Are There Steam Christmas Free Games? (Answered)


Valve-owned Steam is one of most people’s favorite digital platforms and go-to sources of PC games. Throughout its reign, the comprehensive library with a constant influx of new titles has become an incredible store for entertainment-hungry folks in search of game diversions.

Steam boasts numerous free-to-play Christmas games you can enjoy without spending a cent. These range from the completely Christmas themed to ones that just happen to be free at Christmas time. Though these may not all be ‘triple A’ titles, they can suck you in for hours of fun.

Being aware of Steam Christmas free games currently active can help you uncover hidden gems you’d otherwise miss. Read on and learn more about Steam free games.

Contents

Does Steam Give Free Games?

With the price of some games reaching outrageous prices in todays digital crazed market, you can spend a fortune collecting many of the ones that fit your taste and favorite genre. It is nice to find low cost options or even free offerings of games that can actually hold your interest. So, does Steam give free games to help us out?

Steam absolutely gives free games throughout the year either as joint promotions with developers or for titles they offer on their own. Of course there is a marketing motivation behind these giveaways, but free games benefit Valve corporation and gamers alike.

There are several different types of free games that you can look for on Steam.

Developer Promotional Free Games

I for one love video games. I especially like large open world games, action RPGs, and many like them. There are ways to get them at deep discounted prices and even FREE!

Most game developers use Steam for most all of their big and small titles because of the great conversion rate Steams massive gamer community provides. I take advantage of many of these offers when they come around and have enjoyed several free titles for many hours between work and projects.

Two I can think of off the top of my head that I received free during a developer promotion are:

  • Black Desert Online This is a pretty popular MMO (Massive Multiplayer Online) RPG (Role Playing Game). It goes on sale from time to time, but if you look out for it you could end up with it FREE like I did during a promotion.
  • Company of Heroes II This strategy game is an extremely popular old series that even still has a large online player versus player base.

My teenage and adult sons also share my love of ‘gaming’ and have taken advantage of steam giveaways. They are also my scouts for good sales and free games. One of my twins recently found several free offerings during developer events and picked up:

  • Metro This is the link to the remastered version, but he got the original free when this one came out.
  • Tomb Raider Though this link is to the definitive edition (some extras), he got the original free during an event.
  • Little Nightmares For fans of the creepy, this platformer/puzzle game is inexpensive and sometimes can be pickup up for free when developers run specials.

Free To Play Games

Then there are the always free to play games that usually center around online communities of co-op and player vs player environments. Many call these simply ‘online games’. They are free to play, but make their money on micro transactions for cosmetic items and upgrades as well as extra DLC (downloadable content) in the form of expansions.

Some free to play games you can jump right into using your Steam account are…

These games can be massive and some players spend literally thousands of hours on them. They are normally what some call ‘grind’ style games where objectives though broken into smaller ones, can take real world months to complete.

Limited Time Free To Own Game

We can’t talk about free games during Christmas time or any other without talking about the ‘limited free’ types of games. These games come with a time limit either as a promotion by developers to get you interested in their game or as promotions by Steam to get you playing on thier platform in order to advertise other games to you.

Either way, these will have time limits in order to play or download the game. There are also different types of these events.

Free weekends

Free weekends are usually a time set between Friday and Monday that an online game allows anyone to join and play as a promotional event. This usually allows access to the base game as a form of trial period that allows you to purchase the game afterward and keep the progress you have attained.

I play Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) often and see these free weekends come around a couple times per year. This usually brings an influx of new players that result in some of them purchasing the game. Be warned, the purpose is to get you to purchase so if you are looking for completely free, don’t get HOOKED!

These games are popular for a reason.

Grab And Have

The last version I will discuss here are the limited time free games that have a download window. These are normally pervious versions of newer titles that developers allow to be given away for free as a promotion for their upcoming expansions or sequels.

These will normally be single player games that can be downloaded at specific times for free with access never expiring. These are truly free games, but again are meant to get you hooked on the series so you will eventually by the newer titles.

Now, I mention the intention behind these promotions not to say that enticing someone to buy by giving away free games is a bad thing. It actually is a win for both sides.

Are There Steam Christmas (Themed) Free Games?

The holiday season is a time to binge Christmas movies and listen to Christmas-themed music. But what about Christmas games? While many developers don’t make Christmas games, Steam offers free Christmas games, including (in no particular order):

Long Live Santa! 

The game, which you can play a lot with friends, has excellent replayability. Essentially, it has one map where several Santas are thrown in with the goal of eliminating one another until only one is left. In every match, you can get package drops that offer you an advantage. The package can include Katanas, candy cane crossbows, and reindeers that will power your Santa up.

For those looking for a less violent option, this next one will do the trick.

