A while back, I made a list of free games on Steam, highlighting my favorites and listing additional discoveries. This article is a follow up to it with more findings.
Just because the price of a game is free, does not make its quality acceptable. Every second you play demands your precious time and therefore, free doesn’t equal to good value. Steam has a lot to choose from, some are good, some involve pay to win mechanics and others are just uninspired or buggy.
Every second you play demands your precious time and therefore, free doesn’t equal to good value.
Tuncay, 2020
Most (but not all) stuff in this article are from Indie studios; often very limited, small and simple. Nonetheless there are some interesting gems you should check out. Be it a 2D retro platformer, an unconventional co-op puzzle or a complex strategy, there is a lot to explore. Today the main focus is on single player games, but a few multiplayer and general honorable mentions at the bottom can be found too. This article is not about timed free play sessions, free keys or regular demos. If you are primarily interested in online games, check out my first article Free to Play Games on Steam.
A short disclaimer: I didn’t play any of them. My suggestions are purely based on research of video impressions, user reviews and ratings. So, take the suggestions with a grain of salt.
15 Single Player Games
Dominus Galaxia: KS Edition
- Link: Steam
- Linux support: Yes, native
- Genre: 4X Strategy
A sort of remake about Master of Orion. Space conquering with ship development, colony management and turn-based combat.
Electronic Super Joy 2
- Link: Steam
- Linux support: Yes, native
- Genre: 2D Platformer
Very difficult Jump & Run with precise timing. The electronic music and a crazy visual style fits perfectly.
Ghosts’n DJs
- Link: Steam
- Linux support: No
- Genre: 2D Action Platformer
Plays and feels like the classic 80s arcade side scrolling run and gun Ghost’n Goblins, but with DJs and the music scene.
I Wanna Maker
- Link: Steam
- Linux support: Steam Play Silver
- Genre: 2D Platformer Editor
A Mario Maker like construction kit with level editor and complex possibilities. Includes online sharing and level playlists.
Jigoku Kisetsukan: Sense of the Seasons
- Link: Steam
- Linux support: Steam Play Gold
- Genre: Vertical bullet hell shmup
A vertical arcade shoot’em up in the bullet hell genre with anime-style graphics and chip music. Reminds the Touhou series.
Khimera: Destroy All Monster Girls
- Link: Steam
- Linux support: Steam Play Gold
- Genre: Platformer
A charming mixture of platforming and beat’em up elements, reminding the great Shovel Knight and a bit of Mega Man.
Metaphobia
- Link: Steam
- Linux support: No
- Genre: Point & Click Adventure
An old school 90s like Point & Click to investigate a mystery, with full voice acting and retro styled graphics.
Overclocked
- Link: Steam
- Linux support: No
- Genre: Action Platformer
Fast paced platformer with combat and fluid movement. Has leaderboards and makes up for a good speedrun game.
Princess Remedy in a World of Hurt
- Link: Steam
- Linux support: Steam Play Gold
- Genre: Bullet hell shmup RPG
A short mixture of role playing game elements and shoot’em ups mechanics. The visual style is just like from 80s home computers.
Red Trigger
- Link: Steam
- Linux support: Steam Play Platinum
- Genre: FPS Puzzle
Simple art style and puzzles with First Person Shooter mechanic. Reminds a lot of Portal without Portals.
Relic Hunters Zero
- Link: Steam
- Linux support: No
- Genre: Roguelike top down shooter
Top down twin stick shooter in dungeons to unlock weapons. Has multiple characters and a co-op mode.
Shadow Warrior Classic (1997)
- Link: Steam
- Linux support: Steam Play Gold
- Genre: First Person Shooter
A Duke Nukem or DOOM like classic FPS experience from the 90s. This is free version before the remaster.
The Supper
- Link: Steam
- Linux support: No
- Genre: Point & Click Adventure
A very short and dark horror themed adventure, with puzzles and pixelated artwork.
Think To Die
- Link: Steam
- Linux support: Yes, native
- Genre: Puzzle Platformer
In this creative and wonderful platformer you have to find ways to kill yourself to get to next level.
Transmissions: Element 120
- Link: Steam
- Linux support: Yes, native
- Genre: FPS Action
Impressive, but very short horror themed Half-Life 2 standalone mod with a mysterious story and a gravity gun.
3 Multiplayer Games
Bombergrounds: Battle Royale
- Link: Steam
- Linux support: Steam Play Gold
- Genre: Online PvP Battle
Defeat enemies by throwing bombs on the maze like maps and try to stay alive to the end. Obviously inspired by Bomberman.
Deceit
- Link: Steam
- Linux support: Steam Play Silver
- Genre: Team Co-op PvP
Part of your team are infected enemies, who try to act like innocents (think of spy). They try to stop the innocents from escaping.
Sven Co-op
- Link: Steam
- Linux support: Steam Play Platinum
- Genre: Team Co-op PvE
A standalone multiplayer Half-Life mod, where the players have to work together to solve puzzles or fight enemies.
Wait, there is even more of more…
- Elsword / Elseword EU: Sidescrolling 2D MMORPG with anime visuals.
- Famaze: A retro themed roguelike adventure RPG.
- Nocturne: Prelude: Old school RPG with Rhythm based battle system.
- Echoes+: Single screen retro shmup with neon visuals.
- The Expendabros: Funny 2D run & gun with Co-op. Serves as a demo for Broforce.
- You Have to Win the Game: Challenging platformer with 80s PC retro look.
- Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist: Funny, free and short.
- Ghoul Kid: Play as a little ghost and try to scare people to death.
- Isle of Ewe: Beautiful and relaxing 3D platformer with sheep puzzles.
- Lumin’s Path: Atmospheric 3D platformer playing with light and darkness.
If you want even more, then look at my first posting about Free to Play Games on Steam, which is a bit more focused on multiplayer. Then there is another post about Open Source games in general, not specific to Steam. Stay healthy and play games.
