THE 50 BEST FREE GAMES
I want to... ENJOY A STORY
THE DOLL SHOP
With the help of its art students, Atelier Sentô makes beautiful, free adventure games inspired by, and set in Japan. Blending horror with romance, The Doll Shop transports you to a small village, which is being buried under a relentless snowfall. Fairly long, for a free game, it takes the time to establish its world, before the darkness at its rotten core is revealed. It’s all the more effective for it, telling a sinister story involving creepy handmade dolls, and the arrival of an old friend to your remote village. The art is sublime and the ending memorable in this handcrafted visual novel. TS ateliersento.itch.io/dollshop
THE SUPPER
Octavi Navarro’s wonderful adventure games tell short, twisty stories set in evocative worlds. The Supper is a highlight: a dark story of revenge that brings to mind Sweeney Todd. You play as a peg-legged, tavern-owner, who has to serve three very special dishes to a trio of horrible pirates, who really should have checked the Food Standards rating first… TS pixelshuh.itch.io/the-supper
LOCKHEART INDIGO
This is a sci-fi detective game that feels a lot like a JRPG. You’ve arrived at a vast mansion to solve the murder of its former owner, but locked doors and suspects stand in your way. The latter are dealt with via interrogations, in the form of turn-based chat battles. TS bit.ly/3dBYZZ7
DELTARUNE: CHAPTER 1
This sorta sequel to Undertale is packed with memorable characters, catchy tunes, and emotive dialogue – despite being a fraction of its size. The start of a series, Deltarune: Chapter 1 tells a fulfilling story in its own right, while building on the battles of the previous game. TS deltarune.com
LITTLE PARTY
The quiet and bittersweet story of a mother trying to reconnect with her daughter. You wander around quietly, checking on your daughter and her friends as they