Whether you play games all the time or just want
something to fill a few quiet moments here and there during the day, passing the time doesn't need to be expensive.
Yes, you need to break out your wallet if you want the latest big AAA shooter, but the free route is becoming increasingly interesting. Many older games are now opening out in search of a wider audience, and more and more companies are finding ways to profit from free releases.
For indie developers, it's the perfect way to make a name for themselves, either just for the glory or to build an audience for future games.
US company 2D Boy, for example, launched onto the scene with Tower of Goo, a game that involves building a tall tower out of bouncy balls of stretchy slime. This free download morphed into the amazing full title World of Goo, which took the net by storm.
We've gathered together 40 of the best free games around, covering releases new and old from every genre. With so much choice, you're guaranteed to find at least one you like. Give them a go - there's nothing to lose.
Planetside 2 is an epic, all-out battle so ridiculously impressive, you'll give yourself a quick pinch every time you remember it's completely free. There are in-game purchases of course, but you can still dive into gaming's biggest ever battlefield and be useful using just default gear.
There's simply nothing like taking part in a massed assault on an enemy base and coming out on top, or living in a world where an enemy convey could appear on the horizon at any second. If you need any proof that 'free' doesn't mean making compromises any more, Planetside 2 will provide it.
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Technically Dota 2 is in closed beta, but there are so many codes flying around the net that it may as well be open at this point. Even if it takes a quick request on a forum though, Dota 2 is a phenomenon you should at least play to experience, and now is a good time.
A brief tutorial now points out the ropes, with Steam Community stepping in to provide guides to the original MOBA/whatever-you-want-to-call-this-genre-if-not-MOBA.
Don't expect a warm welcome or easy learning curve from this surprisingly complex game, but bring a few friends and you have a good chance of being hooked on one of the biggest crazes in PC history.
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Jump behind the controls of your own mech and fight it out in a gloriously realised future world with Hawken. They're the 'agile' kind of mech rather than the slow lumbering tanks of MechWarrior Online, so purists should head there instead, but still a change of pace from blitzing around in soldier uniforms with automatic rifles.
Expect to pay to upgrade your starter mech if you enjoy the action, but you can jump in and get the flavour of the thing without paying a single penny.
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One of the most enjoyable Flash games in recent memory, which is also available as an expanded commercial-but-cheap release on Steam if you fancy more toys and full-screen action.
The free version of Super House Of Dead Ninjas always feels like a complete game in its own right though though, as you guide the Crimson Ninja from the top of a demon-infested tower to the horror waiting at ground floor.
Randomly generated adventures keep things fresh, with the speed of the action more a challenge than any individual enemy. You can handle any situation in front of you. You just don't get to stop to catch your breath. Ever. Until you die, of course.
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Almost but not quite breaking the land-speed record from subscription to free-to-play MMO, but EA's loss is your gain. Star Wars: The Old Republic has some irritating restrictions that may chafe after a while, but you can play all eight of its class stories from start to finish and dive into the online content for free.
It's worth the download simply to experience the Star Wars universe from different perspectives, like the hyper-professional Imperial Agent and Bounty Hunter. If you want to go with the dull option and just have a generic Jedi Knight though, that's fine too.
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Dullest name in the world? Possibly! Super Crate Box makes up for it, though, with a simple mechanic that's far more fun than it has any right to be. How long can you last against a stream of incoming monsters? It probably depends whether you're fighting them off with a pistol or a rocket launcher.
The catch is that you don't score points for killing, but collecting crates - and every crate gives you a different weapon. And not killing the monsters only makes them crosser. It might not sound like much, but its speed and difficulty will keep you hooked from the off.
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World of Tanks is a different kind of MMO - the clue being in the title. Team based, massively multiplayer action with a huge range of war machines to drive into battle awaits, with new players able to join the action immediately.
An upgrade system adds a sense of personalisation, while being surrounded by a whole army constantly reminds you that loners don't do well on the battlefield.
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Gods from around the world get together to battle it out in a Dota/MOBA inspired clash of divine vengeance in Smite.
The camera is behind the characters this time, making for a more direct connection to the action than simply guiding your lord around with a mouse, but the premise will be either familiar if you've played its inspirations or a way to get the feel for the style if you haven't. Gods include Zeus, Thor, Kali, Artemis and... Cupid? Well, at least he has his own bow...
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Two blasts from the pasts that suffer from an outdated interface, but are still worth checking out for being RPGs that dared explore new settings. Savage Empire is an adventure into pulp fiction of the Doc Savage style, with the Avatar of Ultima fame being pulled into a lost world.
