Gaming is hugely popular, and free gaming even more so. Below is a list of our picks of some of the best free game downloads for your PC. Some of them are even portable, which means you can put them on a flash drive and play them anywhere.
This list of games includes older and popular commercial titles that have been released as freeware, home-brew remakes of popular games, and games released by independent developers. They're identified by their genres, such as first-person shooter, real-time strategy, role-playing, simulation, and platform games.
You have to save the game files to your computer and install them before they're usable. These are not the same as free online games that can be played in your web browser.
Before Downloading These Games
Remember that each game works only when installed on your PC. This poses a risk when compared to online games because the game files might contain malware.
Take caution when downloading these files. Know how to scan your computer for viruses should the need arise, and always keep your computer updated with the most recent security patches.
If you download a free game that won't open when you double-click it, chances are you need to extract the game out of the archive since some of them come in a RAR or ZIP file. ZIP files can usually be opened with no problem but RARs and other non-ZIP archives usually require a file unzip program like 7-Zip.
Several of these PC game free download pages have multiple "Download" buttons but only one of them is actually valid; the others are most likely advertisements or links to other websites. If any links take you elsewhere without downloading the game, return to the download link below and try a different button.
A
![Hands holding a gaming controller in front of a monitor](https://www.lifewire.com/thmb/N0k-F9r49d6-TlAh0foNs0P3EJ4=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/free-pc-games-a-to-z-812123-A-lede-v1-5c6ac96646e0fb0001b35d83.jpg)
Abuse | First-person Shooter |
Alien Breed Obliteration | First-person Shooter |
Airstrike 3D | Flight Simulator |
Alien Swarm | Top-down Shooter |
America's Army 2.5: Assist | First-person Shooter |
America's Army 3 | First-person Shooter |
Armagetron | Simulation |
AssaultCube | First-person Shooter |
Ata: Extracts From The American Civil War | Strategy |
B
![Screen capture showing airplane from a video game.](https://www.lifewire.com/thmb/SSlaIkWChkW0V-ARittI-0BIar0=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/free-pc-games-a-to-z-812123-B-3d-v1-5c6ac9e146e0fb0001560db5.jpg)
Babylon 5: I've Found Her | Simulation |
Beneath A Steel Sky | Action/Adventure |
Bio Menace | Platform |
Blip and Blop | Arcade |
Bounty Hunter SX | Arcade |
BZFLag | First-person Shooter |
C
![Screen capture of a shooter's point of view down a brick hallway.](https://www.lifewire.com/thmb/jhNFkdlJTj8HN4LLjWNcU5y-Sj4=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/free-pc-games-a-to-z-812123-C-a-v1-5c6aca0146e0fb0001b35d85.jpg)
C-Evo | Strategy |
Cave Story | Platform |
CaveShip | Arcade |
Cellfactor: Revolution | First-person Shooter |
CodeRED Battle For Earth | First-person Shooter |
Command & Conquer | Strategy |
Command & Conquer: Red Alert | Strategy |
Corridors of Power | First-person Shooter |
D
![Screen capture of a spaceship firing in a video game.](https://www.lifewire.com/thmb/Kk2xJAOYNaX2iuPT-s638JXumP0=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/free-pc-games-a-to-z-812123-D-b-v1-5c6aca1d46e0fb00019172ac.jpg)
Dark Wars | Platform |
Dark War II | Platform |
Dink Smallwood | Role-playing |
Diver Down | Role-playing |
Doom 95 | First-person Shooter |
