Published May 4, 2026, 9:00 AM EDT
Ewan is Deputy Editor for ScreenRant's gaming section. He still quite hasn’t gotten out of his mid 00’s emo phase, and knows more about The Legend of Zelda and Doctor Who than is probably healthy.
Ewan oversees the content operation of ScreenRant's gaming output, working with a talented team of writers and editors to cover everything from the latest GTA 6 news to the indie games you need on your radar.
Former Editor of GAMINGbible, Ewan also has words at Kotaku, Den of Geek, NME, and UNILAD. He's appeared on various podcasts, including VGC's and BBC's Let's Talk About Tech.
There are so many free games Steam you can sink your teeth into, and a huge number of them are really, truly completely free in every sense of the word. They're not locked behind a subscription or only available for a limited time. They're just... free.
Some of these free games are short and can be completed in one sitting. Others will stick with you for a little bit longer. The game we're talking about today has actually been around for years, but could well have fallen off your radar (or never even been on your radar) thanks to the thousands of other free games that have since been released.
The game in question? It's called Realm Of The Mad God, and it's actually a ton of fun and stuffed with content. The game was originally released way back in 2012, but the free-to-play MMORPG is still pulling in decent player numbers for such an old title. The game's 28th season was actually just released as of April 14, too, so you can rest assured that you're not just going to be playing 18-year-old content.
Here's the full rundown of the game from developer Wild Shadow Studios:
"Embark on an exhilarating journey into the pixelated Realm of the Mad God! Join, an action-packed, free-to-play MMO bullet hell game. Discover a world with danger, challenges, and hidden treasures as you battle through waves of enemies. Team up with players and conquer dungeons to become a legend!"
At the time of writing, Realm Of The Mad God has a respectable 8/10 rating over on Steam, with tens of thousands of positive reviews since it first launched back in 2012. In the interests of transparency, I should note that more recent reviews are mixed, with some veteran players complaining about a number of the more recent changes. If you're coming to it fresh, it might not bother you as much, of course.
"Simple and fun, and a great time killer," One relatively recent review reads. "Feels like a good mix of a simple game, and tiered skill requirements."
Another reads: "I loved this game as a kid and had no idea it still existed, only for me to download it and be let down the worst way possible. It's not the same as the old game." The duality of man.
"I have over 6k hours in this game," another writes. If you were wondering, the average recorded playtime according to How Long To Beat is 800 hours, so this is impressive/scary, delete as appropriate. "I usually hate games like this, but this game is ADDICTING. It's a really fun time killer and leveling up isn't hard at all and the bosses are hard but also really fun! This game is a 10/10, there's honestly nothing wrong with it. If you're ever bored and want to play a new game."
So, if you're looking for a really long game to properly sink your teeth into on Steam, Realm Of The Mad God could be just what you've been looking for.
Brand Valve
Original Release Date September 12, 2003
English (US) ·