Martian Dreams imagines a world where the Victorian era's greatest minds accidentally get shot to the Red Planet and discover more than canals waiting to greet them. If these give you a taste for the Ultima experience, the rest of the games are also on the site for not much money.
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Remember a little game called Half-Life? It was quite popular. Black Mesa Source is the long-awaited rebuild of it in Valve's Source engine, and a must-play for any fan of the series.
It's not simply a pixel-for-pixel recreation, but a re-imagining of it - adding detail so seamlessly that you'll forget how primitive the original was, as well as a few extra elements of its own, like female Black Mesa scientists.
Only the final chapter, Xen, remains unfinished, due to needing more work to make that part of the original actually'good. There's no ETA yet, but we can't wait.
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Runescape is one of the biggest free-to-play MMOs out there, and now would be a good time to take a look. The long awaited sequel is due in Summer, so you'll be able to fully appreciate the improvements to narrative, graphics, and and general world design.
It's certainly not the shiniest MMO in the world in its current form, but hanging onto this many players shows it's doing something right. It also has the advantage of being playable in a browser, and thus playable anywhere you have Java. Not to be confused with "Run! Escape!", which is what you should do if chased by an angry velociraptor.
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Retro RPG madness meets absolutely all of the drugs in this crazy adventure. Here are just a few details. Barkley Shut Up And Jam Gaiden is set in post-cyberpocalyptic Neo New York.
You're basketball player Charles Barkley, retired from the game after killing an audience with an epic power dunk. Now, the world is in double-peril as a second Chaos Dunk nukes much of New York. Then it gets weird.
There's a sequel coming thanks to Kickstarter. It asked for $35,000. It got $120,335. There are reasons why people want that sequel. You should get ready for it.
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There are games that excite and games that teach - and sometimes, games that are simply lovely. Wonderputt is one of those - a perfectly formed round of mini-golf on a map that keeps unfolding out and revealing its surprises.
Calming, absorbing, even a little bit magical, and the perfect way to kill a couple of quiet hours with a soft smile and gentle sound of mouse clicking.
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Pick your champion and head into battle in this amazing free-to-play game from the creators of DOTA. League of Legends' automated matchmaking, range of characters and excellent maps have made it a multiplayer star over the last year, and one well worth a play.
It's a very aggressive game to play, but one that rewards good team work and careful tactics. Don't expect to master it overnight, but it won't be long before you're having fun.
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Many MMOs are being launched or relaunched as free-to-play at the moment, but Lord of the Rings Online is one of the ones that most warrants a second look. Not only is it an excellent game in its own right, it's one of the more mature MMOs out there.
You will likely have to pay eventually, if only to unlock adventure packs, but there's no subscription fee and nothing to buy up-front. If you missed it at launch, it's time to give it a try.
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Remember the Sierra adventures of old? Sarien.net makes them multiplayer. At least, partly. Technically, you still play on your own, but can see other players wandering around the world as you do. It has access to King's Quest, Space Quest, Police Quest, and a lesser known game, The Black Cauldron.
We've hesitated to mention this one before due to legal questions over it, but now it's been officially approved by Activision, there's nothing stopping you from jumping right in.
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Technically, we should probably be mentioning King's Quest III Redux, just released by the same group of developers... but Quest for Glory II is a much better game than King's Quest III ever was, so if you only play one, play this.
It's an adventure/RPG hybrid that can be played as a Warrior, Magic User or Thief, with each path unlocking new challenges and opportunities. It's funny, exciting, and incredibly open, and one of the most beloved adventure games ever made - both in its original form, and in this more recent remake.
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The official Battlestar Galactica MMO is interesting for two reasons - it plays in the browser (and looks pretty good), and it's completely free to play. That's unusual for any licensed game, although as ever, the words 'free to play' have the words 'with optional purchases' slapped right onto the end.
The story is that both Galactica and the Cylons have been blasted into a new area of space by a mysterious bit of technology, and now both sides are fighting over outposts and control points. You can choose either, with a bit of wandering around the ships, and lots of mouse-based space combat and mining.
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Minecraft. It's the game everyone's talking about/won't shut up about. But there's a reason for that, and you can get a taster of it for free. Minecraft Classic simply lets you build things, without monsters or item crafting getting in the way.
The latest version isn't expensive though, if you do find yourself bored with having an unlimited canvas to play with. There's not much more to it than that, but that's all Minecraft needed to become one of the most successful games on the internet. Find out why, if you haven't already.
