bachelor in game design and development

9 of the Best Free Online Games

Photo Courtesy: Gallo Images/Getty Images

Gaming is a billion dollar industry, but you don't have to spend a penny to play some of the best games online. As long as you have a computer, you have access to hundreds of games for free. From MMOs to RPGs to racing games, check out 14 of the best free online games.

Star Wars: The Old Republic

Star Wars: The Old Republic received a lukewarm response when it launched in 2011, but several changes since then have significantly opened up the appeal of the game. While the most obvious tweak was a shift to a limited free-to-play model less than a year after release, there have been a lot of more subtle changes that are good news for everyone.

Photo Courtesy: Joe Klamar/Getty Images

Only interested in the story? You can comfortably play solo all the way up to level 60. Do you love PvP action? You can skip all the way to level 60 upon character creation. Best of all, you no longer need to spend money to avoid endless grinding. There's never been a better time to visit a galaxy far, far away.

Alien Swarm

Alien Swarm is a free online game available from Valve that pits you and up to three friends against alien monsters. While the game is admittedly dated at this point — it was released in 2010 — it continues to have an active fan base. If the numerous classes, weapons, characters and areas get old, you can always use the included map generation tool and mod kit to create your own dream bug hunt.

League of Legends

League of Legends has been around for more than a decade, and it's still going strong. Players must work together to dominate the map in a fantasy world, and the game takes skill and practice — not to mention good teammates — to master. League of Legends tournaments are popular e-Sport events, so if you'd like to watch the pros go at it before trying the game out for yourself, you certainly can.

Photo Courtesy: Chesnot/Getty Images

Impressively, League of Legends has been so successful that its maker, Riot Studios, has had little need to put out other titles. It wasn't until 2019, a full decade after League of Legends' release, that Riot Studios put out its second game, Teamfight Tactics.

Dota 2

Similar to League of Legends, Dota 2 is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game with players competing for control of a map. While the mod can trace its origins to a mod made for Warcraft III called Defense of the Ancients (commonly abbreviated DotA), Dota 2 is a game in its own right.

Photo Courtesy: Suzi Pratt/Getty Images

While the game remains one of the biggest names in e-sports, Dota 2 has seen a decline in player numbers since its release in 2013. For regular players looking for a free game to enjoy, however, Dota 2 is still a good time.

Forza Motorsport 6 Apex

RPGs and MOBAs aren't for everyone. Forza Motorsport 6 Apex is a free online racing game that's essentially a slimmed down version of Forza Motorsport 6 for the Xbox One. While you only have six tracks to choose from, they're the same as the original game, and you have your choice of sixty cars to race on them with some truly phenomenal graphics. In fact, the main downside of the game is simply that you need a powerful computer to run it at maximum graphic settings.

Fortnite Battle Royale

Fortnite Battle Royale took off to become possibly the most popular game of 2018, and in doing so, it reinvigorated the battle royal game genre, with competitors like Call of Duty: Warzone soon springing up in its wake. Players engage in an epic battle to be the last one standing in a game of intense yet zany combat gun and melee combat. Online play is possible through PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, iOS and Android devices.

Photo Courtesy: Bloomberg/Getty Images

Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft

Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft is a free online game modeled after the Magic: The Gathering card game. It has a basic rule set that's easy to learn but difficult to master. While knowledge of the greater Warcraft universe can make the cards themselves more enjoyable, no knowledge of previous games is necessary to enjoy Hearthstone. Unlike some free online card games, you also don't need to spend money to have a competitive deck.

CC0/EvanLee/Pixabay

Lord of the Rings Online

Lord of the Rings Online may have been released in 2007, but while many other MMOs from that time have fallen by the wayside, this game continues on, in part because it appeals to hardcore fans. For Tolkien enthusiasts, the game is almost a Middle Earth theme park that you can visit from the comfort of your own home

Photo Courtesy: @lotro/Twitter

While some content does require a purchase, you can earn most of it for free with a bit of patience. Considering the rewards are fighting orcs in Mordor and protecting pies from hungry hobbits in equal measure, the rewards are well-worth it.

Pinball Arcade

While there are many pinball games out there to choose from, Pinball Arcade is special in that it attempts to recreate actual pinball machines so that you can play them from the comfort of your home. The base game on Steam comes with Frankenstein, Flight 2000, Ripleys, Starship Troopers and Star Trek Vengeance Premium tables, and you can pay for more if you enjoy the game enough. Additionally, other versions of the game have been released for Xbox 360, Xbox One, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Android and iOS phones and more.