With hundreds of great free games, you don't have to spend a dime in your efforts to thwart alien invasions, destroy enemy vehicles, participate in a battle royale, or play a peaceful card game.
To help you choose a gaming activity to your liking, we present a ranking of the best free PC games of 2020, distributed through the free-to-play system.
10. Hearthstone
Genre - online card game
Taking popular characters from their Warcraft universe (Thrall, Jaina Proudmoore, Anduin Wrynn and many more), Blizzard has created one of the best free card games on the web. Players fight each other in a turn-based system of passing turns, using various spells and minions in an attempt to reduce their opponent's health to zero.
This is a deceptively simple premise. Aside from the "mana crystals" that determine how many cards - and which cards - you can use in a single turn, Hearthstone doesn't have many unique game mechanics. However, fast-paced matches, a variety of character classes and a wide range of strategies will surely make you want to play another game.
9. Legends of Runeterra
Genre - online card game
One of the newest free games of 2020 is set in the same universe as the popular MOBA League of Legends. You have to play against another player, with a hand of 4 cards chosen at random (however from the deck that you make).
The main goal of this game is to destroy the enemy Nexus, which is the embodiment of the player's health. Once the Nexus reaches zero, you win the match. Good luck!
8. Apex Legends
Genre - multiplayer shooter, battle royale
Apex Legends features intense gunplay, a gorgeous map, and a roster of interesting characters. The popular free-to-play game takes place in the same universe as Titanfall and Titanfall 2.
The course of the match will be familiar to anyone who has played a game in the style of "Battle Royale": fall from the sky onto the battlefield, collect weapons and equipment, kill members of opposing teams.
What sets Apex Legends apart from the rest is the elements of a heroic shooter. Each of the eight characters offered to the player before the match has its own unique abilities. And death in this game is not eternal. You can resurrect a fallen comrade at the Respawn Beacon.
There is also a system of "ping" or signals that can be used to attract the attention of teammates.
7. Fortnite: Battle Royale
Genre - multiplayer shooter, battle royale
The goal of the game is simple - to kill all other players (and there can be up to 100 of them on the map) and become the last one who is still standing. But there is one aspect that distinguishes this game from other projects in the battle royale genre - construction.
You can build walls, structures and objects that can give you an advantage in combat or make you invulnerable to ambushes. To do this, from the very beginning of the match, each player is given a pickaxe.
Due to the relatively low (compared to other Battle Royale) level of on-screen violence and bright graphics, the game managed to attract not only men, but also women and children. The number of registered players in Fortnite: Battle Royale has already surpassed 350 million.
6. World of Tanks
Genre - arcade tank simulator
One of the most popular free online PC games has spawned several spin-off projects focused on naval and air combat. But none of them can beat the intense warfare offered in the original World of Tanks.
Multiplayer World of Tanks matches with armored tanks from 11 countries, including the USA, England, Germany, China, France and the Soviet Union, are distinguished by realistic physics of movement, great attention is paid to the historical reliability of military equipment, and the physics of destructibility.
As soon as you feel comfortable in battle, you can join a clan and try to take control of the "global map", which gives special vehicles and game currency.
5. Warframe
Genre - third person shooter
If you like the futuristic sci-fi aesthetics of games like Mass Effect and Halo, cool and beautiful battle suits, then you will be satisfied with the gameplay in Warframe. It is not for nothing that according to the player base (there are about 40 million of them) it is one of the best free-to-play shooters.
Warframe also includes a huge number of customization options that allow you to customize weapons and exo armor to better tailor your gear to your specific playstyle. You even have access to your personal spaceship, which is used as a base between missions. However, even on a hard surface, your mobility will not be limited; seven different parkour moves let you navigate hard-to-reach places and attack enemies.
4. RAID: Shadow Legends
Genre - multiplayer turn-based strategy
The ad for this game comes from every iron, and it's annoying, right? However, its high-quality visual style, dark fantasy setting, and many characters make Shadow Legends an interesting project that should be at least appreciated for yourself.
You can play alone, or you can join a clan to jointly kill a particularly strong boss and get the best reward.
And also RAID: Shadow Legends is the perfect game for the lazy who dream of "looting in the mail." Most of the game sessions can be configured to autoplay, that is, you can simply step away from the computer, and the characters will continue to fight on their own.
3. Heroes of the Storm
Genre - MOBA
Another good free online game from Blizzard, but this time you have to play not with cards, but on the battlefield, with weapons in hand, proving your agility, speed and tactical superiority over opponents.
Heroes of the Storm is a team game (5 players, 2 opposing teams) and includes many heroes, divided into 6 classes:
- Tank
- Melee fighter
- Ranged fighter
- Healer
- Grunt
- Support.
Heroes of the Storm hasn't reached the same level of notoriety as League of Legends or Dota 2, but it offers a fun and varied gaming experience. With 15 maps and a variety of game modes (including Custom Play, which lets you customize any aspect of the game, from team composition to AI player strength), Heroes of the Storm has enough content to keep you playing for a long time.
2. Fallout Shelter
Genre simulator
Fallout Shelter is such a gripping, adorable version of Bethesda's post-apocalyptic TV series that it almost overshadowed the launch of Fallout 4. The essence of this project is very simple - to attract survivors to your shelter, and then protect them from invading enemies (ghouls, death claws, mutated rats, etc.). and avoid hunger and thirst. At the same time, you must keep your charges happy enough to reproduce and restore the human population.
This is a game that only takes a few minutes of your time, but often encourages you to send your survivors on various missions to obtain weapons and various items, defend against raids and build new rooms in the shelter. An additional highlight of Fallout Shelter is the fun cartoonish style that young players will appreciate.
1. League of Legends
Genre - MOBA
No list of free-to-play games would be complete without League of Legends. Since its inception (and this is distant 2009), it has been constantly evolving, and the player base has long exceeded 100 million people.
LoL can be played for free with a limited number of heroes called champions, and several more can be purchased with real money or in-game currency.
While the MOBA genre has never been particularly appealing to new players, Riot has created a beginner-friendly multiplayer experience, and there is an almost 100% chance that one of your friends is already playing League of Legends.