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Most Facebook games aren't much fun. Zuma Blitz might just go too far the other way. It's all the fun of regular Zuma - shooting balls before they get all the way round a track - but now bolstered with high-score tables devoted to your friends, new toys to unlock, and a weekly reset to keep you playing.
You might need to squint a bit on high-resolution screens, but the satisfying click of a shot landing into place never starts feeling old. There are paid-for-items if you want to boost your performance, but you can easily play without.
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A simple but fun little maze game, mixed with a little adventuring, and a whole bucket worth of personality. (Okay, we're mostly including it because of the title.) Aliens are invading and have turned Mr. Smoozles the cat into their psychotic stooge. You have to avoid him, rescue your friends and foil the invasion.
It's based on a webcomic series, but you don't need to know anything about it to follow the action. This used to be a commercial game, but was made freeware to celebrate the author's 18th anniversary in the industry.
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Technically, it's been freeware for a while now, but Good Old Games' re-release of it in December 2010 breathed new life into one of the PC's most beloved shooters. Tyrian 2000 offers loads of levels, a ridiculous amount of ship customisation, and some of the best easter eggs around.
If you get bored of the top-down shooting, try typing 'destruct' at the title screen to see its weapons-grade version of the classic Scorched Earth. Alternatively, unlock the ship that looks like a carrot, and banana bomb your way to victory.
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Before Halo, there was Marathon - Bungie's FPS series on the Mac. Now that Halo Reach has brought an end to the series (at least for the moment), why not celebrate with a trip back to see where it all started?
Bungie has made Marathon completely free, and with an open-source app, called Aleph One, it's playable on the PC as well. You'll need to download quite a few files, but your reward will be an admittedly very old-school FPS that puts more of a focus on narrative than you might expect, where much of Bungie's philosophy was born.
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Easily the best shooter designed for free-to-play action, and a very respectable follow-up to the classic. Don your jetpack and launch into battle across huge maps, with weapons that take real skill just to land a hit - never mind a kill.
Tribes: Ascend fast, furious, and absolutely brilliant, and there's no reason to spend any money in the in-game shop if you simply want to hold your own in battle. Though there's plenty of stuff to buy if you do...
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It may be five years old, but nothing offers so much crazy fun. Unlike most shooters of its age, players are still there to have a good time rather than hurl abuse at newcomers, and there's no shortage of cool toys to do so with. Endlessly silly and amazingly fresh, it's still one of the shooter genre's kings, free to play or not.
Yes, you need to break out your wallet if you want the latest big AAA shooter, but the free route is becoming increasingly interesting. Many older games are now opening out in search of a wider audience, and more and more companies are finding ways to profit from free releases.
For indie developers, it's the perfect way to make a name for themselves, either just for the glory or to build an audience for future games.
US company 2D Boy, for example, launched onto the scene with Tower of Goo, a game that involves building a tall tower out of bouncy balls of stretchy slime. This free download morphed into the amazing full title World of Goo, which took the net by storm.
We've gathered together 40 of the best free games around, covering releases new and old from every genre. With so much choice, you're guaranteed to find at least one you like. Give them a go - there's nothing to lose.
1. Planetside 2
Planetside 2 is an epic, all-out battle so ridiculously impressive, you'll give yourself a quick pinch every time you remember it's completely free. There are in-game purchases of course, but you can still dive into gaming's biggest ever battlefield and be useful using just default gear.
There's simply nothing like taking part in a massed assault on an enemy base and coming out on top, or living in a world where an enemy convey could appear on the horizon at any second. If you need any proof that 'free' doesn't mean making compromises any more, Planetside 2 will provide it.
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2. Dota 2
Technically Dota 2 is in closed beta, but there are so many codes flying around the net that it may as well be open at this point. Even if it takes a quick request on a forum though, Dota 2 is a phenomenon you should at least play to experience, and now is a good time.
A brief tutorial now points out the ropes, with Steam Community stepping in to provide guides to the original MOBA/whatever-you-want-to-call-this-genre-if-not-MOBA.
Don't expect a warm welcome or easy learning curve from this surprisingly complex game, but bring a few friends and you have a good chance of being hooked on one of the biggest crazes in PC history.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Hawken
Jump behind the controls of your own mech and fight it out in a gloriously realised future world with Hawken. They're the 'agile' kind of mech rather than the slow lumbering tanks of MechWarrior Online, so purists should head there instead, but still a change of pace from blitzing around in soldier uniforms with automatic rifles.
