Top 10 Free Games on Steam Store to Play in 2020

In this era of Video Gaming, many of us keep searching always for some new & interesting games to play, and when it comes to games there is no better place than Steam Server. There are millions of players out there, but not all of them can buy the big title games, as most of them do cost a lot. Also, many players do no possess hi-fi hardware specifications in their PC, which would let them play the latest resource-hungry titles. So, what they can do to play games? Yes, the best way to looking for games that are free to play. Whether you want to play a Massive Multiplayer Online game, or a PvP competitive game, or a strategy game, you can find some games from all of these genres for free from Steam Servers. On the other hand, there are also many players out there who know about steam and their huge library collection but do not know which are the best free games there and where to start.

In this article, I am going to discuss the best and most played free games on the Steam Server library and going discuss the genre of those games along with the reason to try those games.

Why Should you look for free Games

  • As the games are free for everyone, as a gamer it is your right to have access to those games.
  • Many of the competitive games do come for free actually, so if you ignore free games just by thinking there is nothing in them or they may contain a small community then you are wrong.
  • Sometimes you may feel like not spending on some games, but want to play something new, so yes even for the regular buyers of video games, the budget can be a problem sometimes.
  • The most important reason for opting for the free games is supporting Anti piracy on games. As many of the players who can not buy games or do not want to buy games, they tend to opt for the pirated copy of the games from various torrent distribution websites, which is actually a very bad practice and illegal as well. If you can not buy the game, then wait for some offers to come so that you can grab the game for free, just like on 14th Feb 2020 the Grant Theft Auto V Premium Edition has gone for a free offer on Epic Game Store. So, opting for the free games would keep one from playing the pirated games, and would also keep supporting anti-piracy.
  • Opting for free games would let you access the genuine product from the developers which would let you receive all official updates, bug fixes, etc. Also, you would be able to join the official community of the game, so looking for genuine products over pirated products is always profitable.

Best Free Games to Play from Steam Server

1. Counter-Strike – Global Offensive

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Counter-Strike is one of the top five biggest titles ever, and all kinds of gamers around the world know the name of Counter-Strike. Almost 80% of gamers around the world played Counter-Strike at least once in their life.

It is a fairly very old franchise, which is being operated since the year 2000. Counter-Strike is a hugely popular game and also one of the biggest names when it comes to esports. So, playing this game is not just good for fun, but also you can make new friends and also you would have the chance to participate in various gaming events.

Also, Counter-Strike is a very good game live streamers and Content Creators, so you will have a full-on the package with this game.

The earlier version of the Counter-Strike used to be paid games, but the latest edition Counter Strike – Global Offensive (known as CS GO) is free to play at Steam Store.

  • Genre – Online Multiplayer, First Person Shooter, Competitive, Pro esports
  • Developer – Valve Corporation
  • Platform – Windows, Mac, Linux


Why to try Counter-Strike?

  • Counter-Strike is a masterpiece game, which every gamer and should try.
  • CS GO is a very good time killer, and you can play with & against other real players even if you do not have any friends.
  • CS GO is one of the biggest names in the world of esports, so you will have a chance to prove your skill in many events.
  • Most of the Colleges and Universities organize annual competitions, where Counter-Strike is the most played Video Game, along with FIFA and NFS, but CS is the only free game that you can play and practice for free.
  • CS GO runs on very low-end hardware and very old PCs as it requires a very low amount of resources, hence if you are using a 10-year-old PC then also you can play CS GO in 60 FPS in that PC.
  • If you are a PUBG or Fortnite player, then also playing CS GO may be beneficial for you as Counter-Strike develops better reflex action and quick response abilities within the players, which might give you an upper hand in other fighting games as well.

2. DOTA 2

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Here comes the 2nd most popular competitive MOBA genre game in the world. Yes after League of Legends (known as LOL), DOTA 2 is the most popular MOBA Genre game around the world.

DOTA 2 is not just a game, it is a world of its own. This game is so popular and so intense that you may find online coaching classes, many mobile applications that will teach & train you for the DOTA 2 game.

Learning the basics of DOTA 2 is very easy, but mastering DOTA 2 is hard as hell. If you love playing hard to master the game, then DOTA 2 is the real challenge for you. It is one of the top five most popular esports games around the world.

