The best online game stores for PC: Steam, Origin, GOG, etc

These are some platforms where you can find games that are free to play, that you can buy, download and play on your computer. You will be able to enjoy frequent game updates, and join the respective communities attached to these platforms to chat and play with your friends.

Steam

Steam was created by Valve Corporation (Half-life, Counter-Strike, Team Fortress) and presents itself as ‘the ultimate online gaming platform’. It is certainly one of the most complete packages on offer. You will find over 70,000 titles (more than you would find in a physical store) and a community of tens of millions of players (not an exaggeration). There are other features such as the mod workshop, live broadcasts, guides, forums, game exchanges, and a Big Picture mode (where you can interact with the interface with a games controller).

Steam’s discount sales are legendary! There are several each year, typically in the summer and winter, but also during certain days (Halloween, Black Friday). You can buy a large selection of games for very low prices.

How to get free games on Steam?

On Steam there are a large number of free to play games, and special offers that allow you to play premium games for a certain period of time. All you have to do is register if you don’t already have an account, and then go to Games > Free to Play and discover all the titles that are available. Some are always free, and others come and go. You will want to be vigilant so as to not miss any opportunity!

GOG

Don’t let its name fool you: Good Old Games doesn’t just offer classics from other eras, but it is constantly updated with the latest releases. Owned by CD Projekt Red, creators of such important games such as The Witcher, or Cyberpunk, GOG stands out from Steam for its policy of selling without anti-piracy protection. This feature is ideal if you want to lend a game to a friend, hassle free. GOG also has a 30 day refund policy, even if you have downloaded, installed and played the game in question.

How to get free games on GOG?

Open the app, hover over Store and choose Browse all games. Check the Free box to see all the games available for free.

Origin

Origin is the official platform from EA (Electronic Arts) and therefore has all of their popular titles: The Sims, FIFA, Battlefield and more. In addition to the possibility of a direct purchase, it offers two subscription plans called Origin Access Basic (€ 24.99 per year) and Origin Access Premier (€ 99.99), which include full and indefinite access to a collection of games that is expanding over time, as if it were a video game version of Netflix. The catalog is smaller than on Steam or GOG, but some of these games can only be found on Origin.

How to get free games on Origin?

Unfortunately, there is only a very limited selection of demos that you can play for free, otherwise Origin is a paid service.

Epic Games Store

Driven by the overwhelming success of Fortnite, the Epic Games studio opened its own digital store towards the end of 2018. Although its games catalogue cannot compete with a giant like Steam, the Epic Games Store has managed to gain a foothold in the market thanks to its exclusive titles: Detroit: Become Human, World War Z or the aforementioned Fortnite - you will only find them here.

How to get free games on Epic Games Store?

One thing that has helped Epic Games gain popularity, it is that they also give away one or two games each week. These can easily be found in the Free games section of the virtual store.

Humble Store

The Humble Store works a little differently to the others. On the one hand, there is no PC application, and the games that you buy cannot be downloaded directly from the store. Instead, you will receive a code where you redeem your game on Steam, or another platform. On the other hand, they offer so-called Humble Bundles, which are packages with several games that you can buy at the price you want, starting with a minimum amount, around £1 (if you pay more, you can expand the package). And as if that was not enough, part of the money raised with each purchase goes to a charity. The Humble Store also offers several subscription models, with which you can choose up to 9 new games each month.