How to play for free? Check out eight ways to enjoy games without paying | Games

Free-to-play was a distant reality a few years ago, but it’s becoming more common today, especially with the popularization of free-to-play titles like Fortnite, League of Legends (LOL), and Genshin Impact. In addition to so-called “games as a service”, users sometimes also have the opportunity to take advantage of complete single-player experiences on some of the major digital platforms, whether on consoles or PCs.

Traditional demo versions are also interesting and are an opportunity to try even new releases before you decide to buy. With all this in mind, TechTudo brings, in the following lines, eight ways to enjoy games without paying. Check:

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You can enjoy the games for free in several ways; see recommendations — Photo: Disclosure / Epic Games Store

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It’s not news that games are getting more and more expensive, and this requires more caution when deciding on your next purchase. A common practice of companies, which continues even today, is to make demo versions of some of their major releases available. These versions, as the name suggests, are cuts that aim to give an idea of ​​the full game experience. They are a great opportunity to familiarize yourself with new titles and move, for example, that newly purchased console.

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is one of the games with a demo version available on Steam — Photo: Disclosure / Bandai Namco

Free-to-play games are quite the phenomenon these days, with more and more companies embracing the marketplace model even after their titles have already been released. These games usually bet on multiplayer formats and have great initial adhesion, as the entire installed base of the platform can access them at no additional cost. The fact that they usually don’t require an online subscription on consoles to work online also helps. Some examples include Fall Guys, MultiVersus, Fortnite, Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), League of Legends (LOL), Genshin Impact, PokĂ©mon Unite, Rocket League, among others.

Genshin Impact is a great phenomenon and is recommended for those who like exploration games and dynamic combat — Photo: Disclosure / HoYoverse

The Internet Archive brings together the collection of books, music, software, web pages and other content that has powered the Internet since its inception, making all materials available for free. Games are also not left out and it is possible to go back to Windows classics and even MS-DOS. Featured games include Prince of Persia, DOOM, Pac-Man, Wolfenstein 3D, Microsoft Flight Simulator, among other options. Even if it’s just out of curiosity, it’s worth exploring the catalog and encountering a few of its surprises.

Among the classics of the Internet archive are titles such as Duke Nukem 3D and Alley Cat — Photo: Reprodukcija/TechTudo

For those who don’t have very powerful consoles or computers, browser games are an affordable and fun way to pass the time. Today, titles such as Gartic, Codenames, Akinator, Agar.io, Silther.io and Friday Night Funkin’ are some of the most popular and run directly from the website, without the need for an external download.

There are also platforms like Jam.GG, which bets on fully licensed free-to-play arcade classics, with the option of online multiplayer and video chat rooms. Another option is to search for free games on Google, such as Snake, Cricket, Memory, Chess, among others.

The Jam.GG platform is an easy way to play arcade classics, fully licensed, directly through your browser — Photo: Reprodukcija/Bruno Magalhães

Mobile devices are a major powerhouse in the gaming world thanks to the platform’s installed base. After all, it is estimated that at least half of the world’s population has a smartphone, as highlighted in a June 2021 survey by Strategy Analytics. Therefore, the number of free-to-play games is increasing on Android and iPhone devices (iOS). Among the most popular are Call of Duty Mobile, Genshin Impact, PokĂ©mon GO, PUBG Mobile, Clash of Clans, Candy Crush Saga and League of Legends: Wild Rift (LOL Mobile).

For free, Wild Rift brings the League of Legends experience to mobile devices — Photo: Disclosure / Riot Games

The Fortnite studio’s digital store, the Epic Games Store, is the main competitor to Valve’s Steam platform. While the catalog features a number of popular games and new releases for sale, the service stands out for its weekly freebies. In other words, users can redeem a new game every Thursday in an attempt to attract new users. This way it was already possible to guarantee names like Control, GTA 5, Alien: Isolation, Alan Wake, Celeste, Dead By Daylight, Nioh: The Complete Edition, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, among other heavyweight titles.

It’s worth mentioning, however, that the games are only available for free download for a limited period. If the player does it within the time limit, they will have the game forever, but if they don’t, they will lose the opportunity.

A sales success, GTA 5 was once one of the free games offered by the Epic Games Store — Photo: Disclosure/Steam

One of the best features of the Steam platform on PC is Remote Play Together. It allows, for example, to play a game that only supports local multiplayer that you can enjoy online, via streaming. The most interesting thing is that the invited player does not need to have the game in his library: just receive an invitation from a friend to start playing. Since it’s a streaming feature, Remote Play Together requires a good internet connection for a cleaner, lag-free picture.

River City Girls is one of several games supported by Steam Remote Play Together. — Photo: Reproduction/Bruno Magalhães

Another popular feature of Steam is Family Share, a great tool for sharing games with friends on the platform. In practice, it’s like a friend lending out his entire library, giving access to the games he bought from his account. However, this method has some drawbacks. One of them is to open only one game from the same library at a time. In any case, the feature is a great option for those who don’t want to spend on games and have a trusted friend.

With Steam Remote Play Together, Valve’s platform lets you share your game library with friends — Photo: Disclosure / Valve

Discover 5 free games to enjoy with friends on consoles

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