How to Get Free PC Games Legally: Epic, Steam, Prime & More

There are three legitimate ways to get free PC games: permanently free-to-play games, limited-time giveaways from official storefronts, and subscription serv...

There are three legitimate ways to get free PC games: permanently free-to-play games, limited-time giveaways from official storefronts, and subscription services like PlayStation Plus or Xbox Game Pass that grant access to a library of games. This guide explains how each option works, what you need to keep, and how to avoid unsafe or pirated sources.

Free-to-Play vs. Free Giveaways vs. Subscription Games: What's the Difference?

Before diving into details, understanding three different categories helps you start building a free game library. Let’s check them:

Free to Play Games

There are many free games that you can download and play without any hidden costs. For example, League of Legends, Fortnite, Valorant, and Team Fortress 2 are completely free. You don’t need to claim anything or pay for a subscription to play the game.

Limited Time Giveaways

The limited-time giveaways are games that require purchase, but the platform sets a shorter time frame for free to buy. If you claim these games during this period, you can keep them forever, even if you never play them again. Epic Games Store and Prime Gaming offer this way. If you miss claiming it within that period, the game goes back to its original price.

Subscription-Locked Games

You can play this game if you have an active subscription, such as PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass. Therefore, you can change game lists as long as you pay, and it doesn’t work like giveaway games. Whenever you cancel the subscription, you will lose access to most of the games in your library.

Epic Games Store: Free Games Explained

The Epic Games Store is known as a reliable source of free and full-price PC games. Since 2018, it has provided at least one paid game per week, sometimes two or more, covering small indie titles to major AAA releases.

How Often Does Epic Give Away Free Games?

Epic refreshes its free games lineup weekly on Thursday. The free games usually available for seven days until the next lineup arrives. Sometimes, Epic offers surprise mid-week giveaways or extended seasonal events, like winter holidays with additional free titles.

How to Claim Free Games on Epic

Claiming free games on Epic is simple; follow these steps:

Create a free Epic Games account if you don’t have one.
Go to the Free Games on Epic Games Store either on the desktop launcher or on the website.
Now, click Get the current free title and add it to your cart.
Complete the checkout without any payment method. This game is permanently added to your library, and you can download it at any time.

Is It Safe and Legit?

Getting free games on Epic Games Store is totally safe and legit. This is an official storefront of Epic, the developer of Fortnite and the Unreal Engine. Epic directly funded these giveaways, and the games are full, legitimate licenses tied to your account.

Amazon Prime Gaming: How It Works

Prime Gaming is a benefit that comes with an Amazon Prime subscription. It includes new free PC games every month, in-game items, and Twitch free channel subscriptions.

What You Get with Prime Gaming

Each month, Prime Gaming offers several PC games, including a mix of smaller indie titles and bigger games. Once you claim the game, you own it forever. It’s not like PS Plus or Game Pass, where you lose access once you stop the subscription.

How to Claim Free Games in Prime Gaming

Go to the Prime Gaming website or sign in with your Amazon account.
Select the Claim Games section and choose the game you want.
Now, download and redeem the game through the Amazon Game app or a linked platform like Epic Games Store or GOG Galaxy.

Sometimes Prime Gaming games may ask you to link your Amazon account with your Epic Games account or other platforms before redeeming the key. Therefore, check the instructions on each game’s claim page.

PlayStation Plus vs. Xbox Game Pass: Subscription Games Compared

PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass are subscription options. This can’t permanently own the game like Epic or Prime Gaming. Let’s compare subscription games:

PlayStation Plus

PlayStation Plus has three tiers: Essential, Extra, and Premium. Premium tiers allow access to massive game libraries, plus cloud streaming, while Essential offers a few monthly games. Both Extra and Premium subscribers get a larger rotating catalog.

Xbox Game Pass

It allows subscribers access to a large library of games, which updates regularly. Xbox’s old “Games with Gold” program offered free games each month, which ended in 2023. The new program “Xbox Game Pass Core” ( also known as Xbox Game Pass Essential) focuses on library access rather than giving away games.

Do They Keep Games after Canceling?

No, if you cancel PlayStation Plus or Xbox Game Pass, you will lose access to the games under subscription. This differs from Epic Games Store or Prime Gaming giveaways, which stay in your library forever.

