I’ve always been curious about the few, completely free games released on Steam. Like real DLC-free, IAP-free, standalone games - most of them are short, some are good, some just weird, but in any case I find it interesting to experience those bite-sized, often innovative games.
I couldn’t find any list that tried to be comprehensive, so here’s my effort.
Games are followed by their overall score, plus an asterisk if the game still invites you to buy non-playable goodies (OST/artworks…), another game, or a “pay-what-you-want” tip.
First-person exploration (non-horror)
Moirai (96%)
Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist (93%, cards)
Estranged: Act I (93%) - thanks u/Pixels
Electric Highways (90%)*
The Way of Life (76%)
The NADI Project (64%)
Only If (64%)
First-person exploration (horror)
Port of Call (91%)
Blameless (86%)
Doorways: Old Prototype (86%)*
Medusa’s Labyrinth (82%)
Fingerbones (81%)
the static speaks my name (81%)
Serena (79%)
Passing Pineview Forest (69%)*
The Forgotten Ones (57%)
All Is Dust (44%)
FPS
Shadow Warrior Classic (96%)*
Transmissions: Element 120 (94%)
Fistful of Frags (92%)
Double Action: Boogaloo (92%)
No More Room in Hell (90%)
Fortress Forever (89%) - thanks u/doublah
Red Trigger (89%) - thanks u/Ryyi23
[Sven Co-op] (Sven Co-op on Steam) (88%)
Pirates, Vikings, and Knights II (88%) - thanks u/Crazytalkbob
Cry of Fear (87%)
Empires Mod (86%) - thanks u/GregariousJB
America’s Army: Proving Grounds (76%) - thanks u/TinkleTed
NEOTOKYO (68%) - thanks u/pedro_s
America’s Army 3 (66%)
Uebergame (45%) - thanks u/modstms
Arcade/Platformer
Iron Snout (98%)
The Expendabros (97%)*
The Desolate Hope (94%)
Relic Hunters Zero (94%, cards) - thanks u/gibberish5387
Khimera: Destroy All Monster Girls (94%, cards)* - has one $1 cosmetic
Jigoku Kisetsukan: Sense of the Seasons (93%) - thanks u/Sprecherscrow
You Have to Win the Game (92%)
Pink Hour (92%)*
Echoes+ (92%)* - thanks u/bewarethequemens
Super Crate Box (90%)
Teeworlds (90%) - thanks u/hanitles
You Have 10 Seconds (90%) - thanks u/KneelinBob
Pink Heaven (90%)*
You Have 10 Seconds 2 (87%) - thanks u/KneelinBob
Fork Parker’s Holiday Profit Hike (82%) - thanks u/ZachDaniel
Walkover (62%)
Escape (58%)
ProtoGalaxy (54%)
Codename: Gordon (warning: no store page because reasons) - thanks/u/Tetsumi-
2D adventure (side view)
MANDAGON (95%)*
Sisyphus Reborn (95%)* - thanks u/caelalia
The Plan (91%)
Missing Translation (89%, cards)*
Saira (81%)
Destination Sol (80%)
Famaze (80%)
Color Symphony (74%)*
Antenna (72%)
2D adventure (top-down/RPGs)
Princess Remedy in a World of Hurt (98%)* - thanks u/GreekyGeekFreaks
Eternal Senia (97%)
Trick & Treat (97%)*
Epic Battle Fantasy 3 (94%) - thanks u/RaitoGG
The Cat and the Coup (92%) - thanks u/zsloss
Close Your Eyes (87%, cards)*
Jesus Christ RPG Trilogy (80%)*
Take the Dream IX (79%)
Simulation
Altitude (2D Dogfight, 93%)
Trackmania Nations Forever (Arcade racing, 91%) - thanks u/ApolloNaught
Moonbase Alpha (NASA mission, 90%) - thanks u/Derrits
BallisticNG (WipeOut-like racing, 89%) - thanks u/Siaiion
Endless Sky (Spaceships, 88%) - thanks u/Linen42
Viridi (Plants, 88%)* - thanks u/spazman5190
Air Brawl (Multiplayer dogfight, 74%) - thanks u/o4zloiroman
Simutrans (Transportation, 73%) - thanks u/Hiddnsaccade
Copa Petrobras de Marcas (Racing, 58%) - thanks u/windowsphoneguy
Puzzles/Minimal games
PRICE (96%, cards)*
Floating point (95%) - thanks u/theydeletedme
Sigils of Elohim (93%)
Picross Touch (77%) - thanks u/FuckTwoXandAww
Think To Die (72%)
Among Ripples (71%)
Shadow Hunter (56%)
Point & Click
The Old Tree (90%)
Heroine’s Quest: The Herald of Ragnarok (87%) - thanks u/mediumogre
A Date in the Park (87%)* - thanks u/Sataaa
Freshman Year (57%)
Visual novels/Text adventures
Disturbed (95%) - thanks u/NoOneWalksInAtlanta
Everlasting Summer (94%)
SC2VN - The eSports Visual Novel (93%) - thanks u/ExoTheMage
Sunrider: Mask of Arcadius (93%) - thanks u/Greggler
Lucid9: Inciting Incident (93%) - thanks u/lolazer
Narcissu 1st & 2nd (93%)* - thanks u/AllEchse
Who Is Mike - A Visual Novel (91%) - thanks u/Dyslexxia
Emily is Away (89%, cards)
Sepia Tears (89%)
Frosty Kiss (87%)
CUPID - A free to play Visual Novel (86%) - thanks u/upset_platypous
Seduce Me the Otome (86%)
To Burn in Memory (84%) - thanks u/SolongStarbird
Mainland (84%)
Rising Angels: Reborn (79%)
Written in the Sky (78%)
Invisible Apartment (70%)*
One Manga Day (56%)*
Depression Quest (55%)
Other
Alien Swarm (Multiplayer shooter, 95%)
Subspace Continuum (2D space MMO, 86%) - thanks u/moofree
Honey Rose: Underdog Fighter Extraordinaire (Fighting/Visual novel, 85%, cards)* - thanks u/MojoJotaro
how do you Do It? (Mini-game, 85%)
404Sight (Parkour, 84%) - thanks u/potatodos
COIL (Experimental, 82%)
One Troll Army (Strategy, 82%)* - has one $2 cosmetic
Dev Guy (Mini-games, 80%)
Ortus Regni (Non-collectible card game, 78%) - thanks u/defonline
In Case of Emergency, Release Raptor (Action, 68%) - thanks u/Commiesalami
Crown and Council (Strategy, 60%) - thanks u/Iamahelper
Curse of Mermos (Hack & Slash, 54%)
[BONUS] Games-popular-in-the-comments-whose-purchases-are-reportedly-purely-cosmetic-anyway-I-can’t-promise-they-won’t-eat-your-wallet
Team Fortress 2 (Multiplayer FPS, 94%)
DotA 2 (MOBA, 90%)
Some more for which purchases are not strictly cosmetic: Path of Exile, Planetside 2, Warframe, Paladins, War Thunder, Unturned
Notes: I didn’t put VR games by choice. Otherwise if there’s anything I should add (or remove) feel free to tell! Thanks to all the people who helped making this list, with an honorable mention to that 2015 post by u/fabiomello (stumbled upon it afterwards, still helped me retrieve a dozen more games).
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