How To Play Premium Games Online For Free?

Key Takeaways

You can download and play premium PC games for free on websites such as My Abandonware, SteamGifts, and GOG.
Other libraries, such as Steam and Epic games, offer countless free titles and giveaways.
If you’re playing on a console, you will be limited to subscription services such as Game Pass and PlayStation Plus, but free-to-play titles are growing in popularity.
However, the most popular “freemium” games are found on mobile gaming platforms and app stores.

Premium games come at a heavy price these days, but there are plenty of great websites out there that have great deals and many premium games that you can play online for free. We have compiled a list of some of the best websites for playing premium games online for free.

Where To Get Free PC Games Online (Legally)

If you find that you’re struggling to afford to play brand new games on PC, it can be hard to find titles that will keep you going until you’re able to splurge on the latest AAA title.

The good news is that it is possible to play Premium games for free, and you don’t have to resort to illegally downloading pirated torrents that can infect your PC with viruses and get you into trouble with the law.

Many sites on the Internet allow you to get games for free or offer them at significantly reduced prices. Let’s look at some of the top websites and platforms you can use to play games online without spending a cent!

Epic Games

Requires Signup: Yes
Requires Subscription: Yes
Requires Software download: Yes

Platforms supported: Windows, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, Android, iOS

Epic Games’ Store offers a plethora of free games, which allows you to download one game every week. Epic Games is the go-to place in terms of ease of use.

All you need is an Epic Games account, and all of the best free-to-play games such as MtGA, Primordial, Genshin Impact, Rocket League, Paladins, Neverwinter, Warface, and a host of demos can be easily downloaded, installed, and launched in an effortless process that’s unmatched.

Epic Games Store is a step above the rest primarily for its user interface. A comprehensive library of free games makes the overall experience better than their counterparts with similar libraries.

IGN Beta Giveaway

Requires Signup: Yes
Requires Subscription: No
Requires Software download: No

Platforms supported: Windows, Mac

IGN Giveaway allows you to download paid PC games for free, with coupons, promotions, and giveaways. They offer free games every month with no strings attached and if you’re an IGN prime subscriber.

Among the premium games that IGN Beta Giveaway hosts are Space Punks, Alchemist Adventure, Broken Lines, and Joggernauts.

r/FreeGameFindings

Requires Signup: No
Requires Subscription: No
Requires Software download: No

Platforms supported: Windows, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch

Reddit is typically one of the best places to go if you’re looking for anything on the Internet, and r/FreeGameFindings is no exception if you’re looking for ways to play premium games online for free.

Whenever a new promotion, deal, or giveaway for free premium games comes up, you can be certain that the Reddit community will find it and let you know. Some of the titles that you can find in this subreddit include The Rise of Tomb Raider, Surviving Mars, Frostpunk, Far Cry 3, and Overcooked! 2.

Steamgifts

Requires Signup: Yes
Requires Subscription: No
Requires Software download: Yes

Platforms supported: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS

Steamgifts is another website that has an enormous community of gamers. And, once you become a member of the community yourself, linking your Steam account, you can sponsor or receive giveaways to and from other community members.

You can redeem your gifts on Steam and play games for free. Some of the best titles available include Squid Run, Brothers — A Tale of Two Sons, Borderlands 3, Fallout 4, and God of War.

Ocean of Games

Requires Signup: No
Requires Subscription: No
Requires Software download: No

Platforms supported: Windows

Ocean of Games is another great website for playing free premium games online, which consists of countless great titles like Overland, Grand Theft Auto V, Assassin’s Creed Origins, Call of Duty WWII, and Gears of War.

They have a great browsing system that allows you to pick out games by genre, giving you easy access to thousands of free games for free, along with all of the updates to give you a fully immersive experience.

SideQuest

Requires Signup: Yes
Requires Subscription: Yes
Requires Software download: No

Platforms supported: Oculus, Windows, Mac, Linux

SideQuest is a great place to find free games, with the main selling point being that it puts a lot of focus into supporting VR games.

Their library consists of plenty of free virtual reality games, and you will also find links to Oculus App Lab games that don’t appear in Oculus.com’s search results.