Steam & GOG Free Games

Steam’s Free to Play Library

Steam offers a large section of free-to-play games with hundreds of titles in many genres, including competitive shooters, card games, MOBAs, and MMSs. These are totally free to play without any time limit. This platform also offers a “free weekends” where you can play a paid game for a short time. However, you won’t own the game unless buying it during the promotion.

GOG’s Free Game Giveaways

GOG (Good Old Games) is a DRM-free storefront that regularly offers free games. You can keep the game permanently like Epic or Prime Gaming does. Therefore, GOG is particularly known for older classic titles alongside newer DRM-free releases.

Lesser-Known Free Game Sources

There are lesser-known free game sources you might have missed. These are:

Itch.io

It’s an open marketplace for independent developers. Many creators list their games for free or on a “pay what you want” basis. This doesn’t require an account because it works as a source of experimental, small-scale, and niche indie games.

Humble Bundle

This platform offers pay-what-you-want game bundles that support charity. It also runs occasional free game promotions, tied to a Humble Choice subscription trial or newsletter signup. This is a legitimate, developer-supported source rather than a giveaway platform like Epic or Prime Gaming.

Steamgifts and Community Giveaway Groups

This is a community site where Steam users give away game keys, which are extras from bundles, to other members through public giveaways. It requires linking a Steam account and has community rules to prevent abuse. You can find similar giveaway communities on Reddit, such as dedicated free-game-finding subreddits, where users share legitimate time-limited deals from official sources.

Is It Legal and Safe to Download Free PC Games?

Downloading a free PC game is legal and safe if it comes from an official storefront, such as Epic, Steam, GOG, and Prime Gaming. Let’s learn how to spot a legit giveaway vs scam:

You must stick to official storefronts and well-known giveaway sites rather than third-party key-generator sites.
Beware of any site asking for a credit card to verify a free claim. A legitimate giveaway never requires payment information.
Avoid installer bundles with unrelated software, browser extensions, or requests to disable your antivirus.
If you find a paid version outside of an official store or the developer’s own site, consider it a piracy risk instead of a legitimate giveaway.

Want to learn about the legitimacy of cheap game keys? Read our blog: Are Cheap Game Keys Legal to understand them.

How to Never Miss a Free Game Deal

A giveaway time is limited, and you can only get it if you claim it within the timeframe. Let’s know some tips not to miss a free game deal:

Check the Epic Games Store free games page weekly so you don't miss it.
Check the Prime Gaming claim page a few times a month. Because new titles are added on a rolling basis instead of a fixed weekly day.
Turn on notifications from the Epic Games Store or Amazon Games app if available. It notifies you automatically when a new giveaway is available.
Follow a dedicated deal-tracking site or subreddit that aggregates free game giveaways across platforms.

If you don’t know the differences between CD keys and official stores, click CD Keys vs Official Stores to learn the differences.

Why You Shouldn't Rely on Free Games Alone

Building your gaming library with free games is great without investing money, but it shouldn’t be your only strategy. Playing free games has limits; these are:

Can’t Control the Game Offer: A giveaway is only decided by the publishers or platforms. If your targeted game is not part of a current promotion, you can’t get it.
New and Major AAA Releases Rarely Go Free: The giveaways always feature older titles, small indie games, or games past their initial sales. If you want to play a game on its release day, you won’t get it.
Time Windows are Easy to Miss: If you’re not checking regularly, you may miss the giveaway windows. However, if you miss the giveaway window, the game will ultimately return to its full price.
Subscription Libraries are Temporary: The subscription library isn’t permanent, so when you cancel the subscription, you will lose access instantly.

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FAQs

Q1: Is it legal to download free PC games?

Ans: Yes, if the game comes from an official storefront, the developer’s own site, or a reputable platform like Humble Bundle or GOG. These are authorized giveaways, not pirated ones.

Q2: Are free games from Epic Games really free forever?

Ans: Yes. Once you claim a game during Epic Games Store’s free giveaway window, it stays in your library permanently, even after the giveaway ends.

Q3: What's the difference between free-to-play and a free giveaway?

Ans: A free-to-play game is permanently free without any claiming window. On the other hand, a free giveaway is normally a paid game, offered free for a limited time. If you miss claiming during the giveaway period, the game will return to its original price.

Q4: Which platform gives away the most free games?

Ans: Epic Games Store offers giveaways for the most free games weekly. Steam offers the largest free-to-play library, while Prime Gaming and GOG add new giveaways every month.

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