38 best free games of 2022 - Gameranx (2023)

Video games can be expensive. If you can't raise money to launch a new video game or just want to wait for the title to go on sale, there are some awesome free games to kill time. With so many free titles out there, it can be challenging to know which ones are worth your time. If so, we've listed some of the best free video game titles that might be worth checking out. These are the games that are currently available to play along with some sources to keep an eye out for for free video game deals. Since these games vary across genres and platforms, it's best not to focus on any specific classification. Rather, these are just suggestions that we think some players might be interested in this year.

#38 Lost Ark

Depending on how "in" you are in the gaming world, you may have heard of Lost Ark. It's a massive free-to-play MMO that offers a vast world to explore and adventure at your leisure.

There are seven different continents to explore and each one has a lot to offer. This ARPG gives you plenty of reasons to fight, grow, adventure, and more. It's an action RPG feel mixed with the size and scope of the MMO world.

Lots of people are playing right now, so jump in and see what adventures await!

#37 You-Gi-Oh! dueling master

Here's another one you might have heard lately. Yu-Gi-Oh! In many people's eyes, Master Duel is the quintessence of the card game that has been popular for 20 years.

In this version, you can truly dominate the world while playing in different ways. Learn (or learn) the basics through the tutorials, then build your deck so you can fight people of equal skill!

Once you're confident in your abilities, do you enter tournaments and other types of battles to see if you can be the king of games?

Or in other words... it's your turn.

#36 Pac-Man 99

Want another trend that's been floating around for a while? The genre "99". Basically, you take some classic games and put them in a battle royale format. You might remember Tetris 99 (something we definitely recommend), and now there's Pac-Man 99.

In it you play a game of Pac-Man, which is quite easy. But the more you do, the more you can influence other players. Equally important, the more other players do in their own games, the more they can influence you. So it's a race against time and skill to try to be the last Pac-Man player standing!

There are variations on how you can play, so see if you can find the right strategy to win!

#35 Knockout-Stadt

Dodgeball is one of the time-honored playground games in our world. But now, in Knockout City, you play on a whole different level.

Because in this game, you team up with teams to try to deliver a truly memorable knockout experience while crushing someone with dodgeball. Customize yourself and your team to have the style that matches your skills, then battle others to see who can come out on top!

If you are a fan of Splatoon or Ninjala games, you should definitely give this game a try. It's the same feeling, the same freedom and the same level of fun.

#34 Opening table work

Unfortunately, as they note on the Steam page, Aperture Desk Job is not Portal 3, sorry. What It IS, however, is a free little game that you can play on the Steam Deck (if you have one...) to demonstrate the potential of the system.

In the game, you're a new recruit at Aperture, the company behind the Portal trial (but then again, not Portal 3!). You're just trying to get through your boring day at work, but... yeah, that's not going to happen at all.

So go and see if you can get through the real trials of this not-so-typical job. And if you want Portal 3... well, you know who to complain to, right Valve?

#33 Fantasy Heist

Fighting games as a whole are often quite complex and have a "git gud" mentality to some of them. But in Fantasy Strike... not so much.

In fact, the team went to great lengths to ensure that this was NOT the case in the game. When you look at the characters' names, their move sets, the combos they can perform, and more, you'll see how slick and concise everything is.

Every move they can make is just a button press, allowing you to pull off simple yet powerful combos, then see what you can do against other players as you fight online! So if you're looking for a simpler game in terms of the fighting genre? Please.

#32 Blessing triggered

Bless Unleashed is an MMORPG currently only available for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 platforms. We know that a PC platform port is coming, but for now this is a console oriented free-to-play video game. This is a high fantasy world still reeling from a man-made disaster. Seeking the opportunity to attack, a mob of demonic creatures seized their chance for control, leaving humanity struggling to survive in their world. This is a real-time fighting game where you create your unique character, explore the world, accept quests and fight against many enemies.

#31 Fallout Shelter

The Fallout franchise has grown over the years, most recently evolving from a solo action-adventure RPG to an online MMO thanks to the release of Fallout 76. However, you may have missed the first mobile title called Fallout Shelter. This is a game where you are in control of your own vault. This is where you design the vault, manage where the rooms are built, and ensure there's a constant supply of residents to keep the vault alive. In the game, you have to keep your Vault Citizens alive while making sure you have enough resources available.

