Top 10 Best Free Steam Games To Play On Your New PC In 2024

Best Free Steam Games on PC Indiatimes

You just built a new gaming PC and are now out of funds to buy a shiny new game. Fret not, as there are plenty of free games on Steam that will keep you entertained for weeks. The best free Steam games can often offer more fun than some paid titles on the storefront, and thanks to live-service development, they’ll often add new content to keep you busy. Why Steam? Well, aside from offering incredible deals with its regular sales, Steam also offers the best community features on PC that have led all of the games on this list to cultivate a passionate fan base. Here are the best free Steam games that your new gaming PC will thank you for installing.

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2 is the fifth installment in the tactical shooter franchise. Yes, the naming is stupid, but a major overhaul was needed after a stellar 10-year run by CSGO. CS2 replaces the previous game directly, letting players bring their inventory with them. Counter-Strike 2 is built on the upgraded Source 2 engine, bringing new environmental effects and upgraded visuals that offer new competitive advantages to both terrorists and counter-terrorists on its classic maps. Just take it easy though, as new players can often have a bad time at the start thanks to countless pros who’ve been mastering the game for years.

Halo Infinite

Halo: Infinite’s launch may have been undercooked, but over the years 343 Industries has transformed the multiplayer component into a lively playground for ideas. The game’s forge editor will have you hooked to its custom fan-made maps for hours while delivering the same thrills as the OG installments. Halo Infinite’s progression system is a little slow to boot though, but the excellent gunplay, iconic weapons, and classic vehicles will keep bringing you back for more.

Marvel Snap

Marvel Snap came out of nowhere and blew us away when it became a conversation starter in gaming circles back in 2022. The game offers the same addictive thrill of Hearthstone but is wrapped in a familiar, comic-book-inspired package. Given that Marvel Snap is a multi-platform title, you can continue your Steam save on the go with its mobile versions. With diverse deck-building options and a wide range of characters, Marvel Snap taps into the Marvel multiverse in a better way than recent MCU films.

Destiny 2

Okay, getting into this might prove a little tough given how Bungie nuked most of its starter content a few years ago. Regardless, with the end of Destiny 2’s Light and Darkness saga in sight and its past campaigns going on sale regularly, the game offers new players plenty of choices. The vanilla version of Destiny 2 will keep you and your friends coming back for more with satisfying shooting mechanics and interesting lore that has been explored to depths with its numerous expansions. Being a cross-platform game, you can start playing on PC and move your save to the console versions fairly seamlessly.

Warframe

You play as a space ninja. Need we say any more? Warframe is one of the oldest live-service games in this list, but you wouldn’t know it from its fan following. With regular updates and mobile ports coming later this year, Warframe is still going strong by offering a unique hack-n-shoot experience that no other multiplayer game can match. Like Destiny 2, Warframe has developed quite an interesting backstory with its rich world and characters, and combined with the cool factor of its aesthetics, the game stands out from the crowd in a stylish way. You can even play it on your phone!

Apex Legends

EA’s free battle royale offers the same thrill that its predecessor Titanfall 2 did, with an emphasis on fast movements and quick thinking. The hero-based model offers plenty of options to players to build their specific playstyle over matches, and Respawn Entertainment continues to add new content and characters that keep the title going strong even after five years. With over 25 characters in the game, it will take you quite some time to find your groove.

The Sims 4

The Sims is a classic franchise that remains the best in its class, and by switching to a free-to-play model, The Sims 4 is a great starting point for new players. Of course, the free version only contains the essentials and you’ll have to pay up to access its more exotic corners, but it still offers enough to let you unleash your god complex. Create a Sim, control their life, and let them live out your dreams while you work towards your own in the real world.

Dota 2

Dota 2 has that Valve magic that makes you question how one company can produce such high-quality games in such different genres. Featuring over a hundred characters and deep MMO systems to master, Dota 2 will take you weeks to go over its intricate mechanics. The 5v5 matches can drag on for a long time due to the steep learning curve, so be prepared as it is quite an upgrade over League of Legends in terms of complexity.

War Thunder

Hold up, this isn’t a sponsored ad read. You may have heard about War Thunder from your favorite YouTube creators, but going by its Steam reviews, it’s actually a pretty good time. The game lets you command all military vehicles built after World War 2, offering an expansive playground to those who love to live out their military fantasies. The game also includes a free VR mode letting you command nearly 2500 vehicles, be it on the ground, the sea, or in the air, which is saying a lot for a free title. Just be wary of its DLC content as it suffers from some heinous regional pricing, or lack thereof, in countries outside of the US.

Team Fortress 2

Another Valve game on the list, Team Fortress 2 has held up significantly well for a game older than the last 2 console generations! Featuring quirky heroes and a cheeky sense of humor, TF2 remains one of the most fun shooters in the market, and with so many years under its belt, there’s a ton of content that will keep you busy for months with friends.

After trying out these free Steam games, you may want to save up and move on to the AAA titles coming this year, and there are plenty of games to get excited about in 2024.