With all the free-to-play games out there, it’s never been a better time to be a gamer that’s strapped for cash. There’s another option for broke gamers, though: game demos. Demos are a great way to experience games for free, and though they seem to be much more rare than they were back in the day, there are still plenty of options out there. Here are five great free demos on Steam that you can start playing right now.
By the way, none of the demos have their own store page, so I’m just linking to the store page. The demo buttons should be easy to find just above the paid buttons.
Bad North Demo
Bad North bills itself as a “real-time tactics roguelite”. However, it’s very cute, which is not standard for hardcore games like this. If you want a slimmed-down take on real-time strategy, Bad North might be for you. You can download the demo for free to find out.
The Crew 2 Demo
The Crew 2 is basically Ubisoft’s take on Forza Horizon: a casual racer set in an enormous world with all sorts of vehicles. I’ve played a lot of this game and a lot of Forza Horizon 4, and The Crew 2 is a great alternative. If you want to explore an enormous recreation of the United States on multiple vehicles (while you’re mostly restricted to cars and trucks in Forza Horizon 4), give The Crew 2 a free try with this demo.
Dragon Quest Builders 2 Jumbo Demo
Dragon Quest Builders 2 is the sequel to one of my favorite games of the last few years, and by all accounts it’s an even better experience. It’s like Minecraft mixed with a traditional RPG story, and your building goals are more guided than completely free-form. This apparently gives you access to hours and hours of gameplay, so give it a try if it sounds at all good to you.
Free Dragon Quest Builders 2 demo on Steam
Football Manager 2020 Demo
Football Manager is one of the most “love it or hate it” franchises out there, and I fall firmly in the former camp. However, for new people it might be intimidating to try at a cost of $50. If you want to play a bunch of the newest Football Manager for free, you can easily do so by downloading the demo. Once the demo is up, you’ll either immediately buy the full game or you’ll never touch the series again.
Free Football Manager 2020 demo on Steam
Shadow of the Tomb Raider Demo
Shadow of the Tomb Raider is the final installment of the Tomb Raider reboot trilogy that started in 2013. I played some Rise of the Tomb Raider (the second one), and it’s a pretty enjoyable series, though it’s not perfect. Luckily, this demo is free, so you can try it out for yourself.
Free Shadow of the Tomb Raider demo on Steam
If you’re on a budget right now, these five demos are great ways to try new gaming worlds without having to spend any money. The Dragon Quest Builders 2 demo just came out, so I’ll be playing that one myself. Happy playing!
