Free Games

[Lefty]

I like to play games on the PC. While there are literally thousands of different games you could play in your browser online, I prefer games you actually own instead. But those cost a lot of money.... Well, not necessarily. From time to time, game manufacturers actually give away retail copies of their games for free.
Yes, free. Once you claim it and download it, it's yours... no strings attached, no fees, no "subscriptions"... Play as much as you want, as long as you want.. They are identical to the retail versions you'd buy in a store.
Why?
Well, two reasons actually. The first is to generate interest in a series in the event a new version of the game is coming out soon. They figure you would play the older version and like it, then want to play the sequel when it becomes available. Pretty smart actually, because it often works. You get hooked on a game and then the new one comes out and you buy it... They generate more sales by having gave away a game that they weren't even selling in stores anymore anyway.
The second reason is a bit more complicated.
Sometimes game manufacturers either get bought out or go out of business. They sometimes will release their old titles as "freeware" or "abandonware" because they no longer intend to sell them. Sometimes they do it to generate goodwill after a disastrous public relations mess, or after angering the gaming audience with a particularly unpopular title or sequel.... whatever the reason, the games they release are full retail versions that are absolutely free to download and play... no strings attached.


So I've decided to start a new thread where, from time to time, I'll post games I've found that are free for you to get.
Important Note: I will not be posting games that are illegal or pirated copies here. If you want those, you can find them yourself quite easily... or, you can send me a private message. Again, this topic is for legitimate, free full versions of games that are offered at no cost or strings attached. No virus or malware junk, or anything like that. Just straight from the original game developer to you as a free gift.

                                                                                                                                                                Lefty

[Lefty]

Let's start this off with a really good game!
If you like fantasy, dragon killing, quest based, role playing games with warriors,mages, and archers... This is a good game to get.

EA Games is offering "Dragon Age: Origins" for free to generate interest in the upcoming release of the sequel "Dragon Age: Inquisition"
This is a very limited time offer!!! Ending on Oct. 14th 2014 because the sequel comes out Oct. 18th.

Product Description:
The world is under siege.

Discover the true path of a hero and download Dragon Age: Origins to your PC. In this third-person heroic fantasy, you return to the days of character sheets and attribute plans that shaped the paths of your favorite roleplaying games. Build a last-of-his-kind crusader destined to save the world from the terrible blight of the Darkspawn.

Thedas lies weakened, ripe for the Darkspawn to creep into its lands virtually unnoticed. The sinister Arch-demon is assembling minions to draw the world to the brink of destruction. The legendary Grey Wardens have served as the last line of defense for Ferelden, but after centuries with no trace of the Darkspawn, their numbers have grown dangerously sparse. The Arch-demon has slipped from the minds of the kingdom, and the conscripts of the Grey Wardens have all but disappeared. The kings of the land, distracted by the realities of civil war and internal power struggles, remain oblivious to the signs of the Blight’s return.

Choose from three races â€" human, elf and dwarf â€" and three fighting classes â€" warrior, rogue and mage. Your initial choices determine your outward appearance, which changes the way others perceive you. Travel from town to town, searching for traveling companions to aid in your struggle to save the countryside from the forces of evil. Your actions ultimately shape the hero you will become, as you venture through the world. You are the master of your destiny; the fate of Thedas hinges on the choices you make.

Features:
A Stunning World to Explore

• BioWare’s deepest universe to date with over 80 hours of gameplay and more than double the size and scope of Mass Effect
• Travel throughout dozens of environments and fully immerse yourself in a shattered world that is on the brink of utter annihilation
• An epic story that is completely shaped and reactive to your play style

Complex Moral Choices

• There are no easy choices
• Tailor your Dragon Age: Origins experience from the very beginning by choose from six different Origin Stories
• Decide how to handle complex issues like murder, genocide, betrayal, and the possession/sacrificing of children without the security of a good/bad slider to tell you what to do

Full Character Customization

• Sculpt your hero in your own image or fantasy
• Elaborate character creator allows you to create your own hero unique from anyone else
• Shape your character’s personality and morality based on the choices you make throughout the game

Engage in Bone-Crushing, Visceral Combat

• Battle against massive and terrifying creatures
• Unleash legendary powers and choose from over 100 different magical spells and skills
• Experience the adrenaline rush of brutal combat, beheading your foes or casting spells that make enemies explode from within


System Specs:

Minimum Requirements:
OS: Windows XP (SP3) or Windows Vista (SP1) or Windows 7
CPU: Intel Core 2 SINGLE 1.6 Ghz Processor or equivalent / AMD 64 2.0 Ghz Processor or equivalent
RAM: 1 GB (1.5 GB Vista and Windows 7)
DISC DRIVE: DVD Rom drive required for packaged media
HARD DRIVE: 20 GB HD space
VIDEO: ATI Radeon X850 256MB or greater / NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT 128MB or greater. Vista: Radeon X1550 256MB / NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT 256MB
SOUND: Direct X Compatible Sound Card

Recommended Specs:
OS: Windows XP (SP3) or Windows Vista (SP1) or Windows 7
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 Ghz Processor or equivalent / AMD Phenom II X2 Dual-Core 2.7 Ghz Processor or equivalent
RAM: 2 GB (3 GB Vista and Windows 7)
DISC DRIVE: DVD Rom drive required for packaged media
HARD DRIVE: 20 GB HD space
VIDEO: ATI 3850 512MB or greater / NVIDIA 8800GTS 512MB or greater
SOUND: Direct X Compatible Sound Card

To get the game, you need to have an Origin account. This is a free game delivery system by EA similar to Steam. It's been around since the early days of Sims 2 and is safe and free. If you don't have one, you can register and download Origin, set that up, then get the game from this page here.

https://www.origin.com/en-us/store/buy/dragon-age-1/pc-download/base-game/standard-edition


Enjoy!