For this purpose, several rooms are being built to supply food, electricity and water. Not to mention, you'll want skilled villagers working these rooms to bring a steady supply of resources to your vault's stash. Not only do you need to keep your citizens happy and fit for work, but also armed. Every now and then you will find mutated cockroaches appearing or invaders breaking in. Fortunately, you don't have to stay in the vault, as you can send some well-equipped villagers out of the vault to scout the Wasteland for some goods. Since the game was first released, Fallout Shelter has been available for purchase on select platforms outside of the initial smartphone launch.

#30 Warframe

Warframe has been seen as a free-to-play alternative to the Destiny franchise for years, but now that Destiny 2 is free-to-play, the two are pretty solid candidates for players to team up with. In Warframe, players take part in a war between a hostile alien faction, leading the protagonist species to awaken to a new fight to save the day. Players take on the role of a Tenno, an ancient warrior race skilled in a variety of combat, be it artillery, hand-to-hand combat, or parkour-style maneuvers. Just like Destiny, players can go through a variety of quests with other players offering their help, not to mention the fact that several expansions are set to be released, giving players a ton of content to play today.

#29 Episode Games

Alright, while not necessarily a specific gaming spot, one area of ​​free video games you shouldn't miss is episodic titles. Now, it doesn't offer every game, but you can find many episodic video games that offer players the first episode for free. Games like the Life is Strange franchise often include the first episode for free, giving players a few hours of gameplay. You don't get the full game for free, but you should provide enough content to see whether the game is worth buying or not. It can be a great way to spend money on a title that you might not like, so be sure to check out some of these games.

#28 Itch.io games

One market that can be overlooked for some free games on the PC platform is Itch.io. This is a website that offers independent developers a marketplace to publish their video game titles. While there's a good mix of paid titles, you'll also find plenty of free games coming out all the time. At the time of writing this, there are over 300,000 video games available for free, and for all types of genres, be it platformers, adventure games, or horror titles, there are plenty of games for players to try out.

#27 DC-Universe online

DC Comics fans will want to dive into DC Universe Online. This is a game that immerses players in the DC Universe as they create their unique hero or villain and participate in a variety of storyline quests within the game. Here, the title features a series of episodes that players can progress through, based on specific characters or factions within the DC Comics IP. Most consider this game to be a more casual MMORPG that fans can dive into and spend some time in, though much of the gameplay is locked behind a paywall so you can enjoy the game similar to other titles on this list until one In this in this case, you may have to spend some money to open the game experience.

#26 War Thunder

War Thunder is a military MMO game focused on vehicular combat. Players can participate in battles using planes, helicopters, tanks and warships. Again, like many free-to-play video game titles, the focus is on purchasing in-game items, which are a mix of different style vehicles from different wars and vehicles from specific parts of the world. Sadly, you'll pay hundreds of dollars if you want it all, but then again, you can get free gameplay of this title, even with VR support, with select headsets like the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift.

#25 Spell Break

Spellbreak is a battle royale title, but here the game focuses more on spells than gunfights. Here, players have a variety of classes that can perform some magic attacks against opposing players such as wind, fire, ice, and lightning to name a few. Each player has a mana pool with a cooldown, so you can't just go in and send your big attacks on players. In addition, some powers can be combined, allowing you to order an attack that can be reinforced with a secondary power fired at it, giving players an advantage over a single opposing character.

#24 Doki Doki Literary Club

Doki Doki Literature Club looks like your typical dating simulator visual novel game, but the deeper you delve into the gameplay, you'll realize that this is a pretty awful game. Players can expect a psychological horror game that teases players. The deeper you delve into the narrative, the more disturbing the game becomes. Unfortunately, this is a game that I really can't dive into with the premise as it would spoil too much, and it's a title that's best skipped without any real knowledge other than knowing that it's a pretty disturbing horror game experience.

#23 League of Legends

Riot Games is known for League of Legends, the studio may be venturing into other titles and genres today, but League of Legends is what attracted the studio. This is an extremely popular MOBA title that requires players to go through competitive matches with a wide variety of characters. If you're not familiar with MOBA titles in general, this is a game that splits two teams as they try to take down the opposing side's base.

To do this, however, players must work together strategically when fighting the opposing player's AI controller minions, their defense systems, and the player-controlled heroes. These games can get intense and are all about teamwork. Thankfully League of Legends is very active today, so you'll easily find a few games to jump into, but there can be a learning curve to get through it first and again with such an active community that you can find plenty of how-to videos on YouTube.

