Free Historical Games on Steam
Steam currently has 3,254 Historical 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 Historical game rankings were last updated on 10/5/2024.
Looking for more? Explore other lists such as:
- Best historical games on Steam
- Best historical Steam Deck games
- Best historical Steam games for Mac OS
- Best historical Linux games on Steam
- Free Steam games
- Most played Steam games
- Best rated Steam games
1. War Thunder
War Thunder is the most comprehensive free-to-play, cross-platform, MMO military game dedicated to aviation, armoured vehicles, and naval craft, from the early 20th century to the most advanced modern combat units. Join now and take part in major battles on land, in the air, and at sea.
War Thunder holds the #1 spot for "best free Historical game on Steam" with a Player Score of 72. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 547,501 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 398,618 positive reviews and 148,883 negative reviews — making it "Mostly Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
| Release Date | 8/15/2013 |
| Franchise | Gaijin Network Ltd |
| Developer | Gaijin Entertainment |
| Publishers | |
| Steam App Id | 236390 |
2. World of Warships
Immerse yourself in thrilling naval battles and assemble an armada of over 600 ships from the first half of the 20th century — from stealthy destroyers to gigantic battleships. Change the look of your ship, choose upgrades to suit your play style, and go into battle with other players!
World of Warships has achieved a Player Score of 77, placing it in the #2 spot for the best free Historical games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 142,990 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 110,813 positive reviews and 32,177 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 World of Warships on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 11/15/2017 |
| Franchise | Wargaming Group Ltd. |
| Developer | Wargaming Group Limited |
| Publisher | Wargaming Group Limited |
| Steam App Id | 552990 |
3. Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition
Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition offers players a trial of this historical single & multiplayer RTS experience. *Note: To unlock all features of the game please see the “Base Game” product.
Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition has achieved a Player Score of 83, placing it in the #3 spot for the best free Historical games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 44,427 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 37,645 positive reviews and 6,782 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 Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 10/15/2020 |
| Franchise | Age of Empires Franchise |
| Developers | |
| Publisher | Xbox Game Studios |
| Steam App Id | 933110 |
4. World of Tanks
Jump into the free-to-play team-based shooter with an ever-expanding roster of historical vehicles, stunning graphics, spectacular locales, and orchestral scores. Show your mastery and face other players in thrilling PvP clashes. A unique mix of strategy and action awaits!
World of Tanks has achieved a Player Score of 83, placing it in the #4 spot for the best free Historical games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 79,302 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 67,060 positive reviews and 12,242 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 World of Tanks on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 4/28/2021 |
| Franchise | Wargaming Group Ltd. |
| Developer | Wargaming Group Limited |
| Publisher | Wargaming Group Limited |
| Steam App Id | 1407200 |
5. 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 #5 spot for the best free Historical games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 21,520 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 19,392 positive reviews and 2,128 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 |
6. Conqueror's Blade
Conqueror's Blade gives you a chance to be a true warlord. Commanding medieval troops in epic 15 vs. 15 siege battles, conquering cities with allies in the open world or fighting against players from all over the world – it's you who make the choice.
Conqueror's Blade has achieved a Player Score of 68, placing it in the #6 spot for the best free Historical games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 31,320 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 21,593 positive reviews and 9,727 negative reviews — making it "Mixed" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Conqueror's Blade on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 4/6/2020 |
| Developer | Booming Tech |
| Publisher | Poros Interactive |
| Steam App Id | 835570 |
7. Crusader Kings II
Explore one of the defining periods in world history in an experience crafted by the masters of Grand Strategy.
Crusader Kings II has achieved a Player Score of 89, placing it in the #7 spot for the best free Historical games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 71,895 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 65,131 positive reviews and 6,764 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Crusader Kings II on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 2/14/2012 |
| Franchise | Crusader Kings Official |
| Developer | Paradox Development Studio |
| Publisher | Paradox Interactive |
| Steam App Id | 203770 |
8. 江湖客栈-The Jianghu
Hey,you! This is not a place where the Beggar's can come in and beg for help! Without 100k silver coins, never think you can use our "Jianghu Inn" sign. what? Surprisingly, we managed to get together! Do you really want to give it a try?
江湖客栈-The Jianghu has achieved a Player Score of 57, placing it in the #8 spot for the best free Historical games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 2,182 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 1,264 positive reviews and 918 negative reviews — making it "Mixed" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is possible to play 江湖客栈-The Jianghu on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
9. War Selection
War Selection is a compelling RTS game featuring base building, resource extraction and warfare. Evolve from a stone age tribe to a distinct industrial nation with unique game mechanics and battle for supremacy with dozens of players on a unique procedurally generated map.
War Selection has achieved a Player Score of 84, placing it in the #9 spot for the best free Historical games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 20,734 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 17,852 positive reviews and 2,882 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 War Selection on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 10/8/2019 |
| Developer | Glyph Worlds |
| Publisher | Glyph Worlds |
| Steam App Id | 1022450 |
10. KARDS - The WW2 Card Game
KARDS, The World War II Card Game, combines traditional CCG gameplay with innovative mechanics inspired by classic strategy games and real battlefield tactics. Take command and challenge other players in grand-scale warfare on the ground, air, or seas.
KARDS - The WW2 Card Game has achieved a Player Score of 76, placing it in the #10 spot for the best free Historical games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 31,835 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 24,603 positive reviews and 7,232 negative reviews — making it "Mostly Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is not possible to play or run KARDS - The WW2 Card Game on the Steam Deck.
| Release Date | 4/15/2020 |
| Developer | 1939 Games |
| Publisher | 1939 Games |
| Steam App Id | 544810 |
More Free Historical Games
Explore even more rankings for the 100 best free Historical games available on Steam.
| Image | Name | Actions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 61,852 | 8/15/2013 | 72 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 5,738 | 11/15/2017 | 77 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 4,984 | 10/15/2020 | 83 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 3,873 | 4/28/2021 | 83 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 3,757 | 11/3/2021 | 88 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 3,082 | 4/6/2020 | 68 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 2,352 | 2/14/2012 | 89 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 1,417 | 9/1/2024 | 57 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 764 | 10/8/2019 | 84 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 661 | 4/15/2020 | 76 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 620 | 3/6/2023 | 45 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 619 | 11/30/2022 | 87 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 465 | 10/21/2017 | 70 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 442 | 6/13/2019 | 57 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 434 | 7/16/2019 | 73 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 434 | 5/22/2024 | 68 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 420 | 12/17/2021 | 11 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 378 | 2/16/2024 | 69 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 293 | 4/30/2015 | 75 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 291 | 8/31/2024 | 92 | 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, October 5). Steam Store. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, October 5). War Thunder on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, October 5). World of Warships on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, October 4). Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, October 3). World of Tanks on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, October 6). Cell to Singularity - Evolution Never Ends on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, October 6). Conqueror's Blade on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, September 16). Crusader Kings II on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, October 5). 江湖客栈-The Jianghu on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, October 3). War Selection on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, October 2). KARDS - The WW2 Card Game on Steam. Steam Store.