Whether you’re into first-person shooters, strategy games, or fantasy worlds, Steam offers something for everyone. Here are the top eight free-to-play games on Steam you can download and enjoy on your PC without spending a dime.

If you’re just setting up a Steam Deck for the first time — perhaps you’re lucky enough to get one of the limited-edition white models — or you’re dusting off your Deck after a little break, I’ve put together some recommendations of great games from this year, along with one update to a classic.

Others, such as Deep Rock Galactic and Payday 2, offer unique gameplay experiences and the opportunity to work together with friends to achieve goals.

Among the fun personal tidbits, Valve also revealed that only 15% of playtime "by all Steam users" was spent in games that actually came out in 2024, and so, 85% of everyone's playtime was dedicated to things that came out in 2023 or prior.

It’s a tad rote to extol the virtues of Valve’s Steam Deck in 2024; it’s been the handheld PC that’s had gaming and tech journalists alike wax lyrical about it. Yet here I am, about to tell you why it’s my most-played games device over the past 12 to 18 months.