. You won't be charged, and the game will appear in your games library on the Epic Games launcher.
Speed Brawler combines fighting and racing into one fast-paced action game, where you speed through levels, fight enemies, unleash combos, and maintain your momentum throughout the level. Each character has their own playstyle, allowing you to experiment for each run.
The turn-based strategy game Tharsis puts you in control of astronauts on a spaceship and tasks you with keeping everything running. You must roll simulated virtual dice to fix the ship and keep everyone alive.
In The Escapists, you must engineer your escape from prisons of increasing difficulty. The game gives you the freedom to buy items, craft weapons, level up your character, and perform tasks in the name of finding a way to escape.
Rocket League, a game in which you play soccer with race cars, combines high-speed racing with competitive sports gameplay to make it an Editors' Choice winner among competitive esports titles. It's now a free-to-play game exclusive to the Epic Game Store.
Free GOG Games
GOG doesn't have regular giveaways as some other websites do, but when there is a free game to claim, you can grab it right from the front page. You will see a banner with a free game and countdown. Click the green button to claim the game.
In between giveaways, GOG always has a small collection of free games, which mainly comprises classic computer games that have been made available at no cost.
GOG allows you to score a free copy of the first Witcher game if you download the GOG Galaxy desktop client. Go to the Recent view and click the giveaway button at the top of the screen. As long as you agree to let GOG send you news and offers, the game is free to claim.
You can grab any of GOG's free games by adding it to your cart and proceeding as if it were a normal purchase. The game will then be added to your account for $0. Standouts include Beneath a Steel Sky, Shadow Warrior, Postal, and several Ultima games.
Free IndieGala Games
IndieGala is a digital storefront that mainly focuses on cheap Steam keys and game bundles, but also offers a selection of free games that can be claimed for a limited amount of time. Select a title you wish to claim, then scroll down to the bottom of the game page and click the Add to Library button to lock the title to your account. You can then download the game to your desktop.
Leisure Suit Larry: Love For Sail is an adventure game that follow our hero through his sexual misadventures. Can Larry Laffer find love in the end?
Free Itch.io Games
Tired of big blockbusters? Itch.io is a digital game store dedicated to indie titles you won't find anywhere else. It offers plenty of free-to-play games, but some will even go on sale for 100% for a limited time. Find a game you want to grab and click the Download or claim button. If you're feeling generous, you can fork over a few bucks to the developer, but it's completely optional for free games.
You can get the free game by clicking the No thanks, just take me to the downloads link and selecting Claim game to add it to your library. The game files are then made available to download.
Super Bot is a 3D action adventure game set on an industrialized planet that has become overrun by nature and hostile creatures. Playing as a robot, you must regain energy and fight enemies to save your friends from harm.
The Counter Aim series—including Brutal Offensive, New Operation, and Operation Chaos—are first-person multiplayer games with multiple game modes that focus on realistic graphics and gameplay.
In the strategic tower defense game Evolvedustry, you are in charge of building and maintaining a factory. That factory must produce essential resources and technology that will then be used to defend the factory from invading monsters.
Billed as an equine emulator, Cybernetic Moon Horse 2071 is an endless runner (or, in this case, galloper) where you navigate a horse through a randomized psychedelic world. The further you get, the more obstacles pop up to get in your way.
In the puzzle platformer Larger Than Light, you control two children as they attempt to escape a haunted school. One child can move across shadows, while the other can manipulate the shadows for the other to walk across.
Free Microsoft Store Games
Microsoft doesn't usually give away games on the Microsoft Store, but there are a few titles the company has decided to make free moving forward (some you can find only on the web, and not the desktop app). If you have a game code to redeem, sign into your Microsoft Account, then enter the code at redeem.microsoft.com; from the web app, go to More > Redeem a code. If it's a game for your Xbox console, you must first make sure remote install is set up on your console.
Microsoft has made the sandbox-style third-person shooters Crackdown, and its sequel Crackdown 2, available for free from the Microsoft Store. The games let you cause massive amounts of destruction as you fight enemies within the game world.
Farming Simulator lets you grow crops, care for animals, and run a farm while operating true-to-life farming equipment. Newer editions have been released, but the 2014 and 2016 versions are now free in the Microsoft Store, giving you a good chance to try out the games before investing in the newest version.
The original Xbox release Phantom Dust combines third-person combat with card collecting to create a unique real-time strategy experience. Complete missions to gain new skills and equip unique builds for each new battle. The game was supposed to get a remaster on Xbox One, but was made free instead after it was cancelled.
The action RPG Too Human is a science-fiction retelling of Norse mythology, where all the gods are cybernetically enhanced humans who must stop Loki's machine army.
