As the popularity of games grows, so too does the quality of shipped titles. But with higher quality comes higher prices. Unfortunately, price and quality often react this way. The better a game is, the more it’s likely to cost. To be blunt, buying games gets expensive fast. This has led me to the problem of being between games more often. When I finish the one I’ve been playing, it may take a while before I can afford the next big title. So in looking for budget games, I’ve played many of the ones on Steam’s “free to play” list. The quality rule still applies, though. Sometimes even free games aren’t worth the time you spend to play them.
But every now and then, a free game pops up that I’m happy to spend my time on between bigger commercial releases. The free to play list on Steam offers creators a chance to test the waters with demos or release smaller games they’ve made that don’t warrant a price tag. I’ve collected a few of these titles that I believe are the best free games on Steam and are worth the time you’ll spend on them. So, let me give you a rundown on some of the best free Steam games I’ve found and why you should give them a try.
1- Kyle is Famous
Kyle may not look like much here, but I can assure you, he is famous
Let’s start with a game that thoroughly surprised me. Kyle is Famous is a story-driven game in the choose your own adventure style. As the name suggests, you play as Kyle, and Kyle is famous. The game lets you experience Kyle’s morning getting ready to host his talk show. Going into the game with this information, I expected a mild comedy with a few alternate endings to explore. But this is a game with many layers. I don’t like to give spoilers, but just to give a sense of the places this game goes, I’ll tell you a few endings led me to vomit on camera, becoming a ghost, and reanimating a corpse.
The game offers 28 different endings, each exploring a radically different path that Kyle can take. Some of the endings feel well earned and divulge secrets that expand Kyle’s world. Others act as sarcastic comments on the choose your own adventure style. And just in case you don’t get your fill from the 28 original endings, there are a few paid DLC packs that put Kyle in new situations. I’ve had a great time with the base game and haven’t needed the DLCs. Although, I’m sure they offer up the same fun of the completely free original.
2- The Imagined Leviathan
The barren scenery makes you feel just as alone as your character is
The Imagined Leviathan is very artistic, both in its graphics and story. You, as the player, find yourself stranded in the wilderness, on the verge of freezing to death. The simple black and white lines do a great job reinforcing the cold. It’s almost as if all we can see is snow and shapes, and it really does make you feel stranded. Early on, you’re instructed to take a short journey, but in this environment, it’s not easy. Along the way, you’ll learn more about your character’s past and make some sacrifices to keep yourself warm. The game is really about the legacy we leave and making sure you get that chance before the wilderness claims you. It’s a short experience, but there is some replay value. If you want a game that’ll make you think, I recommend giving this one a try.
3- Mythgard
An average match of Mythgard may look something like this
There’s no shortage of free collectible card games online, but Mythgard is one that’s captured me better than others. There’s nothing radically different about the rules of the game itself, but the presentation and play styles really make it stand out. The game starts with a story mode, which is already different from most digital card games. The story serves as a great tutorial from teaching the basic rules to a few more advanced strategies. The game also features several different factions of characters, each representing a different class of cards. The story gives a face to those factions and helps them come alive more than just the art on the card.
A few other single-player options are a puzzle mode, where you have to win a match using only a few cards, and a gauntlet where you can build a unique deck to take on tougher opponents. If you’re not excited by single-player matches against the computer, the game does offer online play. You can build your own deck to take online in PvP matches. I’ve stuck to the standard one on one style, but the game also offers doubles matches.
Through the story and other modes, you’ll unlock new cards with each win that you can use to create your deck. You can then take that deck into battle online. And, if you’re after even more cards, you can purchase extra card packs with in-game currency. Of course, you can get even more if you’re willing to cough up some real cash, but I’ve found more than enough cards without spending a dime. One tip: there are a few codes floating around that unlock tons of extra card packs. I used the codes LetTheGamesBegin and WelcomeChallenger to unlock 30 packs of six cards each, as well as a few profile customization options.
4- We Went Back
This laboratory was one of my favorite rooms, mostly because of the weird stuff that goes down here.
If you’re a fan of atmospheric horror games, We Went Back is something you might want to check out. The game offers a basic story of exploring an abandoned space station. At first glance, the horror might seem like a few cheap jump scares, and there are some. But they never failed to give me a bit of a jolt. The real draw, though, is the subtle details that show up late in the game. The station is set up like a ring, so you’ll circle the same rooms a lot. My first few times around, it was a little grating. But when I started to notice small details changing, it made returning to each room a thrill. No spoilers here, but something isn’t right on this station, and escape is recommended. It only took me an hour to get out of the station, but it’s an hour I’ll remember for a while.
5- NEAR DEADline
Did I mention that the animator is a horse? No, I’m not sure why.
NEAR DEADline is a new take on classic arcade-style games. It’s a pretty small game, but I personally enjoyed it for what it is. It’s the kind of game that doesn’t need more than a menu and a few game modes to achieve its goals. The game’s story mode has you trying to help an animator stay awake to finish his project on time. I think we can all relate to that problem in some way. Taking a cue from classics like pong, the player controls bars in order to physically block the sleep from reaching him.
The game also offers an endless arcade mode for those who prefer a longer round, although I never needed it. The game is simple to learn, so it’s easy to just jump in and have a good time. But, it’s hard enough to master that I couldn’t even beat the story mode. That delicate balance provides a game that you could spend a few hours mastering but still enjoy whenever you return to it.
6- SKYE
Skye is a game for those who need an escape. As you learn to pilot your plane around a small island, the calming tones of the music and soft watercolor-inspired graphics allow a chance to relax that can be hard to find these days. Though the explorable portions of the map may be small, story missions give you enough reasons to see every inch of it. If the plot interrupts your meditative flight, though, you can choose to explore at your own pace as well. Breaking up the exploration, you can find collectibles scattered around and some time trials if you want to test your skills. The story also unlocks a gun (using the term loosely) to allow some target shooting. Mechanically, the game doesn’t offer much. But maybe that’s okay. Sometimes it can be nice to just sit back and take in the scenery.
Final Thoughts
These are just six of the best free Steam games I could find. The free to play section offers more games and demos that one list can contain, and many of them are quality titles. Sifting through the ones that aren’t can take some time, but finding the hidden gems is always a thrill. Who knows, you might even find a new favorite somewhere on the list. So, if none of these games excite you, I encourage you to look for yourself. Here’s hoping you find something worth sharing.
