With all the money spent on gifts and Christmas paraphernalia, why won’t you try Steam games that will cost you absolutely nothing? Here are 10 of the best free Steam games you can play today. Of course, this is all subjective, so don’t pick up the pitchforks just yet.
Apex Legends
Let’s start strong with one of the most popular games today. Apex Legends needs no introduction, it is that popular. You get to choose a Legend and make the best out of its abilities to win matches. Whether you choose to play in Battle Royale or Arenas, the amount of action you get to see in each round is beyond astonishing.
Also, if you are a fan of the Titanfall series, then you will see some cameos or even enjoy fully-fledged Legends to play. Lastly, the care that the devs have given this game all the way to season 19 is admirable, making it a perfect nominee for Ongoing Game for the 2023 The Game Awards.
Counter-Strike 2
In my country, playing the classic Counter-Strike on internet booths where you pay by the hour and use a LAN connection to shoot each other is sort of like a rite of passage. The codes we screamed at each other to reveal the enemy’s location and the amount of laughter whenever a team won are memories that are simply unforgettable.
Then CS: GO came and made me revive the old memories — and I became obsessed with Gun Game, my favorite FPS game mode of all time. And now, Counter-Strike 2 is available for all of you with updated and quite impressive graphics and the same fun as always. Simply put, Counter-Strike in all its iterations is a must for all of you who want to be part of video game history.
Destiny 2
Now, I know that Destiny 2 is probably one game that may receive a lot of criticism due to how overwhelming it can get — and due to recent controversies — but if you get a hold of the system, it is a great and fun online first-person shooter. It takes a while to level up and you should perhaps invest a bit of your daily time to enjoy the hardest challenges, the biggest weapons, and the armor pieces the game has to offer, but I cannot stress enough how fulfilling it is to unlock a new milestone in the game.
Yes, there is a lot of content to catch up on, but just be patient and you will be rewarded. I believe the free-to-play content is enough for you to make up your mind if you are willing to invest time in this game, so you can give it a try right after you finish reading this list.
DOTA 2
To be honest, it would be a crime not to include DOTA 2 in this list. I know, it isn’t the easiest game to learn and its overall complexity and learning curve may feel like an impossible game to grasp. However, just like learning a new language, the key is to just practice it with native speakers.
Yes, that means that you need to suck to be able to live to speak DOTA 2 another day, and eventually suck, but a little bit less. Next thing you know, you might be an active part of one of the most important and profitable e-sports scene in the world. What an absolute gem Blizzard lost, what a shame.
Fallout Shelter
Video game spinoffs are oftentimes a coin toss with praise on one side and absolute failure on the other. However, who would have thought that a base-building game such as Fallout Shelter would become as popular as it has and, according to some, even outshine some of the main Fallout games — yeah, you know which ones.
Not a clean slate in regards to controversies, but Fallout Shelter has remained a great game to pass the time while you are not dealing with giant mutant cockroaches attempting to kill all your population. Now, I need to upgrade my power generation, again, so excuse me.
Marvel Snap
With this entry, I’m in a little bit of a dichotomy. On one hand, I’m a big Marvel fan. On the other, I’m not too fond of collectible card games in general, let alone video games. However, to say that the Marvel Snap phenomenon made a great initial impression on the gaming landscape would be a huge understatement.
It is marketed as a fast-paced collectible card game and the gameplay justifies it with intense card showdowns where a lot of variations and field advantages will determine which player has the most power out of the two. Winning rounds in this game is addicting, and unlocking your favorite Marvel characters along their alternative customs is gratifying and almost blissful. Create your perfect deck of cards with Marvel Snap.
PUBG: Battlegrounds
PUBG: Battlegrounds is also one of Steam’s big three. With a concurrent number of gamers playing, PUBG is a must-try for every player that wishes to know a little more about the history of battle royale games, which this game managed to popularize — Fortnite then came in and, well, you know what happened.
Yet again, this game is intense and rewarding, and although I haven’t eaten a Chicken Dinner, I’m still looking forward to the day that being extremely bad at video games becomes a skill and is rewarded by video game devs. In the meantime, let’s keep shooting in a game that doesn’t rely on building structures like a maniac and focuses on aiming and fast reflexes. Or at least that’s what it’s supposed to be — personally, I couldn’t say.
Path of Exile
Are you looking to play a classic dungeon crawler that is considered by many as the truthful spiritual successor to Diablo 4 but don’t feel like investing money in the latest Diablo game — which has been getting better since its release? Then Path of Exile is an excellent game for you, and for everyone, to be honest.
This game is just an excellent tribute to a franchise that has suffered from many controversies since, well, Diablo 2 came out. Not only is the Path of Exile an excellent alternative, but it is a 10-year game that thanks to its content and gameplay, is the ultimate dungeon crawling experience according to many genre aficionados.
Related: 46 best Steam Deck games to play right now
Team Fortress 2
Let’s be honest. If you haven’t played at least one Team Fortress 2 round in your life, then what are you doing here? This game is a classic that all players — regardless of their preferences — should try at least once in their lifetime. A character multiplayer FPS, TF2 is a game that has been critically acclaimed for more than 15 years and many consider it to be the greatest game of all time.
Now, while my Ocarina of Time may laugh at that assessment, the amount of fun I’ve enjoyed in King of the Hill, Capture the Flag, or Payload makes me wonder if I’m a little biased while assessing this game. Be that as it may, just give it a go. I mean, it’s free!
The Sims 4
If there is a game franchise that I’ve been playing for a long time, then The Sims would take the spot. I know, the sheer amount of DLC content is crazy, but it’s fun getting to simulate a complete life without saying a word other than mumbles and a strange simlish language that I’m sure if I try to emulate in real life would end up with several devilish entities and Lovecraftian monsters living in my house rent-free. Anyway, the game is fun, what can I say? You can be anything you like, and in this game, you actually get to make that a reality! Okay, that was savage, but isn’t it true, though? Well, what a way to finish this list, huh?
And there you go! I would say that you could spend a few of your Holiday bucks on these games, but since they are free, I guess you could invest some of your Holiday minutes (?) trying what could become one of your favorite games. All of that without spending a penny. I call that a great deal!
Want to play some awesome Steam games but beyond the “free” tag? Check our list here.