Also, if you are League of Legends player, and you do not like the toxic community and player behavior in LOL, then you should try DOTA 2 as here the community is as big as LOL, but much more supportive and way less toxic then League of Legends.

Apart from all these, if you are somehow interested in discovering the strategy game genre, then DOTA 2 is the perfect stop for you.

Yes, it is a fairly old game, which is in the market since 2011 as an open beta, and since 2013 as an official release. Though the DOTA franchises are in business since 2003, with the DOTA 1, which is not available anymore.

  • Genre – MOBA, Strategy Game, Competitive esports
  • Developer – Valve Corporation
  • Platform – Windows, Mac, Linux, VR Supported

Why to play DOTA 2?

  • The 2nd most popular MOBA Strategy around the world.
  • There are the highest no. of events are organized in the esports sector for DOTA 2 around the world.
  • DOTA 2 contains the biggest Prize Pool Money for the professional esports competitions.
  • The community is better in terms of supporting new players, and much less toxic behavior can be expected than League of Legends.
  • Probably the best strategy game available in the market. DOTA 2 is so good and so addictive that you may keep playing this game for 5 years without getting bored.
  • Due to many world level competitions in DOTA 2, if you proved to be good enough you may end representing your country and at those platforms.
  • The game does not require any GPU or a huge amount of RAM. It just needs a little bit of CPU power as this game is a little CPU heavy game. So you can play this game in low-end PCs or in old PCs easily.
  • To play this at the pro level, you do not need any gaming keyboard, gaming mouse or gaming headphones, even those players with 240hz monitors won’t get any benefit over you, even if you are playing the game at 50-60 FPS.
  • Huge community support, regular updates, and the lag-free, glitch-bug free environment make DOTA 2 a real masterclass pro-level game to spend your time with.
  • DOTA 2 is the only VR Supported MOBA game.

3. Destiny 2

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Now Destiny is a very recent game if you compare it with the other games on this list. Destiny 2 released in Sept 2017 and this game is available in the Steam Store for free.

It is a different type of game, and Destiny 2 has a vibe like the normal commercial role-play shooter games. It features an FPS gameplay, with storyline based gameplay, but in an open online Multiplayer mode.

Though Destiny 2 is a Multiplayer game, it is not a competitive game at all. You can do co-op missions while teaming up with real players and playing against system defined stages and enemies based on your level.

Also, you can do co-op missions against another team of real players as well. As most online Multiplayer games tend to be competitive, and many players like co-op but do not feel like playing competitive games, if you are one of them, then Destiny 2 is for you.

See: Destiny 2 Season 11 Launch updates- “Black Box” Season

  • Genre – FPS, Multiplayer Co-Op, Looter Shooter Action
  • Developer – Bungie Studios (The same studio developed HALO series)
  • Platform – Windows

Why should you play Destiny 2?

  • Destiny 2 is an off bit game in the are of free Multiplayer games. So you will have a completely unique experience while playing the game.
  • There are other latest games like Ghost Recon Wildlands, Ghost Recon BreakPoint, etc, where you can play co-op against system designed levels to have a fun time with your friends, but all of those games and other similar games do not come for free. But Destiny 2 comes for free with the same type of gameplay and features. So, in the world of Multiplayer Co-Op non-competitive games, Destiny 2 is probably the best free games and the latest game that you can play without spending a dime.
  • Destiny 2 is relatively a new game, so this game features awesome graphics, which you may not get in any other free to play the game. Though you would be needing a powerful gaming PC to run this game in 60+FPS with High graphics settings, Destiny 2 worth it, especially when the game comes for free.
  • Destiny 2 has many mysteries to be discovered and many rare and hard unlockable weapons and skins within the game. Uncovering all those would take time, and the journey is quite interesting and fun. It is a very good game for amateur players who do not want to get involved with the try-hard mentality of competitive games.

4. SMITE

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SMITE is another MOBA game just like DOTA 2 or League of Legends, but with some new tricks and turns here and there. The playable characters in SMITE are quite unique than the other MOBA games, and it is very interesting to learn them.

It is relatively a new MOBA game, as it was released in March 2014. The graphics of SMITE is quite more attractive than the DOTA 2 and the League of Legends. SMITE is gaining its popularity day by day.

