PC gamers have never had it better. Not a day goes by without a new game hitting the market. Sounds expensive, right? But don't worry, as there are heaps of amazing free PC games available.

In fact, there are so many free games to play, it's difficult figuring out where to spend your time. Here are the best free PC games in 2023. And the "Genre Alternatives" are all free too.

1. Fortnite

Epic Games' Fortnite Battle Royale took the world by storm in 2017. It hasn't let up, attracting more players and more viewers and launching on more video game platforms since the initial launch.

The free-to-play battle royale space is hotly contested. No matter what other development teams bring to the table, Fortnite's combination of hectic cartoon-style action and ease of access beats the opposition out.

Also, Epic Games keeps Fortnite fresh. There is a constant stream of new content arriving in the game, luring players to find better skins for their in-game character, the weapons, and, of course, Fortnite's trademark winning dances.

Not only that, but Epic Games is constantly evolving the Fortnite world, pushing forward the game's narrative through changes to the map.

For example, part of the way through one of the early Fortnite seasons, an enormous meteor appeared in the sky above the game map. The meteor gradually approached, before crashing into an area of the map known as Dusty Depot, changing the area into Dusty Divot, and sprinkling the rest of the map with smaller craters.

Then, in Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 1, an entirely new island appeared for users to battle across, introducing heaps of new weapons, powers, and of course, player models and poses. Then, when Chapter 4 Season 2 launched at the end of 2022, the map was given another overhaul, bringing in a vibrant Neo-Tokyo art style, with a new mythical weapon to try and win.

Download: Fortnite for Windows or macOS (Free on Epic Games Launcher)

Genre Alternatives: H1Z1 Battle Royale | Apex Legends | Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0

2. Dwarf Fortress Classic

Dwarf Fortress is probably the most intriguing, enchanting, and infuriating game ever made. Developers, Bay 12 Games, continues to update Dwarf Fortress for free. So, what is it?

You can play Dwarf Fortress as a roguelike, a management sim, an exploration tale, and more. That's because the possibilities are endless as you attempt to keep your colony of dwarves alive, happy, fed, and working.

The original graphics set is off-putting. There's no beating about the bush. It makes the extensive (and sometimes fiddly) controls challenging to get to grips with. However, numerous wonderful community tilesets turn the original Dwarf Fortress into a colorful, more accessible proposition.

At the end of 2022, Dwarf Fortress received its biggest-ever update, officially launching on Steam and bringing in a heap of quality-of-life upgrades to make the game more accessible. The new version hasn't been without teething issues, mind, and we've previously looked at how to fix Dwarf Fortress crashing on Windows.

The Steam version costs $29.99, but you can still play the original version, now known as Dwarf Fortress Classic, for free.

Download: Dwarf Fortress for Windows | macOS | Linux (Free)

Genre Alternatives: Brogue | Nethack

3. Path of Exile

Path of Exile is one for fans of Diablo and other dungeon-crawling RPGs. Originally released in 2013, Path of Exile continues receiving regular updates and is now a top-ranking free-to-play game.

The storyline isn't fantastic, hitting those classic RPG tropes: washed up, lost, clothed in rags, fight to become the ultimate beast slayer. However, Path of Exile does create a unique identity with its extensive skill trees, an incredible range of loot, and the new bosses, game systems, and play styles regularly arriving.

Download: Path of Exile for Windows (Free on Steam)

Genre Alternatives: Path of Diablo | Neverwinter

4. Magic: The Gathering Arena

Magic: The Gathering Arena is the free-to-play digital collectible card game that brings Magic: The Gathering (MTG) to your PC.

MTG Arena is far from the first digital iteration of the phenomenally popular tabletop battle card game. It is, however, the first digital version of MTG that follows the meta of the tabletop version, allowing players to create decks that match the expansions of the physical game.

In that, MTG Arena closely resembles a physical game of MTG, too. You still play land cards to build mana, build a personal deck, and open packs to find new and rare booster cards.

While MTG Arena is free-to-play, it uses a freemium model that allows microtransactions and booster pack purchases. As a result, you might encounter someone with a premium deck every now and then, but there are huge amounts of MTA Arena players sticking to free decks, booster packs, and so on.

Furthermore, although the game closely resembles the physical game, you don't need any experience to start playing. The game includes plenty of tutorials explaining how the various game systems work and some basic strategies. The video tutorial at the start of this section is a good starting point for those entirely new to Magic: The Gathering Arena.

One other MTG Arena feature we like are the animations. For years, MTG was a static tabletop game. Now, MTG Arena brings your cards to life with awesome explosions and swirling summons.

