5 free games to try on PC this spring

Who says nothing good in life is free? With spring just around the corner, free time becomes scarcer and the work starts to pile up. For those who do not want to break the bank before payday to play something good, here are 5 free games on PC you should check out this spring.

1. Kyle is Famous – Steam/Itch.io (John Szymanski/New Blood Interactive)

Steam - https://store.steampowered.com/app/1186740/Kyle_is_Famous_Complete_Edition/ Itch.io - https://ducky-dev.itch.io/kyle-is-famous

If humour and multiple endings are your cup of tea, then I highly recommend trying Kyle is Famous out. This simplistic point and click game has a lot more packed into it than expected, giving you hours of fun and lots to try out. This multiple-choice clicker adventure lets you control the protagonist, Kyle, in getting ready for an interview. You must be careful though as you only have 30 hours (the equivalent of 30 actions) to play with to find as many endings as possible.

(Kyle is Famous - Steam)

Although the graphics are very simplistic, the amount of description and satire helps for the player to imagine the scenario as it plays out. There are lots of unique and unusual ways to prompt an ending (my personal favourite being a most entertaining interview with a robotic sign, but I will leave it up to you to find it), and it includes a handy achievement tracker to keep up with what endings you have gotten.

While the free edition has a lot to offer, there is a complete version that was released October 2021. If you feel you need more Kyle in your life, then I would recommend buying the complete edition or putting it in your Steam wish list for when there is a sale. Its usual price is £11.39 (about $15/$16), but I feel the free version has a lot of content to keep you occupied for a while.

2. Mission: It’s Complicated – Steam (Schell Games)

Steam -https://store.steampowered.com/app/1041210/Mission_Its_Complicated/

What do you get when you mix a queer cast with superheroes? You get a deceptively good visual novel full of quirky, yet relatable characters and even funnier scenarios. You play as Dr. L, a scientist who studies the power that heroes can have when they extremely close to one another. A future version of yourself goes back in time to get you to set up a superhero team to save the world from destruction. The aim is to pair up your 5 characters how you like and strengthen their bonds to save the world.

(Mission: It's Complicated - Steam)

From a visual novel perspective, it very much brings something new to the table. Instead of you being the main character and choosing a partner, you are simply shipping two characters together. This is made so much better with the fact that all the characters are queer, and any that do not partner up become ultimate friends instead. It feels very inclusive and quite comforting to enjoy. The graphics are vibrant, the character models are very well done and the dialogue in this game is full of humour.

It is very surprising this game is free with how much content is actually in it. The replayable aspect is also really well done, allowing you to keep repeating through the game to get all the possible endings without it feeling too much like a chore. I would highly recommend checking this out for a lightheared lgbtq+ friendly time.

3. Love in Lockdown: ELI/ELLA – Itch.io (Melancholy Marionette)

ELI version - https://melancholy-marionette.itch.io/love-in-lockdown-eli-version

ELLA version - https://melancholy-marionette.itch.io/love-in-lockdown-ella-version

Now, lockdown is a time we all want to forget more than remember, but this visual novel brings a what if scenario that takes place in 2025. The story places you in a scenario where you live alone and are unemployed during the pandemic. The government assigns you a robot called ELI/ELLA (name can be changed) to help you get back on your feet and give you company while everything is unsafe. Your choices through the story will determine how long you keep your companion and how close you are to them.

(Love in Lockdown - ELLA - Itch.io)

A very inclusive feature of this is that the male and female characters have a separate game file to download. If you prefer men, then you go for ELI, and if you prefer women, you download ELLA. Although it does feel fiddly needing to download two games depending on gender, the story is the same and you will get quite a few hours of playtime out of it. The backgrounds are not as polished as previous games from this creator, but the character model and storytelling make up for this fivefold.

(Love in Lockdown - ELI - Itch.io)

For those who are more interested in traditional visual novels, or simply want to get into them without forking out at least £15 at a time or more for recognisable names, I would recommend starting here. There are a few darker themes in this, so caution to those who are a little more sensitive, but it is still a worthwhile play to see at least one ending.

4. Deltarune (Chapter 1 and 2 Demo) – Steam/Itch.io (Toby Fox)

Steam - https://store.steampowered.com/app/1671210/DELTARUNE/

Itch.io - https://tobyfox.itch.io/deltarune

Just like its predecessor, Undertale, Deltarune has been shown all over the internet since it was first launched. You control Kris, a human living in a monster town filled with both old and new characters. After being paired up with your classmate/school bully Susie, you end up falling into the Dark world and need to find your way out. Along this journey you will meet some new people and delve deeper into what exactly is the correlation between Undertale and Deltarune (if there is one).

The game itself is actually on multiple platforms (the Switch also allowing you to download it) but controlling it on the PC seems a bit easier in my opinion. Both Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 are free, and we are expecting Chapters 3.4 and 5 to come out at the same time (for a price, of course). Toby Fox does it once again with a brilliant soundtrack, creative graphics and a serious, yet funny storyline with characters that are considered new favourites of the fandom.

(Deltarune - Chapter 2 demo - Steam)

With a lot to offer and a lot to explore, you will easily be sucked into the game with all of its secrets to find. It can easily run on a laptop too, so perfect to take on the go. Try it out this spring and join the millions worldwide into this rabbit hole of an rpg.

5. A Book of Beast and Buddies – Steam (Squiddershins)

Steam - https://store.steampowered.com/app/959750/A_Book_of_Beasts_and_Buddies/

For those who are pressed for time and want a game that takes about an hour to complete, then this is definitely for you. A Book of Beast and Buddies is a simple point and click game that prompts you to fill out a small encyclopaedia on magical creatures. It is deceptively fun to play, and the art style is very cute too. When trying it for the first time, it is especially easy to get lost in filling out the entire book, even going back to certain pages just to see certain creatures again.

(A Book of Beast and Buddies - Steam)

What this game lacks in complexity and time, it makes up for in cuteness and the ability to replay it. At the end of the book, you can reset the game at any point and start again as if you opened the programme for the first time. I have definitely done this at least twice, just to test myself on if I can remember the puzzles (I always get stuck on one though). For being a simple looking game at first, I would highly recommend trying it out at least once this spring.

Any games that you think should be talked about? Let me know on Twitter or Tiktok!