List of freeware video games
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a selected list of freeware video games implemented as traditional executable files that must be downloaded and installed. Freeware games are games that are released as freeware and can be downloaded and played, free of charge, for an unlimited amount of time.
This list does not include:
- Open-source games with fully free content (see List of free and open-source video games).
- Games that were previously sold commercially (see List of commercial video games released as freeware).
- Shareware or free-to-play games that require purchase for play time, game items, new content or features, or that rely on advertisements for profit (see Category:Shareware games and Category:Free-to-play video games).
- Browser games (see List of browser games).
- Mods: software that cannot be played as a stand-alone game (see Category:Video game mods).
Games distributed as freeware
Freeware is often proprietary software as opposed to free software, meaning that the right to copy, modify, and distribute it is restricted in some way, as are these games in the following table, unless noted otherwise. Occasionally, their source code is made available, but nonetheless remains non-free, which this list may include.
| Title | Original release date | Platforms affected | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ahriman's Prophecy | 2004 | Windows | A prequel to the Aveyond RPG series. |
| Alien Swarm | July 19, 2010 | Windows | A top-down shooter from Valve used to test the Source 2010 beta. |
| America's Army | July 4, 2002 | Windows | The official United States Army game. As a work of the United States federal government, it is in the public domain in the United States. |
| Anchorhead | 1998 | A horror interactive fiction game. | |
| Ancient Domains of Mystery | A roguelike game (technically postcardware) by Thomas Biskup. | ||
| Astro Battle | 2002 | Windows | A top-down multi-directional shooter in which players design their own spacecraft and battle other players online. |
| Babbdi | December 22, 2022 | Linux, macOS, Windows | An adventure game in which players attempt to leave a dystopian city.[1] |
| Baldi's Basics in Education and Learning | Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows | A puzzle horror game parodying 1990s educational games. | |
| Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden | January 21, 2008 | Windows | A futuristic role-playing video game starring basketballer Charles Barkley. |
| Battleships Forever | 2007 | Windows | A real-time tactics game with a ship designer. |
| BMW M3 Challenge | September 2007 | Windows | A BMW M3 car racing game. |
| Broken Sword 2.5: The Return of the Templars | September 28, 2008 | Windows | A fan-made Broken Sword game. |
| BVE Trainsim | Windows | A railroad simulator created by Mackoy of Japan. | |
| Cave Story | 2004 | Windows | A side-scrolling action-adventure game. |
| CellFactor: Revolution | May 2007 | Windows | A single-player and multiplayer game that uses the Ageia PhysX engine. |
| Chicken Invaders | Windows | A space shooter by InterAction Studios. | |
| Cho Ren Sha 68K | 1997 | Windows | A vertically scrolling shooter game. |
| Chzo Mythos | A set of four separate adventure games: 5 Days a Stranger, 7 Days a Skeptic, Trilby's Notes and 6 Days a Sacrifice by Ben Croshaw. | ||
| Cloud | 2005 | Windows | A third-person computer puzzle game based on weather and atmospheric aesthetics. |
| Continuum | 2001 | Windows | A top-down multiplayer video game. |
| A Date with Death | 2023 | Linux, macOS, Windows | A visual novel and dating sim. |
| Deadly Rooms of Death | A turn-based puzzle game available in two free versions: Architect's Edition and browser-based Flash version. | ||
| Digital: A Love Story | February 2010 | Linux, macOS, Windows | A computer mystery/romance set "five minutes into the future of 1988". The game is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license. |
| DinoHunters | An advertisement-supported first person shooter and machinima series created by Kuma Reality Games. | ||
| Dogfights: The Game | A combat flight simulator based on the History Channel series of the same name. | ||
| Doki Doki Literature Club! | September 22, 2017 | Linux, macOS, Windows | A visual novel game developed by Team Salvato. |
| Dwarf Fortress | August 8, 2006 | Linux, Windows | A real-time fantasy roguelike (technically donationware). |
