Roleplaying games can be addicting. Unlike most other genres, RPGs are not the kind of games where you can play a quick campaign and be done the next day. This genre relies on customization, engaging storylines, leveling up, and exploration, all of these elements combined provide an experience that’s usually in the hundreds of hours to complete.
With this in mind, it’s hard to imagine that there would be developers willing to launch games with this much content out to the market for free. And yet, there are countless examples of RPGs that are of high quality and don’t cost a single penny.
Some of the best free RPG games on Steam are Albion Online, Eve Online, and Runescape. Yet, there are so many more that you can dive into depending on what kind of experience you’d like to get out of the game.
Star Trek Online
Unlike most other RPGs, Star Trek Online doesn’t cater to instant gratification tactics to keep you engaged. Instead, it lets the world absorb you in its grasp, trusting that you’ll grow fond of the journey you started, the story arcs you completed, and everything you’ve gained on the way. The game focuses on long-term goals and can often feel a bit grindy even for RPG veterans.
However, it’s worth noting that Star Trek Online is a game that heavily emphasizes the element of exploration. With a wide array of different worlds to visit, Star Trek Online will keep explorers satisfied and entertained for hours.
That’s not to say there’s nothing else to offer. The narrative is engaging, with every story mission playing out as some of the series’ episodes. The combat can be a bit clunky as it borrows a lot of elements from other MMORPGs, but the variety it provides more than makes up for it, giving you the option to engage in combat on the ground or in space.
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Star Wars: The Old Republic is another space MMORPG that throws you into your favorite sci-fi universe with the option to choose one of many different roles in this epic, story-driven setting. You can choose to pay and become a supporter of this game that allows you to have different perks, along with exclusive content, but make no mistake, the free-to-play version has a lot to unpack.
Without having to pay a single penny, you’re looking at eight different base story quests that you’ll lose yourself in. You’re also able to play some of DLC, although obviously not the best of the bunch since those are part of the subscription, but with the opportunity to play hours upon hours of fun missions and fully voiced NPCs.
It is rare to find games with as much free content as Star Wars: The Old Republic, let alone with such consistently good quality.
Eve Online
Speaking of vast universes, I don’t think many games come even close to matching the sheer size of Eve Online’s open world. Not only is the world ridiculously large, but there’s a lot to learn in this game. So much so that it may look intimidating for newcomers.
However, don’t let the amount of information this game has deter you from playing it. Eve Online takes its time to teach you the basics and let you do the best part of learning on your own. Not to mention that it’s nowhere near as complicated as it looks.
The lore is rich, and the universe is all yours to explore, but keep in mind that a lot of what makes this game fun is the PVP and how it’s handled. There’s strategy in every interaction, having to plan every step of the way before you make a decision.
This is no GTA Online where you’ll jump in guns blazing and blowing people up. You’ll do that, of course, but you’re gonna have to work for it, have patience and build your path, which makes the journey all the more enjoyable.
Albion Online
Albion Online is a sandbox MMORPG filled with players, making the world feel alive, with a player-driven economy and the freedom of being able to switch your play style on a whim, as you aren’t restricted to a specific class.
That means that whatever you’re wearing will be part of the tools at your disposal. Customization is entirely up to you and has a lot of great options and countless possibilities to choose from. This goes hand-to-hand with the crafting system and the great sense of progression, making the game all the more addicting.
Usually, games like this tend to tip over one side of the scale, either the focus going entirely to PVP or PVE. However, Albion Online manages to balance both of them out by providing a lot of PVP options, with an open world, safe zones, not-so-safe zones, dueling, battles, and arenas. PVE has a lot of content as well for those of us who enjoy it, such as, for example, randomly spawned dungeons, and they can be done either solo or in groups of fives.
And while the combat might not be the most polished in the world, Albion Online more than makes up for it in many other areas.
Neverwinter
Another MMO on this list, Neverwinter is a free-to-play RPG is based on the Dungeons & Dragons classic roleplaying game, and it has everything you could ask for a game of the genre.
The lively setting of The Forgotten Realm takes shape as if it was taken straight out of the page. The combat is fast-paced to the point where it may feel like you’re spamming attacks and abilities to no end, but I’d consider this a plus rather than a downside.
Neverwinter knows who their audience is, and it’s not afraid to grip on them. It’s not exactly groundbreaking or innovative, but what it does, it does well. This is for people who enjoy a classic MMORPG adventure like World of Warcraft, but with the added flavor of being, at the end of the day, a Dungeons & Dragons game with plenty of lore to discover.
