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The Best Free PC Games for 2020

We've tested the best PC games for hunting monsters and blasting enemies without whipping out your debit or credit card.

 & Jeffrey L. Wilson Managing Editor, Apps and Gaming

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

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Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks

  • Dauntless (for PC)
    Best for Monster Hunter Fans

    Dauntless (for PC)

    3.5 Good

    Pros & Cons

      • Smooth learning curve
      • Fast-paced combat
      • Tangible player progression
      • Crossplay with consoles
      • Uncapped frame rate
      • Could use more weapons and monsters
      • Bland environments
      • Relatively limited character creator

    Bottom Line:

    Bottom Line:

    Dauntless provides a streamlined, user-friendly alternative to Monster Hunter. Though repetitive at times, there’s no denying the game's solid and enjoyable core mechanics. The dull environments could use some work, however.

    Specs & Configurations

    ESRB Rating T for Teen
    Games Genre Role-Playing
    Games Platform PC
    Get It Now
  • Eggnogg+ (for PC)

    Eggnogg+ (for PC)

    Bottom Line:

    Bottom Line:

  • Hearthstone (for PC)

    Hearthstone (for PC)

    Bottom Line:

    Bottom Line:

    Get It Now
  • League of Legends (for PC)

    League of Legends (for PC)

    4.5 Outstanding

    Pros & Cons

      • Competitive and addictive gameplay, with lots of variation between Champions.
      • Easy to learn, despite having complex gameplay and customization elements.
      • Thriving online community with fair micro transactions.
      • Free.
      • Runes and Masteries aren't as useful as they should be early in the game.
      • Some Champions are overpowered.

    Bottom Line:

    Bottom Line:

    League of Legends, the incredibly popular PC title from Riot Games, continues to shine as the crown jewel of the MOBA genre.

    Specs & Configurations

    ESRB Rating E for Everybody
    Games Genre Action
    Games Platform PC
    Get It Now
  • Smite (for PC)

    Smite (for PC)

    4.0 Excellent

    Pros & Cons

      • Fun and fast-paced, third-person MOBA action.
      • Solid character design.
      • Deep roster.
      • Multiple game modes.Good tutorials to help you learn the basics.
      • Server issues.
      • No cross-platform play.
      • Newest update brings some irksome gameplay changes.
      • Many skins can only be acquired with gems or not in-game currency.

    Bottom Line:

    Bottom Line:

    Boasting thrilling game play and some decidedly non-MOBA elements, Smite is the MOBA for those who don't like MOBA. The developers need to address the recent server issues, though.

    Specs & Configurations

    Product Category Games
    Product Category Gaming
    Product Category PC
    Product Category Software
    Product Price Type List
    Get It Now
  • War Thunder (for PC)

    War Thunder (for PC)

    Bottom Line:

    Bottom Line:

    Get It Now
The Best Free PC Games for 2020

Compare Specs

Select Up To 3Select Up To 2
Our Pick
Rating
3.5 Good
4.5 Outstanding
4.0 Excellent
3.5 Good
Best For
Best for Monster Hunter Fans
Best for Monster Hunter Fans
Product Price Type
List
Product Category
Games, Gaming, PC, Software
Games Platform
PCPCPC
Games Genre
Role-PlayingActionRole-Playing
ESRB Rating
T for TeenE for EverybodyT for Teen

Buying Guide: The Best Free PC Games for 2020

About Our Expert

Jeffrey L. Wilson

Jeffrey L. Wilson

Managing Editor, Apps and Gaming

Since 2004, I've written about consumer tech for many publications, including 1UP, Laptop, Parenting, Sync, Wise Bread, and WWE. I now apply that knowledge and skill set as the managing editor of PCMag's apps and gaming team.

The Technology I Use

As a member of the App & Gaming team, I use a wide variety of apps and services. Google Drive is an essential file-syncing service for moving documents between team members in this work-from-home era. Scrivener has been an invaluable writing tool as I rework my fiction manuscript. YouTube Premium and YouTube TV deliver hours of entertainment (though I only use the latter service during the F1 and NBA playoff seasons).

In terms of hardware, I use a Lenovo Thinkpad Carbon X1 laptop for work and an Origin PC tower for playing PC games. I also have a Steam Deck, which lets me play my favorite titles under a shade tree. Of course, I have a smartphone, and the Google Pixel 9a is my handset of choice.

My main input devices are the Das Keyboard 4 Professional and Logitech MX Vertical Ergonomic Mouse, though I bust out the Hori Fighting Commander Octa or Hori Fight Stick Alpha when mixing it up in fighting games. I have a thing for arcade sticks. I collect Neo Geo AES games, too, but only if I can find the carts on the (relative) cheap.

For video and music consumption, I fire up my Lenovo Tab P11; it has a sharp screen and great Dolby Atmos-powered speakers. My Kindle Paperwhite has received much use, too. I have a standalone, Sony Blu-ray player connected to a TCL television when it's time to go full cinephile. I'm also a vinyl guy, so the Bluetooth-enabled Audio-Technica AT-LP60XBT keeps the wax spinning.

My first computer was a Commodore 64. Long live BASIC and retro computers!

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