#22 fearless

If you've ever dabbled in the Monster Hunt franchise, then you've got a free alternative worth checking out in 2021. Dauntless features the same general gameplay, with players engaged in battles in search of specific monsters. Here, players can team up and try to defeat the creature to collect items from its corpse, which can be used to obtain better equipment.

However, before embarking on these battles, you need to make sure that you have equipped the equipment that will be most effective against the enemy monster you are hunting. While the actual Monster Hunter franchise might be a little more popular, you certainly can't beat it, and if you're not sure if Monster Hunter video games are for you then this is a title you should check out or just enjoy for the long haul. term as the community is still quite active today.

#21 The Fantastic Adventures of Captain Spirit

Life is Strange was so popular that fans couldn't wait to get their hands on a new installment. With Life is Strange 2, we knew there would be a new storyline and new characters for players to play as. When Life is Strange 2 was announced, there was also a side story that was completely free to play. In this game we would follow the journey of a boy who is forced to escape the harsh reality of his home life and pretend to be a mystical superhero capable of saving the day.

This game plays out just like the Life is Strange video game series, in which players mostly explore, choose dialogue options, and solve a series of puzzles. This game allows players to delve into the lives of some of the characters you'll see in Life is Strange 2, but since it's such a short game, we won't go into more here.

#20 Care

For years, Nintendo has dominated this platform genre with its Super Smash Bros. franchise. It's a series of games that is still going strong today, with the latest installment being Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which is peppered with a cast of iconic video game characters. However, if you don't have a Nintendo Switch or just want a free alternative to this game, then you should turn your attention to Brawlhalla.

This is a game that again behaves similarly to Super Smash Bros in that it is a platform game. Players have a variety of unique characters and levels to fight through. On top of that, you have a variety of drop items to give players an edge during combat, and to top it off, there are also some crossover IPs here with the likes of WWE, Rayman, Tomb Raider, and even The Walking Dead.

#19 Call of Duty: Warzone

There were rumors that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare would have a Battle Royale game mode, and eventually, that rumor turned out to be true. However, what was most surprising was the fact that this game mode was released as a free-to-play title, giving players the opportunity to enjoy this multiplayer mode without having to pay for the base game.

Retaining the core gameplay mechanics of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, the gameplay pits over a hundred players on a massive map. Here, as in most battle royale games, players look for resources such as better equipment and weapons to use against opposing enemy players. The map will gradually shrink, forcing the remaining player group into melee combat.

#18 World of Tanks

World of Tanks is a vehicular combat video game that has been around since 2010 and is a popular vehicular combat MMO. Here players engage in battles between tanks. You have a wide variety of different tanks that you can drive and fight against other players or teams. Of course, depending on the game's rules, there may be some restrictions on which tanks can be used within the game. This title has grown in popularity and is even considered an esports title with organized tournaments for huge cash prizes.

#17 Fantasia Star Online 2

Phantasy Star Online 2 may have originally come out in 2012, but Western markets are finally getting this free-to-play MMORPG title. The game launched in most markets last year, giving fans the chance to once again immerse themselves in this exciting IP, in which players take on the role of an ARKS cadet tasked with exploring various planets in search of corrupt false spawns to exploit. . As you might expect, the game was a huge hit when it launched in western markets and fans are just getting started with the title.

However, it's worth noting that this game will only have six episodes of content before the developers invite players to the latest chapter in the Phantasy Star Online franchise, Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis, which launches later this year. He will offer some improvements as the storyline progresses. Additionally, it's worth noting that players will be able to take their Phantasy Star Online 2 progress with them when the next New Genesis title launches. With that in mind, Phantasy Star Online 2 will remain live to allow newcomers a chance to experience the game as well, rather than being scrapped in Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis.

#16 Appreciation

While Riot Games was known for League of Legends, the studio decided to try other video game genres. The first was a competitive FPS title called Valorant. Here, players have a match that is a bit like Overwatch and CSGO. Within the game, players work in teams made up of different characters from the hero class. Each character will have a unique power to empower your team in strategic planning as a head against the opposing side in a fast-paced FPS game. As the game progresses, players will earn in-game currency to spend on their loadout. Fortunately, the games are quite short, so you can easily jump into a game for a few rounds if you want to kill some time.

