Free PC Games to Download and Play

There are a number of sites offering free PC game downloads. Your gaming obsession doesn’t always need to hurt your pocket. You can find various types of game for free on the internet. There are casual puzzle or adventure games, free browser games, multiplayer first-person shooters and even massively multiplayer online role playing games. There is plenty out there to download and play them for free if you are willing to search.

The most common method for publishers determined to drive sales is to offer a free trial which allows you full access to the game for a period of time or allows you to complete the first few levels to get you hooked before they jack up the price. A good example of this is the indie PC game Mount and Blade. It’s an RPG where you take on the role of a knight and can engage in some swordplay and jousting action. You can download the full game for free but you can only level up so far before you have to pay. If you do get hooked then check out our Mount and Blade Guide.

The free trial can be a great way to see if you think a game is worth purchasing and you can get a good few hours of free gaming but ultimately you will always be hit with that frustration of reaching your limit and having to pay to continue. Fear not there are alternatives to get your free gaming fix.

Many developers are offering their back catalogue as free downloads now, the classic games of yesteryear are no longer selling and giving them away for free helps developers to promote their brand. You can read about some of the best available free games in this category in previous articles on this website.

As well as old commercial titles now freely available there are also independent games given away for free. Here's a list of 100 full version games to download.

A new technique that publishers in the West are beginning to experiment with is something that has been popular in the Asian market for many years; they give away a full version of their game and aim to generate money through advertising or through micro-payments in the game. An exciting upcoming release in this category is Battlefield Heroes, a cartoon style multiplayer first-person shooter brought to you by the same developers who created the Battlefield series of games. It is due to be released this year and is completely free for gamers, aiming to make money via advertising.