Expect to pay to upgrade your starter mech if you enjoy the action, but you can jump in and get the flavour of the thing without paying a single penny.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Super House Of Dead Ninjas
One of the most enjoyable Flash games in recent memory, which is also available as an expanded commercial-but-cheap release on Steam if you fancy more toys and full-screen action.
The free version of Super House Of Dead Ninjas always feels like a complete game in its own right though though, as you guide the Crimson Ninja from the top of a demon-infested tower to the horror waiting at ground floor.
Randomly generated adventures keep things fresh, with the speed of the action more a challenge than any individual enemy. You can handle any situation in front of you. You just don't get to stop to catch your breath. Ever. Until you die, of course.
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5. Star Wars: The Old Republic
Almost but not quite breaking the land-speed record from subscription to free-to-play MMO, but EA's loss is your gain. Star Wars: The Old Republic has some irritating restrictions that may chafe after a while, but you can play all eight of its class stories from start to finish and dive into the online content for free.
It's worth the download simply to experience the Star Wars universe from different perspectives, like the hyper-professional Imperial Agent and Bounty Hunter. If you want to go with the dull option and just have a generic Jedi Knight though, that's fine too.
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6. Super Crate Box
Dullest name in the world? Possibly! Super Crate Box makes up for it, though, with a simple mechanic that's far more fun than it has any right to be. How long can you last against a stream of incoming monsters? It probably depends whether you're fighting them off with a pistol or a rocket launcher.
The catch is that you don't score points for killing, but collecting crates - and every crate gives you a different weapon. And not killing the monsters only makes them crosser. It might not sound like much, but its speed and difficulty will keep you hooked from the off.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. World Of Tanks
World of Tanks is a different kind of MMO - the clue being in the title. Team based, massively multiplayer action with a huge range of war machines to drive into battle awaits, with new players able to join the action immediately.
An upgrade system adds a sense of personalisation, while being surrounded by a whole army constantly reminds you that loners don't do well on the battlefield.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. Smite
Gods from around the world get together to battle it out in a Dota/MOBA inspired clash of divine vengeance in Smite.
The camera is behind the characters this time, making for a more direct connection to the action than simply guiding your lord around with a mouse, but the premise will be either familiar if you've played its inspirations or a way to get the feel for the style if you haven't. Gods include Zeus, Thor, Kali, Artemis and... Cupid? Well, at least he has his own bow...
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9. Ultima: Worlds Of Adventure
Two blasts from the pasts that suffer from an outdated interface, but are still worth checking out for being RPGs that dared explore new settings. Savage Empire is an adventure into pulp fiction of the Doc Savage style, with the Avatar of Ultima fame being pulled into a lost world.
Martian Dreams imagines a world where the Victorian era's greatest minds accidentally get shot to the Red Planet and discover more than canals waiting to greet them. If these give you a taste for the Ultima experience, the rest of the games are also on the site for not much money.
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10. Black Mesa
Remember a little game called Half-Life? It was quite popular. Black Mesa Source is the long-awaited rebuild of it in Valve's Source engine, and a must-play for any fan of the series.
It's not simply a pixel-for-pixel recreation, but a re-imagining of it - adding detail so seamlessly that you'll forget how primitive the original was, as well as a few extra elements of its own, like female Black Mesa scientists.
Only the final chapter, Xen, remains unfinished, due to needing more work to make that part of the original actually'good. There's no ETA yet, but we can't wait.
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11. Runescape
Runescape is one of the biggest free-to-play MMOs out there, and now would be a good time to take a look. The long awaited sequel is due in Summer, so you'll be able to fully appreciate the improvements to narrative, graphics, and and general world design.
It's certainly not the shiniest MMO in the world in its current form, but hanging onto this many players shows it's doing something right. It also has the advantage of being playable in a browser, and thus playable anywhere you have Java. Not to be confused with "Run! Escape!", which is what you should do if chased by an angry velociraptor.
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12. Barkley Shut Up And Jam Gaiden
Retro RPG madness meets absolutely all of the drugs in this crazy adventure. Here are just a few details. Barkley Shut Up And Jam Gaiden is set in post-cyberpocalyptic Neo New York.
You're basketball player Charles Barkley, retired from the game after killing an audience with an epic power dunk. Now, the world is in double-peril as a second Chaos Dunk nukes much of New York. Then it gets weird.
There's a sequel coming thanks to Kickstarter. It asked for $35,000. It got $120,335. There are reasons why people want that sequel. You should get ready for it.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13. Wonderputt
There are games that excite and games that teach - and sometimes, games that are simply lovely. Wonderputt is one of those - a perfectly formed round of mini-golf on a map that keeps unfolding out and revealing its surprises.