#15 World of Warships

Similar to World of Tanks, World of Warships is another military war game that players can jump into. However, in this game we are going to focus on warships. It's all about the different military ships you command as you roam the open seas trying to shoot the different ships with a variety of weapons equipped on your ship. Players will also find hundreds of naval vessels here, ranging from battleships used during WWI and WWII.

#14 Paladin

If you've already dabbled in Overwatch but weren't ready to jump into the game and pay the price to get a copy, you can always check out a free alternative called Paladins: Champions of the Realm. Gameplay is quite similar as the title focuses on a roster of hero characters to choose from as you work with your team through the different game modes. This could be something like a team deathmatch or more objective based game modes like capturing points on the map. However, as the team has a mix of heroes with unique attributes, it's best to go into the game with some strategy on how to play the characters of your choice.

#13Fortnite

This game is impossible to get away from, and years after its release, fans are still logging in regularly. Fortnite may be the king of the battle royale genre, but it didn't get there by remaining complacent. The development team is constantly adding to this game, be it a new storyline, character skins or of course IP crossover events. We've certainly seen plenty of crossover events with a variety of characters and themes based on big movies, TV shows, and even virtual concerts where players log into the title to experience the show together.

Despite that, the heart of this game is still a battle royale title, with players jumping online and competing in squads or alone, hoping to be the last team standing. One of the elements that made this game a little different was the building element, so players still go through a lot of firefights while looking for items and resources, but they can also use those resources to build walls or platforms. These walls would allow players to create makeshift shields or platforms to reach new heights for a vantage point.

#12 Impacto Genshin

One of the latest free-to-play video game titles to take the internet by storm is Genshin Impact. This game has attracted a lot of attention online because it looks similar to the popular Nintendo Switch exclusive, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. You have a large and colorful world to explore, bosses to fight and a variety of characters to meet.

Within the narrative, this action RPG follows a storyline where two twins can travel across the stars and planets. On their final journey, the duo lands on the unusual planet of Teyvat when they are captured by a mysterious god. Players take one of the brothers and capture the other on the planet Teyvat. Players are forced to explore this open world in hopes of gaining enough information to break free and save their brother.

#11 Planetenseite 2

Planetside 2 has been around for several years and still remains one of the most popular FPS titles for gamers to get into. This is a game you can jump into and take on some mindless battles or join a squad to take over the various checkpoints around the map. In Planetside 2, players get a futuristic FPS title on a large open world map. Here, three powers fight to dominate the map in an ongoing war.

Players choose their faction, class, and loadout before jumping into battle, helping their team fight off the swarm of enemies trying to take over another base, or with their army in hopes of an Extension of Territory Boundaries Raid. Outside of ground forces, players can get into a variety of land and air vehicles, not to mention that the game does not impose a pay-to-win system, so everyone can enjoy the game without having to spend money. to stay competitive.

#10 Star Wars: The Old Republic

Star Wars fans have a solid MMORPG to play today in Star Wars: The Old Republic. This is a game based thousands of years before the Star Wars movies and a few hundred years before the RPG titles Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. As you might expect, there are many quests to be had in an ongoing battle between the Jedi and the Sith. The game is free to some extent, players are somewhat limited in what they can do, but you can progress through some story arcs and side quests. If you like the game and spend some money, you can unlock some additional content to play.

#9 Rocket League

Rocket League was a huge independent success when it first launched. This was an easy game to pick up but hard to pick up. In Rocket League, players progress through the title as a soccer game enhanced with a giant ball and players taking on the role of vehicles. Here, players actively work with their team to control the ball and put it into the opposing team's goal. However, as players can dash across the court at high speeds and use rockets to lift their car into the air, the physics can take a while to figure out. While this game was originally a premium title that players could purchase and enjoy, Rocket League is now free to play.

#8 Team Fortress 2

Team Fortress 2 was the preferred free FPS action game for years as it featured game modes ranging from simple Capture the Flag and Team Deathmatch to unique ones like Push the Cart. Within the game, players have access to a few classes to choose from that offer their unique characteristics, such as: B. the scout who is more agile, a soldier who comes with some heavy weapons, or a medic who can donate some health to companions injured team.

This title may have seen its glory years since its release, but there is still a large community of gamers actively playing this game today. So if you're looking for a new FPS title to enjoy or want to get back into competitive multiplayer gaming, why not give Team Fortress 2 a try this year?