In some regions like South Korea and Japan, SMITE has become even more popular than the DOTA 2 or LOL. SMITE is actually a Real-time Strategy game, which features a very promising competitive gaming to the players.

The community is huge and quite polite in comparison to the other MOBA games. For any new players to the MOBA field, SMITE and DOTA 2 are better options than the most famous LOL.

  • Genre – MOBA, Real-Time Strategy, Online Multiplayer, Competitive
  • Developer – Titan Forge Games
  • Platform – Windows


Why should you try SMITE?

  • Relatively new in the MOBA genre.
  • The community is quite good and not as abusive or toxic like LOL or DOTA 2.
  • The characters are much more unique and more engaging than DOTA 2 or League of Legends.
  • Regular updates, bugs free, cheat-free environment
  • A true competitive game in the real-time strategy genre, and has the potential to be the biggest name in the esports field.
  • Many esports events are happening around the world, on SMITE so it is a good game for the wannabe pro players.
  • Though SMITE is a new game, the graphics are very much optimized to run the game on the low-end PCs as well. So, low-end PC users won’t have any trouble playing the game in 60+ FPS.
  • SMITE is becoming popular day by day, so it is high time to try SMITE, so you can become a pro player before most of the MOBA players switch to these games.

5. Warframe

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Here comes the most popular Online Multiplayer Co-Op non-competitive game Warframe. If you like games like Destiny 2, then Warframe is a good choice for you.

Warframe is older than Destiny 2, as it was released in 2013. Though the graphical quality of Warframe is quite inferior to Destiny 2, if you like playing online Multiplayer co-op games, then new levels and new kinds of challenges may appeal to you and Warframe will provide you just the same.

  • Genre – FPS, Looter Shooter Action, Co-Op Multiplayer
  • Developer – Digital extremes and Panic Button Games
  • Platform – Windows

Why should you play Warframe?

  • As Warframe is a Co-Op Multiplayer game, you would have a good time and fun gameplay with your friends or random other players.
  • Very interactive and addictive gameplay. The graphics are quite decent and can be played with low-end gaming PCs with a decent graphics card.
  • The game receives regular updates, and a newly designed mission regularly.
  • Warframe has big active community support with it, so you can discuss any problem within the community thread page at Steam.
  • Warframe is a worthy game for spending time, and especially when it is free to play the game, there are not many cons derive.

6. Team Fortress 2

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Team Fortress 2 is a very popular FPS genre game. The game is very simple, and the map of the game is also quite small which needed to be played tactically, just like Counter-Strike.

Though the game is not like CS at all. Team Fortress 2 is classified as a Hero Shooter, Multiplayer FPS game. Team Fortress 2 was released in 2007, since then the popularity of the game has risen gradually till date.

Team Fortress 2 is also developed by Valve Corporation, and you all know the quality and performance of the Valve Games. It runs on a very low end and even 10-15 years old PCs with good FPS. Though Team Fortress 2 has a competitive mode it can only be accessed via a premium TF2 account, apart from that the TF2 competitive is not as popular as it should be.

  • Genre – Multiplayer, Co-Op, Competitive, FPS, Hero Shooter Action
  • Developer – Valve Corporation
  • Platform – Windows, Mac, Linux

Why to try Team Fortress 2?

  • A very good game for all kinds of age groups.
  • Very simple to learn and very simple to master game this is.
  • TF2 is an old game, which does not require much hardware juice, so good for old PC users.
  • Team Fortress 2 still receives regular updates and bug fixes from the developers.
  • Though it is a simple and old game, the popularity perceives this game, as it is still featured in the top 10 free games in Steam Store’s list.
  • A very addictive and time killer type of game this is.

7. War Thunder

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This game is fairly popular, and become even more popular when the famous Twitch streamer and YouTuber Shroud played this game on stream and made videos a couple of videos on this game.

War Thunder is a War game as the name implies itself. War Thunder is actually a war simulator game with all the three main aspects of modern-day warfare, i.e. Army, Navy, Airforce.

If you select to play from the army side you will be playing a Tank battle game, while in Navy you would be playing marine warfare using Warships and in the Airforce you would play as a pilot of various Fighter Jets.