Download: Magic: The Gathering Arena for Windows or macOS (Free)

Genre Alternatives: Hearthstone | Gwent | The Elder Scrolls: Legends | Legends of Runeterra | Duelyst II

5. Destiny 2

Destiny 2 went free-to-play in 2019, opening Bungie's online-only first-person shooter up to the masses. At the same time, developers Bungie reworked weapons, armor classes, content drops, and the power level cap to encourage players old and new to plow into the new content. As well as this, new Destiny 2 game modes appeared, as well as new interplanetary locations to explore.

The result is an expansive space-shooter with three different factions, all vying to control the Destiny 2 universe. I'm not going to lie. Getting stuck into Destiny 2 in 2023 isn't the easiest of tasks, given how many iterations and updates the game has undergone since its 2017 launch. And I say this as someone who played hundreds of hours of Destiny 2 after it launched and in the following years. The introduction to Destiny 2 in 2023 guide at the top of this section should help to ease you in, as despite how confusing the Destiny 2 universe can seem, it's all built on a fantastic game.

Even if you don't dive deep into Destiny 2, it is worth exploring for the often mindboggling landscapes and extraordinary dungeons you wind through. Oh, and the Sparrows are awesome to whizz around on, too.

Download: Destiny 2 (Free on Steam)

Genre Alternatives: Planetside 2 | Warframe

6. StarCraft II

In 2017, Blizzard released StarCraft II for free, making one of the best real-time strategy (RTS) games of all time free-to-play. The free-to-play offering covers the original StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty single-player campaign but not the follow-ups, Heart of the Swarm, Legacy of the Void, or Nova Covert Ops.

The free version of StarCraft II also allows you to access the ranked multiplayer league tables. Again, we're not sure why you would subject yourself to such a torturous ordeal, but each to their own.

Download: StarCraft II for Windows | macOS (Free on Battle.net)

Genre Alternatives: StarCraft | Total War Battles: Kingdom | OpenRA | Twisted Insurrection

7. Dota 2

Compared to the many other free-to-play MOBAs, Dota 2 is probably the best and most well-known, establishing the classic format for MOBAs as we know them.

It has a steep learning curve, with many reckoning that you're still only a beginner after sinking hundreds if not thousands of hours into the game. Then there is the notoriously passionate player base that can be less-than-welcoming to newcomers, other players, and generally anyone who plays the game. In fact, according to an Anti-Defamation League study, Dota 2 consistently ranks as one of the games where players report receiving the most abuse.

So yes, fun and games, if you're thick-skinned. But also, the level of depth, tactics, and challenge make Dota 2 one of the best free games. The number of unique characters is also unmatched in a free MOBA, with Dota 2 offering you more than 100 characters to choose from, all free. Where other MOBAs offer a handful of characters and lock the best options behind a paywall, Dota 2 gives you access to everything.

Then, if you're good enough, you can join Dota 2's extensive eSports scene, where tournament winners can net millions of dollars in prize money. There really is something for everyone!

Download: Dota 2 for Windows (Free on Steam)

Genre Alternatives: League of Legends | Smite | Eternal Return

8. Planetside 2

Planetside 2 is an MMOFPS where you battle to secure different areas across continental maps. With up to 2,000 concurrent players participating in the battle, Planetside 2 knows something about epic scale. You can take part in a single fight for hours, log off for a few hours, then log back in to find the same battle waging.

The biggest difference players coming from Battlefield or Call of Duty will find is the time it takes to master and level up weapons and skills. It certainly takes longer to increase those specific skills. However, it isn't a grind as the battles ebb and flow, and you are not restricted to approaching the battle from a single direction (or vehicle, for that matter).

Download: Planetside 2 (Free on Steam)

Genre Alternatives: None. Nothing touches the scale of Planetside 2 without a price tag.

9. TrackMania

TrackMania has gone through many evolutions since its first launch in 2003. The latest version launched in 2020, once again titled TrackMania, and the free-to-play racing game brings many of the best elements of the series into a single title.

In TrackMania, you're tasked with driving a high-powered vehicle around a circuit. TrackMania's circuits are often filled with outrageous turns, loops, spirals, helixes, and different road surfaces, with some TrackMania circuits bending the laws of physics and potentially your brain with it.

Furthermore, while TrackMania is an online free-to-play racing game, and you absolutely are racing against other players, your biggest opponent is typically yourself. Learning TrackMania's controls is relatively simple, but mastering them to shave those crucial tenths from your times is what will take you up the leaderboards.

Download: TrackMania (Free on Steam)

Genre Alternatives: Marbles on Stream | GPRO | Death Rally Classic

10. Warframe

For a free game, Warframe packs in a substantial amount of content. Not least the hoverboard skating mode. But in terms of running and gunning (as compared to Path of Exile's hacking and slashing), the incredible range of weapons, load-outs, and play styles, there is a lot to take in.

