15 Amazing Indie Games That Are Completely Free
Look, times are tough out there. Even putting aside the ills of the world, we’re all having to watch our wallets for various reasons, and it can make gaming feel all the more oppressive. Between AAA experiences rising in cost to justify increasingly unjustifiable development cycles, and supposed “Free to Play” games trying to wring extra cash out of you at every possible opportunity, it can be challenging to find something new on a budget other than maybe a demo.
Thankfully, the indie scene is full of wonderful, generous individuals who have crafted excellent experiences and released them for the lowest price possible: absolutely free. And I mean actually free. There are no microtransactions, you don’t need 10 different DLCs to make them worth playing, and you’re not going to be fed ads for services you don’t care about at any given point.
Sounds nice, doesn’t it?
Heroine’s Quest: The Herald of Ragnarok
by Crystal Shard Games
A spiritual successor to the Quest For Glory series that even got a thumbs up from QFG creator Corey Cole himself, Heroine’s Quest is a gorgeous Dutch adventure/RPG hybrid based on the Poetic Edda of Norse Mythology. The game stands alongside some of Sierra’s best, and the different classes each have unique puzzle solutions, making this a rare adventure game with considerable replay value.
Platforms: Windows PC, macOS, Linux, Steam.
Awaria
by vanripper
The latest from solo dev vanripper, whose game Helltaker could also be a feature on this list, Awaria is a short but sweet action/puzzle game about working as the maintenance crew of a haunted facility. Featuring some stunning production values and addictive, challenging gameplay, this one might take you longer to beat than you expect.
Platforms: Windows PC, macOS, Linux, Steam.
Moonring
by Fluttermind
Moonring‘s existence is frankly the stuff of legend. Developed by Fable co-creator Dene Carter and surprise-released onto Steam in 2023, this is a 40+ hour RPG in the vein of the Ultima series that plays better than plenty of its peers. It does an impressive job of paying tribute to its influences while making the gameplay more accessible to a modern audience, and this honestly feels like a gift from one classic RPG fan to all the others.
Platforms: Windows PC, macOS, Steam.
Sky: Children of the Light
by thatgamecompany
A gorgeous, meditative adventure game from the gods of the genre, Sky takes thatgamecompany‘s signature style and turns it into a co-operative multiplayer wonderland. There’s plenty to zoom around the world and find, and helping out other players with puzzles you’ve figured out is always rewarding.
Platforms: Windows PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, iOS, Android, Steam.
Nightmare Kart
by LWMedia
Developed by Lilith Walther, developer behind the fantastic (and also free) PSX demake of Bloodborne, Nightmare Kart takes the vibes of its forebear and uses them to make a spooky but high-octane racer in the vein of classics like Crash Team Racing. Between the amount of racers, weapons, levels, and secrets in this game, it’s honestly shocking that something this robust costs the low, low price of nothing at all. There’s even free DLC on the way shortly!
Platforms: Windows PC, Steam, itch.io.
A Date With Death
by Two and A Half Studios
There are many free visual novels available for people to explore. Still, for my money (or lack thereof), A Date With Death‘s strong writing and stunning visuals put it above the rest. It takes the classic concept of trying to bet against the Grim Reaper for your soul and injects it with style and substance aplenty, and there’s even a free DLC pack to add some, ahem, spicy content to the game if that’s your jam.
Platforms: Windows PC, Steam, itch.io.
We Were Here
by Total Mayhem Games
The first in a pentology of escape room games, where you and another player must communicate over microphones to solve its many puzzles, We Were Here is a big winner thanks to clever puzzle designs and novel gameplay. If, like me, you’ve ever struggled to get a friend to buy a game so you could try the multiplayer, then rejoice because it’s far less challenging to do so when it costs literally nothing. (Note: the home console version of the game costs $1, as opposed to the Steam version, which is free.)
Platforms: Windows PC, Xbox One, Steam.
Frog Fractions: Game of the Decade Edition
by Twinbeard Inc.
The browser game phenomenon comes to Steam at the same massively appealing price. If you’re not already familiar with Frog Fractions, all I’ll say is that what begins as a 90s PC-style edutainment game quickly spirals out of control in ways I dare not reveal, and it remains as wild and clever as it ever was. Go in as cold as possible and fasten your seatbelt.
Platforms: Windows PC, Steam.
Lunacid: Tears of the Moon
by KIRA
Not content with simply creating Lunacid, a game which pays loving homage to classic first-person dungeon crawlers like King’s Field and Ultima Underworld, developer KIRA decided to make a free prequel entirely in From Software’s open-source Sword of Moonlight development tool from 2000! It might play like a 90s PSX game (which it basically is), but it features all the same moody atmosphere and cryptic storytelling as its bigger brother. A true labor of love guaranteed to delight fellow classic dungeon delvers.
Platforms: Windows PC, Steam.
Rental
by Lonely House
There are plenty of free offerings in the indie horror space, but Rental stands out above its peers thanks to its adorable protagonist, which contrasts wonderfully against its eerie, oppressive atmosphere. This is a very short game, but like all the best horror movies out there, it leaves a lasting impression that lasts well past its runtime.
Platforms: Windows PC, Steam, itch.io.
The Big Catch: Tacklebox
by Filet Group
This is technically breaking my own rules of this list as it’s a playable preview meant to whet your appetite for the full The Big Catch game coming sometime in the future, but Tackle Box deserves its own mention thanks to being better-designed and more robust than plenty of 3D platformers I’ve paid money for. Between its fantastic movement, fascinating world, and abundance of collectibles, this is already so worth your time that I can barely imagine how a full game can even improve on it.
Platforms: Windows PC, Steam.
Emily is Away
by Kyle Seeley
A simple little adventure game about navigating conversations on an excellent approximation of AIM, Emily is Away is especially impressive thanks to its period-accurate aesthetics and writing. Its genuinely compelling branching narrative will have you coming back a few times to see all it has to offer. The sequels are absolutely worth paying for once you’re done, too.
Platforms: Windows PC, macOS, Steam.
Bobo the Cat
by Bobo the Cat
A genuine diamond in the rough, Bobo the Cat crafts an interesting and creative Metroidvania out of the experience of being a cat. The game begins very slowly by design, and its visuals could be best described as “functional,” but the ambition on display here is awe-inspiring, and I enjoyed it as much as some similar genre experiences I’ve paid full price for.
Platforms: Windows PC, Steam, itch.io.
Deltarune: Chapters 1 & 2
by tobyfox
Once again this technically isn’t a full game, but up until recently, Deltarune‘s first two chapters embodied the entirety of developer toby fox‘s follow-up to their smash-hit Undertale. While you’ll eventually have to pay for Chapters 3 & 4 if you want to continue the story, these free chapters have plenty of JRPG goodness, wonderful characters, and absolutely stunning music to keep you occupied for a while until then. Trust me, you’ll barely even notice yourself reaching for your wallet at the prospect of more Deltarune.
Platforms: Windows PC, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, macOS, Steam.
Doki Doki Literature Club
by Team Salvato
If by this point you haven’t been exposed to the internet phenomenon that is Doki Doki Literature Club, all you need to know is that it’s a charming visual novel about being part of a literature club in high school. No, really, that’s it. Why are you looking at me like I’m hiding something? …RUN SHE’S WATCHI-
Platforms: Windows PC, macOS, Steam.
Are there any free indies we missed? Let us know!
