Free Text-Based Games on Steam
Steam currently has 5,361 Text-Based 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 Text-Based game rankings were last updated on 6/21/2026.
Looking for more? Explore other lists such as:
- Best text-based games on Steam
- Best text-based Steam Deck games
- Best text-based Steam games for Mac OS
- Best text-based Linux games on Steam
- Free Steam games
- Most played Steam games
- Best rated Steam games
1. Your Chronicle
"Let's begin your own story." This is a text-based idle RPG game. There are already more than 3,000 unique story actions and it's still growing.
Your Chronicle holds the #1 spot for "best free Text-Based game on Steam" with a Player Score of 77. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 2,649 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 2,112 positive reviews and 537 negative reviews — making it "Mostly Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Your Chronicle on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 4/5/2021 |
| Developer | Samurai Games |
| Publisher | Samurai Games |
| Steam App Id | 1546320 |
2. Idling to Rule the Gods
Idling to Rule the Gods is a free to play Idle-Game with a lot of content and some Minigames. Depending on your play-style, you can play it fast or slow. Either way it can be fun for hundreds of hours!
Idling to Rule the Gods has achieved a Player Score of 81, placing it in the #2 spot for the best free Text-Based games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 2,106 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 1,784 positive reviews and 322 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 Idling to Rule the Gods on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 5/27/2016 |
| Developer | Shugasu GmbH |
| Publisher | Shugasu GmbH |
| Steam App Id | 466170 |
3. Soccer Manager 2026
Manage elite football clubs and lead your dream team as a football manager!
Soccer Manager 2026 has achieved a Player Score of 72, placing it in the #3 spot for the best free Text-Based games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 3,633 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 2,680 positive reviews and 953 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 Soccer Manager 2026 on the Steam Deck.
| Release Date | 10/23/2024 |
| Developer | Invincibles Studio Ltd |
| Publisher | Invincibles Studio Ltd |
| Steam App Id | 3217240 |
4. Trimps
A text-based incremental idle game with a ridiculous amount of unique content. Automate old stuff as you unlock new stuff to keep things interesting for hours and hours, no spam clicking necessary! Trimps is everything you love about your favorite games, distilled to their purest form.
Trimps has achieved a Player Score of 86, placing it in the #4 spot for the best free Text-Based games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 1,462 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 1,326 positive reviews and 136 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 Trimps on the Steam Deck.
| Release Date | 5/2/2022 |
| Developer | Greensatellite |
| Publisher | Greensatellite |
| Steam App Id | 1877960 |
5. Milky Way Idle
Milky Way Idle: A multiplayer idle RPG where automation replaces grinding. Level up skills, gather resources, craft powerful items, and battle monsters—all while AFK. Trade in the marketplace, join a guild, team up for party combat, and socialize in chat as you progress effortlessly.
Milky Way Idle has achieved a Player Score of 47, placing it in the #5 spot for the best free Text-Based games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 2,300 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 1,072 positive reviews and 1,228 negative reviews — making it "Mixed" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Milky Way Idle on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
6. Bitburner
Bitburner is a programming-based incremental game. Write scripts in JavaScript to automate gameplay, learn skills, play minigames, solve puzzles, and more in this cyberpunk text-based incremental RPG.
Bitburner has achieved a Player Score of 92, placing it in the #6 spot for the best free Text-Based games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 7,285 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 6,920 positive reviews and 365 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 Bitburner on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 12/10/2021 |
| Developers | |
| Publisher | Fulcrum Games |
| Steam App Id | 1812820 |
7. Kill the Lich Idle
Kill the Lich is a minimalist incremental game about time compression and resource flow. Route your primary resource—Momentum—downstream to unlock over 300 actions. Design granular automation, visualize exposed formulas, and trigger deep prestige layers to ultimately defeat the Lich!
Kill the Lich Idle has achieved a Player Score of 64, placing it in the #7 spot for the best free Text-Based games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 65 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 45 positive reviews and 20 negative reviews — making it "Mixed" 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 | 4/14/2026 |
| Developer | Stop Sign Gaming |
| Publisher | Stop Sign Gaming |
| Steam App Id | 4522510 |
8. Nexus Legacy
Rebuild civilization from a single planet in Nexus Legacy, a persistent sci-fi 4X MMO. Colonize worlds, manage resources, research technologies, command fleets, forge alliances, and fight for control of a living galaxy.
Nexus Legacy has achieved a Player Score of 69, placing it in the #8 spot for the best free Text-Based games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 175 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 130 positive reviews and 45 negative reviews — making it "Mostly 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 | 6/5/2026 |
| Developer | Nexus Legacy Team |
| Publisher | Nexus Legacy Team |
| Steam App Id | 4661910 |
9. Scratch Inc.
Build an Empire, From Scratch, in this Scratch Card Idle/Incremental game.
Scratch Inc. has achieved a Player Score of 87, placing it in the #9 spot for the best free Text-Based games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 1,911 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 1,742 positive reviews and 169 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on both Windows and Mac systems. At the moment, there is no confirmed information regarding Steam Deck support for this game.
10. The Red Pearls Of Borneo
A detective noir puzzle deduction game. Explore a non-linear timeline as a clairvoyant investigator in 1941 Borneo. Jump between time and locations to uncover motives and discover what truly happened in the Goodwill tobacco plantation that fateful night on the eve of the WW2 Japanese invasion.
The Red Pearls Of Borneo has achieved a Player Score of 93, placing it in the #10 spot for the best free Text-Based games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 3,197 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 3,095 positive reviews and 102 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on both Windows and Mac systems. At the moment, there is no confirmed information regarding Steam Deck support for this game.
| Release Date | 3/27/2026 |
| Developer | Bushmonkey Games |
| Publishers | |
| Steam App Id | 4488860 |
More Free Text-Based Games
Explore even more rankings for the 100 best free Text-Based games available on Steam.
| Image | Name | Actions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,917 | 4/5/2021 | 77 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 1,086 | 5/27/2016 | 81 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 837 | 10/23/2024 | 72 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 660 | 5/2/2022 | 86 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 651 | 3/6/2025 | 47 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 546 | 12/10/2021 | 92 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 343 | 4/14/2026 | 64 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 296 | 6/5/2026 | 69 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 296 | 9/17/2025 | 87 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 254 | 3/27/2026 | 93 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 242 | 12/7/2023 | 95 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 216 | 3/18/2026 | 75 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 190 | 10/13/2023 | 75 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 163 | 3/7/2026 | 72 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 135 | 6/3/2026 | 84 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 105 | 11/10/2025 | 95 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 101 | 5/7/2026 | 81 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 100 | 3/22/2025 | 85 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 99 | 7/29/2024 | 46 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 99 | 8/15/2024 | 94 | 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. (2026, June 21). Steam Store. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, June 21). Your Chronicle on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, June 12). Idling to Rule the Gods on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, June 23). Soccer Manager 2026 on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, May 18). Trimps on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, June 4). Milky Way Idle on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, May 31). Bitburner on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, June 19). Kill the Lich Idle on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, June 21). Nexus Legacy on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, May 30). Scratch Inc. on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, June 21). The Red Pearls Of Borneo on Steam. Steam Store.