Ho-Ho-Home Invasion

The game offers you the opportunity to bury yourself in the festive spirit by playing Santa. The objective of Santa is to prepare for Christmas by delivering gifts stealthily to houses set up by the elves. Every house has NPCs that Santa should sneak past without getting caught. The game has five levels to work through, each of which will have you on the edge of your seat.

Secret Santa

The game, which is kind-of-addicting, is a stealth game where you avoid dogs, parents, and rifle-wielding grandmas, all intending to deliver gifts to the Christmas tree and come out alive.

You’ll have three sleep portions that you can use to put any of your threats to sleep. Since you can only use three, you should be careful with who to knock out and roam around.

Basically, you start with the nice list, then the naughty list, Krampus list, Mars list, Krampus mode, and eventually the Halloween list.

Fork Parker’s Holiday Profit Hike

The idea of this game is that the user plays as Fork Parker, a businessman in a firm that’s failing in its Q4 sales. So, you need to go and find random bundles of money while climbing a mountain.

The game is a fun little platform and an excellent option to play during the Christmas holiday season. Besides, it’s extremely refined with little animations from the characters and has a grapple hook implementation.

What Is Steam Gaming?

Steam gaming is playing your favorite PC games on the online platform, Steam. Steam is an online software from the game developer, Valve Corporation. You can buy, create, play, and discuss PC games on the platform. It hosts thousands of games; some are downloadable content, user-generated mods, or DLC from big developers and indie game designers.

According to Statista, the number of games released on Steam worldwide has increased nearly every year from its inception in 2003/2004 to 2020. Here is a chart that shows their impressive growth of offerings.

The idea behind steam gaming is to make it easier for gamers to access various games they want. It also enables game developers to manage their clientele base and sell their games without dealing with physical distribution channels like distributors and retailers.

Steam offers digital rights management, cloud computing, video streaming, multiplayer gaming, social networking, and community features. It also boasts its customer support service, complete with features and tools for assistance and overall improvement of the user’s gaming experience.

How Does Steam Work?

To use Steam, all you need to do is download and install the Steam engine or app on your computer. You can then access the software, forums, and full library of games.

Steam’s popular feature is the ability for people to use any computer to play games they buy or download to their accounts. That allows you to store a large assortment of games without using large computer memory.

Some of the most convenient features are the steam store and the library. Nearly all PC titles will be available from the Steam store and once you buy it, it is always available for download from your library section.

Computer crash? No problem. Once you have solved your hardware problem there is no need to find physical disks or other ways to reinstall your favorite games. You can simply re-download them from the Steam library and you are on your way.

Is Steam Free?

Steam is free to download and use. There are also several free steam games. However, some last for a limited time (sometimes just for a weekend), so you’ll have to act fast. Others are free to keep, and you can redeem them and keep them forever.

Even so, some games are available at a cost (some from as little as $1, while new releases from big developers may cost as much as $60-$70). Note that you can only play a game from the Steam store on the network when you purchase any game from the Steam store.

Typically, users can have a steam wallet. A steam wallet is a conduit that games use to buy games of other content on the platform. You can add money to the steam wallet using a credit card or buy the physical gift card at a supermarket or store and enter the code to access your funds.

Personally, I just buy the games using a credit card each time. You can choose what is best for you or your kids. Steam offers ways to ensure kids are buying things without your knowledge if you set it up. Let’s look a bit more about how Steam works for kids, especially as they are getting new games this coming Christmas

Is Steam Safe for Kids?

Like any video-streaming platform, Steam can be safe or dubious depending on the content children are exposed to. Although there are numerous family-friendly games available, games feature swearing, graphic violence, and mature content are present. Besides, the trading system can expose unsuspecting kids to scammers.

Fortunately, Steam has a robust Parental Control (Family View) that can significantly lower kids’ risks when using Steam. Parents can follow the instructions given to set up the family view and control what their children access on the platform.  

What Is a Steam Sale?

Savvy gamers often wait for one of Steam’s several sales for savings. A steam sale is when the platform offers the broadest and deepest price cuts for massive sales. Typically, they tend to occur seasonally- during Summer, Autumn, Winter, and Spring or holidays such as Christmas.

Steam sales dates are usually a guarded secret at Valve. That’s because if gamers knew when a sale was going to drop, many would wait for the discounts. But since Steam sales occur consistently across the year, they’re easily predictable.

For instance, their is nearly always a Steam sale at the end of November, on black Friday and lasting for a week. There is usually another week right around Christmas offering deep discounts as well.

The Final Touches On Steam Christmas Free Games…

If you are looking to get your hands on some free Christmas games from Steam, hopefully this information has helped you locate them. On the other hand, don’t forget to check out the sales around Black Friday and Christmas, some of these are truly deep discounted offerings.

From us and ours, to you and yours, have a very Merry Christmas, and happy gaming!

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