Free-to-play games have become increasingly popular and rightfully so, as free is a price point that pleases everyone’s wallet. Such games provide an excellent pastime without breaking the bank. The games may not seem that special at first glance as they lack the polish or resources of high-end games. However, many a time these games can be extremely fun to play and the free aspect allows you and your gang to team up together without spending a dime.
If you’re playing on a PC, you wouldn’t be novel to free to play games, however with so many games to sample, it can be exhausting to find the best of the pack. To help you out, we have gathered a collection of the best free-to-play games available in 2021.
Best Free to Play Games Available
Some free-to-play games offer up to hundreds of hours of gameplay without costing a penny. Despite most of the free games exclusively available on PC, we have also managed to unearth a couple of Xbox Series X and PS5 games in case you’re rocking those consoles.
Brawlhalla
Brawlhalla is a multiplayer fighting game rippling off from Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros, with some unique twists. You can take part in up to 4-player competitive matches with the objective of knocking your opponent off the arena and scoring points.
The game has 51 different characters up till now with a weekly rotation of playable characters. You can also purchase your favorite characters using the in-game currency. Moreover, cross-platform gameplay guarantees you to always find a game with minimal wait time.
Being the 37th most-watched game on twitch with more than 50 million players worldwide, it’ll be criminal to overlook the game’s achievements.
The game is available to play on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
Splitgate
Splitgate is a multiplayer online competitive shooter with resemblances to old-school arena shooters like Quake 3 and Halo. The game combines the strategic element of portals with the intense action of first-person shooters.
The sci-fi shooter takes the FPS genre to a new dimension with its portal mechanics, delivering high-flying, multi-dimensional combat. Even more, the 2-year-old game already has 20 different maps combined with 15+ modes to play on.
The game is out in beta for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions in development.
Dota 2
Often termed as one the hardest games to master, Defence of the Ancients 2 (Dota 2) has developed a name for itself in the world of MOBAs. The game features two teams of five players competing to collectively destroy a large structure defended by the opposing team known as the “Ancient”, whilst defending their own.
The game offers more than 100 different heroes to choose from, each with its own unique abilities. With timely gameplay updates and new heroes coming out twice a year, the developers have racked up a decent reputation for themselves as well.
The game’s success can be measured by its popular The International tournament which has recently offered a prize pool of more than 40 million dollars (highest than any other e-sports competition).
The game is available for PC users exclusively.
Fortnite
Fortnite is a survival game where 100 players fight against each other in player versus player combat to be the last one remaining. The players are dropped into a map, where they collect resources and guns to fight each other out.
There are four major game modes in Fortnite, obliging all sorts of players. These four modes are: Battle Royale, Party Royale, Creative, and Save the World. With cool outfits, emotes and weapons being introduced with timely updates, the game keeps its experience immersive and interesting.
The game is available on PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Android, IOS, and Nintendo Switch.
Apex Legends
Another hot battle royale in the market, Apex Legends has been soaring high since it was added to Steam. Apex is a great-feeling first-person shooter featuring 3 person squads. Players use pre-made characters called Legends possessing unique abilities.
The game provides strategic squad play along with innovative combat with some fun maps to play on. The game stands out from other battle royals with its unique characters, abilities and futuristic gameplay.
The game is available to play on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, iOS, Microsoft Windows, and Android.
Genshin Impact
Genshin Impact echoes Breath of the Wild gameplay with its similar art style and stamina-based climbing. However, It has made its own player base due to its fun RPG system, a wide assortment of 23 characters with hundreds of hours of gameplay to delve in.
The game features a fantasy open-world environment and action-based combat system using elemental magic, character switching, and a Gacha Monetization system for players to obtain new characters, weapons, and other resources.
The game allows players to swap between 4 individual characters in a party to quickly combo attacks. Single-player gameplay is the focus of the game, with Co-Op Mode available for certain activities.
The game can be played on PC, iOS, Android, PS4, and PS5.
Path of Exile
Path of Exile plays with an isometric just like Diablo, along with having a similar interface and default control scheme. It’s an incredible RPG with a great loop and tons of free and fun content. Players pick between one of seven classes — Witch, Shadow, Ranger, Marauder, Duelist, Templar, and Scion — each with their own moves, strengths, and weaknesses.
