25 best free single player games on PC to play in 2023

No need to pick up your wallet, solo players, as we’ve included a wide variety of free offline games for you to enjoy.

The life of a single-player enthusiast can be tough. Some time ago, we wrote about the top single player games to play on PC. Despite the fact it’s got plenty of interesting titles, the majority of them have a hefty price tag. But what if we tell you that you don’t have to cut corners to expand your collection?

Best free singleplayer games

With weekly freebies on Epic Games Store and numerous giveaways, players can easily find something to have fun with while leaving wallets inside their pockets. On top of that, you can also find some titles that cost nothing, literally. If you don’t mind solo experiences, the following list of the best free single player games has everything you need. 

Aperture Desk Job

Is it really true Valve doesn’t make games anymore? Well, they don’t develop as many as they did in the past, but Aperture Desk Job is still a nice comeback. This game was a massive wink from Gaben, as it required players to test new devices created by the Aperture Science team (does it ring a bell, Portal and Half-Life fans?).

The game is a humorous short ride perfect for those who bought Steam Deck and those who, to this day, believe Half-Life 3 will be announced. After all, they might be the same people.

Speaking of Valve’s handheld, we also wrote an article on the best Steam Deck games. If you’ve bought the console already, it’s worth checking what’s worth grabbing. 

Beneath A Steel Sky

Prepare for some retro titles because you’ll get some of these on the list. The first oldie but goodie we will talk about is Beneath A Steel Sky. Some of us miss classic point & click adventures, so a game from the developers of the Broken Sword series sure sounds pretty exciting.

A cyberpunk story is set in future Australia, where you and your AI friend Joey travel through Union City. You must discover why Robert (the main protagonist) was targeted by an unknown enemy and almost killed. In terms of plot, it’s surely one of the most intriguing free single-player games on PC we will mention here.

By the way, the game’s sequel Beyond a Steel Sky was also developed with the help of the studio behind the first title in the series.

Crusader Kings II

Paradox Development Studio had a genius idea of creating a medieval version of its legendary Europa Universalis series. As a result, the Crusader Kings franchise was born. Today, you can loose track of time playing the second installment, which happens to be one of the most addictive free solo games.

Aside from being a solid strategy title, Crusader Kings II portrays the Dark Ages masterfully, taking the importance of religion back then into consideration. Hence, good relations with the Pope or bishops won’t hurt your kingdom. 

Cry of Fear

If you were hoping to see some of the best free single player FPS games that can genuinely scare you, Cry of Fear will keep you awake at night. The title started as a mod to the first Half-Life but ended up as a standalone horror game.

The protagonist wakes up on a gloomy Swedish street, confused and disoriented. He must get a glimpse of what’s happening through messages he receives on the phone. Resident Evil and Silent Hill fans will appreciate the grim atmosphere and multiple puzzles.

Deltarune

Before you give this one a go, it’s advisable to play Undertale first. Otherwise, you would miss dozens of references from the famous predecessor. Deltarune is a spin-off that focuses on new characters but continues telling a story in the same universe. The tweaked combat system, in which you usually control a whole squad rather than a single character, feels unique and exciting. Toby Fox made a refreshing return.

Unlike most of the free campaign games, you need to download Deltarune from its official page.

To understand the references and recognize all characters, you can purchase Undertale and get to know it first. It’s worth every penny.

Doki Doki Literature Club

Unlike most free games on Steam, this intriguing visual novel made some noise on the release day. What starts as a cutesy, wholesome slice of life about friends reciting poems becomes a sad, gloomy story about real problems the characters must deal with.

The title rapidly changes the mood, as fun events quickly change to something rather terrible. It’s an unusual production worth familiarizing yourself with, even if the visual novel genre isn’t your favorite. Remember, just Monika.

Path of Exile (Solo Self-Found)

Look, we know Path of Exile does not (theoretically) belong to free offline PC games on Steam, but when you play it in an SSF league, you won’t be able to form parties or trade items with other players. In exchange, the title can now be enjoyed without any interference! Keep in mind that it’s possible to transfer your character to the non-SSF league, but you need to tick the “Migrate all” button. Otherwise, you will lose your stuff in the process.

Pink Heaven and Pink Hour

When you need a break from bigger, time-consuming titles, a little side-scrolling adventure is a neat change of pace. Games from the “Pink” series look cool and fluffy, but these 2D platformers can punish you pretty badly if you’re not ready for their challenges.

In theory, both titles are straightforward and should last up to 30 minutes. However, like with other difficult titles representing the genre, you might get stuck on a particularly brutal sequence. Good luck!