You will have access to countless popular VR games, such as Brutal Strike, Attack on Titan, and No More Rainbows. You can also access other apps, like Octonic VR Fitness.

Green Man Gaming

Requires Signup: Yes
Requires Subscription: No
Requires Software download: Yes

Platforms supported: Windows, Oculus

Green Man Gaming offers more than 6,600 games from over 450 publishers, offering monthly giveaways for premium games that you’d normally have to pay for. Their giveaways are fairly straightforward. They send you a Steam Key, and you can claim ownership of the Premium game you want or give it to someone else.

Their best titles include Elder Scrolls, Destiny 2, Ghostwire, Bioshock, Rainbow Six, and many more, all available for free or at reduced prices.

GOG

Requires Signup: Yes
Requires Subscription: No
Requires Software download: Yes

Platforms supported: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS

GOG is probably the most popular website for free premium games on this list — and they also distribute films! The subsidiary of CD Projekt will offer at least two or three free premium games a year due to the deal they signed with Ubisoft that allows them to publish games from their back catalog.

They also offer weekly sales that offer discounts of up to 90% on the latest games. Some of the most notable titles that you can find of GOG include Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher, Divinity, Warhammer, and Metal Gear Solid.

Humbl e Bumble

Requires Signup: Yes
Requires Subscription: No
Requires Software download: Yes

Platforms supported: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS

Humble Bumble has a spectacular, expansive library of games and Steam keys that allow you to play premium games for free. They also have a subreddit dedicated to requests to give their users what they need.

Among the best deals available include titles such as Borderlands 3, Elden Ring, Destiny 2, Warhammer, and Final Fantasy.

DLH.net

Requires Signup: Yes
Requires Subscription: No
Requires Software download: Yes

Platforms supported: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android

Formerly the website known as “Dirty Little Helper”, DLH.net was dedicated to cheat codes and walkthroughs and has been a prominent gaming website for over two decades. These days, the website and its large community have focused on offering free giveaways, promotions, and codes for Steam users that sign up to their website.

Some of the best deals they offer are for premium games such as Borderlands 3, Control, Ghost Recon, Cities Skylines, and Resident Evil.

Steam

Requires Signup: Yes
Requires Subscription: No
Requires Software download: Yes

Platforms supported: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS

Steam is packed with plenty of community forums dedicated to enhancing your gaming experience and, in the FreeGamesGiveAways group, there’s a specific focus on giving away Steam game keys, in-game items, and a host of other freebies so that you can play premium games online for free.

The group has more than 113,000 users who are very active and generously contribute to their fellow gamers en masse.

It also features a request section to request games and keys. If you’re lucky, someone else in the community will give you a game key as a donation, meaning, theoretically, that you can find just about any premium game that you can download for free on Steam. There are also key drop sections and coupon threads to take advantage of and get loads of free content.

However, note that the community has fairly strict guidelines against spam and “begging”. And it is also filled with scams, but there are guidelines for not falling victim to foul play. Nonetheless, Steam Communities is probably the easiest way to play any premium game online for free.

Console Subscriptions For Free Premium Games

If you’re looking for a place to play premium games online for free on your console, unfortunately, you’re going to have to sign up for a subscription to get access to all of the best content. However, once you see the incredible games offered through these various packages, you’ll see that it’s worth it.

Xbox Game Pass

Requires Signup: Yes
Requires Subscription: Yes
Requires Software download: No

Platforms supported: Xbox

Microsoft has been leading the pack for a while now, with their flagship subscription package, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which will set you back $15 every month (but just $1 for your first month). You can also pay $45 for a three-month subscription.

Some of the games featured on Xbox Game Pass include the Halo Master Chief Collection, Gears 5, Forza Horizon 5, Resident Evil, Hellblade, and Ark: Survival Evolved.

PlayStation Plus

Requires Signup: Yes
Requires Subscription: Yes
Requires Software download: Yes

Platforms supported: PlayStation

PlayStation Plus is the most popular subscription service on PlayStation and offers great discounts on games in the PlayStation store. But the core concept is that Sony will provide a rotation of free games. You also access the PS Plus Collection, a library that features “generation-defining” games released on PS4.

