You just bought yourself a brand-spanking new gaming laptop and realized that you may not have enough of a budget yet for a game. End of the world? Not really. There was a time when most games that dominated were the expensive AAA games that you hope to buy years later in a bargain sale. Luckily, times have changed. Free PC games are now the best marketing tool that is a win-win for both the game company and the gamer.

When people think free games, they tend to assume that it’s badly programmed flash games or designed games that are still buggy, but that’s not how it is now. There are several high-end games that are being offered for free, as a gateway to purchasing either the full game or better options. Which is a great thing, it refines your choices. You can play a game that interests you and see if it’s a right fit. It lessens the chances of buyer’s remorse.

So start up your gaming laptop and get ready to download the best Free PC games out right now.

So start up your gaming laptop and get ready to download the best Free PC games out right now.

Smite

MOBA is really hot right now. With popular games like DOTA 2, Heroes of the Storm, and League of Legends. It’s fun and fast-paced, but a lot of people have an issue with the top view perspective. Smite would be a great alternative. It has controls of an FPS game and 3rd person perspective. It’s an RTS with an action feel.

You can get the game for free on Steam, but you also have the option of paying a one-time $30 payment to unlock all the current and any future characters to be made. You can also buy optional aesthetic items to customize the look of your character.

Tera

Tera is unlike other MMORPGs. Tera is all about real time combat. No auto-aiming and cycling through different powers like in a typical MMO. You have to time your dodges, you have to aim, and you have to make sure you hit the enemy at the right spots. It’s pretty much an ARPG with the socializing aspect that makes MMOs appealing.

Another game that you can get from Steam, it offers optional purchases for extra items or quality of life improvements, but nothing gets you broken status in-game. You can also invest in a monthly “Elite” status that gives you more bonuses.

DOTA 2

The game that started the MOBA craze. This game exists in a brilliantly schemed free-to-play model. You can experience the full game without spending a dime. The character design is excellent; the party combination is nearly limitless, and it has proven to be the kind of game that eats up a lot of time, especially when you play with a lot of people.

As mentioned, this game is fully free, but that’s how Valve gets you. They design all their cosmetic and ancillary items so beautifully that avoiding the temptation to buy them is difficult..

League of Legends

Another contender as the world’s most popular MOBA game. League of Legends shares some similarities from DOTA 2, which is not surprising because they come from the same Warcraft 3 mod. But the people at Riot Games do things differently.

You can start with the game with a select number of characters for free. If you want other specific, you have to pony up cash. League of Legends, or LOL, is one of the most popular online games now, and it has promised to grow even more to run along with its popularity.

Heroes of the Storm

It’s surprising that Blizzard wanted a piece of the MOBA action. The two dominating MOBA games in the world came from a mod of one of Blizzard’s most popular game ever, Warcraft 3.

Blizzard took characters from all their signature franchises and melded them into an MOBA of fanfic proportions. It also takes a different and lighter approach to the standard rules and approach of other MOBAs. So much that MOBA fans that it doesn’t offer that much depth to it. That it’s too simple.

Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft

At first, people were skeptical about an online collectible card game, but Hearthstone changed their mind. The game is successful with pcs, gaming laptops and mobile ports.

It’s easy to get into; you just need to sign up for a free Battle.net account, and you’re good to go. You can get boosters and cards by doing quests and AI battles. But you don’t need to buy boosters to become competitive; you can grind it out and buy all the cards you need without spending real money.

Star Wars: The Old Republic

The game is amazing. It’s main selling point, next to it being a Star Wars game, is the story. Solid and well-written, it drags you into the universe of Star Wars (around 4000 years before the main story). You can pay for expansions or just a monthly service but the story is free plus there is a lot of great content on the F2P side.

It’s not as polished and spiffy as World of Warcraft, but it’s still a great game.

Warframe

Digital Extremes has come a long way with Warframe. Warframe used to be the game that no one wanted but now it’s still one of the most solid online games out. And it’s a great game for players who don’t want to spend at all.

You can still buy in-game currency and items but even if you don’t buy any doesn’t mean you won’t have hours of fun. And one of the best things about it is that the game works well on older systems. So even the most basic gaming laptop can handle it.

***

There are A LOT more excellent free PC games out right now that you can download. So, it boils down to gaming preference. So, even if you are playing on a PC or one of your best gaming laptop, you have a myriad of choices, in case you can’t afford to buy a game right now.