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These are only five titles in the sea of choices in the online store; there are hundreds of games you can download for free.
To a console gamer or someone who just wasn't around many PCs, owning a computer can seem like the most expensive mistake you could ever make. But to be honest, your console and the laptop I am typing this on have more in common than you think. There are so many gamers who love PC gaming because of how customizable you can make it from the hardware to the case. And with the proper budget and know-how, you can make a machine for the ages. That is not what this article will be discussing. No, this article is for those who are new to the online gaming platform Steam, which is kind of like Discord with games. The upcoming list is five titles that you can either download for free or cost no more than five dollars. Most of the titles are relatively low in their requirements, which means out of the titles below, there is at least one you can play with no issue.
Corgi Warlock is a four-player co-op adventure game where you lead the magical beast to destroy the corrupt rabbit king. The gameplay is pretty linear because you typically go to the right and reach the end of the level. There are a few exceptions to this, with some levels having platforms and higher areas you can reach. The enemies are massive, in both size and numbers. Still, the tutorial explains which spells are best for what situations, so you will be fine if you remember these. Our heroes also have a natural healing spell as well as a regenerate bar and a shield. I admit, I jumped right into playing, so there could be a more challenging difficulty. With the healing mentioned earlier and protection capabilities, this title can feel easy at points. But despite the simple design in terms of gameplay, this title was charming enough to steal two hours from my life before I even knew it. So if you want something silly to play with friends or a simple title while you ride out the last of your hangover, Corgi Warlock is a recommendation.
For the more abstract thinker, you might enjoy the title Final Dusk. Final Dusk has you guide the vampire Mira through a mansion filled with enemies, traps, and worst of all, sunlight. Before you start divining all the remarkable ways a vampire can get out of this situation, let me state no violence in this title. No, Final Dusk is a puzzle game where you have to guide the vampire from point A to point B. You can use statues, bookcases, and other furniture to block the open windows, or you can call a small group of bats to block the sun for a moment. You have time before each level starts to move items around and plot Mina's route. And if you are daring enough, you can have Mina run around the map and collect garlic, for some reason. This title has no time limit or continues, just how long you can last before frustration sets in during gameplay. I should mention that Final Dusk would probably fall under a niche category, so if puzzle games aren't your thing, you may not enjoy it as much.
Do you love Smite? Do you love Battle Royal? Have you ever wondered what would happen if you put slice-of-life anime characters into a fighting scenario? Well, do I have good news for you because you get all of that and more in the free-to-play MOBA Eternal Darkness: Black Survival. The gameplay is identical to other MOBAs because it is free to play. Still, you can buy characters or in-game skins with various in-game currencies. But where it differs is in two fundamental ways, the first being the overall gameplay. If you do team mode, you, or a partner, pick an area of the map to start with and try to be the last one standing. The other is that rather than fighting and collecting gold to buy items, you have to gather materials to make them. You will encounter wild animals, NPCs, events, and other players while searching for you're the items needed to craft. There is a little bit of a learning curve. Still, you gain bonuses for doing the tutorial, so make sure to complete them and avoid the idiotic mistake I made of disregarding them.
Before Among Us, there was The Town of Salem, which made mob mentality far more fun than it should be. But this title is all about deception and deduction, depending on the role assigned to you. Your role is randomized every game, but you will generally want one of two goals. Either kill all criminals or kill all townspeople. Nobody knows who anybody is, except for the mafia. You use your skills and clues from other players to determine everyone's role. The townspeople's roles can vary from a Sheriff to a Doctor, or Jailor, or Veteran. Still, you all have the same task of finding not only the mob members but also a serial killer. The mob roles are Godfather, Mafioso, and Framer. The Godfather orders the kill, the Mafioso carries it out, and the Framer makes it appear to be someone else. And the Serial Killer can kill whenever he wants to.
The thing that makes this title so interesting, though, is the voting. Any player can accuse anyone else and vote to put them on trial. If the defense can not prove their innocence, the players can vote guilty and hang the townsfolk in question. But be careful, because one person you never want to sentence to death is The Jester. This title is highly customizable with your character, home, right down to your death animation. It has a thriving live community as well as ranked for more competitive players. Town of Salem is just a random title I got from a friend years ago, and its quickly become one of my favorites.
Dungeon Fighter Online is one of those games I don't get a chance to play very often, but I always have a blast when I do. For those who love old-school beat'em ups like X-Men or Final Fight, this is the free-to-play MMO for you! Yes, this title is, in fact, an MMO. Granted, I made no friends there, which is no surprise considering I can go years without playing this title. But every time I owned a PC, DFO found its way on my hard drive sooner or later. I already have three characters made, but I created a new one to see if they changed anything. They seemed to have added several new classes, including a couple of special ones you can only play after a character reaches level 70. The tutorial is super simple, using nothing more than text and a graphic representing the button you need to press. And while I can appreciate a well-done or creative tutorial, sometimes the old ways are best.
But all in all, the tutorial is quick, so if you feel like making another character, you can be ready to grind within thirty minutes. The gameplay itself plays like a traditional beat'em up. At the same time, you walk through what somewhat resembles a dungeon crawler type of design. Each area you walk into will have enemies and scenery you can destroy in battle, and with the number of moves you gain in later levels, you will have plenty of skills to use. And so long as you stay in areas close to your level, then the stages are not very difficult to handle. I have yet to party with anyone, and I have three characters over level 20.
Any of the titles mentioned above are great ways to pass the time, or a gift for a friend, especially if they are new to Steam. And if you haven't done so already, browse the store. These are only five titles in the sea of choices in the online store; there are hundreds of games you can download for free. So if you love gaming but have to go on a budget, Steam is just one of many platforms you would want to keep an eye on.
Free-Lance Writer for the #WeeklyReplay! Follow me: Twitter