Free PlayStation Plus Games
PlayStation Plus is Sony's online multiplayer and games subscription service that costs $9.99 for one month, $24.99 for three months, or $59.99 for a full year. As part of the service, you can claim two new games to keep every month. They'll be accessible as long as you have an active PlayStation Plus subscription. Subscribers who own a PS5 will also be able to keep games from a curated selection of titles.
There are two ways to claim these games from your console. Choose the PlayStation Plus icon from the PlayStation home screen to see the currently available games, plus previously claimed titles. Claimed games can be re-downloaded from this page. You can also go through the PlayStation Network Store and select PS Plus in the left-hand menu.
The other way allows you to add games to your console directly from the PlayStation Store as long as you have Automatic Downloads enabled. Once this is set up, you can choose the games you want from the web page and they will be remotely downloaded to your console.
Overcooked is a couch co-op cooking series, where players must work together (or compete) in preparing, cooking, and serving dishes while avoiding level-based obstacles. All You Can Eat! remasters all the content from the first two games.
The sequel to 2016's Hitman continues the story of Agent 47 as he tries to stop a mysterious operator from taking down a secretive organization that controls the world from behind the scenes. Those who own the first Hitman game can also import its chapters into the Hitman 2 game engine for improved gameplay elements.
This multiplayer title has players controlling a fireteam while another player controls the titular Predator. The fireteam must fulfill their assigned mission while also avoiding or defeating the Predator. The player controlling the alien must hunt down the members of the team using stealth, traps, and advanced weaponry.
Those who own a PlayStation 5 and subscribe to PlayStation Plus now have access to a curated collection of PS4 games. Games can be claimed at any time and remain playable as long as there is an active subscription. The current lineup, from Sony and partner studios, includes:
Batman: Arkham Knight
Battlefield 1
Bloodborne
Call of Duty: Black Ops III – Zombies Chronicles Edition
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
Days Gone
Detroit: Become Human
Fallout 4
Final Fantasy XV Royal Edition
God of War
Infamous Second Son
Monster Hunter: World
Mortal Kombat X
Persona 5
Ratchet and Clank
Resident Evil 7 biohazard
The Last Guardian
The Last of Us Remastered
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Until Dawn
Free Prime Gaming (Twitch Prime) Games
Prime Gaming (formerly known as Twitch Prime) is a subscription service that provides in-game loot, free games, and many other perks each month. The service costs $12.99 a month with a free 30-day trial or comes included with your $119 Amazon Prime subscription. Navigate to the Prime Gaming page, scroll down to the "Games with Prime" section, and select the Claim button next to the titles you want.
To play games offered by Prime Gaming, you must download the Amazon Games launcher. Click the "Download and Play" link that appears next to the Claim button. In the pop-up window, click the link that says Download the Amazon Games Apps (Windows) to install the launcher. Once installed, Prime Gaming games can be claimed via the launcher.
The team-based competitive multiplayer title Knockout City is presented as a game of dodgeball. Use powerups gained from different balls, and your own strategy, to outsmart your opponents and knock them out of the game. You can claim a game code through Prime Gaming, which must be redeemed through EA's Origin.
Influenced by Twin Peaks and Fargo, this puzzle adventure game tells the story of an FBI agent who is tasked with investigating the mysterious closure of an eraser factory.
The highly acclaimed point-and-click adventure game Sam & Max Hit the Road follows the titular characters on their quest to find a missing bigfoot while traveling through American tourist sites.
Adventure game Secret Files 2 follows the events of the first game and includes three playable characters in their separate investigations of natural disasters and an ominous prophecy for the end of the world.
In the co-op game Tools Up!, you are tasked with renovating a house within a certain time limit. You must clean, paint, move furniture, and redecorate all before the homeowners return home.
This text-based game is an interactive novel with gameplay elements strewn throughout to help you uncover the story's mystery and feel like a part of the plot. Can you solve the story's puzzles and move forward?
Free Steam Games
Steam has many free games you can download at any time, but limited-time free titles are a rare occurrence. In the event that you do find a free game, you can "buy" it on Steam like you normally would, but it will be automatically added to your library instead of having to check out.
If you have a Steam Key code, you can claim the game by launching the Steam client and clicking Games Menu > Activate a Product on Steam. Follow the instructions to complete the process and get your game. You may also need to connect your Steam account with another online retailer (e.g. Humble Bundle) before you can enter the code.
In the classic turn-based tactics game Jagged Alliance, you must recruit and manage a team of mercenaries in order to take back control of an exotic island. You must complete missions, equip your recruits and keep them happy in order to complete your objective.