There are massive open-world areas to explore, an extensive storyline, and the game receives regular content updates. The volume of content can become a little overwhelming, at least to begin with. Learning the numerous game systems takes some time, and figuring out crafting and blueprinting can also feel a bit confusing.

Thankfully, the Warframe community is one of the friendliest around, so don't be afraid to ask a question. Someone is bound to have asked it before.

Download: Warframe for Windows (Free on Steam)

Genre Alternatives: Double Action: Boogaloo | Brink | Team Fortress 2 | Caliber

11. EverQuest

Head back to one of the oldest MMOs around to build your characters through 110 levels, over 500 zones, and countless questlines. Yes, EverQuest is still going strong 20+ years on.

As a testament to the game, The Burning Lands expansion was the 25th content expansion, introducing new zones, raids, quests, and spells. It hit the market in 2018—19 years after the original game.

The graphics may look a little dated, but EverQuest holds up in so many other areas. You and a group of friends have thousands of hours of questing across Norrath ahead.

Download: EverQuest for Windows (Free on Steam)

Genre Alternatives: EverQuest II | Rift | Guild Wars 2 | Runescape | EVE Online | Maplestory 2

12. OpenTTD

OpenTTD is one of the best old PC games still worth playing to this day.

The open-source version of Chris Sawyer's classic Transport Tycoon Deluxe brings heaps of quality-of-life updates, multiplayer support, and a phenomenal amount of additional content through the integrated BaNaNa's content manager. In addition, you'll find hundreds of handcrafted trainsets, building sets, new game modes, scripts, and much more.

Furthermore, you can massively extend the base game, adding heaps of new industries and supply chains that ramp up the game's complexity and force you to create more elaborate transport networks.

In 2021, OpenTTD made its first full appearance on Steam, making it easier to integrate with your existing game library. But the standalone is also still available.

Download: OpenTTD for Windows | Steam (Both Free)

Genre Alternatives: Crusader Kings II | Simutrans | FreeCiv

13. Brawlhalla

2D multiplayer fighting game Brawlhalla is the closest you'll get to playing Super Smash Bros. on your PC. The characters are all different, of course, but Brawlhalla's hectic platform fighting game packs in heaps of fun.

In Brawhalla, the health bar system works differently from how you might expect. Your bar does tick down with each hit, changing from white to yellow, orange, red, and finally, black. The further your color bar moves into the red, the further each hit knocks you, making it harder to stop yourself from being flung from the platform and, ultimately, to your doom.

The controls are also seemingly more simple than in other fighting games, too. You have a light attack and a heavy attack, can jump three times in a row, and can wall jump as much as you want. Then you have the weapons powerups specific to your character that can change a game when they appear, so long as you grab one fast.

The only major downside to Brawlhalla is that despite being a free-to-play game, the best content is locked behind paywalls (which is one of the biggest differences between a free game and a free-to-play game). Still, you can have a great time with the free content.

Download: Brawhalla for Windows (Free on Steam)

Genre Alternatives: Smash Legends | Dead or Alive 5 Last Round | Bacon May Die

14. Rocket League

There was a time when Rocket League wasn't free-to-play. But in 2019, Epic Games bought Rocket League developer Psyonix in a deal estimated at around $250-300 million. Rocket League became an Epic Games title, with new users shunted from Steam to the Epic Games Launcher, where there is no longer a price tag to play the world's best rocket-powered battle-car soccer game.

Rocket League maintains an extremely strong following years after its release, with tens of millions of users playing each month. The game now features heaps of cosmetic items, car skins, loot boxes, and more, but you don't need any of that to get stuck into the mayhem. What's most interesting about Rocket League is that the boundaries of the game are still expanding. The top players are pushing the limits of what can be done with the game's cars, maps, balls, and physics, which keeps the in-game meta moving.

Then there's the ultra-competitive eSports scene, where top teams compete to win huge prizes. What surprises me the most is how far Rocket League has come and how it continues to transform without having to reinvent itself. As someone with just shy of 1,000 hours in-game (but not played since 2019), the sheer skill level of some players is mindboggling.

But you don't need to be amazing at freestyling or be able to do a flip-reset to enjoy Rocket League. It's the best fun with a few friends, smashing the ball around, seeing what crazy goals you can score.

Download: Rocket League for Windows (Free on Epic Games)

Genre Alternatives: There is nothing that compares to Rocket League, period.

Are These the Best Free PC Games?

This is a substantial list of the best free PC games to play in 2023. It covers a vast range of genres, and with the alternatives offered, you have more than 50 free PC games to consider.

Believe it or not, this only scratches the surface of the number of free games for PC. Steam has heaps of free games, and you'll plenty on Epic Games, too. Then you've got the vast number of free titles on GOG and Itch, and that's without even considering the vast catalog of abandonware titles you can play using something like DOSBox.