With the coronavirus keeping everyone stuck at home, lots more people are playing video games but how can you get more for free?
Recently,we shared alist of single and multiplayer video games to play if you’re self-isolatingat home thanks to the coronavirus. But what if you’ve exhausted those options?What if your backlog is completely cleared and you need something new to play?
You might not be able to pop into your local game shop and ordering online is a risk since it might get delayed. You may not even have the money to afford a new game.
Fortunately, there are plenty of games that you can download right now and not need to spend a single penny.
League Of Legends (PC)
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For years League Of Legends has been the most popular video game in the world and it doesn’t cost a penny to play it. With a massive amount of varied and unique characters to try out (over 140!) and a gargantuan community, you won’t struggle to find matches or tutorials and help with learning the mechanics.
If you find yourself completely sucked into this one, you’ve also got the esports scene to check out, where you can enjoy tense games between pros and pick up a few tricks and strategies for yourself.
Dota2 (PC)
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One of the few titles to rival League Of Legends’ popularity, even overshadowing it for a time, is Valve’s take on the same MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) genre.
Dota 2 has been going since 2013 and much like League Of Legends there’s a big esports scene to get invested in too. Maybe don’t try to juggle both of these games, though. There’s only so much info your brain can hold.
Smite (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Switch)
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League Of Legends and Dota 2 being only on PC meant that console owners were feeling a bit left out, without a major MOBA of their own to enjoy. Then along came Smite.
Featuring a roster comprised of gods and other mythical figures like Anubis and Zeus, Smite is much more beginner-friendly, offering simple controls for those unsuited to the genre. It even ditches the top-down perspective for a third person one.
The microtransactions are also pretty inoffensive, with the entire roster available to unlock in-game, allowing you to freely experiment to find out if you’re a Loki main or not.
Warframe (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Switch)
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Warframe’s biggest strength isn’t necessarily its fast-paced combat, its customisable characters, or its sci-fi aesthetic, but the fact that it includes microtransactions in a non-predatory way.
It’s always been praised for avoiding that particular pitfall, though it helps that it’s a solid action game that has continued to receive new content over the last seven years. And with it being a multiplayer title, there’s no better time to jump in.
Call Of Duty: Warzone (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC)
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If you’ve always wanted to try out a battle royale game and have never had the chance to, now is an especially good time to start. You’re also pretty spoiled for choice given how many there are.
The most recent addition to the genre, Call Of Duty: Warzone, is probably the best jumping on point. With it being a fresh new title, you’re more likely to run into players of a similar skill level and you don’t have to worry about catching up on five years of content you’ve missed.
With some classic Call Of Duty action, Warzone is already an incredibly popular title that’s bound to stick around for a long while.
World Of Tanks (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC)
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Following on from Warzone, what if you want to play something similar but instead of controlling guys with guns, everyone was just driving a huge tank? World Of Tanks will certainly scratch that itch.
It may not have larger-than-life characters like League Of Legends, but it does have more than 400 different types of tanks, all of which can be customised to suit your needs.
And at the end of the day, it just has a very simple goal – blow all the other tanks up. Sometimes, that’s all you need. And if it’s not then there’s also World Of Warships as an alternative.
War Thunder (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC)
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War Thunder doesn’t seem to be as well-known as some of its contemporaries but, even when it was in beta, it proved to be a very entertaining combat simulator that took what World Of Tanks did and turned it up to 11.
You can do battle on land, sea, or sky with all manner of vehicles and it has the option for either arcade style battles or realistic simulations, designed for newcomers and advanced players respectively.
Despite looking like a simulation it’s one of the most accessible games on this list and definitely deserves more attention.
Apex Legends (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC)
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We already mentioned Fortnite in the last list, so how about the game that almost took its spot as the top battle royale title?
20 teams of three must duke it out to be the last team standing, and with 12 diverse characters to pick from, there is a lot of potential for team set-ups. Its ping feature allows you to track down enemies, important items, and areas with the press of a button; something that Fortnite almost immediately cribbed because it was such a good idea.