All three aspects of the game are really enjoyable, addictive. The performance of the game even on mid-level PC and the old PCs are quite good. The graphics are not very best but satisfying as a free game. War Thunder was released in 2012 and since then the game has a decent no of the player base and good community support.

  • Genre – World War 2 Simulation Fighting, Multiplayer, Co-Op.
  • Developer – Gaijin Entertainment
  • Platform – Windows, Mac, Linux, VR Supported

 Why to play War Thunder?

  • War Thunder is a game best combination of War Simulation Triad
  • One of the best free games for VR gaming
  • The graphics are very good.
  • Personally I loved the Airborne Fighting, as controlling the Jets and shooting mechanism of Jets are quite more attractive and easy to learn at the same time.
  • This game is made for all ages of players.
  • War Thunder is a pretty optimized game that will provide you a good performance even on your weak PC, though a dedicated GPU is needed for 60+ FPS.

8. World of Tanks Blitz

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If you liked the War Thunder’s Tank fighting part, then you are going to love this game, as this game is just the same but features the Tank Fighting gameplay only. Though World of Tanks features much more detailed aspects of Tank fighting and also features various modern tanks that are not present in War Thunder.

World of War Tanks was released in May 2014; since then the game maintained a decent no of players and a good interactive community.

  • Genre – Tank Fight, Multiplayer, Co-Op, non-Competitive
  • Developer – Wargaming.net
  • Platform – Windows, Mac

Why to play World of Tanks?

  • A good for kids
  • A good time killer and entertainer for free
  • Good for the Army lovers and Tank Lovers
  • Good for playing in low-end PCs.
  • A good choice for free amateur gaming.

9. World of Warships

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Just like World of Tanks, this game only features the maritime Warship fighting. You can say this is a rip off from the War Thunder’s maritime warfare part.

Good Naval Combat experience and detailed maritime warfare aspects can be found in World of Warships than the War Thunder.

This game was developed in 2015, so the graphics quality is quite good, and also World of Warships was developed by the same studio as the World of Tanks.

  • Genre – Naval fight, Multiplayer, Co-Op, non-Competitive
  • Developer – Wargaming.net
  • Platform – Windows, Mac

Why to play World of Warships

  • A fairly good gaming experience just like the World of Tanks and the War Thunder but only meant for the Naval Warfare lovers.
  • Actually this game has more no of player than the World of Tanks, so actually more people like Naval Warfare than Tank warfare, even I seemed to be surprised after knowing these weird fact.

10. Eve Online

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This is a completely different breed of the game as it is a Role-Playing Game, likewise, there is no other in this list. Eve Online is a sci-fi game based Space invasions and Space supremacy.

The graphics are not very intuitive but good enough for this type of game. There are no other games like this in this list and there are almost no other games like these you would find anywhere else.

This is a massively multiplayer online, that means the lobbies in this game are a couple of times bigger than any Battle Royal games, as in Eve Online you may find 200+ players in a single lobby. The game was released in 2003 initially and Chapter 2 was released in 2019. Eve Online has a decent no of players, but this game has seen huge ups and downs in player count throughout the lifetime.

  • Genre – Sci-fi Online RPG, Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO), Co-Op
  • Developer – CCP Games
  • Platform – Windows, Mac

 Why you should play Eve Online

  • This is one of the most MMO games in the market.
  • Practically I do not like them at all, but I would recommend you watch a couple of videos online and understand the main concept of Eve Online, then you can decide you should play it or not. I added this game in this list due to the uniqueness and the popularity of the game throughout two decades.


Wrapping Up

Here are the top 10 free games on Steam Store according to my experience and research. There are almost 100+ free games in there and many of them have a decent no of players, but I have not tried them.

If you are looking for some Battle Royal games like Player Unknown Battleground (PUBG) on steam store, then I would recommend trying Ring Of Elysium and H1Z1, as these two are 100 player battle royal games like PUBG and features quite good gameplay.

The Ring of Elysium is very realistic in graphics and quite enjoyable in gameplay compared to H1Z1. Also if you are looking for free to play Battle Royal games, then you can also try Fortnite from Epic Games Store and Apex Legends from the EA Origin server, as both of these two are free. According to some speculations, PUBG is going to be a free game in the coming years as well.