Titan Quest is an action RPG set in an ancient world filled with figures from Greek mythology. You will travel across Ancient Greece, Egypt and parts of Asia while you fight enemies, gain experience, and complete quests.
It turns out that Sega has a few more Steam codes to give out from its 60th anniversary celebration. Register your email with Sega, then claim a key for the classic console game Nights Into Dreams in your email.
The grand strategy game Crusader Kings III has been well received, but you can preview the experience for free. Paradox Interactive has made Crusader Kings II free-to-play, giving gamers a chance to see what the excitement is all about. While the base game is free on Steam, the game's many DLCs are still paid.
You can get the 4X strategy game Endless Space and its Disharmony DLC directly from the developer thanks to its Games2gether platform. Sign up for an account and open the reward page (the present icon in the top-right corner) to see your free game. Just link your Steam account to receive the free Steam key and save $10.
The surrealist point-and-click puzzle game Samorost was initially released in 2003 but has now been remastered with enhanced sounds, graphics, and new music. The developer has made the game free forever.
If you already have Total War: Shogun 2 in your Steam library, you can grab the Battle of Kawagoe map for free. It was originally released as a pre-order bonus in 2011, but now anyone can play the legendary battle that saw the Hojo clan launch an attack against the Uesugi, Ogigayatsu, and Ashikaga clans under the cover of night.
Free Xbox Live Gold Games
Xbox Live Gold is the premium subscription tier of the Xbox Live online gaming service that costs $9.99 a month or $24.99 for three months. It is also included in the cost of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Among the many perks you get is free Xbox games every month. While original Xbox and Xbox 360 titles are yours to keep forever, Xbox One games can only be played as long as you have an active Xbox Live Gold subscription.
To claim your free games with an Xbox Live Gold subscription, go to the Gold section on your Xbox One console or visit this page on a computer to queue up the game for download on your console. Games are added on the 1st and 16th of every month.
Set within the Warhammer universe, Chaosbane is a hack-and-slash dungeon crawler with five character classes, each with their own abilities. The game features a story mode, boss rush mode, local and online co-op gameplay, and plenty of additional paid content to keep you interested.
Originally released in 1994, this SNK classic fighting game completely rebuilt and redefined the series after the success of the first game. Can you stop a vengeful spirit from unleashing chaos upon the world?
In this action-adventure game, you control a Tarahumaran shaman as you fight mythological creatures, use the powers of demigods, craft magic potions, and solve puzzles all within the beautiful true-to-life landscape of northern Mexico.
Miscellaneous Free Games
Not every free game is part of a larger program or initiative. If we find a random giveaway or a DRM-free download, we will share them below.
Battlefield 4's Naval Strike DLC pack adds four new naval battle maps set in the South China Sea, as well as Carrier Assault mode, to the base game. You can claim the pack for Origin, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
The Turning Tides DLC for Battlefield 1 focuses on naval and amphibious combat during World War I, adding four new maps, Conquest Assault mode, as well as new weapons, classes, factions, and vehicles. You can claim the pack for Origin, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Before 3D Realms created the Duke Nukem series, the company created adventure games for MS-DOS under the name Apogee Software Productions. You can grab several of these games for free if you create an account at 3drealms.com. Claimed games will appear under My Games, which can then be downloaded directly to your computer. Here's the list of Apogee games:
The Blizzard Arcade Collection brings together the definitive editions of three classic games: 1994 action platformer Blackthorne, 1993 puzzle platformer The Lost Vikings, and 1994 isometric racing game Rock N' Roll Racing. While Blizzard expects you to pay $20 for the upscaled versions, you can still download and play the original games without needing to pay.
The Elder Scrolls: Arena is the first entry in the popular Bethesda series and has been free of charge since 2004. Download the full game on the company's website. It combines designed spaces with procedurally generated areas to create a vast, explorable game far bigger than what was usually possible back in the '90s.
Daggerfall has been free since 2009; get it from the Bethesda website. Like Arena, Daggerfall features thousands of towns and dungeons to explore, as well as guilds to join, which offer their own questlines.
Before Bungie developed Halo for Microsoft, the company created Marathon, a Doom clone set in space that is considered a spiritual predecessor to Master Chief's adventures. Bungie developed Marathon, Marathon 2: Durandal, and Marathon Infinity in the mid-90s, then publicly released the source code prior to the Microsoft purchase. Now, Aleph One continues support and development of the games, which you can download and play here.
Blizzard released StarCraft: Remastered in 2017, so it made the original real-time strategy game, and its sequel, free to play. You can download StarCraft Anthology, which packaged the original game with the Brood War expansion pack, and StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty for free.
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