With more and more multiplayer games going free to play, it seems like the free single player games are becoming a lot more rare. Everyone enjoys sitting down with a good single player game every once in a while, and there are plenty of great options to enjoy.
Single player games can take many forms, with some being demos for larger titles and others being fully fledged games.
Single player games are much more common with smaller or indie developers, as they’re the ones focusing on creating unique games. This causes a lot of the games to be relatively unknown titles, and they get buried deep in the Steam store.
It’s takes quite a lot of digging to find some of these games, though some of them have received a lot of ratings.
For this list, I tried to make every game have a different style, so that it’s applicable to a wider audience. I’ve combed through tons of free single player games on Steam, and this list is a compilation of some of the best ones so far.
Life is Strange 2 (Episode 1)
Starting off this list is a very story heavy game. Life is Strange 2 follows two brothers on the run after a tragic accident. Since it’s a direct sequel to the first Life is Strange game, the ending you got in the first one remains relevant for the second.
If you didn’t play the first game, the story of the second game won’t spoil anything about the first, and it doesn’t really matter which game you play first.
Similarly to the first game, your choices have a direct impact on the story. You can either be a horrible person and get bad outcomes, or you can make the characters learn from their mistakes and get good ones. The effects of your choices will always matter, so you need to carefully consider every action you make.
In the first Life is Strange, the main character had the ability to manipulate time, but in the second one, The main character’s younger brother has telekinetic abilities. Since the game has these supernatural aspects, you never really know what to expect.
The gameplay of this game consists of watching long cutscenes, and then taking control of the characters in certain areas. It’s basically like a playable movie, so if you don’t mind watching a lot of cutscenes then it’s very enjoyable
I also wanted to mention that only the first episode is free, but that episode alone has a bit of content. If you get interested in the story after episode one, you can either buy the other episodes or watch the rest of the story on Youtube.
Overall, I think people who enjoy story based games will really enjoy this one.
Steam Link: Life is Strange 2
The Expendabros
The Expendabros is a free spin off of a larger game called Broforce. I’m a sucker for pixel games with lots of destruction, and this game is one of the best in that genre.
The larger game, Broforce, is a parody of over the top action movies, complete with ultra buff characters and explosions all over the screen. The Expendabros is a parody of The Expendables Movies, with each character being a character from the movies.
While there is a very thin story, the gameplay is why everyone buys this game. The maps are filled to the brim with enemies and explosives, and the main goal is to make it to the end and escape on a helicopter. As you progress, you’ll find cages with new heroes, and rescuing one will change you into another character.
Each character has their own set of special abilities and weapons, with some of them being a lot more powerful than others. You can play every level at your own pace, whether that be taking out enemies with stealth or just blowing everything up.
There is the option to play local co-op, though I find that the game is much harder with multiple people.
The Expendabros is a game that you shouldn’t take too seriously. If you enjoy blowing everything up in a fun pixel environment, then you’re going to love this game.
Steam Link: The Expendabros
Gravitas
Gravitas is a puzzle game very similar to the Portal Games. I had never heard of this game before, and the gameplay and mood of the game really surprised me.
You enter a facility just like the portal games and need to complete puzzles. A funny robot helper follows you around and makes comments based on what you do. If you decide to go off course or do the opposite of what he tells you, he’ll berate you for being dumb or not listening to him.
It’s always refreshing when games do things you don’t expect, and the game reacting to the player really catches you off guard sometimes.
Like the name implies, all the puzzles involve using anti gravity beams to get to the next area. The puzzles definitely aren’t as interesting or unique as the ones from the Portal series, but it does give you a similar feel and style of humor.
Gravitas is a short game but it’s well worth playing. The overwhelmingly positive reviews it has are well deserved, and I think it’s worth playing just for the humor alone.
Steam Link: Gravitas
FrostRunner
FrostRunner is a first parkour speed runner game where you need to get to the end of the level using a variety of tether tools.
Since every level has a time limit, you’re forced to complete the level in as short of a time as possible. The levels start off extremely easy, but as they go on you’re forced to think fast and try out different paths to complete the level quicker.
The environments have obstacles such as spikes, large gaps, ice slides, and a lot of other things you need to avoid.
The game feels extremely polished and smooth. It’s very surprising how fun it was for a free game, and the developers could have easily made it a cheap paid game.
Even though the game is relatively short, since there are only 36 levels,the game is extremely replayable. People who enjoy speedrunning could play the same level over and over again, giving them many hours of fun.
Steam Link: FrostRunner
Shrine II
Shrine II is probably my favorite game on this list. It’s heavily inspired by the older Doom games, and it’s even created in the Doom engine. Despite it having that older style of graphics and gameplay, the game is surprisingly fun.
One thing you should know is that the game is extremely difficult. You can easily turn down the difficulty if you want, though I find that it’s much more fun on a medium to high difficulty.
The game heavily focuses on exploration, and the world is extremely fun to explore. The boss battles are chaotic and the weapons all feel amazing to use. The combat is cartoonish but satisfying.
The maps are littered with ammo and health, which you’ll definitely need to pick up if you want to survive. A lot of the gameplay consists of finding keys to unlock the large doors, and then defeating hordes of enemies. The whole concept is pretty simple, but it’s executed very well.
It’s very similar to other paid games like Project Warlock, and since it’s free it’s definitely worth playing. It’s hard to find free games that are this good, and if you think the gameplay looks fun then you should definitely check it out
Steam Link: Shrine II