| Eastside Hockey Manager | 2001 | Windows | A hockey manager game. |
| Elona | An open-world roguelike game. | ||
| Eternal Daughter | 2002 | Windows | A Castlevania-style action-adventure game. |
| Eversion | 2008 | Windows | A platform game.[2] |
| Food Force | April 14, 2005 | macOS, Windows | A game where the player must deliver food to places in which people are starving. |
| Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria Simulator | Windows | ||
| Future Pinball | A pinball simulation editor and game with many tables available. | ||
| Gate 88 | Linux, macOS, Windows | An abstract top-down futuristic real-time strategy space combat simulator.[3][4] | |
| General | Windows | A strategy game with text interface. | |
| Genetos | December 24, 2009 | Windows | A scrolling shooter. |
| GridWars | 2005 | Windows | A clone of Geometry Wars. |
| Guns and Robots | Windows | A multiplayer third-person shooter. | |
| Gunster | Windows | A discontinued multiplayer scrolling shooter. | |
| Hero Core | May 1, 2010 | A shooter game with Metroidvania elements, made by Daniel Remar. | |
| Hydorah | A 2D Shoot 'em up similar to games such as Gradius. Was later released as a non-freeware title under the name Super Hydorah. | ||
| I Wanna Be the Guy | 2007 | Windows | A 2D platformer. |
| I'm O.K – A Murder Simulator | 2006 | A satirical side-scrolling shooter by Derek Yu. | |
| Ib | February 2012 | Windows | A horror/puzzle RPG Maker game. |
| Icy Tower | Windows | A tower-climbing platform game. | |
| Iji | September 1, 2008 | Windows | A platform-shooter by Daniel Remar. |
| Ikachan | An action-adventure game by Studio Pixel. | ||
| Inner Worlds | 1996 | DOS | A platformer where one plays as a woman that turns into a wolf. (Sleepless Software, 1996)[5] |
| Jump 'n Bump | 1998 | DOS | A multiplayer battle game. |
| Knytt Stories | 2007 | Windows | A 2D exploration platformer with a built in editor by Nicklas Nygren. |
| La-Mulana | 2006 | A 2D platform game. | |
| Liero | 1998 | DOS | A 2D side-scrolling shooting game for one or two players. |
| Little Fighter | 1995 | DOS | A beat 'em up fighting game. |
| Little Fighter 2 | 1999 | Windows | The sequel to Little Fighter. |
| Liyla and the Shadows of War | 2016 | Android, iOS, Windows | A 2D side-scrolling platform game about the 2014 Gaza War. |
| The Looker | 2022 | Windows | A parody of the puzzle game The Witness[6] |
| Mad Father | December 10, 2012 | Windows | An RPG Maker game created by Miscreant's Room. |
| Maldita Castilla | 2012 | a platform game developed by Locomalito. | |
| Monster Milktruck | A single-player online game using Google Earth technology. | ||
| Moon Whistle | 1999 | Windows | An RPG Maker game made by Kannazuki Sasuke. |
| Mugen | 1999 | Windows | A custom fighting game engine. |
| The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog | 2023 | macOS, Windows | An official Sonic the Hedgehog visual novel released to celebrate April Fools' Day. |
| The Museum of Broken Memories | Windows | An adventure game by Jonas Kyratzes. | |
| N | March 1, 2004 | Linux, macOS, Windows | A ninja platform game. |
| Narbacular Drop | April 19, 2005 | Windows | A 3D puzzle video game developed by Nuclear Monkey Software. It is the precursor to Valve's Portal. |
| Nitronic Rush | 2011 | Windows | A racing game. |
| Noctis | A space exploration simulator. | ||
| Off | A French RPG game about an entity known as "The Batter" and his quest to purify the world of OFF. | ||
| Off-Peak | 2015 | An adventure game set in a train station[7] | |
| One Night Trilogy | Windows | A series of three survival horror games. | |
| osu! | A simulator of the rhythm video games Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan and Elite Beat Agents. | ||
| Perspective | December 12, 2012 | Windows | A single-player puzzle game that includes aspects of a 2-D platformer where the player switches between a 2D and a 3D game environment. |
| Plasma Pong | Unreleased | macOS, Windows | An unfinished Pong game in which the ball is manipulated by a fluid dynamics environment. |
| Plobb! | 2005 | macOS, Windows | An Asteroids-like multidirectional shooter. |
| Project Reality | July 8, 2005 | Windows | A modification of the tactical first-person shooter Battlefield 2 that became a standalone game in 2015. |
| Ragnarok Battle Offline | A 2D fighting game that is spin off of the MMO Ragnarok Online. | ||
| Samorost | A point-and-click adventure game. | ||