Some of the games that you’ll be able to play online for free in the PlayStation Plus store include Call of Duty Vanguard, NBA 2K22, Lego DC, FIFA 22, Star Wars Battlefront II, Unchartered, among many other incredible titles.

An annual subscription to PlayStation Plus will set you back $60, which is an incredible price, considering that it’s the equivalent to four months of an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription.

Nintendo Switch Online

Requires Signup: Yes
Requires Subscription: Yes
Requires Software download: Yes

Platforms supported: Switch

The Nintendo Switch Online service provides a subscription package for a very reasonable $2 per month and $20 for a full year for Nintendo Switch owners. It comes in an individual or family membership to use the service on multiple consoles.

Some of the games featured in the Nintendo Switch Online library include Mario Kart 8, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Super Smash Bros Ultimate, and many others. However, the library remains fairly limited but is rapidly growing.

Xbox Game Pass for PC

Requires Signup: Yes
Requires Subscription: Yes
Requires Software download: Yes

Platforms supported: Windows

Do you want to get in on the Xbox Game Pass but don’t have an Xbox? A standalone service for PC gamers will cost you $10 per month (also $1 for your first month). It provides unlimited access to all Xbox Originals when the titles are released.

Some of the games available include Total War: Warhammer, Madden NFL22, Ark: Ultimate Survivor Edition, A Plague Tale, and hundreds of other great games.

Ubisoft Plus

Requires Signup: Yes
Requires Subscription: Yes
Requires Software download: Yes

Platforms supported: Windows; Amazon Luna; Google Stadia

Ubisoft is another gaming subscription service that includes access to more than 100 Ubisoft titles like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Far Cry 6, Ghost Recon Breakpoint, and the Settlers.

Top 10 Free-To-Play PC Games

If you’ve found the website that you want to use to get premium games online for free, you’re probably going to struggle to find the best free games because there are just so many of them out there! There are thousands of high-quality free games out there that you may have difficulty figuring out where to begin. But don’t worry, we’ve picked out ten of our favorite free-to-play PC games on the market so that you can get started.

Star Wars: The Old Republic

Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic fans will be incredibly excited to see this MMORPG on our list, even though it isn’t part of a trilogy. It does come with a story, but it’s unrelated to the Knights of the Old Republic plotline, and the game is intended to be played in an online open world with other players.

Unfortunately, Star Wars: The Old Republic was released in 2011, so the graphics are pretty terrible, but you’re still getting an epic experience with several species, classes, ships, companions, and, effectively, a full game – for free!

Just like in Knights of the Old Republic, your decisions can take you on a path to the light side or the dark side, and your character (and your companions) will transform over time while you venture to either end of the spectrum. You can play this game for days on end, and you still wouldn’t have touched the surface of everything that it has to offer.

If you are a Star Wars fan, The Old Republic is one of the best games that you can play online for free.

Fallout Shelter

Fallout Shelter is a vault management sim that allows you to build and manage your vault as an overseer, coordinating and leading your fellow citizens (or dwellers) and keeping them happy by meeting their basic needs. It was also released way back in 2015, but the gameplay is quite basic, and it has a timeless feel thanks to Bethesda’s incredibly keeping it relevant.

It’s not exactly an action-packed, extensive game like the other Fallout games, but it does have a lot to offer for the casual gamer.

Paladins

Fallout Shelter may not be completely action-packed, but Paladins — the multiplayer shooter — most certainly is. With cartoon-like characters, you play in a comical medieval fantasy world with one caveat… there are plenty of guns!

The frantic gameplay and entertaining maps create a genuine paladin experience, especially when you get onto your warhorse. There are many free characters to unlock, giving you a lot of choices and making for a complete experience similar to any premium game.

Dota 2

Dota 2 is one of the most popular free-to-play games of all time. This MOBA puts two teams, made up of five players, against one another in a battle for supremacy, with strategy and teamwork playing a massive role in the outcome. Each player controls a hero who will have various abilities and unique attributes.

There 122 are heroes to choose from, so you’ll have a difficult time choosing your favorite, but rest assured you’re going to be having a lot of fun doing so. It’s also a fairly old game (released in 2013), but the fast-paced, highly intense matches are less about the graphics and mechanics and more about the fight for bragging rights.

