Everyone loves a free game. It’s entertainment and adventure without the risk and expense of buying a full priced game. But regardless of where you are playing finding free games that are of decent quality can be tricky if you don’t know where to look.
Here are five helpful tips for finding free and free to play online games.
1. Get Specific
‘Free online games’ is such a broad search term and you are likely to find a bunch of pages that are relatively useless to you. If there is a particular type of game that you are looking for, then search for that. Even if there is a game that you know isn’t free there will often be a game similar to it that might show up in your search. ‘Games like LA Noir’ or ‘Games like team fortress’ is more likely to come up with something relevant that just a general ‘free games’ Google. Check that the website or app is reputable before downloading.
2. Look out for Specials
There are plenty of great free games out there, but it’s also a good idea to keep a lookout for specials. Sometimes a developer will make their, otherwise paid game free for a short period of time to boost awareness or because they also get revenue from people making in-game purchases. Some developers will also release a free demo version of their game as a kind of teaser.
3. Plugins and Compatibility
Without getting too bogged down in the minutia of plugins and graphics, there will be some free online games that will require certain scripts and plugins to function if you are using the game in a browser rather than an app. Most of these plugins you can access for free from reputable sources. Another hurdle can be device compatibility. Not every online game will be optimized for all devices so if the game seems to load incorrectly this may be something to consider.
4. Go Retro
Many free games are inspired by or are almost direct copies of old games. This can also be a great way to find free games. Searching for ‘play [insert game name here]’ could lead to you finding a new retro favorite or reliving an old game from your childhood. Sometimes these facsimiles are low budget versions of the original, but they are still heaps of fun.
5. Love it? Contribute!
Developers spend a lot of time and energy putting together even the most basic free game. If you appreciate their work, then contributing through donations, upgrading to a paid version or making in-app purchases is a great way to ensure that developers can keep making these products available. It can also be a great way to get ahead in a game. For example, in Old School Runescape you can purchase an Osrs Fire Cape and in Puzzle Pirates you can purchase special boats and costumes
Whether you are looking for a favorite like Runescape or a new indie gem, there are thousands of brilliant games out there. Some are free to play with purchasable upgrades and some are absolutely free with no exception. There are free games out there for the Android, iPhone, PC, Mac or Linux gamer. No matter your taste in games and your experience navigating the world of free games you can find your next favorite for free with these easy to follow tips.
