New free-to-play Steam games: Here’s how to play them
Steam has added yet more free-to-play games to its already massive library. Here are some of the coolest-looking ones.
Troov
If you do a quick search for free-to-play games on Steam, you get over 6,700 matches — but that’s not enough free games for Valve. The company adds more and more free titles all the time, and this month we’ve got yet another fresh batch.
Covering genres such as multiplayer, horror, first-person combat, open-world adventure, and 3D platformers, Steam has added well over 20 games since the start of May. Here are some of the best-looking ones:
Hamster Hustle: a multiplayer tag game where you play as ridiculously colored hamsters running around an elaborate cage. The hamsters also dance.
SteamTankazooka: a 2D platformer about a broken tank that has to use its barrel gun to propel itself up and forward over obstacles.
SteamFALARMA – Open World: a pixel art open-world exploration game with missions, side quests, and regular content updates.
SteamTriage: a point-and-click adventure/narrative game where you play as a doctor in a small town suffering from a strange outbreak of illness.
SteamSirocco: an early access MOBA that focuses on battleship warfare with 5v5 gameplay.
SteamBanshee: a first-person horror game about escaping from a house where all the doors are locked and a murderous banshee is chasing after you.
SteamNanika Game Online: an item-matching, tetris-style game with online multiplayer gameplay. It has a simple style, cute pixel art, and a Japanese name that sort of translates to “Something Game Online.”
SteamIf you want to try out any of these games, simply head to the links or throw the name into Steam’s search bar. Not every free game is available across all platforms, so make sure to check the icons above the “Play Game” button. Many titles are Windows-only, but some will also play on macOS and/or SteamOS and Linux.
You can also check the system requirements toward the bottom of the page, though you should be able to play these simple games on just about any setup.
If none of these titles interest you, use the filters and top-seller/top-rated tabs available on Steam’s search page to check out thousands of other free-to-play games. There’s also an “Under $5” section where you can view the games with the tiniest price tags.
PlayStation Plus gets one of 2024’s best games in May
Sony just announced the May 2025 lineup for PlayStation Plus, and it's a doozy. Giant boltgun-wielding space marines, armored dinosaurs, and a card game best described as Poker-turned-roguelike all await this next month starting on May 6. You have until then to redeem the games from April, if you haven't already done so.
First up is Balatro for PS4 and PS5 players. This game has been the subject of a lot of discussion, especially because it's a small indie that took home more awards than many AAA games. At the Game Awards, it won Best Debut Indie Game, Best Independent Game, and Best Mobile Game — and for good reason. Balatro is a deckbuilder with a twist; you use a standard deck of playing cards, but some cards have abilities and multipliers that help you on your quest to get the highest score you possibly can.
Alienware’s new 34-inch QD-OLED gaming monitor is faster and cheaper than before
Alienware has come up with the new AW3425DW, a follow up to its popular AW3423DW which debuted back in 2023. The latest 34-inch ultrawide gaming monitor is built around Samsung’s second-generation QD-OLED panel. With a resolution of 3440 x 1440, the monitor offers a 240Hz refresh rate with 0.03ms GTG (Gray-to-Gray) response time, essentially offering a fast, responsive performance for competitive gaming while maintaining strong visual quality.
The AW3425DW supports both Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, along with VESA AdaptiveSync, ensuring wide compatibility for smooth, tear-free gameplay. The panel features 99.3% DCI-P3 color coverage, a peak brightness of up to 1000 nits, and VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400 certification, which should deliver deep contrast and vivid visuals. The screen comes with an 1800R curve for better immersion and includes connectivity options such as DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.1, USB-A, and USB-C with up to 15W charging.
3 Xbox Game Pass games to play this weekend (April 25-27)
Depending on where you live, we're all somewhere in the process of fully transitioning into the Spring season. Flowers are budding, the sun is shining, and fantastic games are coming to Game Pass, giving you a strong reason to stay inside all weekend. This weekend is the most exciting of the month, thanks to one specific day-one game we're sure you're excited for, but if RPGs aren't your thing, we have plenty of other options that are perfect for the warm weather. May is going to be another big month for upcoming Xbox Series X games on Game Pass, with Doom: The Dark Ages in particular looming on the horizon. Until then, these are the best games to play on Game Pass this weekend.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
