LOOKING for something to play for free this holiday season? There are loads of great options.
We’ve picked out some great no-cost options with a mix of family games that don’t need controllers or more serious options for dedicated gamers.
So if you’ve got a bit of time off over the Christmas break, try some of these brilliant free video games out.
OVERWATCH 2
If you’re a gamer then you’ve very likely had a go at Call of Duty or Fortnite.
But another brilliant option that doesn’t cost a penny is Overwatch 2 – available on both consoles and PC.
It’s a very moreish shooter by Activision Blizzard (the minds behind World of Warcraft) that lets you pick from a roster of heroes with different abilities.
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And you come together to form a team of five and battle it out against rivals in high-strategy online matches. Great fun, suits loads of different playstyles, and features a fun array of maps.
THE JACKBOX PARTY PACK 9
Amazon has a service called Luna, which is a bit like a Netflix for games where you stream titles over the internet.
Normally you’d have to pay a monthly fee, but all Amazon Prime members get 50 games for free.
About half of those are party games, and one of your best options is The Jackbox Party Pack 9.
This has several party games that you can enjoy by playing using your smartphone.
My favourite is Fibbage 4, which is a game where you all create convincing fake answers to real questions to trick each other.
But Roomerang – which creates a sort of reality TV show for you all to take part in – is also good fun.
Just go onto the Luna app on your Fire Stick, Fire TV or other supporting device, and sign in with Prime to get going.
OLD-SCHOOL RUNESCAPE
RuneScape almost needs no introduction, because it was a massive hit in the noughties.
Since then, the main game has evolved quite significantly – but people longed for the original experience, so game-maker Jagex re-released an early version rooted in 2007.
And you can now play this Old-School RuneScape on your PC or even your smartphone or tablet.
There is a paid tier, but the free version has an enormous amount of content to explore, including some very funny quests. It’ll keep you hooked right through Christmas.
HEARTHSTONE
Another Blizzard title worth looking at is Hearthstone.
It’s a collectible card game but in digital form, letting you build decks and battle it out over the internet.
You can play against other people or just versus the machine if you’d rather.
And while there’s loads of strategy to dive into, the game is very easy to pick up and enjoy with no knowledge of the genre.
This one is particularly well-suited to iPad, although you can play it on a phone or computer if you’d rather.
BOGGLE & PICTIONARY
OK, I appreciate I’ve named two games rather than one here.
But that’s because they’re both bundled into the Netflix Games experience that comes free with your regular subscription.
So if you’re already paying for Netflix, you get access to a load of fun party games.
And Boggle and Pictionary are both brilliant entries to the catalogue, allowing you and your family or friends to play together on the TV while using your phones as controllers. No joypads needed.
WILD RIFT
You’ve probably heard of League of Legends, the mobile online battle arena game with an enormous fanbase.
But it can also be quite tricky to pick up, especially if you’re a total newbie.
Perhaps easier to hop on to is Wild Rift, which is the mobile version of the game.
It has a few quality of life improvements, has more natural controls, and feels more friendly to beginners.
On top of that, games are typically shorter, which some people might prefer.
MOBILE GAMING – THE GAME HAS CHANGED
Here’s a quick take from The Sun’s tech editor Sean Keach…
Back in the day, most mobile games were cheap and cheerful – but no match for console titles.
Soon game makers clocked on to the fact that pretty much everyone has a smartphone and/or tablet.
And very few people have consoles by comparison.
So developers have poured huge amounts of money into making mobile games, resulting in plenty of brilliant console-rivalling titles.
Pair that with the fact that the latest phones and tablets have very impressive computing power, pixel-dense displays, and access to fast internet, and you’ll soon find you’ve basically got a console in your pocket.
You can also upgrade your phone or tablet by connecting a Bluetooth controller (like the PlayStation’s DualSense joypad) for more console-like gaming.
And you could also enjoy actual console games by using a game streaming service like Xbox Cloud Gaming.
You’ll save money on a console, and get even more value out of the mobile you’re already paying for. Mobile gaming is a no-brainer!
Picture Credit: Sean Keach
And it really suits playing on an iPad – though it’s fine on a smartphone too.
COURTROOM CHAOS – STARRING SNOOP DOGG
This one is quite hard to imagine until you play it – but I’ll do my best to give you the lowdown.
As we mentioned earlier, Amazon Luna is stuffed with some great games.
And one of them – free to all Prime members – is Courtroom Chaos Starring Snoop Dogg.
The eponymous rapper is the judge presiding over your case, which can be as wacky as you’d like.
You and your fellow players will be assigned roles like defendant and plaintiff, or expert or character witness.
And you’ll speak into your smartphone microphones to plead your case – with AI-powered Snoop responding to your exact words with striking realism.
It’s great fun, especially if you’re playing with a creative bunch.
RED DEAD REDEMPTION
Red Dead Redemption is arguably one of the most iconic video games of all time.
It’s a bit like Grand Theft Auto (which makes sense as it’s made by the same developer, Rockstar Games) but set in the Wild West.
And it’s now available as a mobile title, as of December 2025.
Better still, it’s included as free if you have a Netflix subscription.
So just go into your Netflix app, navigate to the game, and then you’ll be able to play this epic Western adventure free of charge.
Just don’t forget your six-shooter.
