There are plenty of games out there that have everything that you might want from an RPG, but most of them come with a very hefty price tag. For the people who can’t afford those 60 dollar games, we got you covered.
In this article, we will go through the best free RPG games that will fill those cravings for grinding and leveling without making you pay your entire life’s savings for it. Although, keep in mind that free games do have stores with paid stuff, so if you do like the game enough, they might tempt you to buy something.
You also have to watch out for pay to win games, which I don’t think we have any on this list that we know of.
Here are our Best Free RPG Games on PC.
Spiral Knights
The first game on the list is Spiral Knights. It is a top down 3rd person game with RPG elements. You play as a Spiral Knight, and you crash land on the planet Cradle in your ship the Skylark.
You are then tasked with exploring the neverending clockwork dungeons underneath this planet as a way to find out how to restore your ship and escape. When you are not exploring the dungeons, you can talk, trade and hang out with other players in the above ground hub area and you can also explore the surface for even more stuff.
The only downside to the game is the fact that it takes energy to go into the dungeon similarly to how a mobile game works, but that is really the only con with the game.
You can create your character and go right into the game. It is also a very small game when it comes to disk space so don’t worry if you have limited space on your hard drive.
If you enjoy these types of games, then definitely check this one out.
Grimm’s Hollow
Grimm’s Hollow is a game that we had actually covered in one of our other videos, and for good reason to. Being one of the highest rated RPG games on steam, Grimm’s Hollow is definitely something you should look into.
You play as a character named Lavender. She wakes up surrounded by skull-masked strangers and ends up trying to find her lost brother. That’s essentially the premise of the game.
You have a scythe where you can collect ghosts with and I gotta say that the combat system is something that you can easily become acclimated to and it starts to get a little too easy. It’s a timed based attack method, so I’m sure you can see why. Luckily though that’s not what the entire game is centered around, but something that I had noticed.
The overall look of the game is also something you’ll have trouble finding somewhere else given the pixelated look and obviously the settings of the game. I’ve heard some people say it gives them some slight undertale vibes and I can see it.
Also a quick little note but the soundtrack in the game is actually really impressive. It brings the world together with the atmosphere that it creates.
Anyway yeah the game is definitely probably one of if not the shortest RPG on this list but I actually think that’s why it’s perfect to have in your library.
The experience you get is short but is a really good one. The characters are written extremely well and you’ll find yourself surprisingly invested in the story.
If you want an RPG that doesn’t require over 60 hours to beat then I really recommend checking Grimm’s Hollow out.
Path of Exile
Path of Exile is an above view action RPG. After playing it for a bit, it seems like a great RPG game with a very helpful community. I personally have mixed feelings about the combat style though. To me it’s a weird balance of being sometimes clunky and sometimes satisfying.
Maybe I just don’t understand the combat in the game, but it seems like the game loves to throw hordes of enemies at you to make it more difficult. Despite that, it’s easy to see why the game has so many players.
You’ll regularly see users on Steam with thousands of hours in the game, and most of the reviews are positive. Some of the veteran players seem angry about newer updates to the game, but besides that people generally seem to love the game.
Path of Exile seems incredibly grindy, so this one is more for the people who enjoy both the grind and harder gameplay.
It’s one of the more complicated games on this list, so it’ll take you a while to figure out its learning curve. Once you do learn how to play it effectively, this is a game you can easily spend hundreds of hours playing it.
EVE Online
EVE Online is a massive open-world space exploration game. You might think that it sounds similar to games like No Man’s Sky and other space games, but you would be completely wrong.
The game takes place around 21,000 years in the future and humans have found a way to merge people with machines. Since the game is about space exploration, you as a human are plugged into the ship and you can control it with your mind, yeah it is a little weird. You are then given a choice of 4 factions that you can join and each faction has 3 classes within them to choose from.
It is a little hard to choose at first, but you choose the best one that fits your playstyle. You are then thrown into a massive galaxy to go and complete missions and explore to your heart's content.
The game also has a really cool character customization screen where it lets you move around the parts of the body in whatever selection you want. I tried to make my character look like the Chad meme but it didn’t come out like I had hoped it would.
This game is a lot more polished than we expected it to be so if you like polished space exploration RPGs, then you should definitely check this one out for yourself.
Bless Unleashed
So, true to our format of trying to highlight lesser known titles, Bless Unleashed is actually a RPG that, at the time of this recording, had been released just a few weeks ago.
It’s an open-world online RPG that although has some issues, is surprisingly really fun and if you can look past some things, is definitely worth your time.
There are 5 classes: Berserker, Crusader, Mage, Priest, and Ranger. Humans have the ability to be Crusaders, Priests or MaGES. The elves can be Rangers or a mage, and the vargs are the only ones that can be berserkers. Oh and ippins can be crusaders or priests.
One of the bigger things to overlook is that, unlike your traditional RPG element that you come to expect, I gotta say that the classes play a surprisingly small role in the game.
Don’t get me wrong, there are classes, but their abilities and traits are completely dependent on what you put your 4 blessings towards. Whatever you decide to allocate these 4 blessings will determine your entire playstyle.
So the classes themselves have little impact in combat and oftentimes you can get away with playing as any class you want.
