After the chaos of Christmas shopping, the offer of a freebie is quite attractive to the weary bank account. Gamers, in particular, are in for an end-of-year treat thanks to theSteamWinter Sale, which is showcasing a long list of hefty discounts and plenty of titles to play for free.
Whether you’re looking for the next battle royale, looter shooter, or online card game to introduce to the party, or pining to disappear into a life sim over the holidays, Steam has every type of gamer covered in the annual sale. Here are the 10 best games that are free to play in Steam’s Winter Sale.
10 Best AAA 2023 Games In Steam’s Winter Sale With Up To 50% Off
Some of the most exciting video games of 2023 are half price, including Hogwarts Legacy, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and more.
Best Multiplayer Games
Apex Legends
Perfect for holiday streaming
WHERE TO PLAY
Respawn Entertainment’s Hero Shooter has become a staple multiplayer to play within the streaming community since its debut in 2020. The battle royale allows you to man a host of powerful, legendary characters as you strategize with your squad on the Frontier with gameplay boasting creative combat with OP weapons, customizable setups, and more within an expanding universe. It’s a thrilling title to return to time and time again, and you’re able to replay the fun completely for free.
PUBG: Battlegrounds
Experience one of the OG battle royales
There are many detailed locations to have a shoot-out in KRAFTON’s battle royale, with plenty of weapons and supplies to loot to gain an advantage on the field. It’s survival of the fittest to make sure your team is the last one standing, and even though the base game is free to play on Steam, there are also optional in-game purchases on hand if you want to bag enhanced gear.
The Finals
A modern multiplayer with a meta theme
The first 2023 release on this list is the FPS game show with a modern sheen from Embark Studios that’s the talk of the town among multiplayer enthusiasts. Unite with teammates inside virtual arenas that you may mold to your favor and participate in tournaments to bring glory to your gamer tag. Joining the game’s Discord server will unlock community support as you navigate this new title, and considering it only released in December, it’s a steal to play for free.
Call of Duty: Warzone
Destress on the battlefield
Warzone became a free-to-play multiplayer as of August 23, 2025, but the FPS is expected to retain its no-cost access into 2024 alongside the Steam Winter Sale. Much to the delight of sniper fanatics, this battle royale offers the brand-new map of Urzikstan to conquer with a host of supply boxes to beef up your inventory and contracts to fulfill for the ultimate rewards. Hopping into one of the most popular multiplayer franchises has never been easier this holiday season.
It was recently announced thatApex Legendswould be receiving aFinal Fantasy 7 RebirthEvent Teaser in the new year, adding to an already packed free-to-play title that we gave a 10/10 score to inour reviewfor being a “masterpiece” of its genre. We gavePUBG Battlegroundsa7.5/10 scoreupon release for its strong foundation and promising future as one of the first battle royale titles, andCall of Duty: Warzonereceived a high 9/10 score inour reviewfor its “gulag respawn feature and its seamless gameplay.” The 2023 multiplayer,The Finals, made quite the impression on our team enough to give it 5th place in our 10 Best Shooters of 2023list, and you can experience the thrill of it yourself completely free of charge.
The Sims 4
A whole world of characters in your hands
If multiplayers seem like too much stress over the holidays, then try indulging in The Sims 4, the life sim from Maxis that’s currently free to play on Steam. If the mundanity of real life is taking its toll, creating your own characters and dictating every corner of their life might be the escapism you need. Customize your characters, design your dream home, and plan out the day-to-day excitement for your roster, and with several bundles and expansions to keep gameplay addictive, you’re in for a lifetime of fun.
Alongside the free base game, Steam is also offering the Digital Deluxe Upgrade for just $9.99, or you can take advantage of the multiple discounts on bundles within the Steam Winter Sale, including 48% off the Pet Lovers Bundle, 54% off the Decorator’s Dream Bundle, and 54% off the Everyday Sims Bundle. To help your characters get started on their vocational journey, we’ve compiled the10 Best CareersinThe Sims 4to lend a helping hand, because managing that many free spirits can be a challenge.
13 Best Games In Steam’s 2023 Winter Sale Under $20
Several classics, racing titles, indies, and more are up for grabs for under $20 in Steam’s Winter Sale that’ll save you serious money this Christmas.