The game is designed around a strong online item economy, deep character customization, competitive PvP, and ladder races. It takes place in a dark fantasy world where players take control of an exile and are tasked with fighting and defeating ancient gods on their journey back to Oriath.
The game is ready to be played on PC, PS4, and Xbox.
Smite
Following a similar concept to Dota 2, Smite has a team of five players trying to fight their way into their opponent’s base. However, rather than giving players a top-down view of the battlefield, however, it features a third-person perspective, switching the focus of the game from tactics to action.
In Smite, players control a god, goddess, or other mythological figures, and take part in team-based combat, using their abilities and tactics against other player-controlled gods and non-player-controlled minions.
The game is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
Spellbreak
Spellbreak is a third-person, projectile-based PvP shooter, however, unlike other shooters, it uses gauntlets that fire magical spells in place of guns. The players are tasked to use elemental magic and powerful spell combinations to defeat their opponents.
The game previously catered a Battle Royale and Deathmatch mode, however, with the latest update, a 5v5 game mode(Dominion) has also been introduced.
The game can be played on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
Dauntless
Dauntless is a role-playing action game that takes place in a fantasy setting. Players take the role of Slayers, taking down creatures known as Behemoths, collecting loot to craft weapons and gears.
The game can be played both as a single-player, cooperatively in a party of up to four, or in public cooperative lobbies of up to six people.
The game can be played on PC, Android, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
Call of Duty: Warzone
COD: Warzone is another battle royale game featuring a massive combat arena for lobbies catering to up to 150 players at a time. Players can squad up to trios with their friends and enjoy the action-packed Call of duty experience.
The game also introduced a unique Plunder game mode which tasks players to scavenge $1million cash in order to win.
The game can be played on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
Paladins
Paladins is a team-based first-person shooter that focuses on two groups of five players each, who compete for combat-based goals. The game is set in colorful sci-fi fantasy maps, where each player chooses a unique Champion which have their own weapons, skills, and fighting style.
The game is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
Rocket League
Rocket League is a multiplayer sports-based video game between two teams, tasking players to use RC cars to advance a soccer ball down the field and score goals in their opponent’s net.
The game involves both high-level dexterity and fast-paced gameplay in order to win. It also has a multiplayer feature that allows up to 8 players to be assigned to each of the two teams.
The game is currently available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch.
Team Fortress 2
Team Fortress 2 is a multiplayer first-person shooter game featuring team-based combat. After joining one of the two teams, players are met with fun game modes like Capture the Flag and King of the Hill.
The game also presents 9 distinct classes to choose from which provide a broad range of tactical abilities and personalities. The player limit for one match can reach up to thirty-two for casual matches while capping at 9 for competitive games.
The game is available to play on PC, Xbox 360, and PS3.
Hearthstone
If you’re looking for a fun and chill game to play without any pressure, Hearthstone is the one for you! The game is a turn-based card game between two opponents, using constructed decks of 30 cards along with a selected hero possessing a unique power.
Players use their mana crystals to use abilities and summon minions to attack the opponent, with the purpose of destroying the opponent’s hero.
The game is available on PC, Android, and IOS.
PlanetSide 2
PlanetSide 2, a sequel to PlanetSide, is a massively multiplayer first-person shooter which records the effects of three factions, as they fight for the control of Planet Auraxis.
The combat takes place with thousands of air and ground vehicles slugging it out alongside squads of troops. The game features dozens of hand-crafted maps requiring teamwork, planning, and communication in order to succeed.
The game is currently out on PC and PS4.
Fallout Shelter
Fallout Shelter is an addictive and fun take on Bethesda’s post-apocalyptic series. The objective is simple – attract survivors to your vault and protect them against invading forces, the ever-present threat of starvation and thirst. Oh, and remember to make their stay enjoyable enough so they reproduce and rebuild humanity.
The game basically revolves around nurturing your vault, allowing you to send survivors on various missions, defend against raids, and building new rooms in your vault. Balancing resources such as food, water, and power is an important aspect of the game.
The game can be played on PC, Android, Nintendo Switch, iOS, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
With this, we sum up our list of the best games to play free of cost in 2021. Be sure to try out the games and tell us about your favorite Free-to-Play game to play in the comments below.