In some ways you could see it as a positive considering you can create a hybrid version of what your class does, and a lot of times two people with the same class can play completely different from each other.
Also, if you’re into character customization, you’ll be happy to hear that there is extensive customization in this game. You have options for nearly everything when making your character, it’s some of the most customizable systems I’ve seen in awhile.
You aren’t forced to play with others also, you can play the game solo if you prefer that than playing with a group, but you are forced to play online so you’ll encounter other players basically no matter what.
Graphics are alright and the combat is generally on the slower side. The story is basic and basically just there to get you through the progression but I can see some people enjoying it.
The game currently has a mixed status on steam but honestly, It’s a solid RPG and with friends it’s an RPG that I think is at least worth giving a shot.
Genshin Impact
I’ll be honest here, I’m not a fan of anime style games, but I am a massive fan of Breath of the Wild. For right now, Genshin Impact is the closest thing there is to having an official port of Breath of the Wild on PC.
There’s been a lot of debate on whether this game is a rip-off of Breath of the Wild, and if you’ve play both games then you’ll definitely see why.
This is a game I’ve been hearing about for a long time, especially since it’s also on mobile, but I never really gave it a chance due to its anime style. After playing it for a good amount of time, it really started to grow on me.
The Breath of the Wild inspirations are obviously there, but it adds a lot of new twists.
Despite also being a mobile game, it has beautiful graphics and a very enjoyable art style. The combat felt pretty good, and I bet it only gets more in depth the more you play. Genshin Impact’s music is also quite good as well.
Sometimes I found myself slowly taking in the scenery while listening to the soundtrack, just taking time to appreciate all the art in the game.
I don’t care much for the story, but that was the same way I felt about Breath of the Wild. The game world seems full of life and makes you want to further explore it.
It’s honestly pretty surprising that a game like this is free. There’s an insane amount of polish here for a free game, so it’s an experience you won’t want to miss out on. Even if you think a game like this isn’t for you, I still recommend giving it a chance.
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Star Wars: The Old Republic is a game that we have covered on the channel in the past, but it is just one of those games that if you enjoy MMORPGs, then it is one of the best out there.
You don’t even need to be a Star Wars fan to enjoy it. If you don’t know what this game is, it is a massive MMO that takes place in the Old Republic of STar Wars, thousands of years before the first Star Wars movie happens.
It is the MMO version of Knights of the Old Republic and it does everything very well. You can travel to over 18 planets with more being released to this day, and the game just keeps getting updates after being out for more than 10 years when this video releases.
If you enjoy MMORPGs and Star Wars, why not play a game that has both those aspects to them.
Dauntless
Dauntless has gotta be one of my favorite games on this list. It was actually created by some of the creators of the monster hunter series that left the development studio to create their own studio and eventually made Dauntless.
A lot of people kind of label the game as a less challenging monster hunter with faster paced combat, and I think that’s actually pretty accurate.
I gotta say that I love the graphical style of the game. It looks incredible and the overall feel of the game is really exciting. The monster and character design models are really fun and colorful. It’s kind of a break away from the regular basic look that you’ll get with these types of games.
I do gotta say that it has a much lower skill ceiling than most games in this genre. You can basically button mash your way out of a lot of situations, and that’s coming from someone that isn’t great at these games already. I mean, that isn’t an awful thing, but if you’re looking for a serious and challenging game, this one may be a pass for you.
The classes in the game, or well, technically aren’t “classes” but weapon types, which I mean, let’s be honest, are basically classes. Anyway, there are a surprising amount of weapon types in the game that actually drastically change the way the gameplay is.
I won’t go into all of the details but there are swords, axes, chain blades, a war pike, Hammer, and Ostain Repeater. All of which change the movement and pace of the combat. I actually enjoyed the class selection and again, it really set itself apart from other action RPGs.
The game is probably at its best with friends but I can see someone enjoying it solo.
Dauntless is extremely enjoyable and I really recommend giving it a try.
Warframe
Warframe is a game I’ve played small amounts of here and there for years. It’s never majorly drawn me in, but I’ve always been interested in the concept and mechanics of the game.
The gameplay is much different than most RPGs, as the movement feels very fast paced. For a lot of players, it’ll take some getting used to, but after a while the game feels incredibly fluid and controls very nicely. Hardcore players of the game often svay that the game’s smooth movement has spoiled them, and that other games have clunky movement in comparison.
Like most online RPGs, you’ll be spending an awful lot of time grinding for items and gear. Despite the grind, players will say that the game feels less grindy than other similar games such as Destiny 2, and that you can be a good player with whatever type of gear you want.
Another aspect of the game is the paid elements, which is becoming a huge issue in modern titles. Warframe does have lots of paid items, but the general consensus is that it’s free to play done right. It’s not pay to win, and spending real currency won’t give you any real advantage.
You can still unlock everything through regular gameplay, and spending real money only gives you minimal boosts forward. Besides that, Warframe is a coop game, not a PvP game, so the people who spend real money aren’t gaining any advantages over other players.
Warfame is constantly updating and adding to it’s already impressive amount of content. Entire open world maps have been added which expand the content and give you more ways to enjoy the game.
The game has a massive community of fans, and Warframe’s community only continues to grow larger. If there’s any action RPG out there that deserves your time, Warframe should be high up on the list.