Best MOBA Games
You’re bound to find your new favorite character in here
Dota 2 has a packed roster full of vibrant and fantastical heroes and the strategy MOBA from Valve also has a distinct art style to keep you bewitched hour after hour. With regular updates to keep gameplay fresh, Dota 2 is always evolving, and it’s a great game to try out for free with your friends if you’re looking for a new obsession. To make this download even more appealing, all heroes are free to all players, with cosmetics and cool add-ons to collect alongside.
Channel your favorite Gods from Greek mythology
Boasting a 40+ million player pool, this action-packed MOBA from Titan Forge Games allows you to join a battleground between Gods. Saturated with mythology, allowing you to wield Thor’s hammer or play tricks like the Monkey King, Sun Wukong, Smite presents third-person ambushes with strategic attacks to get the better of your opponent and there’s even the possibility of moving up the ladder in competitive play once you’ve mastered the basics, and yes, your access into this world is completely free.
IfDota 2has piqued your interest, you might want to check out more Valve games and perhaps take advantage of the 90% discount against the Valve Complete Pack Bundle, which gets you all 22 games from the developer for only $14.33. Additionally, we’ve published a list of the10 Best Heroes For Beginnersto help you get started on your Dota playthrough. At the start of the year, acrossover between Smite and Magic: The Gatheringwas announced by Hi-Rez Studios, offering iconic characters from the card game, including Chandra Nalaar, Jace Baleren, Liliana Vess, and more, who will appear as skins for legendary deities next year. To support yourSmitegameplay now, however, the Steam Winter Sale has a 75% reduction on the Ultimate God Pack and 50% off the Gecko Guardian Bundle and the Curious Courier Bundle.
Path of Exile
This dark fantasy shows no signs of slowing down
This list will now take a dive into dark fantasy within Grinding Gear Games’ action RPG, Path of Exile. As the title suggests, your character is in exile, navigating the grim continent of Wraeclast while you gain power and embark on your revenge mission. Promoting a free-play policy that “will never be pay-to-win”, this title offers deadly missions, dark lore, customizable hideouts, and much more.
Path of Exilereceived the excitingCrucible expansionback in April of this year, which brought with it “weapon-specific skill trees, new nodes for instant travel across the Atlas Passive Tree, the Crucible challenge league, plus new Vaal skills and items.” With ten years fueling the franchise’s longevity, Steam’s free-to-play access is a shiny invitation to check out the game sooner rather than later.
Best Card Games
Marvel SNAP
Thanos' snap has nothing on this heart-racing mechanic
As soon as Second Dinner Studios slapped vibrant, superhero artwork on virtual cards and invited comic book fans to duel their deck against other online players, the Marvel fandom was hooked, and the contest could be yours for free. The addictive gameplay of this card battler pits your smarts and strategy against multiple opponents in 3-minute duels, using character abilities and the surrounding environments to knock away life points and double down with the unique Snap mechanic.
Yu-Gi-Oh: Master Duel
Unlock the heart of the cards
This cross-platform strategy game from Konami not only has fast-paced Duels, crisp, HD graphics, and an energetic soundtrack, but it also supplies a healthy dose of nostalgia for fans of the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime and manga. Flaunting rotating tournament formats, stories and themes behind the cards, a roster of 10,000+ unique cards, and more, Master Duel is the ultimate card game to get lost in and all these cards can be yours for free.
Taking the title of ‘Best Strategy Game' and ‘Breakthrough Game of the Year,‘Marvel Snapis the second 2023 title on this list that’s taken its genre fan base by storm, and we placed it 5th on our list of the10 Best Competitive Mobile Gamesof all time. This time last year,Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duelwascelebrating 50 Million Downloads, which was a massive achievement within its first year since launching, and active players are currently enjoying the arrival of the new Singularity Warrior Selection Pack, including “Firewall Dragon Singularity,” the archetypes “Nouvelles,” and “Vanquish Soul,” which is a Perks Event that will run until June 22, 2025.
The 15 Best Multiplayer Game Deals In Steam’s 2023 Winter Sale
Here are the best multiplayer deals from Steam’s Winter Sale 2023 you’re able to enjoy with your friends!
Q: When Does The Steam Winter Sale End?
The Steam Winter Sale began on August 09, 2025, and it will run until 10 am PT/1 pm ET on June 18, 2025.
