1.
War Thunder
War Thunder is a massively
multiplayer online game set during World War II and the Korean War. Both air
and ground vehicles are available for you to control, and you can fight
head-to-head with players across the different platforms. Of course, you can
play for free, but the cash shop lets you buy vehicle packs ($10 to $120) and
in-game currency as you see fit. If you’re a history buff, this game is the
perfect way to get a little taste of classic combat machines from the safety of
your own desk.
2.Alien Swarm
This top-down shooter developed by Valve is completely free
— just download the entire game and the SDK through Steam, and play to your
heart’s content. Join up with three of your friends to destroy alien monsters,
or crack open the game editor to make your very own environments. With four
classes, eight characters, and persistent unlocks, this game will keep you busy
for months. Even better, it’s really free. No micropayments in sight.
3.
Pinball Arcade
Classic arcade tables never looked so good. If you download
the client for the Pinball Arcade on Steam, you get full access to the Tales
of the Arabian Nights table for free. You can also try out any of the other
tables for free, but you won’t be able to play past the first high score. Each
additional table can be purchased à la carte, or you can invest $30 at once
into an entire pack of classic tables. Whether you’re a casual fan or a pinball
fanatic, this freemium product is a great value.
4.Neverwinter
Want to get nerdy? Check out this free-to-play MMORPG based
on the popular city-state from Dungeons & Dragons. Without spending
a single dollar, you can play through this fantasy world with your friends, and
soak in the decades of lore built-up around the Forgotten Realms. However, you
need to be careful of what you buy because you can blow $200 on a single pack
of in-game content. Still, the more reasonable $20 starter pack is nothing to
turn your nose up at if you’re having a good time.
5.TrackMania Nations Forever
TrackMania is designed around
besting your friends on the leaderboards, and making the craziest race tracks
imaginable. You can play the entirety of the stadium environment for free by
downloading TrackMania Nations Forever. If you enjoy yourself, you can
spend $30 to upgrade to TrackMania United Forever with an additional six
racing environments included. And if you just can’t get enough, you can always
move on to TrackMania 2.
6.Marvel Heroes
Marvel characters and loot gathering: a match made in
Valhalla. Pick from a handful of free characters, and start clicking away on
the hundreds of baddies that stand between you and that sweet, sweet loot. If
none of the free characters strike your fancy, you can always lay down some
cash for the character of your choosing, and pick out the costume that best
fits your style.
7.StarCraft II
StarCraft is by far the most
popular real-time strategy franchise in existence, and now you can have a taste
of the game at no cost. You’ll get to play four single-player missions, have
access to two challenges, and try out custom battles against the AI. All of
your progress is saved, and if you spend the $20 to upgrade to the first
installment of the StarCraft II series, you can continue your adventure. Or for
$60, you get the entire trilogy — it’s up to you.
8.Diablo III
Blizzard is well known for creating some of the world’s best
PC games, and now you can try them for free. Diablo III: Starter Edition
lets you get a taste of the full game without paying a dime. Just sign up for a
Battle.net account, and you’ll be able to level your character up to 13 while
enjoying some limited multiplayer matchmaking. It’s not the entire Diablo
experience, but you’ll get to see a hefty portion of one of the most polished
gameplay experiences on the market. If you like it, you can upgrade to the full
game for $20, and get the expansion for another $20.
9.Blacklight: Retribution
If you just want a good old fashioned multiplayer shooter, Blacklight
is the game for you. Team up with friends or match up with random players for
some team death match, capture the flag, or king of the hill. It’s simple, fun,
and you don’t really need the items behind the paywall to have a good time.
Even so, the devs are happy to let you spend anywhere between $5 and $200 at a
time for in-game currency. The fast pace, small learning curve, and lack of an
up-front cost makes this title compelling competition for even the Call of
Duties of the world.
10. Might & Magic: Duel of
Champions
Are card games your jam? If so, you should really check out
Ubisoft’s Might & Magic: Duel of Champions. You can jump right in
and start playing with your friends, or you can go through a step-by-step
tutorial to learn the rules. Playing for free will work out just fine, but it
has all of the same up-sell mechanisms that a real-life card game would have.
If you want a really competitive high-end deck, you’ll probably end up buying a
few booster packs ($5 to $70) here and there.
