Most humans love socializing. When people get together they can share ideas, make memories and build things together. While socializing was once seen as a face-to-face activity though, it can now be done online with social media, YouTube, and, of course, video games leading the charge.
Exploring a virtual world can be incredibly enjoyable by oneself, but even more so when it's done with friends. It needn't be an expensive pursuit either thanks to the ever-increasing number of high-quality free-to-play games that are available online. As a result, the only thing that players really need to invest is some quality time with their friends.
Updated September 18th 2023, by Amy Cowley: The gaming business is an industry that never sleeps, and thus are always churning out new and great titles to play on brand new shiny consoles. But all these new technologies come with a shocking price tag that many gamers simply can't afford. But this doesn't mean there is any shortage of games for these gamers to enjoy, as the PC comes with many free to play games with optional purchases without sacrificing quality. As such, this list has been increased to add more entries as well as the genre and devlopers of the games so players don't need to waste time researching and can immediately jump in and play.
1 Smite (80)
- Genre: MOBA
- Developer/s: Hi-Rez Studios/Titan Forge Games
Another excellent MOBA for players to rope their friends into is Smite, with one of its big draws being the cool godly themes of the game that incorporates many different pantheons such as Greek, Egyptian, Norse and many more. Though it is often compared to League as MOBA fans are wont to do, Smite stands out as its own excellent game with its own unique features.
Players will pick one of five character archetypes and battle it out against AI or other players. And with this game now released on multiple platforms, gamers can also enjoy this free-to-play game on consoles as well, and even team up with friends that play on a different platform.
2 Guild Wars 2 (90)
- Genre: MMO
- Developer/s: ArenaNet
By now the market is oversaturated by many MMO's all boasting unique worlds with different themes, and as such it can be quite difficult to decide which one to go for. But offering free play and a fantastic game experience at the same time should be enough to sway players in the direction of Guild Wars 2.
Filled with unique races and classes that all feel fun and different to play and a rich world full of fantastical lore, GW2 is a masterclass in MMO excellent, and made even more fun with friends. Plus, it is free to play, what more could gamers want?
3 League of Legends (78)
- Genre: MOBA
- Developer/s: Riot Games
For some exciting fun with friends, players don't need to look any further than League of Legends, one of the most competitive games on the market with a highly successful e-sport tournament. In this MOBA game, teams of five split across three lanes to advance on the enemy's territory and take down their defenses, each player assuming a different role to assure perfect party balance.
With one of the biggest character rosters in gaming, gamers are left with many viable choices to ensure there are multiple champions that fit their preferred style of play. Whether they like to take on a more supportive role healing and buffing allies of deal out hefty amounts of damage themselves, there is something for everyone in LoL.
4 Warzone 2.0 (80)
- Genre: Battle Royale
- Developer/s: Infinity Ward/Raven Software
Released in November of 2022, Warzone 2.0 is the latest iteration of Infinity Ward's free-to-play FPS title, allowing players to tear it up on their own or team up with their friends in a bloody and brutal battle royale. With up to 64 players per game, things really can get quite hectic.
Though Warzone 2.0 has its fair share of problems, the game still offers an incredibly fun experience when played with friends. More than 125 million people have tried Warzone since its launch back in 2020, and although the number of active players is significantly smaller, players will never need to wait long in order to get into a game.
5 Dauntless (78)
- Genre: Action RPG
- Developer/s: Phoenix Labs/Iron Galaxy
Given that most free-to-play games tend to revolve around team-based combat, Dauntless is somewhat refreshing. It's an action RPG title centered around co-op gameplay, with a light sprinkling of crafting and survival mechanics just for good measure.
Dauntless wasn't a particularly good-looking game when it first launched back in March of 2019 and it is even less so now. However, what the game lacks in graphical fidelity, it more than makes up for in charm and creativity. More important perhaps, is the fact that the game is a lot of fun, particularly when played with a few friends.
6 Realm of the Mad God Exalt (82)
- Genre: MMORPG
- Developer/s: Wild Shadow Studios/Spry Fox/Kabam/DECA Games
When it comes to free-to-play games that break the mold, Realm of the Mad God Exalt is one of the first that springs to mind. Released all the way back in 2012, it's a top-down MMO bullet hell nightmare, with enough content to keep players busy for hours on end.
Sadly, the free-to-play nature of Realm of the Mad God Exalt has changed a little over time, with the game now sporting a battle pass and several pieces of paid DLC. Even so, it can still be played for free and remains highly enjoyable without the extra content, as evidenced by the game's Very Positive rating on Steam.
7 Paladins (83)
- Genre: FPS
- Developer/s: Hi Rez Studios/Evil Mojo Games
There are plenty of great team-based hero shooters on the market these days, many of which are free-top-play. Paladins arguably tops the list, however, at least when it comes to good clean fun. There's also a surprising amount of customization on offer in the title, something that's not all that common in most modern fps games.
Though perhaps a little too intrusive in its presentation, the monetization in the game really isn't too bad either, with chests and battle passes offering cosmetic items rather than pay-to-win features. The card system also provides an interesting approach to managing loadouts and really helps to set the game apart from some of its peers.
8 Halo Infinite (81)
- Genre: FPS
- Developer/s: 343 Industries
Given that the series is best known for its fantastic multiplayer combat, the decision to make Halo Infinite's multiplayer mode free-to-play took a lot of people by surprise. Despite one or two teething issues, it offers up an incredibly enjoyable experience, though much of this can be attributed to the introduction of the grappling hook.
How exactly the experience will evolve in the months and years to come remains to be seen, but only a fool would bet against 343 Industries further improving things over time. There are still many classic match types that could be added, for example, not to mention the prospect of new maps, weapons, and arenas.