DroneSwarm | Arcade |
E
![Overhead view of a natural landscape from a video game.](https://www.lifewire.com/thmb/ssm__Uf4QPaVoORzt1PxsRuUf8c=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/free-pc-games-a-to-z-812123-E-c-v1-5c6aca45c9e77c0001476479.jpg)
Eternal Daughter | Platform |
Eternum | Platform |
F
![Screen capture of air-to-air jet combat from a video game.](https://www.lifewire.com/thmb/JsihzJqsT8ZWbblaPWYPhB8b1CA=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/free-pc-games-a-to-z-812123-F-d-v1-5c6aca5d46e0fb00011a0da0.jpg)
Fantom Subdivision A | Action |
Formido | Strategy |
G
![Screen capture of treasure chests and ogres on various levels and platforms.](https://www.lifewire.com/thmb/80Trkg9V82OkoAqWtUirQsEwFCM=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/free-pc-games-a-to-z-812123-G-e-v1-5c6aca76c9e77c00013b3bea.jpg)
Gate 88 | Strategy |
Gene Rally | Driving/Racing |
God of Thunder | Platform |
Grand Theft Auto | Action/Adventure |
H
Halloween 1.0 | Action |
Halo Zero | Platform |
Hell Fighter | Simulation |
Hidden and Dangerous Deluxe | First-person Shooter |
Highway Pursuit | Arcade |
I
![Screen capture of an auto race course and buildings from above..](https://www.lifewire.com/thmb/OMF4CpdIk7rkjZNEO7qDtmrg9Y8=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/free-pc-games-a-to-z-812123-i-g-v1-5c6acaa7c9e77c00013b3bec.jpg)
I of the Enemy: Ril'Cerat | Strategy |
Icy Tower | Platform |
Island Wars! | Arcade |
Island Wars 2 | Arcade |
J
Jetz Fusion | Arcade |
Jetz Rampage 2 | Arcade |
Jetz Rampage 4: Revenge | Arcade |
K
Kings Quest I: Quest for the Crown | Action/Adventure, Point-and-Click |
Kings Quest 2 | Action/Adventure, Point-and-Click |
Kings Quest 3 | Action/Adventure, Point-and-Click |
L
Little Fighter 2 Night | Action |
Lord Monarch | Strategy |
M
Machines of Destruction | Action |
Mad Bomber | Arcade |
Magebane 2 | Role-playing |
Mario Forever Galaxy | Arcade |
N
Neo Sonic Godspeed | Arcade |
NetStorm: Islands at War | Simulation |
Notrium | Adventure |
NTE - Strike and Retrieve | Strategy |
O
Ocular Ink | Action |
Operation Spacehog | Arcade |
Out of Order | Action/Adventure, Point-and-Click |
P/Q
Pac-Man 3D | Arcade |
Pekka Kana 2 | Platform |
Pirate Isles | Strategy |
PRBoom | First-person Shooter |
Prince of Persia 4D | Adventure |
Psi-Ops The Mindgate Conspiracy | Third-person Shooter |
ezQuake | First-person Shooter |
R
Return of Egypt | Adventure |
Rise & Fall: Civilizations at War | Strategy |
S
Savage: The Battle For Newerth | Strategy, First-person Shooter |
Shadow Armada | Strategy |
ShadowFlare | Role-playing |
Shaolin Soldier | Action |
Spelunky | Platform |
Spy Hunter | Driving/Racing |
Star Defender 4 | Action |
Star Wars The Battle of Endor | Simulation |
Star Wars The Battle of Yavin | Simulation |
Starscape | Arcade |
Steel Panthers Main Battle Tank | Strategy |
Steel Panthers World at War | Strategy |
Stick Soldiers | Action |
Street Fighter 2 | Action |
Super Mario: Mario Forever | Arcade |
Super Mario Epic 2: Dream Machine | Arcade |
Super Mario Pac | Arcade |
Super Mario vs NWO World Tour | Arcade |
Super Mario War | Arcade |
Super Mario XP | Arcade |
T
Tango Strike | Arcade |
TerraFire | Action |
The Black Heart | Fighting |
The Elder Scrolls Arena | Role-playing |
The Spirit Engine | Role-playing |
U
UFO 2000 | Simulation |
Universal Combat | Simulation |
W
Wild Metal Country | Arcade |
Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory | First-person Shooter |
Worm Wars 3 | Arcade |
X
X Bomber | Top-down Shooter |
X Operations | First-person Shooter |
Z / 0-9
Zelda Classic | Arcade |
3D Desert Run | Simulation |