free play Archives

AppWizard

October 10, 2026

Steam open-world adventure with Stardew Valley charm is free this weekend

Developer Pugstorm is offering a free play weekend for its open-world survival game, Core Keeper, on Steam. The game, launched two years ago, allows solo or cooperative play with up to seven friends and features survival tasks like resource harvesting, crafting, and base building. Players can explore diverse biomes, level up skills, and engage in life simulation activities while combating legendary titans. The free play weekend ends at 6 PM BST on October 12, and players' progress will be saved if they decide to purchase the game afterward. Core Keeper is currently available at a 40% discount, priced at £9.59/$.99, down from £15.99/$.99, until October 22. The game has a 'Very Positive' review score of 94% on Steam.

AppWizard

October 8, 2026

Free Play Days – ARC Raiders, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, Little Nightmares III, Screamer, and More

From October 8 to October 11, members of XBOX Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, and Essential can play Screamer and Family Man for free during Free Play Days. ARC Raiders is available for free to all XBOX members from October 8 to October 15. Players can also try timed trials of High On Life 2, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, Little Nightmares III, and Rogue Waters. Discounts on games are available for those who wish to purchase them after the event. Screamer is developed by Milestone S.r.l., has a rating of 84/100, and is priced at .99 with a 60% discount during the event. Family Man, developed by No More Robots, has a rating of 47/100, priced at .99 with an 85% discount. ARC Raiders, developed by Embark Studios, has a rating of 11953/100, priced at .99 with a 50% discount. High On Life 2, developed by Squanch Games, Inc., has a rating of 2090/100, priced at .99. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, developed by GSC Game World, has a rating of 7190/100, priced at .99 with a 30% discount after Free Play Days. Little Nightmares III, developed by Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc., has a rating of 592/100, priced at .99. Rogue Waters, developed by Tripwire Interactive LLC, has a rating of 45/100, priced at .99 with a 75% discount during Free Play Days.

AppWizard

August 7, 2026

One of the most underrated Ghost Recon games is getting a free next-gen update

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands is receiving a free update for next-generation consoles, now available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. This update enhances the game with 4K resolution at 60 frames per second and reduced loading times. PlayStation 5 users will benefit from DualSense controller features, while Xbox users will have Dolby Atmos support. A new mission titled ‘Last Rites’ will be introduced, set in a darker version of Bolivia. The game will be available for free play from August 6 to August 10, 2026. Initially, it received mixed reviews, with a Metacritic score of 70 from critics and 6.6 from users, but improvements have been made since its troubled launch. Ghost Recon Wildlands is available on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.

AppWizard

August 6, 2026

Ghost Recon marks 25 years with a major update and free new missions for Wildlands, and a Ghost Recon: Future Soldier giveaway

Ubisoft is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon on November 13 with a significant update to Ghost Recon Wildlands, featuring visual and gameplay enhancements and a new mission set in a darker Bolivia. The Bolivian government previously filed a complaint regarding the game's depiction of their country. The update will improve combat mechanics, distance rendering, lighting, shadows, and image quality for 4K resolution. Players of Ghost Recon Breakpoint will receive a complimentary 25th anniversary bundle in September, and both games will be available for free play over a weekend on Ubisoft Connect, with discounts on Steam. Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is free until August 13, and Ubisoft has launched the Ghost Recon Insiders Program for fans to contribute to future titles.

AppWizard

August 6, 2026

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is free to claim on PC for the next week

Ubisoft is offering the PC version of Ghost Recon: Future Soldier for free through the Ubisoft Connect store until August 13, as part of the 25th anniversary celebration of the Ghost Recon series. Additionally, there is a series-wide sale with discounts of up to 95% on previous Ghost Recon titles, including Ghost Recon Wildlands and Ghost Recon Breakpoint, which are available for free play from today until August 10. Chris Watters, Ubisoft's senior editorial communications manager, emphasized the significance of these offers. Ghost Recon: Future Soldier was originally released in May 2012 and received a Metacritic score of 79.

AppWizard

July 16, 2026

Free Play Days – GTA Online, Crisol: Theater of Idols, Planet Zoo, Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports, and Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2

This week, the Free Play Days lineup includes Crisol: Theater of Idols, Planet Zoo, and Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports for XBOX Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, and Essential members from July 16 to July 19. Grand Theft Auto Online and Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 are available for all XBOX members from July 14 to July 21 without a Game Pass subscription. After the Free Play Days, players can purchase the games at a limited-time discount while retaining their Gamerscore and achievements. Crisol: Theater of Idols offers a survival horror experience optimized for XBOX Series X|S. Planet Zoo: Console Edition allows players to create and manage their own zoos. Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports features classic sports in a chaotic 4-player local co-op format. Grand Theft Auto Online allows up to 30 players to collaborate or compete in a dynamic universe, while Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 lets players train with iconic characters and tackle raid missions online.

AppWizard

June 20, 2026

Weekend PC Game Deals: Cyberpunk 2077, Split Fiction, Sonic Racing, and more

The Epic Games Store is offering Robobeat and Citizen Sleeper for free until June 25. Humble has introduced two bundles: the June 2unes bundle for rhythm game enthusiasts, starting at a low price, and a VR bundle featuring Among Us 3D: VR and Zero Caliber VR. Valve's Next Fest is showcasing gameplay snippets from upcoming indie titles until June 22, along with free events for Stellaris, Two Point Museum, Dead by Daylight, and MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries. The Steam Summer Sale is approaching, prompting publishers to offer discounts. GOG has launched its own summer sale with various highlights.

Winsage

June 12, 2026

Windows NT on the GameCube is Basically a Homebrew Project That Brings the Classic OS to Nintendo Hardware

GameCube enthusiasts are utilizing homebrew projects to enhance the console's capabilities, including region-free play and disc backups. A new initiative allows a full PowerPC build of Windows NT to run on the GameCube, leveraging its Gekko CPU's compatibility with early PowerPC-based PCs. The entii-for-workcubes project, led by Wack0, provides components for running Windows NT 3.51 or 4.0 on GameCube and Wii systems, featuring an ARC firmware bootloader for loading homebrew software. Users need to prepare an SD card with specific files and a Windows NT ISO to initiate the process. After installation, basic productivity tools are accessible, but limitations include only 24MB of RAM, slower access speeds, lack of sound support, and potential reboot stalls.

AppWizard

June 3, 2026

Marathon’s new PvE experiment is Bungie’s most genius decision yet, so make it a full mode already

Players can now access the new content from Marathon's Season 2 update after initial server issues. The update features a nighttime Dire Marsh map, which has limited visibility and requires players to use torches and gadgets. The experimental Sponsored Survival mode is a key highlight, available from June 2 to June 9, allowing players to explore the map without immediate threats from other players, aside from UESC bots. Solo Rook players will gradually join the match, increasing competition for loot. Interactions with Rooks are infrequent, leading to mostly non-violent encounters. This mode aims to provide a PvE experience while maintaining PvP elements. A full PvE mode is anticipated to debut later in Season 2.

AppWizard

May 30, 2026

All Xbox Series X/S and PC owners can play the latest Gears of War for free – no Xbox Game Pass needed

Xbox is offering free access to Gears of War: Reloaded for players on Xbox Series X/S and PC until midnight on Sunday, May 31. This initiative allows players to enjoy the game without a Game Pass membership. Additionally, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate has been adjusted to £16.99 per month, reflecting a savings of £6, but subscribers will no longer have access to new Call of Duty titles on their release day.