EVE: Online

EVE is a space business and battle sim and MMO that has a mind-blowing immersive environment, with World of Warcraft-like access to just about everything. You can get involved in trading, manufacturing, piracy, exploration, and, of course, combat in a futuristic outer space setting.

The game does have a paywall for the outer limits of the map in space, but all of the content that you’re getting makes it worth it to stick with the free-to-play version.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

A free-to-play version of this classic First-Person Shooter was released in 2012 as an MMO with battle royale-inspired modes that puts 18 players against each other in a fight for survival.

There are nine objective-based game modes, such as bomb-planting missions for terrorists and the counter-terrorists mission to stop them.

Destiny 2: New Light

Destiny 2 is an online loot shooter that you can play for free online, which offers an incredible First-Person Shooter experience that can match any premium game out there. It features in-game purchases, but that doesn’t degrade the free-to-play game.

You can play single-player or co-op campaigns, participate in P2P modes and explore a vast open world. However, remember that if you want to be competitive in the P2P modes, you will have to spend some money on gear upgrades.

Call of Duty Warzone

Another classic premium game that has been converted into an online free-to-play game, Call of Duty Warzone, is a battle royale FPS reminiscent of Call of Duty Modern Warfare and Black Ops. It is a cross-platform game that allows you to loot the map and play with your friends in standard multiplayer mode with all the gear you’re already familiar with.

However, the battle royale features of the game uniquely distinguish it from other Call of Duty games, and it fits well with the online setting.

Bombergrounds: BattleRoyale

Bomber Grounds is another battle royale that features on our list of the best games that you can play online for free. It’s a pretty wild journey to play this 24-player game where you play on a gridded battlefield in a competition to be the last man standing. But the kicker is that you just drop bombs, smack each other around and blow up just about everything around you (often including yourself.

Bombergrounds has a real fun factor that makes up for its fairly simple gameplay, engine, and graphics. But, if you’re looking for something to keep you occupied for hours, this is incredibly addictive, and you’re going to struggle to put it down.

Fortnite

It would be a crime not to include Fortnite on this list as one of the most famous free-to-play games. It is another Battle Royale that also brings a building aspect into the gameplay. It also features a creative mode and allows you to host events in the Party Royale mode, creating a virtual hangout space.

However, the intense battle royale is still the key game mode, offering intense action and a vast world packed to the brim with players to keep you on your toes.

Now that you know where to get your games and which games to get, you may have a few questions that you need to be cleared up. Here are a few questions that are related to how to play premium games online for free:

Why Shouldn’t I Just Torrent Games For Free?

There are three main reasons you should avoid torrenting games and downloading them immediately.

Firstly, it’s immoral and shows a lack of support for the game developers who put a lot of time into these games.

Secondly, you might pick up a virus from the untrustworthy sources that are seeding these torrents — remember, the Internet is a dangerous place sometimes.

Thirdly, it’s illegal. Playing games simply isn’t worth the energy it will take for you to dig yourself out of the hole you’ve created. If you are living on a college campus which is likely a monitored internet connection, you may get in trouble or get removed from campus.

What Is DRM, And Can I Lose My Games If The Store Shuts Down?

DRM is digital rights management, which determines whether you can access gaming content, particularly when purchased through platforms like Steam and Xbox Game Pass. It can restrict access to games you’ve downloaded if you haven’t paid your subscription fees or if the stores go down.

If a store is shut down, it means that you will lose access to all of the titles that you own through that store unless they are DRM-free.

How Do Developers Make Money Off Free-To-Play Games?

Free-to-Play games are becoming incredibly popular these days because developers can make a lot of money through two avenues. They can either profit from advertisers’ marketing budgets or through in-app purchases made by players.

So, if you’re going to want to be competitive online, you can’t get by on skill alone; you’re going to have to shell out money for all of the best gear. So, Free-to-Play isn’t quite as free as you think it is.

Key Takeaways

Where To Get Free PC Games Online (Legally)

Console Subscriptions For Free Premium Games

Top 10 Free-To-Play PC Games

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