Summary
Adventure gamesare some of the most popularfree gamesone can find. Free-to-play versions of first-person exploration games, room escape games built entirely in Flash, and even classic point-and-click adventures have been offered. This genre is as old as video games themselves, which is why many free adventure games are decades-old classics.
Many indie adventure games are initially released for free but get a commercial re-release later on. Some begin asenticing early access titlesbut update the paid version a few months before the free one. Regardless, there are so many kinds offree adventure gamesto make any fan of the genre happy.
Updated December 1st, 2023 by Stephen LaGioia:Adventure games are often associated with grandiosity when it comes to presentation and gameplay; traits that usually mean gamers will need to shell out to experience them. Yet, there’s been a growing number of surprisingly enjoyable and rich examples of late — which don’t require a penny.
Studios have been able to support this free-to-play model often by providing purchasable add-ons, or compensating with minimal graphics or environments. And with so many (often overlooked) free adventure games, we thought we’d revisit this list and explore more of the best of this genre.
17Isle Of Ewe
Steam Score: 87%
Who would have thought that being a Shepherd could be such a fun and rewarding experience? The small band of developers at No Ewe Productions sets out to prove such a thing can indeed be possible with this delightful game.
2020’sIsle of Ewehas players assume the role of a humble Sheperd who’s called upon on a quest to locate a sheep named Ramsey, who’s mysteriously gone missing. The game offers several colorful, blocky biomes and vibrant but similar aesthetics — reminding one of the 3D puzzle platformers of the early days.
Despite its crude look, however, the experience entices with novel puzzles and amusing gameplay concepts. These involve using one’s sheep as avenues to progress (tossing and bouncing on them), while gatheringmoresheep along the way. While the journey is short, there is plenty of fun, whimsical exploration and platforming to be had.
16Gravitas
Steam Score: 97%
While more puzzler than straight-up adventure, Gravitas from Galaxy Shark Studios will have players fully immersed in this gripping series of trials. The game heavily leans on an innovative gravity manipulation mechanic as a means of progressing and tackling tricky puzzles.
The vibe and game design feel akin to thedynamic hit puzzlerPortal(talking AI andall), but with a quicker campaign — and teleportation swapped with tractor beams. Despite its minimal content, gamers will likely be spending ample time tinkering with the distinct, multi-layered puzzles.
Players will need to work through a slew of often ambiguous puzzles, finding ways to drift across tractor beams and hover to different points, as well as using gravity to move around traversable boxes. Short campaign aside, the craftsmanship, clever design, and unique physics are admirable given its free cost of admission.
15Mandagon
Steam Score: 95%
Mandagonby Blind Sky Studios is a delightful and crafty adventure that enthralls from the moment players drop into its vibrant, pixelated world. The game uses retro-style visuals — along with Tibetan theology for its motifs and presentation. These aspects help fill in the details of a dreamlike journey that touches on philosophy, death, and sacrifice.
The concepts are symbolized in clever ways through this intricate world of limbo. Despite its simple visuals and slim campaign, there is much subtle depth and intrigue, through the detailed non-linear world, gripping storytelling, as well as a rich, atmospheric sound design that further paints the scene.
14Lapso: Nimbo
Steam Score: 90%
Lapso: NIMBOis a brief adventure that some have referred to as a walking simulator as a prequel to the main game. Thanks to its captivating plot and difficult puzzles by IslaOliva Games, gamers found it to be much more than that.
The tale isn’t entirely clear, although the protagonist seems to be investigating some sort of mysterious tunnel or natural trail in a place called Rockrose. The game boasts impressive visuals and an immersive setting because of 3D audio and careful visual design.
13Your Turn To Die
An early-access, freeware horror adventure game calledYour Turn to Diedraws inspiration from theDanganronpaseries. 12 strangers find themselves trapped in a room with no recollection of how they got here. Things take a turn for the worse when the group is forced to go through lethal trials that will decide their future.Your Turn to Dieis a subgenre of horror adventure games called Death Games.
Studio Nankidai made the game available in a freeware version and a paid enhanced edition on Steam, and players can get it on Microsoft Windows. It’s played from the first-person perspective across multiple episodes, and its gameplay techniques are reminiscent of point-and-click adventures. Players can access different game areas and carry out various actions by using the on-screen menu. In addition, the game’s story can be greatly altered based on the choices players make during conversations, thanks to the many dialogue options.
Total Mayhem Games is responsible fortheWe Were Hereseries of co-op first-person adventure games.InWe Were Here, each player assumes a different role and is separated from the others within the castle, which is located in the center of a frozen landscape.
The puzzles are fantastic and amusing, and the collaborative element sets it apart from other puzzle games in a new way. To work together and tackle the challenges they confront, the players are equipped with walkie-talkies for communication.
11DreamWeb
GameFaqs Score: 3.58
DreamWebis an almostforgotten point-and-click adventurefor DOS and Amiga machines. Creative Reality has since re-released it as freeware on Archive.org, where it was previously a commercial product.DreamWebis easily recognizable for its top-down perspective, a rarity among point-and-click adventures.
DreamWebfollows the story of Ryan, a bartender and dreamweb deliverer. Things get interesting when a figure from his dreams instructs him to kill the seven evils that are trying to destroy theDreamweb. What makes this story interesting is the unclear nature of theDreamWeb, whether it is a reality of this cyberpunk world or a delusion fabricated by Ryan.
At the time of its debut, it was unusual for a feature film to include both graphic violence and brief scenes of full-frontal nudity. Moreover, when compared to other adventure games, the gameplay is unusually straightforward and rational, especially in terms of solving riddles.
10Island Saver
Stormcloud Game created the adventure gameIsland Saver, which is accessible for free on PC and also playable on iOS, Android, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, and Nintendo Switch. The goal of the game is to make players make their way across an island while pretending to be garbage collectors. The system for clearing out trash is also quite entertaining.
Furthermore, players aren’t only cleaning; they are also fighting monsters and beasts. There are items to find and utilize, and certain animals can be tamed and then ridden across the world to access otherwise inaccessible regions. The game’s art style is fantastic, and the colors and design are delightful.
9Colossal Cave Adventure
Google Play Score: 4.0
Colossal Cave Adventureis the progenitor of all adventure games. Most importantly, it’s still a solid game in its own right. Being a text adventure—arguably the first text adventure—the game is composed entirely of dialogue and narration. Even the player interacts with the game exclusively through writing. In Will Crowther’sColossal Cave Adventure, the player is a nameless person who decides to explore a cave system.
The best free version ofColossal Cave Adventureis the mobile version since it’s the only one to add quality-of-life features. Another interesting version is the paid remake by Roberta Williams of Sierra Online fame. The remake reimagines the classic text adventure as a 3D, first-person exploration game. Android, TRS-80, PDP-10, ZX81, Microsoft Windows, and maybe more operating systems support it. So, players can now travel to many places in the game in pursuit of a hidden treasure.
8Grimms Hollow
Steam Score: 98%
Ghosthunter’sGrimms Hollowis a2D role-playing game with a classic aesthetic, and it runs on Microsoft Windows. The player takes on the role of Lavender, who sets out on a perilous journey through the Hollow and other haunted areas in pursuit of her missing brother.
Along the way, players will meet a wide variety of personalities, talk to ghostly beings, and get valuable experience points. Unlike the other entries on this list,Grimms Hollowmaintains a consistently dark tone without ever being oppressive. The game has a fantastic story in addition to its charming visual style and enjoyable soundtrack.