We may never see Respawn make a new Titanfall, but if Apex Legends continues the way it is, fans should be able to live with that.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
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This one may not be in the public conscience as much as the likes of Fortnite, but there is a reason that it continues to have a dedicated and hugely competitive esports scene.
Playing as either terrorists or counter-terrorists, CS:GO is less focused on just killing all of the opposing team and more about achieving a certain objective, be it defusing a bomb or guarding hostages.
Counter-Strike offers a more retro alternative to other military shooters, that might win over fans who’ve grown a bit tired of Call Of Duty.
Dauntless (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Switch)
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What if you’re sick to death of playing against other people, and would rather team up with your friends to take down giant monsters? Something like Monster Hunter? Then Dauntless is the game for you.
In a world ravaged by beasts called Behemoths, you can either hunt down these monsters solo or with friends, collecting loot along the way to make your character and weapons stronger so that you can take on gradually bigger threats.
Dauntless can be quite the time-sink, as some Behemoths can take upwards of 20 minutes of in-game time to take down. But with it being free-to-play, it’s perfect for those that may not be able to afford Capcom’s original.
Path Of Exile (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC)
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During that period of time when Diablo players were left wanting for a new entry, some of them were drawn to Path Of Exile, an action role-playing game that was created because even the developers were mad that there weren’t enough games in the genre.
With randomly-generated areas, six different classes to choose from, and all the expected role-playing trappings, Path Of Exile has received monthly updates and seems to have only grown more and more successful.
It’s even getting a sequel late this year, so now might be worth checking it out and seeing what the fuss is all about.
StarWars: The Old Republic (PC)
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Whatif you’re more a role-playing game fan? But you still want a sense of community;a place where you can spend time chatting with friends or embarking onadventures together? Once again, there’s plenty of games like that to pickfrom.
We recommend Star Wars: The Old Republic, which remains one of the franchise’s best games. Gameplay is fast-paced but accessible with a smooth learning curve and stellar presentation; if you’re a relatively new Star Wars fan and you missed this game the first time, you’d better get around to checking it out.
It continues to be one of EA’s most popular titles, having received support for nearly 10 years and earning the company close to a billion dollars. And it’s only one of a surplus of great online role-playing games that are worth checking out.
Let It Die (PlayStation 4, PC)
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It only makes sense for Suda51, the mad genius behind games like killer7 and No More Heroes, to have an equally unique take on the free-to-play model, with hack-and-slash action game Let It Die.
Unlike most of the other titles on this list, you must ascend a tower solo, grabbing what weapons and armour you can find to fight against the monsters that stand in your way. All while a skateboarding Grim Reaper supervises you.
One cool feature is that when you die, your ‘death data’ is shared with other players, taking the form of a stronger opponent, similar to how Dark Souls works.
Brawlhalla (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Switch)
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There aren’t many fighting games that follow a free-to-play model, but Brawlhalla is a good example of how it can work well.
Similar to Super Smash Bros., it’s a madcap free-for-all as players jump around a stage, using simple attacks that only require one button and randomly appearing items to take out everyone else.
The free-to-play aspect means you don’t have access to the whole roster, with eight characters being available on a rotation every week, though they can be purchased either in-game or with a one-time microtransaction.
Tetris99 (Switch)
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ATetris battle royale sounds almost like a parody, but not only is it real, it’spossibly one of the best ways to play the iconic puzzle game.
This one’s technically not free, though, since you do need a subscription to Nintendo’s online service to access it. If you already are, though, it’s worth checking out out at the very least. It’s arguably worth getting the subscription just for this.
Don’t find Tetris stressful enough on its own? Then how about playing against up to 98 other players and having to rack up combos that drop garbage onto their screen, while they do the same to you. You need to play as best as you can to come out on top, but the better you are, the more of a target you become.
We’d also be remiss to not mention Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Now. Though not free-to-play, these two subscription services offer a ton of different games for you to pick through, with new ones being added every month.
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