PlayStation Plus has been offering free games to members for the PlayStation 4 since 2014. While most players are looking forward to the overhaul that PS Plus likely will get with the PS5, it's hard not to look back at the last seven years and all the best games PS Plus holders have gotten for free.
Best Free Games of 2014
Don’t Starve - January 2014. Don't Starve is a survival game centered around a gentleman scientist that is transported to a different world by a demon. In 2016, a standalone multiplayer version of the game was released, called Don't Starve Together, where players need to work together to build the best base and survive.
Outlast - February 2014. While horror-game fans are now looking forward to co-op in The Outlast Trials many PS Plus members discovered the horrifying world of Outlast for the first time back in 2014. This survival horror is a fan-favorite for a reason. The main character is journalist Miles Upshur who goes to investigate horrifying rumors surrounding the Mount Massive Asylum, but nothing in the world could have prepared him for what he finds there.
Spelunky - October 2014. In Spelunky, players spelunk their way through caves, alone or together, and collect treasures and fight off critters. This 2D platforming roguelike has a sequel in the works, but unfortunately, Spelunky 2 has been delayed from its original 2019 release date and has yet to be released.
Binding of Isaac: Rebirth - November 2014. Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is a creepy indie roguelike RPG shooter where the players are a baby trying to escape their mother and battling against the all monsters in the basement.
Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition - December 2014. Made by the same developer responsible for Mortal Kombat, this Injustice game is a gruesome battle to the death featuring some of DC's fan-favorite villains and heroes.
Best Free Games of 2015
Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes - June 2015. Published by Komani and made by Kojima, this stealth game is the last installment of the Metal Gear series so far. The series is 33 years old, and even the director of the Metal Gear movie has paid tribute to this long-running series.
Rocket League - July 2015. Rocket League is one of those hits that no one saw coming. The sequel to Super Sonic Acrobatic Rocket Powered Battle Cars, Rocket League is a soccer game where players are cars knocking around a massive ball in an attempt to score goals. This off-beat sports game was the talk of the town for most of 2015, and Rocket League is going to be free-to-play in 2020.
Best Free Games of 2016
NBA 2k16 - June 2016. Like many sports games, NBA 2K6 allows players to make their own characters, but 2k16 was the first to take it to a new level. 2K16 was a highly-rated in its prime.
Journey - September 2016. Journey is the award-winning meditative game that everyone loved. The silent game teaches the player a deeply sad story through carvings scattered through the levels, leading the PC through a desert world to a snow storm. The beautiful graphics and calming landscapes are what draw fans in. Ported to PS4 in 2015, Journey is finally making its way to Steam in 2020.
Resident Evil (2002) - October 2016. Resident Evil is probably one of the most recognizable video game series in existence, and this is the game that started it all. Many were glad to see it on the service, especially those who hadn't yet checked it out.
Best Free Games of 2017
LittleBigPlanet 3 - February 2017. LittleBigPlanet 3 is a playful game in a world that's made to look like a craft drawer exploded. It's the third installment in this series, and fans have a new one to look forward to soon; many are excited for Sackboy: a Big Adventure, after all.
Tales from the Borderlands - May 2017. Borderlands has a number of highly-rated titles in it, and Tales is one of them. This one is less of a shooter and more of a storytelling adventure, taking place sometime after Borderlands 2.
Life is Strange - June 2017. This episodic adventure game is a sort of choose-your-own-adventure game. Players can influence how the story proceeds through their choices as Max, a girl with a strange power.
Until Dawn - July 2017. Released in 2015, Until Dawn is an interactive drama and survival horror game focused around a few young adults taking a vacation together in a secluded cabin in the woods. The game features some of the most horrible ways for the characters to die, and is incredibly haunting.
Amnesia Collection - October 2017. This collection features both The Machine for Pigs and The Descent. The player awakens with no knowledge of who they are or how they got to this house, and they piece together the horror of their lost memories bit by bit. And those memories are dangerous things to have. This year, Amnesia dev Frictional Studios teased a new horror game, called I Am Tasi.
