Free Early Access Games on Steam
Steam currently has 9,266 Early Access games available to download and play. Explore our list of the best free games ranked by popularity and ratings. Data for this list is calculated from reviews and player counts reported directly by Steam and will be updated in real-time. Free Early Access game rankings were last updated on 5/14/2024.
Looking for more? Explore other lists such as:
- Best early access games on Steam
- Best early access Steam Deck games
- Best early access Steam games for Mac OS
- Best early access Linux games on Steam
- Free Steam games
- Most played Steam games
- Best rated Steam games
1. PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS
Play PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS for free. Land on strategic locations, loot weapons and supplies, and survive to become the last team standing across various, diverse Battlegrounds. Squad up and join the Battlegrounds for the original Battle Royale experience that only PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS can offer.
PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS holds the #1 spot for "best free Early Access game on Steam" with a Player Score of 58. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 2,360,282 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 1,378,783 positive reviews and 981,499 negative reviews — making it "Mixed" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is not possible to play or run PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS on the Steam Deck.
| Release Date | 12/21/2017 |
| Developer | KRAFTON, Inc. |
| Publisher | KRAFTON, Inc. |
| Steam App Id | 578080 |
2. VRChat
Join our growing community as you explore, play, and help craft the future of social VR. Create worlds and custom avatars. Welcome to VRChat.
VRChat has achieved a Player Score of 74, placing it in the #2 spot for the best free Early Access games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 216,706 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 162,032 positive reviews and 54,674 negative reviews — making it "Mostly Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
| Release Date | 2/1/2017 |
| Developer | VRChat Inc. |
| Publisher | VRChat Inc. |
| Steam App Id | 438100 |
3. IdleOn - The Idle RPG
The RPG where all your characters grind for you! Choose classes as they level up, and spend their loot to gain more power... but don't let the simple graphics fool you, IdleOn gets more complex as you progress!
IdleOn - The Idle RPG has achieved a Player Score of 77, placing it in the #3 spot for the best free Early Access games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 16,532 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 12,945 positive reviews and 3,587 negative reviews — making it "Mostly Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is possible to play IdleOn - The Idle RPG on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 4/2/2021 |
| Developer | Lavaflame2 |
| Publisher | Lavaflame2 |
| Steam App Id | 1476970 |
4. Predecessor
Inspired by the legacy of Paragon, built with love by the community, and powered by Unreal Engine 5, Predecessor is the ultimate fusion of shooter action and MOBA strategy. Join more than 1,000,000 players and play for FREE now!
Predecessor has achieved a Player Score of 75, placing it in the #4 spot for the best free Early Access games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 9,411 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 7,209 positive reviews and 2,202 negative reviews — making it "Mostly Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Predecessor on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 12/1/2022 |
| Developer | Omeda Studios |
| Publisher | Omeda Studios |
| Steam App Id | 961200 |
5. MARVEL SNAP
MARVEL SNAP is a fast-paced Collectible Card Game that reimagines the genre with innovative mechanics. Winner of multiple awards like 'Best Strategy Game' and 'Breakthrough Game of the Year,' we invite you to join millions of players worldwide – Jump right in!
MARVEL SNAP has achieved a Player Score of 82, placing it in the #5 spot for the best free Early Access games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 25,633 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 21,357 positive reviews and 4,276 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is possible to play MARVEL SNAP on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 8/22/2023 |
| Developer | Second Dinner Studios, Inc. |
| Publisher | Nuverse |
| Steam App Id | 1997040 |
6. Cell to Singularity - Evolution Never Ends
The epic story of evolution, technology, humanity, and dinosaurs is yours to tap.
Cell to Singularity - Evolution Never Ends has achieved a Player Score of 88, placing it in the #6 spot for the best free Early Access games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 20,296 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 18,366 positive reviews and 1,930 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on both Windows and Mac systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Cell to Singularity - Evolution Never Ends on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 11/3/2021 |
| Developer | Computer Lunch |
| Publisher | Computer Lunch |
| Steam App Id | 977400 |
7. Unnamed Space Idle
Destroy endless waves of alien ships that have all but wiped out humanity in this long form, unfolding, sci-fi idle game. Customize your ship with different weapons and defenses to defeat specific enemy types and utilize a ton of different systems to increase your overall power.
