Steam is packed with free games, but many of them are after your money. Some of these rely on microtransactions or lock content behind additional purchases. Thankfully, there are plenty that just deliver an excellent free game.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by how many games are in Steam’s free section. Sifting through the shovelware can take ages, and even the most popular ones aren’t worth the time it takes to download. We’ve taken the time to find the diamonds in the rough, so add these to your library as soon as you can.
10
Doki Doki Literature Club
Doki Doki Literature Club! is a game that starts off seeming like a cute, cheerful dating simulator with adorable anime girls and sweet, light conversations. But it doesn’t take long for the game to show its real identity as a psychological horror experience, dealing with heavy topics. You have been warned: heed the game’s content warning if you don’t want a nasty surprise.
The huge shift in tone and how it mixes different genres make it one of the most surprising and memorable games you might ever play. Even though it’s a short game, it usually takes about 4 hours to finish. It’s so well-liked that it has an “Overwhelmingly Positive” rating on Steam. It will get inside your head and stay with you long after you finish.
Doki Doki Literature Club!
- Released
-
September 22, 2017
- ESRB
-
e
- Developer(s)
-
Team Salvato
- Publisher(s)
-
Team Salvato
9
Yume Nikki
Yume Nikki is a single-player RPG Maker game permanently free to play on Steam. It seems like a simple game at first glance. You control a girl who refuses to leave her room, exploring her strange and sometimes unsettling dreams when she falls asleep.
The game does not include typical gameplay features like conversations, fighting, clear objectives, or explanations for the things you see. Your main task is to move through huge, connected dream worlds to collect “effects.”
These effects let you explore new areas or alter how your character looks. What makes the game truly remarkable is its one-of-a-kind and deeply immersive atmosphere. It pulls you into a dark, lonely, and weird dreamlike state, filled with odd visuals, distinctive art, and eerie music.
Yume Nikki
- Released
-
June 26, 2004
- ESRB
-
t
- Engine
-
RPG Maker 2003
8
The Sims 4
The Sims 4 is a life simulation game where you can create and control virtual characters, design homes, care for their needs, and shape their lives. You only get the base game for free, but you can buy the DLC to add more content if you want.
Unlike many other free games, the base version of The Sims 4 gives you the entire experience without any restrictions. There’s no need to purchase the DLC to have fun.
Even though it was first released in 2014, The Sims 4 is still extremely popular and has a huge number of players. The free base game lets you explore its famous sandbox style, where you can spend hours making unique characters and designing detailed houses.
The Sims 4
- Released
-
September 2, 2014
- ESRB
-
T for Teen: Crude Humor, Sexual Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
-
Maxis
- Publisher(s)
-
Electronic Arts
7
The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog
You might have come across The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog as a surprise free game on Steam and thought it was just a simple April Fool’s prank. However, if you’ve tried it, you know it’s actually a surprisingly well-crafted and fun visual novel.
The game focuses on a murder mystery party set on a train. Sonic ends up as the unexpected victim, and you, playing as a brand-new character, join forces with Tails to figure out what happened.
What makes this game so good is its unexpectedly engaging story and excellent character moments. You get to see a lot of the classic Sonic characters, especially his friends, interacting in ways you don’t usually see in the mainline games, and many players find these moments charming and well-written.
The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog
- Released
-
March 31, 2023
- ESRB
-
e
- Developer(s)
-
Sega
- Publisher(s)
-
Sega
6
I Love You, Colonel Sanders! A Finger Lickin’ Good Dating Simulator
I Love You, Colonel Sanders! A Finger Lickin’ Good Dating Simulator is a free visual novel where you play as a student in cooking school trying to win the heart of Colonel Sanders, the famous face of KFC. At first, you might assume it’s just a strange promotional gimmick, and honestly, that’s exactly what it is.
Even so, you will end up having a lot of fun with it. The game leans hard into ridiculous comedy.
You get introduced to odd characters like a dog teacher named Sprinkles and all kinds of weird, random situations. You make choices in conversations, often involving chicken, to try to impress the Colonel. The writing is clever, and the jokes can be downright silly.