| A Second Face | December 23, 2008 | Windows | A sci-fi adventure game. |
| Second Life | A virtual online world, created by its users. Developed by Linden Lab. | ||
| Seiklus | 2003 | Windows | An ambient single-player action-adventure game. |
| SimSig | Windows | A train simulation game based on real UK signalling systems. | |
| Soldat | Windows | A 2D, fast-paced, action multi-player shooting game with many different game modes and weapon choices. | |
| Space Combat | A 3D space simulator. | ||
| Space Funeral | 2010 | Windows | A horror and RPG parody game. |
| Space Tanks | A 2D/3D gravity game. | ||
| StepMania | A rhythm based game with online capability. | ||
| Synaesthete | A psychedelic rhythm shooter. | ||
| Synth | 2007 | Windows | An abstract procedurally rendered 3D game. |
| Syobon Action | 2007 | Windows | A Japanese game notorious for its difficulty. |
| Tag: The Power of Paint | 2008 | Windows | A 3D first-person action & puzzle game that uses paint to manipulate physics. |
| TAGAP: The Apocalyptic Game About Penguins | Windows | A 2D side-scrolling platform game. | |
| Temporal | 2008 | Windows | A platform game involving time travel based puzzles. |
| Tinker | Windows | Also known as Microsoft Tinker, a 3D puzzle game. | |
| Toribash | A 3D ragdoll fighting game in which the player controls every joint of their fighter. | ||
| Tough Guy: Fighting Titans | A fighting game available from Super Fighter Team. | ||
| Trackmania Nations | 2006 | Windows | A 3D racing game specially developed for the Electronic Sports World Cup by Nadeo. |
| Transcendence | Windows | A 2D space adventure game featuring extended moddability. | |
| Vanguard Princess | June 2009 | Windows | A dōjin 2D fighting game. |
| Vestaria Saga | A tactical role-playing game from Shouzou Kaga, the creator of the Fire Emblem series. | ||
| Vile: Exhumed | August 5, 2025 | Windows | A 2025 indie horror game released as freeware after being banned from Steam.[8] Released under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. |
| Visual Pinball | 2000 | Windows | A pinball simulation editor and game with many tables available. |
| Warmonger: Operation Downtown Destruction | November 28, 2007 | Windows | An apocalyptic first-person shooter. |
| Warning Forever | December 30, 2003 | Windows | A vertical shooter. |
| The WereCleaner | May 7, 2024 | Android, iOS, macOS, Windows | A stealth-comedy game. |
| Within a Deep Forest | 2006 | Windows | A 2D physics and exploration game. |
| WolfQuest | A wildlife simulation game. | ||
| Yume Nikki | June 26, 2004 | Windows | A relatively well-known "exploration" (walking simulator) game themed around dreams and nightmares with pixel graphics, which gained a cult following. |
| Zineth | 2012 | macOS, Windows | An indie third person skating game where one must traverse an environment with speed and agility. |
Freeware games with open-source code
These games have their source code published under a free and open-source license, but at least portions of their data remain proprietary or do not satisfy all the criteria as defined in The Free Software Definition to count as free software.
| Title | Release date | Platforms affected | Engine license | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AssaultCube | November 21, 2008 | Android, Linux, macOS, Windows | zlib/libpng | A Counter-Strike-like first person shooter with low system requirements. |
| Celeste 64: Fragments of the Mountain | January 29, 2024 | Linux, macOS, Windows | MIT | A 3D platformer released as a companion to Celeste. |
| Notrium | 2003 | Windows | GPLv3 | A survival game. |
| Urban Terror | April 2, 2007 | Linux, macOS, Windows | GPLv2 | A free multiplayer shooter that can run on any Quake III Arena-compatible engine. |
Games formerly distributed as freeware
These games were first released as freeware before they were subsequently distributed as a commercial product. For a list of commercial games that were formerly distributed as freeware at a later point, see List of commercial video games no longer freely distributed.
| Title | Release date | Platforms affected | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Mesa | September 14, 2012 | Windows | Originally Black Mesa: Source, a third-party remake of Half-Life. Originally a mod, it was first distributed in 2012 as a standalone product while still under development before it went commercial a year later. |
