Look for free computer games
Let's start with a selection of sites and services that allow you to download free games to your computer.
Steam
Let's start this guide on how to search for free games by talking about Steam and its rich, indeed very rich catalog. If - strangely - you have never heard of it, I would like to point out that it is the most famous digital distribution service for computer games. Steam supports Windows, MacOS e Linux and includes a huge selection of titles at no cost or free to download but with paid content.
To know the list of all the games available on Steam that can be downloaded for free, click here in order to connect to the appropriate web page of the service. Then identify the game or games of your interest by ordering them according to very specific criteria using the appropriate filters and the available rankings, take a look at the description (to understand if the game can actually interest you or not) bringing the cursor to its title and make sure also of the fact that the operating system you use is included among the supported platforms.
Once you have identified the game or games you are interested in, immediately download it to your computer by registering for free on Steam and proceeding with the installation of its official client on your operating system.
To do this, connected to the main Steam web page, click on the button Install Steam located at the top right and, to conclude, click on the green button Install Steam adesso present on the page that opens in order to download the software immediately. Therefore, wait for the client download to be completed. Next, double-click on the downloaded file and follow the simple installation procedure that is shown on the screen.
Therefore, start Steam, wait a few minutes for all the components necessary to run the program to be downloaded from the Internet and then create your free account on the platform: to do so, click on the button Create a new account that you view on the screen and then fill out the form that is proposed to you providing the requested information.
Finally, log in to the service, then go to the section first Toys and then in that Free-to-play of the client to start browsing all the free download games for PC. If you want some "tips" about some of the zero-cost titles available on Steam that in my opinion are worth trying, take a look at the following list.
- Shakes and Fidget - Yes, this is an award-winning title that makes the satire of fantasy RPGs its strong point! In the game, you have to customize your comic book hero and take first place in the Hall of Fame.
- Dota 2 - This popular strategy MMO from Valve features beautiful three-dimensional graphics. The aim of the game is to destroy the defensive towers of the enemies, invade their bases and eliminate the Ancient.
- unturned - Yes, it is a game with graphics in some ways similar to that of Minecraft in which you have to team up with other users to survive hungry zombies. The game is configured as an online multiplayer and is definitely fun.
- Alien swarn - Yes, it's arena-based multiplayer action. It is set in a sci-fi world in which a fearsome alien invasion must be eradicated with super-powerful weapons and epic battles.
- Fishing Planet - A fun and addicting fishing game with very realistic 3D graphics.
- Heroes & Generals - This is a war-themed strategic FPS set during the Second World War. In the game you find yourself having to take on the role of soldiers on the field but also those of the generals who direct the battle strategies.
GOG
You can search for free games on GOG, a digital video game distribution service owned by CD Projekt. The catalog isn't huge, mind you, but the site is definitely worth a look if you don't feel like spending money on computer games.
You can view the complete list of free games available on GOG by clicking here, while to create your free account on the site you have to click on the button Sign up located at the top right and fill in the form that is proposed to you.
When registration is complete, to download one of the titles available on the platform, click on the button Free located next to its name, select the icon cart located at the top right and click on the button Checkout Now. On the page that opens, uncheck the item Gift this order. click on the button Pay for your order now and proceed to download the videogame by going to your videogame library on GOG.
How you do it? Just click on the button Account at the top of the page, select the game poster and click on the link under the item Game downloads in the box that opens.
Jolt's game
Have the solutions to search for free games mentioned above not been able to attract your attention in a particular way? Then take a look at immediately Jolt's game: this is a website dedicated to indie games on which you can find many titles of all genres that can be downloaded for free (but also for a fee). Obviously, do not expect blockbusters from the videogame world of the caliber of _GTA_ or _Assassin's Creed_, but the fact remains that behind a graphic and / or an approximate plot there may be hidden small jewels to be discovered.
To browse the catalog of games available on Game Jolt, connected to the main page of the site and click on one of the icons dedicated to the video game genres available for download that you find below: Action, Platformer, RPG, Shooter, etc. In this way, you will see the complete list of titles belonging to the selected category.
Once the list of games belonging to the selected genre is displayed, click on the menu Price present in the top bar and select the item Free / Name Your Price, to view free games only. Then use the other available filters to further refine your search. You can choose to only browse games for a specific operating system (by default a filter is applied that shows you only the titles for the OS currently in use), those based on outward technology (HTML, Flash etc.), those destined for a specific age group and those in phase, say, let's say beta or those that have already reached the final part of their development.
If you prefer, you can also choose to sort the various games available by criteria Featured, Hot o Best that you find at the top left or you can use the search bar located on the right to immediately find a specific title.
Now all you have to do is click on the preview image of the title you want to download and proceed with its download by clicking on the button Download. You will then have to extract the game you downloaded from the ZIP archive in which it is contained and launch its installation package, but these steps may vary from game to game.
MMOBOMB
If you are particularly interested in online multiplayer (so-called MMOs), then you can search for free games for your computer on the website MMOBOMB which offers a constantly updated list with the best games of this type divided by genre: shooter, fantasy, strategy titles, sports MMOs etc. They are all free-to-play.
To browse all the games in the MMOBOMB ranking, place the pointer on the button DOWNLOAD GAMES located at the top left and select the game genre you prefer from the menu that appears. Then, click on the title of the game you are interested in and proceed to download it by clicking on the button first Play now and then on the link on the official website of the videogame.
Caiman
Another site I want to suggest you appeal to for free games is Caiman: it is a portal where you can find freeware titles for PC and Mac to download to your computer and use without any kind of limitation as well as without an Internet connection. Those available are mostly minigames able to satisfy all tastes.
To download games from Caiman and install them for free on your computer, first connect to the main page of the site, then select a category from the left sidebar. Then choose the game you want to download by clicking on its title and then press first on Download from caiman.us and then Download game. Alternatively, you can also download the games of your interest directly from the official website of the selected title by clicking on the link Authors homepage.
Then wait for the game download to start first and then complete. Subsequently, click on the file you just obtained and follow the installation procedure of the game by following the simple steps that are shown to you.
Apple Arcade
Apple Arcade is an "all you can play" solution proposed by Apple to users of macOS (from macOS Catalina), iOS and tvOS that offers a catalog of over 100 exclusive games, without advertising and without in-app purchases, for 4,99 euros / month (with access up to 6 users).
It can be tried without obligation for free for 1 month. If you want to try it too, open theApp Store on the device, select the tab relating to Apple Arcade and press pulsating try free. More info here.
Look for free games for smartphones and tablets
As for smartphones and tablets, it is practically useless to say that to search for free games, simply go to the app store of your interest where there are many and for all tastes. However, considering the great variety of titles available and taking into account the fact that for this reason doing a search on the Apple or Google marketplace can lead to confusion, I want to provide a tip that I hope will be useful for you to find new and interesting titles at no cost.
There are services that allow you to monitor current promotions on the App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android) and download for free many titles that are normally paid, for example AppSales: an excellent service dedicated to Android that reports discounted applications and games. It is also available as an app.
To conclude, I want to link you to some of my guides in which I have indicated some of the best titles to play on mobile devices and that you can certainly take into consideration to search for free games. If you have an Android smartphone or tablet, you can read my post download free games for Android and my tutorial on the best Android games. If, on the other hand, you use an iPhone or an iPad, you can consult my guide to the best iPhone games as well as my article games for iPad.
In both cases, there are all kinds of games that can be downloaded and installed without spending a penny: arcade, strategy, action, shooter and so on. Try to find the one you prefer among the various listed and immediately download the titles that you think may be most interesting for you.
How to search for free games