Calming, absorbing, even a little bit magical, and the perfect way to kill a couple of quiet hours with a soft smile and gentle sound of mouse clicking.
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14. League of Legends
Pick your champion and head into battle in this amazing free-to-play game from the creators of DOTA. League of Legends' automated matchmaking, range of characters and excellent maps have made it a multiplayer star over the last year, and one well worth a play.
It's a very aggressive game to play, but one that rewards good team work and careful tactics. Don't expect to master it overnight, but it won't be long before you're having fun.
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15. Lord of the Rings Online
Many MMOs are being launched or relaunched as free-to-play at the moment, but Lord of the Rings Online is one of the ones that most warrants a second look. Not only is it an excellent game in its own right, it's one of the more mature MMOs out there.
You will likely have to pay eventually, if only to unlock adventure packs, but there's no subscription fee and nothing to buy up-front. If you missed it at launch, it's time to give it a try.
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16. Sarien.net
Remember the Sierra adventures of old? Sarien.net makes them multiplayer. At least, partly. Technically, you still play on your own, but can see other players wandering around the world as you do. It has access to King's Quest, Space Quest, Police Quest, and a lesser known game, The Black Cauldron.
We've hesitated to mention this one before due to legal questions over it, but now it's been officially approved by Activision, there's nothing stopping you from jumping right in.
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17. Quest for Glory II VGA
Technically, we should probably be mentioning King's Quest III Redux, just released by the same group of developers... but Quest for Glory II is a much better game than King's Quest III ever was, so if you only play one, play this.
It's an adventure/RPG hybrid that can be played as a Warrior, Magic User or Thief, with each path unlocking new challenges and opportunities. It's funny, exciting, and incredibly open, and one of the most beloved adventure games ever made - both in its original form, and in this more recent remake.
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18. Battlestar Galactica
The official Battlestar Galactica MMO is interesting for two reasons - it plays in the browser (and looks pretty good), and it's completely free to play. That's unusual for any licensed game, although as ever, the words 'free to play' have the words 'with optional purchases' slapped right onto the end.
The story is that both Galactica and the Cylons have been blasted into a new area of space by a mysterious bit of technology, and now both sides are fighting over outposts and control points. You can choose either, with a bit of wandering around the ships, and lots of mouse-based space combat and mining.
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19. Minecraft Classic
Minecraft. It's the game everyone's talking about/won't shut up about. But there's a reason for that, and you can get a taster of it for free. Minecraft Classic simply lets you build things, without monsters or item crafting getting in the way.
The latest version isn't expensive though, if you do find yourself bored with having an unlimited canvas to play with. There's not much more to it than that, but that's all Minecraft needed to become one of the most successful games on the internet. Find out why, if you haven't already.
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20. Zuma Blitz
Most Facebook games aren't much fun. Zuma Blitz might just go too far the other way. It's all the fun of regular Zuma - shooting balls before they get all the way round a track - but now bolstered with high-score tables devoted to your friends, new toys to unlock, and a weekly reset to keep you playing.
You might need to squint a bit on high-resolution screens, but the satisfying click of a shot landing into place never starts feeling old. There are paid-for-items if you want to boost your performance, but you can easily play without.
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21. Mr. Smoozles Goes Nutso
A simple but fun little maze game, mixed with a little adventuring, and a whole bucket worth of personality. (Okay, we're mostly including it because of the title.) Aliens are invading and have turned Mr. Smoozles the cat into their psychotic stooge. You have to avoid him, rescue your friends and foil the invasion.
It's based on a webcomic series, but you don't need to know anything about it to follow the action. This used to be a commercial game, but was made freeware to celebrate the author's 18th anniversary in the industry.
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22. Tyrian 2000
Technically, it's been freeware for a while now, but Good Old Games' re-release of it in December 2010 breathed new life into one of the PC's most beloved shooters. Tyrian 2000 offers loads of levels, a ridiculous amount of ship customisation, and some of the best easter eggs around.
If you get bored of the top-down shooting, try typing 'destruct' at the title screen to see its weapons-grade version of the classic Scorched Earth. Alternatively, unlock the ship that looks like a carrot, and banana bomb your way to victory.
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23. Marathon Trilogy
Before Halo, there was Marathon - Bungie's FPS series on the Mac. Now that Halo Reach has brought an end to the series (at least for the moment), why not celebrate with a trip back to see where it all started?
