As the COVID-19 pandemic forces people around the world into self-isolation, many are turning to gaming to pass the time, with record numbers flooding onto Steam and other platforms. But what if you’ve been temporarily laid off and don’t have the money to buy games at the moment? What if you’re a lapsed gamer who just wants to play something without a big investment? Well, thankfully, most of the major big digital storefronts, including Steam, GOG, and Epic, are offering a variety of free games you can test out while you’re stuck at home.

GOG

GOG is offering a variety of old-school PC favorites, including Beneath a Steel Sky, Shadow Warrior, and Ultima 4, as well as some newer games like Gwent, Builders of Egypt, and Mable & the Wood for free. You can check out the full list of 27 free games on offer here.

Steam

Valve is currently holding the latest edition of The Steam Game Festival, featuring games that would have originally been showcased at the now-postponed GDC 2020. A number of games are on sale, while free demos are being offered for promising titles like Superliminal, Filament, and HyperParasite. The Steam Game Festival continues until March 23 – here's the full list of games.

Meanwhile, a number of other individual games including the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot, Headsnatchers, and Goat of Duty are also 100 percent off. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is free to play this weekend, as well as Football Manager 2020.

Epic Games Store

The Epic Games Store offers up it’s usual selection of two free games – this week we get two solid options in Watch Dogs and The Stanley Parable. Both games are available until March 26.

Itch.io

Meanwhile, a number of indie developers on Itch.io are offering their games at steep discounts, in some cases 100 percent off. Grab stylish adventure games like Where the Water Tastes Like Wine, No Response, and The Restless for free. Check out the full list of Itch.io sales, right here.

So there you are – a few freebies to get you through these hard times. Have you stumbled upon any free game offers I’ve missed? Feel free to share them below.