Best Free Games of 2018
Ratchet & Clank - March 2018. In 2016, Insomniac Game remade and re-released the classic platformer Ratchet & Clank, along with a movie of the same name with the same storyline. It was free for PS Plus members in 2018, allowing many to relive their childhood with new, completely redone graphics. The next chapter in the series, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart has some impressive gameplay trailers and is coming to PS5 in the future.
Bloodborne - March 2018. Bloodborne was the first Souls game that many gamers played, and it was free for PS Plus members in March 2018. Many find the healing with blood vials much better than the estus flasks of the Dark Souls games. Many were hoping the free copy of Bloodborne meant that Blooborne 2 was on the horizon, but it was not to be.
Heavy Rain - Jun 2018. This adventure game is a murder mystery title. Players must hunt for the Origami Killer amid twists, turns, and a plethora of choices that effect the story.
Dead by Daylight - August 2018. This asymmetrical horror game features some of the most notable names in horror. One player is the hunter and they must kill the rest the survivor players before the time is up. While this game already features some well-know names in horror movies and games, like Leatherface and Freddy, but there are still many more horror icons that could be added to Dead by Daylight.
Destiny 2 - September 2018. The sequel to Destiny, players play as a Guardian, brought back to life by the Light in order to fight the coming Darkness.
Yakuza Kiwami - November 2018. This Yakuza game is a remake of the first of the series, Yakuza, which was originally released on PlayStation 2.
Best Free Games of 2019
Overcooked! - May 2019. There's a reason why Overcooked 2 was one of the most downloaded games on the Switch in 2019. This quirky co-op cooking simulation requires players work together to make all sorts of recipes, ranging from sushi to cake. It's one of the few couch co-op games that have been released in the last few years.
Borderlands: The Handsome Collection - June 2019. This collection features both Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: the Pre-Sequel, and it's hard to say no to more Borderlands action.
Detroit: Become Human – Digital Deluxe Edition - July 2019. Detroit: Become Human was all about incredibly important decision-making, each decision leading to completely different stories and possibilities. It had an incredible amount of ways players could change the fates of their characters.
Batman: Arkham Knight - September 2019. Batman: Arkham Knight is the fourth in the Arkham series and a sequel to Arkham Origins. This action-adventure game sees the Dark Knight battle some of the most iconic villains in Batman history, including some difficult riddles from the Riddler.
The Last of Us Remastered - October 2019. In anticipation of Last of Us 2's release (before several delays), PS Plus members got the Last of Us Remastered free in October of 2019. While there is some debate on whether Last of Us or Last of Us 2 is better, it's hard to beat a free spooky game during the spookiest month of the year.
Titanfall 2 - December 2019. Titanfall 2 follows some mech-riding warriors that are battling against aliens far from Earth, and it has a rich single players mode and a multiplayer mode that fans of FPSs really love.
Best Free Games of 2020 (So Far)
Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection - January 2020. Two Uncharted PS Plus free releases came in 2020. The Nathan Drake Collection in January as well as A Thief's End that was free in April 2020. Both of these were boons to those stuck in their homes due to quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic. These cinematic games have spawned a movie, which is currently in production.
The Sims 4 - February 2020. The Sims are life simulation games where players can build houses, make friends, and make money. There's a lot to do in the Sims 4, and players continue to support and love this long-running game series.
Shadow of the Colossus (2018) - March 2020. Shadow of the Colossus was originally released in 2005, and this was the 2018 remake of the popular game. It made the old new again, adding better graphics and some quality-of-life changes to the original.
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End - April 2020. Who doesn't like a free Uncharted game? These cinematic games are continued proof that the single player game isn't dead.
Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration - July 2020. This was the first of the updated Lara Croft games that covered the beginning of her career. It was re-released to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Tomb Raider series. This update included a new battle mode, some VR content, and some additional cosmetics.
This Month
The PlayStation Plus free games for August and July 2020 are available now: Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered and Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout. While PlayStation 4 Free games for Plus members will most likely still be offered in the future, the PS4 era had an almost unbeatable list of amazing free games for players.