Princess Remedy in a World of Hurt

Here’s another gem among free story games you should have a look at. The retro-stylized graphics make you start looking for a bit of sunlight to play on your old Game Boy. The bullet-hell formula of this indie title makes the experience truly exciting.

Princess Remedy in a World of Hurt is a short adventure in which you heal others by (literally) defeating monsters inside them. Sounds a bit like what you do in the Psychonauts series, doesn’t it? Also, interacting with NPCs is pretty fun in itself, thanks to the witty dialogues the game is filled with.

Samorost

As long as you don’t mind it being painfully short, Samorost can easily be one of the best-looking, if not one of the best free single player Steam games. It’s a simplified point & click adventure title about a “space gnome” whose home is endangered by a literal planet approaching at a worryingly high speed.

Without thinking, he reaches it on his airship to change its course. The title might be brief and non-demanding, but its atmosphere, soundtrack, and extremely pleasing visuals make for a memorable run.  

If you fancy longer adventure titles, here’s our article on the best point and click adventure games. Also, there are two more entries in the Samorost series. Feel free to give them a go!

Shadow Warrior Classic (1997)

Did you know the Shadow Warrior series was created by the same people who did Duke Nukem 3D? Once you launch Shadow Warrior Classic, you will instantly notice the similarities between the two. Lo Wang was originally working for Zilla Enterprises as their best assassin.

When he’s put to the test by the evil Master Zilla, he has to show what he’s made of just to survive. As with Duke, you can get creative in massacring your enemies either with a gun, shuriken, katana, or… a heart. When squeezed, Wang’s clone appears, all ready to fight. Pretty neat, even for one of the best free offline PC games. 

Wanna learn more about FPS titles? Here you can discover the best single player FPS on PC.

Spelunky Classic

Back in 2009, the original version of Spelunky was released as a free title. It’s said to be not as polished and lacks the responsive controls in the new version of Spelunky, but it’s still a fun ride worth checking out. See if the concept of a tough, fluid platformer where you can die in no time suits your tastes.

Many of the enemies are even more dangerous in the Classic Plus version, adding another layer of challenge to your playthrough. See it for yourself if you don’t mind love-hate relationships with games. 

You can download the title on this page.

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty

Blizzard had an interesting idea regarding the sequel to their sci-fi hit. StarCraft II is divided into three separate campaigns: Wings of Liberty, Heart of the Swarm, and Legacy of the Void. Luckily, the first part of the game can be yours for free.

Wings of Liberty tell the story from the perspective of the Terran race. As Jim Raynor, we are trying to oppose the Dominion of Man in our personal crusade. Through 29 missions, you will discover the story of other races as well as enjoy epic RTS battles. After that, you can continue with the trilogy with two other installments!

The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit

No wonder The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit happens to be one of the best free games on Steam. It came out as a little prelude to Life is Strange 2. This short chapter presents a touching story that can lack a bit of context, making you wonder about what is actually going on. It becomes clear after reaching a certain point in LiS2.

Chris is a 9-year-old boy whose imagination and drawing skills help him create his own superhero world, in which he’s fighting evil as Captain Spirit. The game is a walking point & click simulator like the rest of the Life is Strange franchise, letting you admire masterful narration seen from the eyes of a cheerful kid, even if his real world isn’t as merry.

The first episode of LiS 2 is also available for free. Be sure to see if you like it!

The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall

Long before Skyrim or even Oblivion were a thing, this TES series classic appeared. It’s impressive how similar Daggerfall is in comparison to its successors, even though it’s aged significantly in terms of graphics. 

Nonetheless, the game offers a surprisingly big world filled with enemies and loot. Sadly, the combat system is far from perfect. However, knowing it’s a game from 1996, it’s still playable and fun. If you want to try out one of the top free single-player RPG games for PC, discover the origins of The Elder Scrolls series, don’t overlook it, especially if you enjoy retro games. 

It’s also worth noting that Daggerfall and many other PC titles are available to play in GOG’s collection of free games. This is a great way to brush up on older classics and test out newer releases at no extra cost.

The Sims 4

The Sims is arguably the most iconic series of life simulation games on the market. The latest installment went free-to-play in late 2022, much to the delight of gamers who’d been waiting years to play it.

The Sims 4 features extensive Create-a-Sim and Build modes, which alone can keep you busy for hours. Moreover, the developers update the game frequently, adding new content ranging from makeup and bug fixes to a complete overhaul of skin tones.

