The Best Free-To-Play Video Games of 2022
From FPS battle royales to indie simulation role-playing games, here are the best free-to-play video games to play right now.
The saying "you get what you pay for" doesn't necessarily apply in the world of gaming. There are tones of high-quality free-to-play games that offer hours upon hours of gameplay.
With so many games to choose from, we narrowed it down to 12 of the best free-to-play games available in 2022 (so far!). Whether you want a shooter, a team-based game, something with meaningful storytelling, or something that’s downright silly, our list has something for every play style.
Jump to a game:
- PUBG: Battlegrounds
- Halo Infinite - Multiplayer
- Fortnite
- Sonic.EXE - The Game
- Gacha Club
- Gacha Life
- Crab Game
- Friday Night Funkin'
- Totally Accurate Battle Zombielator - TABZ
- Goose Goose Duck
- Emily is Away
- Dota 2
1. PUBG: Battlegrounds
Before Fortnite, there was PUBG: Battlegrounds. It remains one of the most popular online multiplayer battle royale games on the market. With 100 competitors in the arena, it’s hectic, exciting, and often frustrating in the best of ways thanks to how a random stroke of luck can turn the game in your favor or absolutely destroy you.
Hit up the PvP game solo, or hop into some duo matches or even play with a squad of up to four people. And now PUBG is actually free-to-play despite starting out as a paid game. Anyone can hop on and get in on the action now.
PUBG: Battlegrounds is available on PC, PS4, Xbox One, Stadia, Android, and iOS.
2. Halo Infinite – Multiplayer
Halo Infinite is a classic game, but you don’t have to pay to enjoy aspects of it thanks to its free-to-play multiplayer function. There’s much to enjoy here with the Spartan customization and the ability to gain more the longer you play in multiplayer or by simply buying items.
Fully engross yourself in the sandbox feel of this game thanks to just how wild the battles can get what with different equipment, weapons, and vehicles you can use. So, grab up a 4-player squad and dive head-first into this epic battle arena.
Even better: there are seasonal updates that send out new content to keep things fresh.
Halo Infinite – Multiplayer is available on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One.
3. Fortnite
By now, who hasn’t heard of Fortnite? It’s a great free-to-play multiplayer battle royale game when you want something lively and colorful. There’s a good unique element to Fortnite too that comes with the fact that building plays as big of a role as finding the best weapons.
And once you think things are getting a bit stale, there’s a new season and new chapters that introduce new content from skins to quests (Spider-Man, anyone?). There’s always something to do whether you’re playing alone or playing with friends in a squad. Although you can make some in-game purchases, you can just as easily gain some items just by completing different challenges.
Fortnite is available on PC, macOS, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS.
4. Sonic.EXE – The Game
Sometimes, you need a nice little indie game to enjoy, and Sonic.EXE – The Game fits that mold well. It’s a fan-made game based on, you guessed it, Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic fans and horror fans alike can enjoy this little gem with artwork that screams retro.
In this game, Sonic is from the creepypasta universe in which he’s a really a murderous entity. So, you play as various characters out to stop this rampage, and there’s plenty of blood to ensure that this is not the Sonic game meant for kids.
Sonic.EXE – The Game is available on PC.
5. Gacha Club
For those of you who want something a bit more laidback, Lunime's Gacha Games Universe is a must – Particularily, Gacha Club. In this vast RPG world, there is so much customization that you may just spend hours on end making the character of your dreams.
And this isn’t just as simple as choosing your outfit. No, Gacha Club goes far beyond that as you can create every little detail about your character, even choosing from hundreds of facial expressions and poses to create the perfect scene. You can play as you wish too as there are easy and challenging mini games, battle modes, and the ability to add up to 10 characters to a scene to tell a story.
Gacha Glub is available on PC, Android, and iOS.
6. Gacha Life
Much like Gacha Club, Gacha Life is filled to the brim with customization, so you can get your creativity on with this free-to-play video game. You can choose from different skin tones, hairstyles, outfits, poses, and facial expressions so you can make your characters exactly how you imagine them.
When you’re ready, you can use up to eight different characters to create your chosen scene and even interact with various NPCs. It’s not a complex game, but it’s certainly great for those that don’t need constant battles and explosions, but instead enjoy the simpler and quieter things to stay entertained.
Gacha Life is available on PC, Android, and iOS.
7. Crab Game
Just as the name implies, Crab Game is an amusing and chaotic take on the already-insane Squid Game TV series on Netflix. This first-person multiplayer game puts you through several levels inspired by children’s games, killing players off until only one remains.
The graphics aren’t over-the-top, and the characters all look the same, but there is something that is just so satisfying and entertaining about this game that keeps you coming back for more. Hop in with dozens of players and see just who can make it to the end.
Crab Game is available on PC and macOS.
8. Friday Night Funkin’
Friday Night Funkin’ is a unique and colorful rhythm game with a compelling art style that will instantly grab your attention. There’s some cool similarities to Dance Dance Revolution, but instead of jumping around, you have to use your keys so that you hit the right notes at the right time.
Seems like a simple concept, yet it is so enjoyable for those who love these types of games. There’s some pretty awesome music too.
Friday Night Funkin’ is available on PC and iOS.
9. Totally Accurate Battle Zombielator – TABZ
You may know TABS, but let us introduce you to Totally Accurate Battle Zombielator – TABZ, the battle simulator filled with zombies. It was released as an April Fool’s joke, but even so, there’s no denying just how fun this is to play as it stands in contrast of many of the dark, story-filled zombie survival games out there.
There’s a great landscape to admire though as well as a multitude of maps to hop in and fight off zombie after zombie. Even the zombies are colorful and bright, so this atmosphere is certainly something to appreciate.
TABZ is available on PC, here.
10. Goose Goose Duck
Goose Goose Duck is a nice and refreshing spin on the strategy game style made famous by Among Us. On looks alone, this can pull you in simply for how awesome it looks running around as these colorful birds. Customize your goose too with different skins and outfits.
Jump into massive multiplayer lobbies with strangers or friends as you try to sus out who’s a duck and who’s a goose. The imposters are the ducks trying to pretend to be geese and wipe out the actual geese, so it keeps you on your toes as you work to get rid of the right players.
As you can see, Goose Goose Duck is a free Among Us but with adorable waterfowl.
Goose Goose Duck is available on PC.
11. Emily is Away
If you want a free-to-play game with some story attached, you should definitely try out Emily is Away. It’s a chat simulator that throws you back in time, and although it can take less than hour to finish, it’s engrossing enough so that you stay entertained the entire time. Those of us that were around during the introduction of instant messaging can get a nice nostalgic kick with this one.
You can also check out Emily is Away <3 – the third installment of the game that has the same appeal, but it has a bit more depth as it tackles some new social media platforms.
Emily is Away is available on PC.
12. Dota 2
If you want a multiplayer battle arena video game that’s heavily team-based, then you need to give Dota 2 a try. But don’t be mistaken: this isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s complex and takes time to learn, so just be prepared to lose a lot in the beginning as you learn.
It's all worth it though even if things can get heavily competitive. That’s why it pays to have a great team that you can cooperate with well enough to get the job done. Not to mention that you can choose from more than 100 different colorful and fantastical heroes to play as with a variety of skills to adapt.
Dota 2 is available on PC and macOS.