A while back, I made a list of free games on Steam, highlighting my favorites and listing additional discoveries. This article is a follow up to it with more findings.

Just because the price of a game is free, does not make its quality acceptable. Every second you play demands your precious time and therefore, free doesn’t equal to good value. Steam has a lot to choose from, some are good, some involve pay to win mechanics and others are just uninspired or buggy.

Every second you play demands your precious time and therefore, free doesn’t equal to good value. Tuncay, 2020

Most (but not all) stuff in this article are from Indie studios; often very limited, small and simple. Nonetheless there are some interesting gems you should check out. Be it a 2D retro platformer, an unconventional co-op puzzle or a complex strategy, there is a lot to explore. Today the main focus is on single player games, but a few multiplayer and general honorable mentions at the bottom can be found too. This article is not about timed free play sessions, free keys or regular demos. If you are primarily interested in online games, check out my first article Free to Play Games on Steam.

A short disclaimer: I didn’t play any of them. My suggestions are purely based on research of video impressions, user reviews and ratings. So, take the suggestions with a grain of salt.

15 Single Player Games

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Dominus Galaxia: KS Edition

Link: Steam

Linux support: Yes, native

Genre: 4X Strategy A sort of remake about Master of Orion. Space conquering with ship development, colony management and turn-based combat.

Electronic Super Joy 2

Link: Steam

Linux support: Yes, native

Genre: 2D Platformer Very difficult Jump & Run with precise timing. The electronic music and a crazy visual style fits perfectly.

Ghosts’n DJs

Link: Steam

Linux support: No

Genre: 2D Action Platformer Plays and feels like the classic 80s arcade side scrolling run and gun Ghost’n Goblins, but with DJs and the music scene.

I Wanna Maker

Link: Steam

Linux support: Steam Play Silver

Genre: 2D Platformer Editor A Mario Maker like construction kit with level editor and complex possibilities. Includes online sharing and level playlists.

Jigoku Kisetsukan: Sense of the Seasons

Link: Steam

Linux support: Steam Play Gold

Genre: Vertical bullet hell shmup A vertical arcade shoot’em up in the bullet hell genre with anime-style graphics and chip music. Reminds the Touhou series.

Khimera: Destroy All Monster Girls

Link: Steam

Linux support: Steam Play Gold

Genre: Platformer A charming mixture of platforming and beat’em up elements, reminding the great Shovel Knight and a bit of Mega Man.

Metaphobia

Link: Steam

Linux support: No

Genre: Point & Click Adventure An old school 90s like Point & Click to investigate a mystery, with full voice acting and retro styled graphics.

Overclocked

Link: Steam

Linux support: No

Genre: Action Platformer Fast paced platformer with combat and fluid movement. Has leaderboards and makes up for a good speedrun game.

Princess Remedy in a World of Hurt

Link: Steam

Linux support: Steam Play Gold

Genre: Bullet hell shmup RPG A short mixture of role playing game elements and shoot’em ups mechanics. The visual style is just like from 80s home computers.

Red Trigger

Link: Steam

Linux support: Steam Play Platinum

Genre: FPS Puzzle Simple art style and puzzles with First Person Shooter mechanic. Reminds a lot of Portal without Portals.

Relic Hunters Zero

Link: Steam

Linux support: No

Genre: Roguelike top down shooter Top down twin stick shooter in dungeons to unlock weapons. Has multiple characters and a co-op mode.

Shadow Warrior Classic (1997)

Link: Steam

Linux support: Steam Play Gold

Genre: First Person Shooter A Duke Nukem or DOOM like classic FPS experience from the 90s. This is free version before the remaster.

The Supper

Link: Steam

Linux support: No

Genre: Point & Click Adventure A very short and dark horror themed adventure, with puzzles and pixelated artwork.

Think To Die

Link: Steam

Linux support: Yes, native

Genre: Puzzle Platformer In this creative and wonderful platformer you have to find ways to kill yourself to get to next level.

Transmissions: Element 120

Link: Steam

Linux support: Yes, native

Genre: FPS Action Impressive, but very short horror themed Half-Life 2 standalone mod with a mysterious story and a gravity gun.

3 Multiplayer Games

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Bombergrounds: Battle Royale

Link: Steam

Linux support: Steam Play Gold

Genre: Online PvP Battle Defeat enemies by throwing bombs on the maze like maps and try to stay alive to the end. Obviously inspired by Bomberman.

Deceit

Link: Steam

Linux support: Steam Play Silver

Genre: Team Co-op PvP Part of your team are infected enemies, who try to act like innocents (think of spy). They try to stop the innocents from escaping.

Sven Co-op

Link: Steam

Linux support: Steam Play Platinum

Genre: Team Co-op PvE A standalone multiplayer Half-Life mod, where the players have to work together to solve puzzles or fight enemies.

Wait, there is even more of more…

Elsword / Elseword EU: Sidescrolling 2D MMORPG with anime visuals.

Famaze: A retro themed roguelike adventure RPG.

Nocturne: Prelude: Old school RPG with Rhythm based battle system.

Echoes+: Single screen retro shmup with neon visuals.

The Expendabros: Funny 2D run & gun with Co-op. Serves as a demo for Broforce.

You Have to Win the Game: Challenging platformer with 80s PC retro look.

If you want even more, then look at my first posting about Free to Play Games on Steam, which is a bit more focused on multiplayer. Then there is another post about Open Source games in general, not specific to Steam. Stay healthy and play games.