Once you have a taste of the base game, you may be interested in expanding your experience with DLCs, so we have compiled the best Sims 4 expansion packs in one place. Enjoy reading!

Fallout Shelter

Any Fallout enthusiasts out there? Here’s a freebie that will undoubtedly appeal to you. In Fallout Shelter, players manage their own shelter, which means providing for the basic needs of its tenants and adding new rooms. Good resource management is key to keeping peace at your refuge.

As you play, you’ll often send your people out into the world, which is not the safest or happiest place. Hence, you need to make sure they are properly armed and protected. Fortunately, their effectiveness increases with experience.

OpenTTD

If you like tycoon games, you should definitely try OpenTTD, especially since it’s free. It’s an open-source remake of Transport Tycoon Deluxe that lets you run your own transportation company.

You start by choosing a map; each has a different type of terrain and a layout of cities. As you play, you’ll build roads, railways, train stations, docks, and airports. Your choices will affect how well the world develops, as cities without supplies won’t grow.

Cookie Clicker

The next pick on our list of free singleplayer games is fairly straightforward. The name says it all. In Cookie Clicker, you’ll develop your own bakery. You can accomplish this by simply clicking on the giant cookie on the screen. You’ll then be able to hire employees, build buildings, or buy upgrades to improve your effectiveness.

You can play the game for free on this website or support the developers and buy it on Steam:

Helltaker

Helltaker is a top-down puzzle game. You play as a young man whose greatest dream is to build a harem of beautiful demonic girls. In order to do so, he opens the gates of hell, but not everything goes as planned. While it’s not one of the most complex free single-player games on PC, it’s still quite entertaining and will undoubtedly brighten your evening.

Dwarf Fortress Classic

Dwarf Fortress Classic is, without a doubt, a legendary game that deserves a place in our lineup. “What about the Steam version?” some of you may ask. “How does it differ from the original?”

Well, the first and foremost difference is that the Steam version comes with a price tag attached to it. Moreover, it has a new UI and engine, and its graphics have been updated. It also comes with a new soundtrack and some changes to the quality of the gameplay.

If you want to see one of the most impressive random world generation systems in action, you can do so for free on this website. Or purchase the enhanced edition on Steam or itch.io.

Tales of Maj’Eyal

Tales of Maj’Eyal puts the player in the shoes of an adventurer traversing the world in search of ancient artifacts. The game offers a wide selection of races and classes that allow you to run with your imagination while creating your character. Along the way, you’ll meet friendly inhabitants as well as monsters that want to beat you to a bloody pulp.

The title is available for free on this page. But you can also buy it on Steam:

Unturned

Unturned combines elements of the iconic survival MMO DayZ with Minecraft-esque graphics. It may not be the most groundbreaking idea, but it’s fun nonetheless.

As is typical for the survival sandbox genre, you’ll be transported to an open world that has been overrun by a zombie epidemic. Your job, of course, is to survive, which means exploring the area in search of resources, eliminating the undead, and cooperating (or not) with other players. You also must attend to basic needs such as health, thirst, and hunger.

Starcraft + Brood War

In celebration of the release of StarCraft Remastered, Blizzard made the original 1998 version of the game available to players for free, along with its expansion, Brood War. The opportunity to see the beginnings of the beloved franchise is too good to pass up for RTS fans.

The gameplay revolves around gathering resources, building bases, and producing units. There are three playable factions to choose from: the Zerg, the Terrans, and the Protoss. Each has its own unique set of advantages and disadvantages.

You can download the game here. And if you’re interested in the remaster, here are the best deals:

Dagon: by H.P. Lovecraft

The last entry on our list of the best free single-player games on Steam is Dagon: by H.P. Lovecraft. It isn’t the longest of the bunch, taking about 30 minutes to complete. Nevertheless, it’s a good place to start if you’re new to the Cthulhu mythology, as it’s a faithful adaptation of the story of the same name.

However, even the pickiest gamers will be pleased by the game’s tense atmosphere and immersive narrative. The plot is about a former ship officer with a morphine addiction. In a state of delirium, he travels to the Stygian Abyss, where he encounters true nightmares.

If you want to see other titles that got adapted into interactive experiences, check out our list of the best book-based games. In fact, Lovecraft’s works have served as inspiration for many developers.

Did you like our line-up of the best free offline games? Indeed, many of them are rather old or can be finished in one evening, but we believe they deserve attention nonetheless. Don’t hesitate to voice your opinions in the comment section. Maybe we forgot about something else players should know about.