#7 Path of Exile

Fans of the Diablo franchise should check out Path of Exile, which is a perfect alternative. This is another isometric hack-and-slash RPG that follows a protagonist who washes up a landmass that is left for all the exiles to use. Filled with criminals and scum, players create their character and embark on a journey that is a mix of a main quest, but also a series of side quests that you can take on as well.

Path of Exile features a stacked skill tree that you can use to enhance whatever attributes you want to unlock for your character. Not to mention, Path of Exile has continued to receive a ton of updates over the years, adding more content and stories for players to complete. Fortunately, the developers are still supporting this game with new content, so you can jump in with an active community and more content additions planned.

# 6 Splitgate

Splitgate is a game that exploded in popularity when it was first released for beta. Although the game was originally slated to leave beta, the developers decided to keep it in beta. With new funding from investors, we can expect the game to get bigger and better over time. At the moment, players can still enjoy this FPS game in beta. Overall, players compared this game to Halo mixed with portal gameplay mechanics. Essentially, this is a futuristic shooter where you're constantly running around the map trying to take down enemy targets. However, to make the game more chaotic, players can place portals on the map. This allows players to see different areas on the map, shoot the target, or just shoot around the area. It adds complex gameplay mechanics to keep players constantly on their toes.

#5 Destiny 2

Development studio Bungie was best known for the Halo franchise. This sci-fi FPS title had gamers adopting the Xbox line of console platforms, but after the release of Halo: Reach, the studio broke away from Microsoft's IP and began developing its own unique game called Destiny. The title's popularity allowed the studio to proceed with Destiny 2, another online-only multiplayer FPS title.

While Destiny 2 was originally a premium title that required players to purchase a copy of the game, Bungie transitioned the title to a free-to-play model supported by several premium content expansions. Players can easily jump into this game without having to play the original Destiny title, and it's a pretty active community today, with more expansions planned in the future. Meanwhile, the plot mainly follows players who take on the role of a guard tasked with defending the city's last stronghold from an alien threat.

#4 Hearthstone

Warcraft is a long-running video game franchise that has turned RTS titles into an extremely popular MMORPG. It was only a matter of time before we made it a digital card battler, and unsurprisingly, this is an amazing digital card game that has gained popularity among Warcraft fans as well as newcomers.

The game is easy to understand and allows players to compete against others without having to spend any money. With the game rewarding players with in-game currency for a crafting system, you'll easily collect some cards and card packs in no time.

#3 Apex Legends

For years, battle royales were one of the dominant genres in the video game industry. These video games continued to appear online and offered fans highly competitive multiplayer gameplay, mostly focused on shooters. Again, for years, Epic Games' Fortnite was the biggest competitor developers had to contend with, a free-to-play video game title that continues to find an audience. Not to mention the development team kept finding IPs for crossover events. Now, years later, we have a new competitor for developers to compete with, and that's Apex Legends.

This is another free to play battle royale video game where players race the world in groups of three. From there, players collect resources like new gear, ammo, and weapons to use against the competition. Overall, the objective of this game is to be the last team standing as the map continues to shrink, forcing competing groups closer together. One of the elements that helps Apex Legends stand out is the fact that this game features a variety of heroes to choose from, and each of these characters has its own unique attributes.

#2 Weekly Epic Game Store Giveaways

While not technically a video game title, on the PC platform, make sure you're using the Epic Games Store. Each week, the Epic Games Store offers its users a free video game title that can range from a minor indie hit to a major AAA video game release. These may not be the latest and greatest titles, but they won't cost you a penny, nor will it take time to acquire these games.

All players need to do is create an account on the Epic Games Store website, download the client, and claim the free video game title every week. It costs nothing to create an account and the game is yours forever. Some of the past games offered through free weekly deals include Super Meat Boy, Overcooked, and Grand Theft Auto V. Again, none of these games will cost players a penny, and you even have the option to save until next week when the next game comes out. is offered.

#1 Halo-Infinite-Multiplayer

Halo Infinite was one of the most anticipated exclusives of this year for the Microsoft Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC platforms. It was yet another campaign with our favorite Spartan trying again to save humanity. What might have surprised some fans is that this game launched with a free multiplayer component. Now everyone can have fun and play in the different multiplayer game modes. At the time of writing this description, it is currently in a beta phase. We'll likely see the full release when the full game launches on December 8, 2021. Regardless, we know this is a game where we'll be getting seasonal content updates. One of the upcoming seasonal drops will bring Forge mode, so you can expect some exciting and exciting maps and game modes.