Modern video games have been getting incredibly expensive, making it harder for gamers on a budget to afford the newest AAA titles. Older games are a great way to find excellent experiences for cheap, but there are also plenty of new indie games that are completely free on Steam. Steam gives users the ability to specifically search for free-to-play titles, although players would have to sift through games that have tons of intrusive microtransactions.

However, buried under all of these free-to-play cash-grabs are some genuinely exciting titles that are perfect for players on a budget. Some of these games do have minor microtransactions but they don't interfere with the core gameplay. A few of these free games are more well-known than others, but a handful are true hidden gems that gamers should check out.

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Helltaker

Helltaker is a charming puzzle game that made waves online when it released due to its cute character designs and genuinely engaging gameplay. The game is well-known for its characters and dialogue, bordering on being more of a dating sim than a puzzle game. Helltaker is totally free on Steam, although there is an art book available for $9.99 USD.

One of Helltaker's best aspects is its cast and their personalities. There's actually more content to explore featuring the characters  beyond the game. Helltaker's creator has a web comic that further builds upon this world. For those who haven't checked out Helltaker, it's a great experience that has some cute character designs and is worth a try.

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SCP: Secret Laboratory

Indie horror games can explore some really unique concepts and become instant classics. SCP: Containment Breach was one such game that mixed together sandbox-like exploration with horror gameplay as players tried to escape a secure paranormal research lab during a containment breach. The game was based on the SCP collaborative-fiction project and has inspired tons of similar games, including the free multiplayer Steam game SCP: Secret Laboratory.

Secret Laboratory should be familiar to people who've played SCP: Containment Breach as the gameplay is extremely similar. Players trying to escape an SCP Foundation facility without being killed by the anomalous objects and creatures that roam the facility. The major difference with Secret Laboratory is that the anomalous objects are controlled by other players, as are the facility guards, scientists and military forces.

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Unturned

Unturned is developed by Smartly Dressed Game, a developer that originally got its start with Roblox. It's an open-world zombie survival adventure that's similar to 7 Days to Die in the sense that there's a lot of crafting and looting. The game isn't easy, as most zombies can kill the player in just a few hits. But once the player manages to learn the combat, they can dive deep into Unturned's expansive survival gameplay.

There are a lot of different maps as well as Steam Workshop support. Unturned can be played single-player but also supports multiplayer through Steam. Unturned is a fun survival game that can be somewhat challenging to learn but has a lot of surprising depth that rewards players who stick with it.

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OpenTTD

A screenshot of the transport infrastructure in OpenTTD

On the side of management simulators, OpenTTD is a well-known open-source version of Transport Tycoon Delux, which was originally developed by Chris Sawyer. The game is now worked on collaboratively via GitHub where it sees ongoing development. In OpenTTD, players manage a transport company by building train tracks and other transportation mediums. As gameplay progresses, new technology becomes available for players to use in order to advance their transportation network.

The benefit of OpenTTD is that fan updates have greatly expanded on what the game is capable of, allowing for things like LAN and online multiplayer, as well as advanced AI that provides a greater challenge in single-player. OpenTTD, given its nature as an open-source project, is totally free to download and play on Steam. Fans of classic management titles like Rollercoaster Tycoon should give OpenTTD a look.

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Double Action: Boogaloo

Double Action: Boogaloo may fall into the category of "so bad it's good" for some people. The game takes tons of inspiration from classic action movies with its style and presentation, making this multiplayer FPS a ton of fun. Players are able to dive in multiple directions, shoot while they fly through the air and even use bullet-time to slow down time in the area around them. Double Action: Boogaloo ends up feeling like an FPS deathmatch game inspired by The Matrix.

Double Action: Boogaloo is one of Steam's many underrated free FPS deathmatch games that's meant to be zanier than similar titles like Fistful of Frags and Team Fortress 2. Double Action: Boogaloo released on Steam in 2014 and has been constantly updated since, with the game also having a consistent player base. There's also the ability to host private servers with an external program.

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