Bungie has made Marathon completely free, and with an open-source app, called Aleph One, it's playable on the PC as well. You'll need to download quite a few files, but your reward will be an admittedly very old-school FPS that puts more of a focus on narrative than you might expect, where much of Bungie's philosophy was born.
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24. Tribes: Ascend
Easily the best shooter designed for free-to-play action, and a very respectable follow-up to the classic. Don your jetpack and launch into battle across huge maps, with weapons that take real skill just to land a hit - never mind a kill.
Tribes: Ascend fast, furious, and absolutely brilliant, and there's no reason to spend any money in the in-game shop if you simply want to hold your own in battle. Though there's plenty of stuff to buy if you do...
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25. Team Fortress 2
It may be five years old, but nothing offers so much crazy fun. Unlike most shooters of its age, players are still there to have a good time rather than hurl abuse at newcomers, and there's no shortage of cool toys to do so with. Endlessly silly and amazingly fresh, it's still one of the shooter genre's kings, free to play or not.
26. Wing Commander Saga
A stunning fan-sequel to one of the PC's most beloved space simulators. Wing Commander Saga
offers a huge new campaign you don't need to have played the original
games to enjoy, with 55 missions, cut-scenes, full voiceovers, and more,
all based on the Freespace 2 engine. Saga is standalone though, so
don't worry if you don't own it.
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27. Reprisal
Populous returns in Reprisal
- a gorgeous pixel-art reinvention. As a god, use your powers to build a
civilisation and crush all who oppose you - but don't think magic
powers will make things too easy. Best of all, it's playable right from
your web browser.
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28. Age of Empires Online
Lead the ancient civilisation of your choice to glory in this free-to-play version
of the classic series. It had a shaky grasp of the 'free' thing to
begin with, but the new version is worth a second look if you've been
disappointed before. Lots of quests for individual players are provided,
along with co-op, and competitive play on randomly generated maps.
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29. Realm of the Mad God
Online
RPGs have never been so streamlined, or so insane. Join groups of up to
85 players to fight through an insanely lethal world that borrows as
much inspiration from bullet hell shooters as hack and slash action
games.
When you die, you die for good... but Realm of the Mad God is so fast that rolling a new character and jumping back in from the start is no real hardship.
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30. Super Monday Night Combat
DOTA style strategy meets first-person shooters in this free-to-play sequel. Like Team Fortress 2, Super Monday Night Combat
is a fiercely complicated game, but presented in such a light, silly
way that you can quickly slip into the groove and learn at your own
pace.
Easily
the best part, though, is that each game is narrated. Listen for clues
as to what you're doing wrong, or simply enjoy SMNC's hilariously
dystopian future in all its deeply cynical glory.
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31. DC Universe Online
Create
a hero and leap into action in the streets of Gotham and Metropolis,
either backing up the Batman or signing up with your favourite
super-villains.
The outside street action is pretty bland, but the dungeon design includes just about everyone from the DC Universe
to fight or team up with, and is just as much fun whether you want to
form your own Justice League or live the life of a super-powered lone
wolf. (But not Wolverine.)
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32. Fallen London
Descend
if you dare into a vision of Victorian London abducted by a swarm of
bats and moved to the edge of Hell. Slightly simplistic mechanics don't
spoil a gorgeously written world of demons and social intrigue, and
while there are some social elements, you don't need to annoy friends to
make the most of your new life in this surreal underworld.
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33. Auto Club Revolution
Drive
some of the world's best cars for free - especially if you play through
the BMW Experience, which gives you the Series M Coupe as your starter
vehicle. Auto Club Revolution features racing, driving for pleasure, and a huge community waiting to welcome you onto assorted real-world courses.
If
you want to get your hands dirty, you can also customise each car with
actual parts, and give them a full makeover with decals and other neat
touches.
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34. Spelunky
Spelunky
is about anger, hate and, most of all, death. It looks like a simple
enough platform game - an Indiana Jones pastiche set in a cavern full of
tricks and traps - and it is.
There's nothing complicated about it. Every enemy is avoidable. Every trap can be dealt with.
The
catch is that every time you play, the entire game is randomised. In
one game you'll stumble through screen after screen of spiked horrors
and swarming monsters; in the next, the software will bend over
backwards to give you gold and help you on your way.
The
trick is learning the ropes, figuring out how to get past every
obstacle, and then doing so perfectly as and when the game throws things
at you. You will die. You will die a lot. But the important thing is
that in death, you learn.
You discover ways of stealing from the
shopkeepers who inhabit the levels, or find out that the damsels you can
rescue for a health-boost can just as easily be taken to the nearest
sacrificial altar, or thrown around to trigger traps before you go down
yourself.