Unnamed Space Idle has achieved a Player Score of 88, placing it in the #7 spot for the best free Early Access games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 1,360 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 1,270 positive reviews and 90 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on both Windows and Linux systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Unnamed Space Idle on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 7/27/2023 |
| Developer | Sylv |
| Publishers | |
| Steam App Id | 2471100 |
8. Aimlabs
Aimlabs is the aim trainer of choice for over 30 Million players, from beginners to esports pros. Our unique aim analysis optimizes your gameplay, targets your weaknesses & builds key skills for any FPS game! Time to warm up with our unlimited scenarios & rank up in-game!
Aimlabs has achieved a Player Score of 92, placing it in the #8 spot for the best free Early Access games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 111,409 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 104,185 positive reviews and 7,224 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is not possible to play or run Aimlabs on the Steam Deck.
| Release Date | 6/17/2023 |
| Developer | State Space Labs, Inc. |
| Publishers | |
| Steam App Id | 714010 |
9. Crosshair V2
Crosshair V2 is a crosshair overlay technology that improves aim, response time, and hip fire accuracy for gamers. Choose from a variety of sizes, shapes, and neon colors to find the crosshair that gives you the greatest advantage in your favorite game.
Crosshair V2 has achieved a Player Score of 87, placing it in the #9 spot for the best free Early Access games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 3,762 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 3,408 positive reviews and 354 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, there is no confirmed information regarding Steam Deck support for this game.
| Release Date | 1/27/2023 |
| Developer | CenterPoint Gaming |
| Publisher | CenterPoint Gaming |
| Steam App Id | 2250040 |
10. Eternal Return
Eternal Return is a free-to-play, 2.5D perspective Battle Royale game. Search, Craft, Hunt, and Fight using a variety of characters. Plan your strategy and become the last survivor on this eternal experiment.
Eternal Return has achieved a Player Score of 78, placing it in the #10 spot for the best free Early Access games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 56,071 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 44,193 positive reviews and 11,878 negative reviews — making it "Mostly Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Eternal Return on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 7/20/2023 |
| Developer | Nimble Neuron |
| Publishers | |
| Steam App Id | 1049590 |
More Free Early Access Games
Explore even more rankings for the 100 best free Early Access games available on Steam.
| Image | Name | Actions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 88,236 | 12/21/2017 | 58 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 27,697 | 2/1/2017 | 74 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 7,526 | 4/2/2021 | 77 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 3,766 | 12/1/2022 | 75 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 3,748 | 8/22/2023 | 82 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 3,694 | 11/3/2021 | 88 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 3,587 | 7/27/2023 | 88 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 3,277 | 6/17/2023 | 92 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 2,312 | 1/27/2023 | 87 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 1,960 | 7/20/2023 | 78 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 1,948 | 4/1/2024 | 76 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 1,909 | 9/21/2023 | 78 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 1,023 | 2/28/2018 | 55 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 1,023 | 11/5/2022 | 88 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 712 | 8/25/2023 | 77 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 709 | 2/26/2021 | 85 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 705 | 4/6/2020 | 68 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 598 | 11/27/2019 | 60 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 517 | 4/7/2023 | 67 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 437 | 10/8/2019 | 84 | Free | Steam Charts |
Soures & References
Steambase has best-in-class data powered directly by Steam, our data partners, and in-house experts. Player counts and rankings are enriched, analyzed, and updated in real-time to ensure we surface the most up-to-date insights. Learn more about the Steambase approach to data collection and our review methodology.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, May 14). Steam Store. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, May 14). PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, May 17). VRChat on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, May 18). IdleOn - The Idle RPG on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, May 19). Predecessor on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, May 13). MARVEL SNAP on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, May 18). Cell to Singularity - Evolution Never Ends on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, May 18). Unnamed Space Idle on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, May 19). Aimlabs on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, April 17). Crosshair V2 on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, May 16). Eternal Return on Steam. Steam Store.