Free Software Collection
Free Open-Source Games
"Free game" has been claimed by free-to-download, pay-to-progress: a little given at the start, a bundle offer when you get stuck, an energy meter that refills in half an hour or for money. Open-source games work on different logic — code and assets are public, the work is sustained by volunteers and donations, and there is no operations team that has to earn the development cost back from you. Every game on this list can be played through without paying to unlock content. Prism Launcher is the exception: the launcher is free and open source, but Minecraft itself has to be bought, and its page says so.
5 curated recommendations
Selection Criteria
- The game or tool is open source, with all core content free — no in-app purchases or paid unlocks.
- No ads, and no energy meters, gacha or other pay-to-progress mechanics.
- Single-player or local play needs no account; where an account is required, each page says so.
- Downloaded from the official site or repository, not a store repackage.
Recommended Tools
Luanti
An open-source voxel sandbox — no account, no purchase
- Open Source
- No Ads
- No Tracking
- Offline
0 A.D.
An open-source ancient-warfare RTS in the spirit of Age of Empires
- Open Source
- No Ads
- No Tracking
- Offline
SuperTuxKart
Open-source kart racing, up to eight players on one screen
- Open Source
- No Ads
- No Tracking
- Offline
Lichess
A chess site where every feature is free — no membership tier, no ads
- Open Source
- No Ads
- No Tracking
- Cross-platform
Prism Launcher
One instance per setup, so mods and worlds never collide
- Open Source
- No Ads
- No Tracking
- Cross-platform
FAQ
- A sandbox game I can play for a long time?
- Luanti, formerly Minetest. Mining, building and multiplayer are all there, the community has made thousands of game modes and mods, and you can run your own server. It is also a game engine — if you write Lua, you can build your own game on it. No account needed anywhere.
- Anything like Age of Empires?
- 0 A.D. Gather resources, build a city, train troops and advance through ages — the same kind of game, with 15 playable civilisations, AI opponents, LAN play and an online lobby. The code is GPL and the art is CC-BY-SA, both public.
- Something the whole family can play together?
- SuperTuxKart. A 3D kart racer with split-screen for up to eight players on one computer, plus grand prix, soccer and battle modes, and it runs on phones too. Local and LAN games need no account; only online multiplayer needs an STK account.
- Is Lichess really completely free?
- Yes. It is run by a non-profit association on donations; online play, engine analysis, puzzles and lessons are all free, with no paid membership tier and no ads. Playing a friend by link, playing the computer and using the analysis board need no account; rated games and tournaments do.