You learn how each randomised world ticks and which
equipment will give you a fighting chance. And then you'll die some
more. And scream. And restart. Again.
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35. NetHack
Much like Spelunky, NetHack
is an open-source classic makes heavy use of randomisation to give you a
new adventure every time you fire it up. However, instead of being a
platform game, it's an epic RPG with the unofficial motto, 'The dev team
thinks of everything'.
Do you want to blind a basilisk with a
custard pie? Abuse shape-changing spells to lay deadly eggs that can be
used as weapons? Get blasted by your patron deity if you try praying to
them when they're in a bad mood? It's all in here, and that's just the
tip of the iceberg.
First released in 1987, NetHack isn't
the prettiest game around. There are graphical mods out there, but it's
still best played using ASCII characters, and until you can tell your
Ps from your #s, it's somewhat confusing.
Unlike Spelunky,
chances are that you'll have been adventuring for a while before you
die. With only one savegame on your side, which is deleted if you snuff
it, it only takes a single careless mistake to lose days of progress to a
tough monster or a swig of a health potion that turns out to be
poisoned.
With that risk comes great reward, though: retrieve the
legendary Amulet of Yendor, sacrifice it to your deity and become king
of the nerds.
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36. Quake Live
This
is how far the web has come: one of the best deathmatch games ever
created is now available to play from within the confines of your
browser.
Well, technically, no, it's not actually in it - Quake Live uses a plug-in and then goes full-screen when you play - but the spirit is still there.
Any modern computer is now able to handle Quake's
modest demands, and the game's blisteringly fast action makes it quite
unlike any modern shooter. Forget realism. Forget objectives. Sometimes,
all you need is a rocket launcher, a perfectly timed shot and the
lamentation of the noobs as time permits.
Beware, though: if you
haven't played id Software's classic shooter for a while, the frenetic
pace of the online action might be terrifying.
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37. Beneath a Steel Sky
A
classic adventure from British developer Revolution, and one that
serves two purposes. First, it's fun - a comic-style sci-fi adventure
with a wry sense of humour.
Second, it's a great way to experiment with ScummVM
- a tool that enables you to play classic LucasArts games on modern
systems. BASS isn't the only free game that runs in it, either.
If you're still thirsty, check out Lure of the Temptress, Drascula (sic) and Flight of the Amazon Queen.
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38. Desktop Tower Defence
It's
not just a game, it's a whole genre. The idea is simple. In most RTS
games, you build units such as soldiers or tanks and pit them against
your enemy's army.
In Desktop Tower Defence
games, you put down fixed turrets, each with different abilities, with
the aim of stopping the enemy making it from one side of the screen to
the other. It sounds easy and, like most casual games, for the first few
levels it is.
The
tactics come in finding ways to force your enemy down specific paths,
and using your limited resources to build and upgrade a death-course
that can take them all down. It's addictive and simple to play.
No wonder there are a million clones out there, from free Flash games to commercial offerings such as Plants Vs Zombies and Defense Grid: The Awakening.
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39. Digital: A Love Story
Remember
the excitement of logging into your first BBS? What if you'd found
something more than just files and chatter and naked pictures of
assorted Star Trek actresses?
To explain Digital: A Love Story
would be giving away too much, so let's just say that it's a great
nostalgia trip with a bit of future-gazing thrown in for free. Played
out entirely on 1988-style bulletin boards, it starts when you respond
to an email from a lonely-sounding girl called Emilia.
The
relationship plays out as a hacker's romance as you jump between BBS
systems to uncover a conspiracy, mostly interacting by firing off emails
to the characters. You never get to see what you've said, only the
responses, which adds an unusual but effective disconnect to the
conversations.
It's not a long game - only an hour or so of
action at most - but it's a testament to the writing that you quickly
get sucked into what is basically just typing out a lot of phone
numbers. The authentic-sounding music and sound effects help: the sweet
siren song of a modem connecting still sends a chill down the spine.
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40. Neopets
Neopets
doesn't feature just one game to complete; instead, it's stuffed with
hundreds of minigames. Each of these is located in a different area of
Neopia, a virtual world that you must explore with your trusty Neopet
(which you design and name yourself) by your side.
From the nerve-shredding heights of Terror Mountain to the sweet
delights of Faerieland and the pirate-themed festivities of Krawk
Island, there's enough content here to keep you entertained for months.