Arguably, I’d say the best part of this game is the community, with plenty of people picking up this game and enjoying it. Believe me when I say that this is one of those games you’re going to dedicate hours of your life to without even realizing it.
Guild Wars 2
The art style of Guild Wars 2 is beautiful and detailed even to this day. The game rewards exploration by providing hidden treasures, passages, questlines, and amazing views for those who take the time to appreciate the world around them.
While reminiscent of other MMOs, the combat system has a few tweaks that set it apart from the rest, with ten abilities, five dedicated to the weapons you have equipped, and the other five to your class skills. But with the added bonus that you can switch between two sets of weapons on the fly, adding an extra layer of skill beyond simple button-smashing to the game that makes combat all the more engaging.
The PVP battlefields are also a beauty to behold, especially the World vs. World. In this mode, three servers fight each other by conquering keeps and defeating the enemies. This chaotic spectacle is something that deserves to be experienced by every Guild Wars 2 player.
Runescape
For those who don’t know or have only heard of the game without checking it out, Runescape goes way back to 2001, having survived countless updates that have transformed it into a totally different game.
Runescape has two versions: the Old School Runescape and the more modern version (mostly referred to as Runescape 3). The main differences are focused on the aesthetics, the graphics, the difficulty, and the combat system. Not to mention that the modern version introduced microtransactions.
Which version is better is a matter of preference, as some people will find the old school graphics and gameplay to be charming and challenging, while others will feel drawn to the better-looking aesthetic and the more polished gameplay. Either way, Runescape is an RPG that’s worth a try.
Path of Exile
Path of Exile is a fine example of an RPG with a very complex skill system. The skill tree is a complex labyrinth of possibilities that will give you the freedom of tailoring your character as you see fit.
Not to mention that infusing your equipment with gems to combine their effect with your skills provides the opportunity for very epic strategies that will click in the heat of battle.
Speaking of battles, the combat is a hack and slash that, while repetitive, it’s also pretty engaging and addicting, with plenty of nuances that you’ll learn the more you play.
The game itself can be unforgiving at times, and it’s not afraid of refraining from holding your hand. This can be a deal-breaker to some people, but for most gamers, this is an opportunity to figure out stuff by yourself, which makes those Aha moments much more rewarding.
The only downside to the variety that Path of Exile offers in skill and gear customization is that, sometimes, your character’s chosen path might not be viable for endgame content. Still, as frustrating as this can be, very rarely, you’ll have a character with no redeemable skills. If you managed to get as far as the endgame, the chances are that even if your character is not the most optimized of the bunch, you can figure out a way to fix it.
Rift
Rift borrows a lot of elements and mechanics of most MMORPGs in the genre. The dreaded World of Warcraft clones are everywhere to be seen in the gaming world. But Rift is different in one aspect: It improves on those mechanics in order to create a more engaging experience for the players, even if it’s at the cost of innovative ideas.
The game looks beautiful, especially considering it’s almost a decade old. The framerate remains consistent even in crowded events, and the skill system, while complex, it’s still straightforward enough for casual gamers to dive into.
The quests encourage you to explore the virtual world in a way that many MMORPGs fail to do, and this is especially rewarding in this game since the map is cluttered with hidden treasures scattered throughout.
The Rifts, which are public events, are as fun as they are challenging. Rift is an action-packed RPG that, while familiar for most MMORPG veterans, offers the surprise of quality over quantity.
Genshin Impact
Let me start by saying that Genshin Impact is not currently available on Steam, but it’s a game that’s definitively worth mentioning.
This free RPG with a charming Anime style has taken the gaming world by storm as soon as it released, becoming one of the best launches of a free-to-play game in history.
In Genshin Impact, you’re thrown into a fantastical world full of magic and wonder. The story starts as you choose either the male or female twin to play as, only for the other twin to be kidnapped by a supernatural entity. This will set you on a journey to the world of Teyvat in order to find your missing sibling.
This game is a very clear inspiration for Zelda: Breath of the Wild as it shares several similarities with the Nintendo game. The most obvious of which are the aesthetic, the combat, the physics-based puzzles, and the climbing mechanic complete with a depleting stamina bar.
While the story relies heavily on Anime conventions and can feel disjointed from time to time, the main selling point of Genshin Impact is the fun, addicting gameplay that will have you switching characters with different elemental abilities, strengths, and weaknesses to traverse and explore the vast world the developers created.
The map is full of fun quests, exciting combat, and charismatic characters that will have you playing easily for over a hundred hours before you notice.
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