9 PlanetSide 2 (84)
- Genre: FPS
- Developer/s: Daybreak Game Company/Rogue Planet Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
PlanetSide 2 once set a Guinness World Record for the largest first-person shooter battle ever fought; with over 1,283 players taking part. The size of the player base has shrunk quite a bit since then, although there are still plenty of people playing the game in 2022.
Sony doesn't have the best track record when it comes to supporting its MMOs, but, to its credit, the Japanese giant has stood by PlanetSide 2 for almost a decade now. With its crisp visuals and well-refined combat mechanics, it serves as a solid alternative for those who are fed up with the plethora of battle royale games that have flooded the market in recent years.
10 EVE Online (88)
- Genre: MMORPG
- Developer/s: CCP Games
Although a subscription is required for some of the game's extended content, the vast majority of the EVE Online experience is completely free to play. Given just how much there is to see and do in the game, it's hard to argue that it isn't worth the price of admission.
Best known for its insanely large space battles, EVE Online is one of the largest MMORPGs in existence; both in terms of the size of its player base and the universe that it provides for players to explore. Fans of role-playing owe it to themselves to check this one out, although it will also appeal to fans of sci-fi and space exploration titles as well.
11 Apex Legends (88)
- Genre: MOBA
- Developer/s: Hi-Rez/Titan Forge Games
Released in early 2019, Apex Legends is a free-to-play first-person shooter. It requires a rather sizable 40GB of hard drive space, but is arguably worth every single megabyte; especially for those who just want to casually enjoy a game with their friends. They might have to put a with a few bugs though.
The best part about the game is that it is still relatively new, meaning that it includes plenty of interesting and innovative ideas and mechanics. It's still receiving regular updates too and features one of the best battle royale modes around. The graphics aren't too bad either, especially for a free-to-play title.
12 Destiny 2 (83)
- Genre: FPS
- Developer/s: Bungie
Who wouldn't want to play a game made by the same developers behind the first few Halo games? Better still, having once required an upfront purchase, Destiny 2 is now free to play on Windows and other platforms and is, therefore, a pretty great game co-op game to enjoy with friends.
It may be more than five years old now, but Bungie plans to continue supporting the game for at least a few more years. It has great visuals, solid gameplay mechanics, and many interesting worlds to explore. The only downside, perhaps, is the game's huge file size; which at over 100GB, may be an issue for some players.
13 Dota 2 (90)
- Genre: MOBA
- Developer/s: Valve/Ice Frog
A lot of people might assume that since Dota 2 was released in 2013, it belongs to the older generation of gamers. That couldn't be further from the truth though, as, even in 2022, Dota 2 remains a great game to play with friends and caters to a wide range of demographics thanks to Dota 2's excellent cast of heroes.
Many consider it to be one of the best MOBA games of all time, which, given the competition, is high praise indeed. On top of that, the game is much lighter in size than some other free-to-play titles meaning that it doesn't take up a lot of hard drive space and won't require too much processing power to run at sensible frame rates.
14 Team Fortress 2 (92)
- Genre: FPS
- Developer/s: Valve
Everybody knows Team Fortress 2, as it is one of the most popular multiplayer games of its era. Despite its advancing years, however, its varied game modes, contrasting character styles, and all-around intuitive nature mean that it's still a lot of fun to play even today.
One of the game's other big selling points is its unique art style, which adopts a heavily stylized cartoony approach. It's incredibly well optimized too meaning that it should run well even on low-end gaming rigs and still looks pretty solid even when compared to some of the more recent multiplayer FPS games.
15 Path Of Exile (86)
- Genre: Action RPG
- Developer/s: Grinding Gear Games
For those who are looking for a hardcore role-playing experience, Path of Exile just might be the best free-to-play co-op action RPG out there. It expertly combines retro elements with modern gameplay features which allows it to appeal to both older and younger generations alike.
On top of that, the game looks beautiful, especially considering it was released almost a decade ago. Path of Exile is an excellent game to play after work or school; role-playing as specific characters and building unique stories together. Many consider it a must-play for RPG fans and one of the most unique co-op titles around.
16 Valorant (80)
- Genre: FPS
- Developer/s: Riot Games
Highly rated by critics yet poorly rated by players, Valorant is a somewhat divisive FPS game that is fairly similar to CS:GO, although different enough to set itself apart. It was created by the developer behind the hugely popular League of Legends, Riot Games, and is a great game to enjoy with friends.
It was first released back in June of 2020, and, performance-wise, should work well on a wide range of system configurations. Some may be a little deterred by the game's use of microtransactions, although this is a fairly common trade-off when it comes to free-to-play video games.
17 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (83)
- Genre: FPS
- Developer/s: Valve/Hidden Path Entertainment
The Counter-Strike series laid the foundations on which many modern shooters have been built and played a huge role in the development and advancement of the FPS genre. The latest rendition of the series, CS:GO, is definitely the pick of the bunch and remains one of the most popular shooters on the planet.
It is incredibly well-balanced and acclaimed for its classic, yet modern gameplay which has seen it become a major eSports title. It's pretty easy on the hardware as well, coming in at around 15GB and able to run well above 60fps without needing a top-of-the-line graphics card.
18 World of Tanks Blitz (83)
- Genre: MMO
- Developer/s: Wargaming
World of Tanks Blitz is a free-to-play MMO that revolves mainly around its vehicular combat. More specifically, tank-based battle. It is a fun game to play with friends, mainly because it is exceptionally light. The game requires only 3GB of storage space and can run with as little as 256MB of RAM.
As a result, the game is one of the most accessible multiplayer titles available and has a huge and active player base. It also supports crossplay, thus allowing PC players to party up with those who are playing the game on mobile or Switch; which is yet another huge benefit to picking it up.