Money is tight in this time of economic uncertainty. You might have to scale back that gaming budget of yours, foregoing the latest titles for basic essentials (Xbox Live is not a basic essential). But just because your wallet’s empty doesn’t mean you can’t appease your gaming addiction. Free games in the past have had a bad rep. Flaky flash games and silly sites, which hold your attention for seconds rather than hours. But there are some jewels hidden among the gaming rough. The generous gamers over at ExtremeTech have listed their top 20. Here are our picks of the bunch.
Dad n’ Me – From the guys that brought you Castle Crashers and Alien Hominid this simple beat-em up is pure class
Savage 2 – RTS meets FPS in this wonderful mix of gameplay, good graphics and gore
Freeciv – Think Civilization but totally free and open source
Allegiance – 3D online multiplayer space sim that provides furious flying combat
F.E.A.R. Combat – Fantastic FPS action and stunning graphics, multiplayer don’t get much better
Enemy Territory – Still with a massive following, this team based shooter comes from the guys that brought you Wolfenstein
Grand Theft Auto – Needs no explaining. Download the first two volumes of this classic now