Our favourite games include Dubloon Disaster (recover gold Dubloons from the sea without getting blown up by sea mines), Faerie Bubbles (pop the bubbles by matching colours - but beware of the tricksy combos) and Hannah and the Ice Caves (guide Hannah safely through each cave to collect the treasure).
If
you tire of the games, there are plenty of other distractions scattered
throughout Neopia. Attempt to steal treasure from ice worm The
Snowager; have a snack at Tyrannia's Giant Omelette; adopt a Pet Pet so
your Neopet doesn't get lonely; or get lost in one of many secret
side-quests.
Just don't feed your Neopet that iced fishcake you found - it won't like it. Trust us.
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41. Neptune's Pride
Do you have good friends? Want to lose them all over the course of a month? Then Neptune's Pride is the strategy game for you.
The
idea is that you only need to log in every now and again to direct your
intergalactic fleet around the universe. Your friends, hereafter
referred to as 'former friends', do the same.
It's
very low maintenance - in theory. Really, though, get hooked on it and
you'll spend every waking minute deciding who to stab in the back,
worrying who's preparing to return the favour and thinking about all the
other tactical options you only get when all your opponents are fleshy
humans with access to out-of-game instant messaging clients and private
email boxes.
Read the diaries to see a typical game played out from start to finish.
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42. FlightGear
With Microsoft Flight Simulator now simply "Microsoft Flight", indulge your flying needs with this much more hardcore offering. FlightGear
is free, with extensive terrain mapping, lots of aircraft, support for
multiple desktops, and more. You can even download the source code if
you want to get deep into its guts.
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43. Dwarf Fortress
If you find games like SimCity or Civilisation a little too simple, Dwarf Fortress is the game for you. Technically, its full name is Slaves to Armok: God of Blood: Chapter II: Dwarf Fortress, but absolutely nobody calls it that.
It's a mixture of NetHack and SimCity,
played out (by default) using ASCII characters, with the focus on
building a functional dwarf mine. If that sounds simple, it's only
because you haven't played it.
From the dark horrors if you dig
too deep to the need to manage the psychological condition of your
dwarves and create an economy out of nothing but a hole in the ground,
the only thing more impressive than the number of ways you can fail is
seeing how much people have done with the simulation engine.
Here for instance is one forum's game, served up in episodic Lets Play format. Excellent, yet bewildering.
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44. Vindictus
An
online RPG, but focused on hack and slash action over questing and
levels. It looks great thanks to the Source engine, and the combat is
enough to get you past the inherently grindy nature of much of the
progression curve. Arachnophobes beware though - the tutorial has one of
the biggest spiders you've ever seen, and yes, you do have to get right
up into its face to fight it.
Check out the game at http://vindictus.nexon.net (US) http://vindictus.nexoneu.com (Europe)
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45. Bloodline Champions
DOTA style games rule the roost at the moment, but Bloodline Champions
gives you a similar experience with the focus firmly on PvP action and
killing stuff in sight. Don't expect it to be easy, but give it a try if
you're up for the challenge of a very different kind of deathmatch.
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46. The Wikipedia Game
How
many steps does it take to get from Sarah Palin to Winnie The Pooh?
This excellent web game challenges you to find out. The winner of each
round is the one who Wikis their way from A to B in the fewest steps.
The Wikipedia Game is terrifyingly addictive, and possibly even a little educational...
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47. Desktop Dungeons
Ah, the quest you can complete without running your appetite for monster-slaying. Desktop Dungeons
is as simple as heroics get - really, the entire game is about fighting
your way up the local monsters' organisation chart without picking a
fight with something capable of crushing you back. It's Rogue without
the complexity, but very moreish. The perfect way of killing a boring
lunchtime.
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48. Super Mario Crossover
Of
course, art's not everything. This fanboy dream seems to have avoided
the Nintendo legal Nazgûl for the moment, letting us find out which
classic character really is the best suited to take on Super Mario Bros.
(Hint: It's Bill from Contra).
Super Mario Crossover
means you can switch between Mario, Link, Simon Belmont and more, using
their special weapons and skills to take out Goombas and Koopas without
resorting to a butt-stomp.
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49. Moonbase Alpha
Not just a free game - a free game from NASA. After an accident strikes the titular moonbase, it's your job in Moonbase Alpha
to pick up the pieces and save the day. You don't need to be a rocket
scientist to play it, but don't expect it to give you an easy time.
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50. Cave Story
A
classic Japanese freeware game with a lot of shooting, even more
jumping, and a five year development time that still barely explains
where all the great ideas came from. Cave Story
is a little fiddly to get running, but an absolute must-play that's
influenced a great many other indie developers since it came out.
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