[Lefty]

Here is another free game courtesy of EA. For you puzzle- jewel popping types.

Bejeweled 3

Product Description:
More ways to play.

Escape to the biggest, brightest Bejeweled. Discover all-new ways to play the world’s #1 puzzle game. Find your perfect match with 8 breathtaking game modes that meet all your moods - ease into Classic Bejeweled for cascades of fun, journey through 40 challenging Quest puzzles, charge into the electrifying Lightning for non-stop action, and tailor your experience in Zen for a revolutionary new way to relax.

Enjoy the amazing sights and sounds and engage in endless gem-matching fun, and earn flashy achievement badges as you soar to dazzling new heights!

Features:
- 8 Ways to Play: Find a perfect match for every mood
- Classic Mode: Play the most popular puzzle game of the century, with powerful new gems and new ultra-smooth gameplay
- Quest Mode: Journey through 40 magical puzzles in this multifaceted Bejeweled challenge
- Zen Mode: Tailor your experience with sights, sounds and binaural beats to create your own relaxing retreat
- Lightning Mode: Charge up with a challenging timed game of heart-pounding, gem-blasting fun
- Secret Modes: Unlock 4 all-new games as you play
- Badges: Earn up to 65 badges to prove your multifaceted skills
- Ultra-Smooth Action: Make multiple matches while new gems fall into place
- High-Definition Graphics: Amazing sights and sounds make Bejeweled 3 more sparkling than ever before

System requirements:
Operating System: Windows XP SP2/Vista/7
CPU: 1.2 GHz processor
RAM: 1GB
Hard Drive: 320 MB of free hard drive space
Sound: DirectX 9.0c or higher sound/video
Video: 128MB of video memory (256+MB recommended)
Color Quality: 16-bit or 32-bit
Drive: CD-ROM or CD/DVD-ROM
Control: Keyboard & Mouse


OS: Mac OS X 10.5-10.6.x
Memory (RAM): 1+GB RAM
Processor: Intel Core Duo 1.66GHz or better processor
Internet: Internet connection is required to register the download version of the game including those delivered via CD-ROM

Get it here before time runs out!! Offer ends Oct. 28th, 2014!!
https://www.origin.com/en-us/store/buy/bejeweled-3/mac-pc-download/base-game/standard-edition#details

[Lefty]

GOG.com offers very low cost older PC games. Often these are discontinued or obsolete games... but they also give away several titles for free.
Some are really dated, but the idea is to get back to gamings history by replaying these games that you might not have played in years.

No strings attached, other than signing up for a GoG account.... Pick the game you want and download it.. it's yours to keep.

http://www.gog.com/games##sort=bestselling&price=free&page=1

[Shalydra]

Big fan of Gog.com. though I also use a variety of other cheap game sources as well.

Steam  ( http://store.steampowered.com/ )has a variety of free to play games and occasionally have giveaways. But they're better as a source of cheap games since they often have sales of up to 90% off (50-75% is common). Summers and holidays are particularly good times to stock up on cheap games. There are also some fun features that go with the steam client - like cloud sync game saves that let me save a game I am playing on my desktop and then load the save file on my laptop or vice versa.

Downside is the need to launch games through the steam client - which does need to 'touch base' occasionally with the internet.  There is a bug in the client where if a game crashes while you are in offline mode the steam client will sometimes deauthorize until you can successfully log into it in online mode. If you have a stable connection this isn't much of an issue just a minor nuisance, but if you are in a spot with weak or no wifi when it happens (or the net is down for whatever reason) this can be a really frustrating experience since you lose access to all your steam games until you successfully reauthorize.

I am also horribly addicted to Humble Bundles. ( https://www.humblebundle.com/ ) Lets me pick how much I want to pay to get a bundle of 3-10 games. you also get to chose how your money is spent - how much goes to the dame devs, to humble itself, and to the charity(s) selected for that round. I've paid anywhere from 1-15$ for various bundles. I've never paid more than the value of a single game within a bundle. Its generally a good way to build a collection that offers variety fairly quickly. Another perk is they do ebook, audiobook and android game bundles - so I've got stuff for my phone and tablet as well.

All that said, I play a lot of games and tend to bounce around my collections depending on mood. That said, using Steam, Gog and Humble, i've managed to stay on a small entertainment budget for years while growing my collection enough that I usually have  pule of unplayed games ready for when I hit a financial issue and need to cut an expense - this is the first section of my budget to get re-allocated. I do enjoy being able to uninstall and reinstall games at will to save hard drive space and no game discs to get scratched or authorization code sheets to lose.