The Best Free Games Of 2021

You may have seen me writing tons of Genshin Impact blogs around here, and that is definitely a free-to-play game that I think is outstanding and deserving of extensive coverage. However, there are actually tons of other great free-to-play games in the mobile gaming ecosystem, too.

Of course, there’s not really such a thing as a free game. For example, with the gacha monetization model, some games are easier to clear with free or low-rarity characters, while others are more dependent on high-damage characters from the paid gacha system. But every gacha game needs tons of free content, since only 2 percent of gacha players spend any money. This year, I’ve spent $50 on Fate/Grand Order and around $90 on Genshin Impact. While I was an unemployed college student, I never spent any money at all.

These aren’t games that you can “finish” in a month–rather, they tend to be games you live with over time, as they constantly add new story content and challenges. I don’t see free-to-play games so much as being in direct competition with other games, but rather as a space where different types of creativity and innovation can flourish. Here are some of the best free-to-play titles that kept me coming back throughout the year.

Genshin Impact

This free-to-play action RPG experienced a highly successful launch last year, and it continues to enjoy consistent updates for seasonal events, quality-of-life tweaks, and main quest content. The robust updates are buoyed by an enthusiastic fan community that keeps the game relevant through fanworks and constant online engagement.

But it’s not just the community that’s constantly pushing Genshin to the forefront. Its unique combat is what gives the game enormous staying power. Gacha games usually have a huge problem with powercreep. By adding increasingly powerful characters into the pool of available fighters, older characters typically become less relevant in the meta. This can be a huge problem if the older playbase has invested a massive amount of time, money, and resources into them.

However, Genshin keeps older characters from being powercrept by adding new characters and weapons that can enhance their teammates’ potential. Raiden Shogun has arguably revitalized the entire electro meta with her energy-focused kit. And the addition of the low-rarity Gorou revitalized interest in older geo characters like Noelle and Ningguang, who have been in the game since the very beginning. Instead of competing with other characters for top meta spots, each new character can uplift the value of their potential teammates. It’s an incredibly smart formula that ensures that Genshin will be worth playing for years to come.

Read the full article on Kotaku