Gamers from around the globe are sitting at home because of the corona outbreak. Finally having time to finish, say, The Witcher 3, is great, but maybe you feel like playing something new. For those gamers, here are 10 great games you can try out for free during the corona crisis.
Before we start a quick explanation of the list. Of course, many of you might want to recommend Apex Legends, Fortnite, Hearthstone, or Call of Duty: Warzone, but we’ve aimed for a different list today. Don’t get us wrong, we love Apex (and kinda like Warzone), but this list features games of high production value (with one exception) that you may have missed. Also, if we’ve missed your favorite temporarily free or free-to-play game in this article, make sure to leave it in the comments below!
Destiny 2
Destiny 2 is Bungies take on the ‘looter shooter’ genre, mixing sci-fi shooter elements with 4-player co-op. There’s also plenty of RPG stuff in there, along with constant updates and new content. And yes, it is free-to-play! Starting in June of 2019, Destiny 2 is playable free of charge. And the best part is that it supports cross platform play so you can play with your friends, regardless of platform.
Available on: PC (Steam), PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Walking Simulator
Walking Simulator is a high-production, immersive, beautifully acted, insanely weird, wildly unique Social Strand System game. It features some of the best known Hollywood actors and pioneers a unique new game genre. The game is developed by legendary Japanese game developer Hideo Koj… Hold up, that’s Death Stranding! Walking Simulator is a shameless rip-off of that game without, you know, all the polish or quality. But damn us if it isn’t hilarious too. Just try it!
Available on: PC (Steam)
Crusader Kings 2
Developed by Paradox, this grand strategy game gives you the tools to start your own medieval kingdom. Unlike the other games by Paradox (like Hearts of Iron and Europa Universalis) this game focuses on a dynasty. And you have complete control over it. Build up a court, manage vassal states, and fight to conquer Europe. There’s also a bunch of DLC (paid) that throws in a lot of extra sauce, along with many mods (like Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones conversion mods) that greatly prolong the lifespan of this game.
Available on: PC (Steam)
Stanley Parable
The crazy exploration game that is Stanley Parable gives you a thought provoking narrative to unravel. It’s both highly repayable and deterrent due to it’s interpretive subject matter. The official description of the game encapsulates it best: “You will play as Stanley, and you will not play as Stanley. You will follow a story, you will not follow a story. You will have a choice, you will have no choice. The game will end, the game will never end.”
Available on: PC (Epic Games Store)
Free until: 3/26/2020
War Thunder
While World of Tanks is definitely the more well known free-to-play tank simulator, War Thunder is arguably the better one. It focuses on historical accuracy over mainstream appeal, while also honing in on the more realistic aspects of tank warfare. And while World of Tanks diversified later, War Thunder focused on large scale, multi-faceted vehicular combat from the start. So not only tanks, but also planes and warships fight on a huge battlefield. Plenty of MMO-aspects, RPG-mechanics, and of course, mechanized warfare to go around.
Available on: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Crossout
Crossout is both similar and completely different from the previous entry on our list. While also focusing on vehicular combat, Crossout is set in a post-apocalyptic world, with no historical context whatsoever. Think Mad Max meets… well Mad Max (with Mel Gibson). Here’s the catch: you fight against both players and A.I. in self-built vehicles. Every part of a war-car is freely place-able in the in-depth customization screen. So besides battling it out against other cars, there’s a whole mini-game of actually building your vehicle and it’s great!
The game features a physics based damage mechanic and a very clever matching-system that pits players of approximately the same ‘power level’ against each other. You have to see for yourself how creative people get with their bumpers, chainsaws, and Chevy grills. Both highly strategic, and deliciously arcade-y.
Available on: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Cuisine Royale
‘Oh great’, you think, ‘another F2P battle royale. Well, yes, but this one is different. Quite literally. Cuisine Royale (coincidentally from the same developer as War Thunder) markets itself as the ‘craziest battle royale’ out there. And it’s not hard to see why. Players use the classic PUBG pan as armor for their head, shoulders, legs, and even buttocks. Yup, you read that right. You can also go into ‘beast mode’ with one character, briefly running on all fours and werewolving your way to a win.
The game is both a spoof of the whole genre, and a solid entry in the battle royale genre. Filled to the brim with quirky items and WWII weaponry, it contrasts against some of the more serious battle royale games out there. You can run around with an IV bag plugged into your arm for passive health regeneration. It’s silly, but also surprisingly fun and complex.
Available on: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Watch Dogs
While Watch Dogs-fans are still waiting for the delayed third entry in the franchise, the first one is free as we speak. It combines open world gameplay inspired by GTA with the hacking of Mr. Robot. Playing as Aiden Pearce, players have complete digital control over the streets of Chicago, while they unravel this hacking mystery surrounding kidnapping and conspiracies. A must-play for open-world fans, and free for just a few more days.
Available on: PC (Epic Games Store)
Free until: 3/26/2020
Also available (but not for free) for: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U
Smite
Even though almost everyone that plays MOBA’s are playing either League of Legends or Dota 2, there’s another, lesser-known MOBA out there. Smite turns this wildly popular genre on it’s head though, by ditching the top-down view for a more personal third-person perspective. It features many different characters, Gods, with unique powers and abilities. Oh, and they’re all based on mythological figures.
Available on: PC (Steam), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Heroes & Generals
Lastly today, Heroes & Generals is an ambitious first-person shooter set in WWII. Players participate in a large-scale battle featuring infantry, airplanes, tanks, and transport vehicles. Battles aren’t self-contained like in most shooters. Instead, Heroes & Generals features a massive war, fought on many fronts. This means that battles are persistent in a way. The game focuses on all sorts of (Battlefield-like) combat, where players have the option to choose to participate in whatever way they want.
Available on: PC (Steam)