5
The WereCleaner
The WereCleaner is a free single-player stealth-comedy game. The story puts you in the role of Kyle, a janitor who also happens to be a werewolf, and your job is to clean an office building overnight.
The main gameplay focuses on simple but tricky stealth mechanics where you have to avoid being spotted by your coworkers. It’s like sneaking around while cleaning.
If you’re seen, you’ll attack them, which leads to penalties. The best part of it is the funny moments, especially the back-and-forth between Kyle and the overly suspicious security chief, Daryl. It will only take you about two to three hours to play through, so I wish there was a sequel.
4
Supermarket Together
Supermarket Together is a simulation game where you get to operate your very own grocery store, taking care of tasks like restocking shelves, handling employees, and even catching shoplifters.
While it works really well as a cooperative game, letting you play with friends, it also has a solo mode where you can manage the whole business by yourself. That’s the most fun part for many players.
You can spend time personalizing your store and earning upgrades to make your business better. The graphics aren’t amazing, but that’s honestly not so bad when you consider how much replay value it has. This is a game you’ll likely play on and off again as time goes on.
Supermarket Together
- Released
-
August 9, 2024
- Developer(s)
-
DeadDevsTellNoLies
- Publisher(s)
-
DeadDevsTellNoLies
- Multiplayer
-
Online Multiplayer
- Number of Players
-
1-16
3
Ultimate Custom Night
Ultimate Custom Night is a standout game in the Five Nights at Freddy’s series, and it’s completely free to play on Steam. This game takes the classic survival horror style and adds a ton of customization. You can pick from 50 different animatronic characters from the series and adjust their difficulty levels from 0 to 20.
To survive, you’ll need to manage two side doors, vents, air hoses, and tools like the heater, air conditioning, music box, and a power generator. The voice acting is included for nearly every character and makes you feel like you’ve designed your own FNAF experience.
The gameplay is full of jump scares and tense moments, and since it’s so strategic, you can try out different combinations of characters to see what works best. Due to the customization, it’s a game you can replay forever.
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Ultimate Custom Night
- Released
-
June 27, 2018
- ESRB
-
T for Teen – Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
-
Scott Cawthon
- Publisher(s)
-
Scott Cawthon, Clickteam LLC USA
- Franchise
-
Five Nights at Freddy’s
2
There Is No Game: Jam Edition 2015
There Is No Game: Jam Edition 2015 is a one-of-a-kind little adventure that confidently insists it isn’t actually a game. What makes it such a great game is its brilliantly clever and funny design that keeps messing with your expectations.
You’ll solve point-and-click puzzles that force you to think in unexpected ways. This often makes you interact with the game’s menus and world in totally unusual methods, like ripping a button right off the screen.
The narrator, who speaks in a deep, calming voice, acts as his own character, reacting with humor to everything you do as you attempt to “play” his “non-game.” It’s packed with jokes about video games and constantly breaks the fourth wall, and it’s hilarious.
1
Path of Exile
Path of Exile is a well-known game, but not many people realize it’s free. This game stands out because of its incredibly deep character customization and build system. You will explore a huge, interconnected passive skill tree, along with a special system of skill gems that fit into your equipment to decide your active abilities.
This gives you a huge amount of freedom in how you build your character, no matter which class you start with. The core gameplay of exploring large, often randomly generated areas, fighting waves of monsters, and gathering loot is very satisfying and smooth.
On top of that, the developers regularly add free expansions and temporary “Leagues” that bring in new mechanics and content. This way, there is always something new to try.
Path of Exile
- Released
-
October 23, 2013
- ESRB
-
M for Mature: Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Nudity, Language
- Developer(s)
-
Grinding Gear Games
- Publisher(s)
-
Grinding Gear Games
- Engine
-
Proprietary Engine
There are plenty of games on Steam that seem like they’re going to be free but ask for so much money while playing. The list above takes that into account, and none of them will ask you for more money just to play the game.
Just keep in mind that free games don’t last as long as regular ones do. Sometimes, you’ll get less than a handful of hours, but that doesn’t make these games any less fun.