SteamOS gives free games a controller-focused home while keeping the freedom of a Linux PC. Proton helps many Windows games run on the platform, and desktop mode lets you install other software and launchers when the Steam client is not enough.
Some games on this page are also playable in your browser with no download. For the rest, SteamOS offers native Linux support or Proton compatibility, depending on the game. Pick your route and get playing.
Raid: Shadow Legends is the fantasy gacha RPG that escaped its own ads and became the internet's loudest roster chase. It is a free-to-play, turn-based collection game set in Teleria, where Shards summon Champions, squads get tuned like machines, and the roster past 1,000 heroes keeps handing you new problems to solve. If you love team-building, PvP scheming, and the delicious chaos of your next pull, there is plenty here, with a gacha grind and eager shop offers attached.
Honkai: Star Rail puts HoYoverse’s character-collecting spectacle aboard a sci-fi space train, with turn-based battles and swappable parties of four. If anime drama, tactical team-building, and plotting your next gacha pull sound like your kind of cosmic trouble, grab a ticket.
Hero Wars is the fantasy squad-builder hiding behind those infamous puzzle ads: collect and level dozens of heroes, tune your lineup, then send them into idle campaign fights, PvP arenas, and guild battles. The puzzles are only a side dish, but if hero collecting and clever team chemistry make your thumbs twitch, Dominion is ready to swallow your lunch break.
Goddess of Victory: Nikke is the anime gacha where eye-catching heroines and cover-based gunplay grab your attention, then a surprisingly deep sci-fi story and quick character-switching keep your squad marching. If you like collecting characters, tuning teams, and gambling your hopes on one more pull, this free RPG shooter has your number.
Mech Arena crams 5v5 robot warfare into quick tactical firefights, with enough mech and weapon combinations to turn your hangar into a steel-plated toy box. If you fancy free-to-play PvP where smart loadouts share the spotlight with a happy trigger finger, climb in.
War Robots has drawn more than 300 million players by making one fantasy wonderfully simple: strap weapons to a giant machine, join a squad, and stomp into real-time PvP. If you like tactical team fights, roster tinkering, and metal colossi treating subtlety as optional, your cockpit is waiting.
Merge Gardens turns Daisy’s inherited, overgrown estate into a three-way obsession: merge objects, crack match-3 boards, and unravel the mystery of her missing uncle. If cozy restoration with a magical-garden twist scratches your “one more merge” itch, this free-to-play charmer could happily eat your tea break.
Sea of Conquest turns the familiar free-to-play base-building grind into a pirate power trip, letting you steer across the Devil’s Sea, customize your ship and cabins, assemble a fleet, and scrap with NPCs or rival captains. If you fancy open-world sailing, PvP plotting, and upgrades ticking away while your next conquest brews, climb aboard.
Taonga: the Island Farm hands you a tropical inheritance and promptly fills it with crops, animals, workshops, hidden treasure, and mystery-packed expeditions. It is a cozy browser farming adventure for players who can turn careful energy and storage management into one more harvest, one more quest, and, naturally, one more island detour.
Genshin Impact is the free-to-play anime open-world RPG where Teyvat’s gorgeous horizons lead to elemental, character-swapping combat and that dangerously tempting next pull. The gacha grind is the bit to know going in, but if you love exploration, fantasy stories, and building a four-person dream team, this is one huge adventure worth opening the map for.
Enlisted drops you into huge World War II battles where you command an AI squad, hop between surviving soldiers, and swap trench-clearing infantry work for tanks or aircraft when the front gets spicy. If you want a free large-scale shooter with tactical bite and combined-arms chaos, your next squad is waiting.
FragPunk deals Shard Cards into 5v5 hero-shooter firefights, letting your team bend each round’s rules with attacks, buffs, and nasty debuffs. If you like sharp gunplay with a strategic wildcard, this free-to-play scrap has your name on it.
Wuthering Waves takes the familiar anime open-world gacha formula and gives it sharper teeth: flashy, fast-paced combat, enticing exploration, and a post-apocalyptic mystery built around the amnesiac Rover. The story can get exposition-heavy, but if you want your next pull to fight like an action hero rather than a spreadsheet, this is your playground.
Sunrise Village sends you to Grandpa’s troubled town to rebuild farms, help the locals, and hunt six magical crystals through a colorful countryside mystery. If cozy chores, crafting, and exploration are your jam, this free-to-play adventure has plenty to harvest, provided you can roll with its occasionally stingy energy bar.
Elvenar lets you raise an elven wonderland or human stronghold, then fill it with dwarves, fairies, dragons, trade routes, and the occasional animated scrap. If you like relaxed city planning with hundreds of technologies and a social MMO layer, this free-to-play fantasy kingdom has plenty of room for your next grand scheme.
