With digital distribution growing in popularity, free-to-play games have become much more prevalent. You can find free games, no matter what genre you are interested in, and legally.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Play free games
Step 1. Find websites that offer free games
Free games are games that you don't need to buy that you can play for free and legally. You will usually need to create an account in order to be able to play the games. The majority of free games offer online stores where you can purchase bonuses that you will pay for with real money.
- Free games are available in almost any genre you can imagine, from sniper games, racing games, online role-playing games, puzzles and more.
- Some companies offer to play their games directly from their website. You can also find plenty of free games on digital distribution platforms such as Steam.
- EA offers a great selection of games on the website and some are free and available on their Origin platform. Also try on the Epic store. You can also go to platforms offering games from independent developers, like Itch.io.
Step 2. Find the game you want to play using the search engines
Enter the genre you are looking for in a search engine by adding the words “free games” and search through the results. Do not hesitate to take a look at the reviews to make sure that the game is fun, as many free games are designed for the simple purpose of squeezing money out of players. Here are some examples of popular games that are free:
- League of Legends (LoL), Warframe, Hearthstone
- Team Fortress 2, Asphalt 8: Airborn
- DOTA 2, Paladins, Star Wars: The Old Republic
- Runescape, Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone, Apex Legends
- World of Tanks, World of Warship, War Thunder
- Planetside 2, Destiny 2
- Path of Exile, Rocket League
Step 3. Make sure you can play the game on your system
Check the recommended system requirements and compare them with those of your computer. It will save you time if you ever download a game and cannot play it on your computer.
Step 4. Download the game
There are two main types of free games: those where you can play in your web browser without having to download anything, and those which must be downloaded and installed like any regular program. If you need to download the game, you will need to install a file on your computer
If you are using Steam, you will need to create a free account, in addition to downloading the Steam software. You will then be able to download games using Steam and play them from there
Step 5. Install the game
The installation process differs from game to game, but you usually don't need to change the default settings when asked for installation options. If you are using a digital distribution program, the installation will be done automatically after the download is complete.
Step 6. Launch the game
If you are using a digital distribution program, find the game in your library and launch it from your distribution program. If you installed the game like a regular program, look for it in your "Start" menu.
Method 2 of 3: Find abandoned software
Step 1. Find an abandoned software site
These are games abandoned by defunct companies. The vast majority of these games are free of rights, but some are still in a legal gray area, because one or more people may still own the rights to these games. Here are some examples of popular sites:
- Home of the Underdogs
- My Abandonware
- Abandonia
- XTC Abandonware
Step 2. Find the game you would like to download
The majority of abandoned software sites rank by genre and release date. Browse your favorite genre and try to find a game that you would like to try.
Read the comments to see people's appreciation when the game was released
Step 3. Download the game and install it
Most sites will tell you how to install the games on more modern operating systems. You should also find instructions on how to bypass the obligation to enter the serial number of the CD.
Step 4. Make the necessary fixes to launch the game
More modern operating systems may not always be able to run games correctly. Also, old games don't always work well with widescreen monitors or modern graphics cards. Discarded software sites should provide you with information to help you troubleshoot these issues, but you might still have to do some research to find out how to fix some more specific issues.
Search the internet including the title of the game and the specific problem you need to fix. You will often find forums where members can better explain to you how to resolve your problem
Method 3 of 3: Download flash games
Step 1. Go to your favorite flash game site
These sites usually have a large collection of flash games that you can play on your browser. You could also download these games so that you can play without needing an internet connection. Here are some popular sites:
- Addictinggames.com
- Newgrounds.com
- Flashgames.com
Step 2. Launch the game you would like to download
To simplify the download, choose the Firefox browser to access the site.
Step 3. Right click on the bottom of the site
Make sure you click on the site background and not the game.
Step 4. Click “Show page info”
This will open a new window with all the information for that page.
Step 5. Click on the “Support” tab
A list will appear with all the objects present on this web page. Sort the list by type.
Step 6. Find the game file
Flash games are listed as "objects" with a swf extension. Scroll down until you find the flash game you are interested in. The name should be similar to the title of the game in question.
Step 7. Click “Save As”
Click once on the game in the list and then click “Save As”. The game will then be saved to your hard drive in your downloads folder.
Step 8. Launch the game
Right click on the file you just downloaded and click "Open With". Choose Firefox from the list of available programs and if it does not appear in the list, search for it on your computer. The game will then open in a new Firefox window.
Advice
- To avoid ending up with viruses, always leave your antivirus enabled on your computer. Games that don't work if your antivirus is on are generally questionable and should be avoided.
- Besides the games that you can download, you can also play free games right on your internet browser, be it Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox or Chrome. These games have more or less the same features as downloadable games, but they are generally much easier to access.
