How to Grow Your Game Library Without Spending a Dime — Free Giveaways, Free Weekends, and Free-to-Play

You don't have to shell out cash every time you want to grow your game library. If you keep an eye out, there are plenty of ways to pad it out for free. This article breaks down three big ones — 'limited-time free giveaways,' 'free weekends,' and 'games you can play for free' — in plain English. Grab these before you spend anything and your wallet will thank you.

1. Free giveaways — grab it in time and it's yours forever

The best deal of all is the 'limited-time free giveaway.' A game goes out for free for a set few days, and as long as you claim it to your account within that window, it stays yours forever, even after the giveaway ends. There's no downside if you never end up playing it, so even if it's a genre you don't care about, claiming it is pure upside. The Epic Games Store is famous for handing out a new free game every week, and Steam does these giveaways every now and then too.

Quick note: a free 'giveaway' and a free 'weekend' aren't the same thing. A giveaway is yours to keep forever once you claim it; a weekend is a trial you can only play during a set window. Giveaways are always worth grabbing.

2. Free weekends — try before you buy, for free

A 'Free Weekend' is an event where a popular game opens up completely free for a few days. During that window you can play the whole game to your heart's content, which makes it perfect for checking whether a game you're on the fence about is actually your thing before you buy. Free weekends usually run alongside a discount on that game, too, so if you play it and love it, you can grab it cheap right there. It's a great safety net against paying full price and regretting it.

The progress you save during a free weekend usually carries over if you buy the game for real later. So if you're having a blast during a free weekend, pick it up at the sale price before it ends and you can just keep going right where you left off.

3. Free-to-play (F2P) — $0 from the start

Plenty of games launch as 'Free to Play' from the get-go. The main game is free, and instead they sell cosmetic items or convenience features inside the game. There are tons of these you can fully enjoy without spending a cent, so if you're itching for something new, browsing the popular free-to-play titles is a solid move. Just know going in that a 'free but built to get you spending' game can nickel-and-dime you past the cost of a regular game if you're not careful — so it helps to start with your eyes open.

Even free games — make sure they're worth keeping

If you hoard everything just because it's free, your library fills up with games you never touch. Even with free giveaways, taking a second to ask 'would I actually play this someday?' keeps your list clean down the road. And if a game you tried during a free weekend won you over, just check its all-time low on Lowstamp to see whether now's the time to buy before you pull the trigger. Try it for free to confirm it's your taste, then buy at the cheapest moment — that's the thriftiest order to do things in.

Always grab the giveaways, use weekends as a test drive before buying, and enjoy free-to-play while keeping your wallet safe.

To sum up, there are three ways to grow your library without spending money. Limited-time 'free giveaways' are yours forever once you claim them, so always grab those; 'free weekends' are for trying a game you're unsure about for free; and 'free-to-play' games are there to enjoy while keeping your wallet safe. Make the most of these freebies, and only buy the games you truly want when they hit their all-time low — do that and you'll enjoy way more games for the same money.