Forge of Empires hands you a Stone Age village and says, “Right, modern civilization next,” then stacks on technology, trade, territorial conquest, and turn-based battles. It is a free-to-play treat for patient planners who want their city to keep finding one more delicious upgrade.
Rush Royale turns tower defense into a 3×5 pressure cooker, where merging duplicate cards can reshape your board and every monster you crush in PvP becomes your opponent’s problem. If you fancy quick strategy, collectible decks, and co-op castle defense with a pinch of chaos, your next obsession may be waiting at the gates.
The Iron Throne is up for grabs, and Game of Thrones: Winter is Coming lets you build a Westerosi stronghold, recruit familiar characters, raise an army, and scrap with rival lords for famous castles. If you fancy Game of Thrones with city-building, MMO alliances, and real-time PvP, your browser or Windows PC just became dangerously tempting.
SteamOS pairs controller-first play with PC freedom
SteamOS puts a console-style interface over an open Linux system. You can settle in with a controller, use Steam features such as Cloud, Chat, Game Recording, and quick suspend or resume, then switch to the standard desktop when you need more control.
The games presented here were selected and reviewed by us from our own catalog. We focus on what each game offers and what you should know before starting, without pretending that Linux compatibility is identical across every release.
Our featured pick leads the page, giving you a clear place to start. Compatibility can still vary, particularly when a game was built for Windows and depends on Proton, but that is part of choosing well on SteamOS. Find the game that fits your mood, press Play Now, and let Linux handle the serious face.
SteamOS compatibility begins with Linux and Proton
SteamOS runs Linux underneath its gaming interface. A native Linux game can run directly on that foundation, while many Windows games rely on Valve's Proton compatibility layer. Proton handles a broad range of software, but it does not make every Windows release automatically compatible.
Raw hardware power cannot guarantee that a particular Windows game will run correctly on SteamOS. The game's Linux support, Proton behavior, and input setup matter alongside ordinary system requirements. Valve's compatibility information can help set expectations before you install.
Controller support is central to the SteamOS interface, but individual games can still have their own input needs. If a title expects a different setup, Steam Input provides controller configuration and gamepad emulation options. That is far more useful than assuming every menu will immediately understand your preferred buttons. Naturally.
Browser play offers the quickest route for the games on this page that support it, since there is no game download. Other games require client play and may use a native Linux version or Proton. SteamOS also allows desktop access, so you can install other launchers and software for non-Steam libraries rather than treating the default client as a locked gate.
SteamOS habits that keep free play straightforward
Check compatibility first: Confirm whether a game supports Linux directly or relies on Proton. Compatibility information is more useful than assuming a Windows release will work because the hardware is powerful enough.
Choose browser or client play deliberately: Use browser play when it is available and you want to skip the download. If the game requires a client, allow time for installation and confirm its SteamOS support before starting.
Keep your controller setup flexible: SteamOS is designed for controller navigation, while Steam Input can help with bindings and gamepad emulation when a game's defaults do not match your preferred layout.
Use desktop mode when you need it: SteamOS is an open Linux platform, so you can install other software and game launchers. That makes non-Steam libraries accessible without giving up the controller-focused Steam interface.
Let system updates do their job: SteamOS handles driver updates and hardware tweaks through built-in system updates. Keeping the operating system current gives its compatibility tools the intended foundation.
Back up before reinstalling: A stock SteamOS installation or recovery procedure can wipe the target device. Save anything important before creating installation media or choosing a full reinstall.
Start with the featured pick: It leads the page for a reason, and it is the fastest way into our reviewed SteamOS choices. Press Play Now when you are ready, then worry about expanding your launcher collection later.
FAQ
FAQs
SteamOS supports native Linux games plus many Windows games through Proton, giving you a broad range of compatible free-to-play options. The games featured here come from our reviewed catalog, so pick one that grabs you and get playing.
Yes, many Windows games run on SteamOS through Valve's Proton compatibility layer. Compatibility is not universal, so check each game's SteamOS support before installing.
Yes, SteamOS includes a standard Linux desktop where you can use a browser. Some games on this page support browser play with no download, while others use a different play option.
Yes, compatible online games can run on SteamOS, either natively or through Proton. SteamOS also connects to Steam services such as Steam Cloud and Steam Chat.
Our featured pick is shown at the top of this page. Start there if you want a quick recommendation, then choose Play Now when you are ready.
Yes, desktop mode lets you install other software and game launchers for non-Steam libraries. SteamOS is an open Linux platform, so you keep control over what you install.
