It’s time for one more “Fest” on Steam. It appears a bit like we have now a type of each month or so nowadays, however they’re a good way to introduce gamers to video games they might have missed, and supply some offers too. This time, builders are participating within the PvPFest, which kicked off as we speak. I’m not even going to hassle attempting to rely the variety of video games concerned on this occasion, however it’s fairly just a few. In fact, the same old suspects are participating…Overwatch, Marvel Rivals, and the like. And naturally, a big portion of the video games listed are buy-to-play.
However we’re right here to speak about free-to-play video games. So I made a decision to take a peek on the free-to-play listings. Fortunately, Steam was type sufficient to make a separate tab that includes video games within the F2P class. So, I used that within the making of this record, which implies anybody can simply hit up the identical tab on the occasion’s web page.
As soon as perusing the F2P part, I narrowed issues down by in search of video games with a smaller variety of however pretty constructive evaluations. I then cross-checked them towards the Steam DB to ensure they’re not fully useless and simply have a small viewers. A few of these choices I acknowledge from having written about them earlier than – though it’s seemingly been some time. Others are new to me. Both means, in the event you’re in search of one thing a bit totally different to play, you may give a few of them a go. As I’ve identified earlier than. F2P video games solely value you the obtain time and HD area to check out.
Strinova
Strinova is an anime-style third-person shooter that got here out in 2024 and incorporates a mechanic that permits gamers to modify between three-dimensional and two-dimensional kinds to maneuver across the map. This enables gamers to do issues like squeeze between cracks in partitions and maneuver by means of in any other case inaccessible areas.
I don’t recall the sport’s launch being all that huge. And it definitely doesn’t have the variety of evaluations or gamers of different video games. However primarily based on SteamDB, the playerbase is pretty constant, and the evaluations on Steam are largely constructive.
City of Salem 2
This cartoon-style social deduction recreation, designed for 7 to fifteen gamers, is about within the city of Salem. You understand…the one with the witches. The sport options greater than 50 playable roles, every with its personal talents and goals.
Evaluation-wise, City of Salem 2 isn’t doing badly. That mentioned, its participant rely isn’t all that top. It peaked at a bit underneath 4,000 gamers round launch and now manages someplace between 300 and 500 gamers on common. That’s not essentially an indication the sport is unhealthy. It may simply be that it got here out across the identical time as a number of different social deduction video games did. It’s nonetheless being supported and lately had a backend replace.
Century: Age of Ashes
Co-op dragon battles and racing. That’s the sport. Truly, it’s extra than simply that. Century: Age of Ashes options 5 totally different modes (4 PvP and 1 PvE). It additionally presents gamers their alternative of sophistication and the power to customise their dragons.
Presently, the sport is in its third season, which launched the brand new rider class: “Rimeblood”, in addition to a brand new map and story content material, amongst different issues
Admittedly, the issue with this recreation is participant numbers. As of this writing, SteamDB states that there are 31 gamers in-game. Maybe that can go up throughout PvP Fest.
Hades’ Star
We’ve gone from dragons to area and from crew fight to technique. Hades’ Star is an area technique recreation during which gamers construct their very own empire in area. Gamers have a complete, evolving galaxy to work with: establishing a presence, planning out their economic system, colonizing planets – all of the stuff you do while you’re constructing an empire in area.
So far as PvP goes, the system options various kinds of stars that dictate gameplay. Blue Stars are stars that final for 5 minutes, throughout which period 5 gamers can ship a battleship to participate in a brief burst of fight and see who’s left standing.
That is one other recreation with exceedingly low rely numbers. However because it’s a technique recreation largely made up of solo-play, that’s in all probability not the worst factor. PvP solely requires 5 gamers and final for a short while, so except everybody’s simply busy with the empire constructing portion of the sport, it may simply work out.
Skillshot Metropolis
Skillshot Metropolis is one other recreation with strong evaluations and low participant numbers. The PvP Roguelite (additionally described in the identical blurb as a GTA-style battle royale with no queues or downtime) has been round since 2017. It’s nonetheless kicking, and there was even an replace in January.
Sadly, essentially the most consecutive gamers it’s seen within the final yr was proper round 60 a couple of week in the past. That mentioned, the sport appears to supply some enjoyable options and may very well be a superb time for a bit for gamers in search of one thing totally different.
Conflict Choice
As single-player RTS video games with on-line PvP go, Conflict Choice appears to be faring nicely sufficient. It boasts Very Constructive evaluations, and the concurrent gamers are someplace between 300 and 1,000 frequently. Contemplating the sport’s all-time peak was round 2,000 gamers, it’s in all probability suffered the least so far as participant loss goes.
Granted, RTS video games usually attraction to a particular kind of participant. Curiously, whereas the sport is single-player, it appears the devs devoted extra time to PvP content material than a number of different video games in the identical style. The sport options a number of modes, together with survival, match, ranked battle, crew match, tug of warfare, and extra. Among the modes are each single-player and PvP.
Unlucky Spacemen
Look, I made a alternative placing this one right here. Unlucky Spacemen isn’t precisely excelling proper now. As I’m SteamDB, there are solely 8 gamers in recreation, and the 24-hour peak is 28. The factor is that the space-based deception recreation has a superb score, and even among the many adverse evaluations, there wasn’t so much to work with. One criticism is just that nobody is taking part in, and that, apparently, when there have been a number of gamers, individuals have been poisonous.
However, nicely, this put up is about video games you could have forgotten about. So, clearly, I make no ensures as to high quality.
Onmyoji
How about some turn-based fantasy technique with PvP as an choice? Actually, trying on the recreation, I form of think about many who play Onmyoji simply sticking to the PvE. That mentioned, the sport presents gamers the power to interact in “semi-real-time battles” with one another by constructing a crew and sending it into battle. Gamers even have the choice to ask their associates to duels.
Blood of Metal
Blood of Metal is constructed for these gamers who’re huge into historic figures. Gamers tackle the function of varied generals and lead huge armies into fight. That mentioned, there’s a good little bit of direct fight between the gamers’ characters as nicely. So everybody will get in on the mayhem.
Sadly, it might be exhausting to search out gamers to compete towards – except you deliver associates. For the time being, SteamDB is reporting 10 gamers on-line with a 156-person 24-hour peak.
Wheelchair Wizards
Plainly the ethical of Wheelchair Wizards is that everybody is equal when armed with Wizard Powers. The two-D platform battle recreation options 3 maps with 17+ ranges, loads of spells, and upgrades. This recreation can also be the smallest recreation within the record, taking on 200 MB of area. So, it’ll be a simple one to check out with some associates.
