10 Best Free-to-Play Time Sinks

There are amazing games out there with the type of campaigns that pull on your heartstrings. And while there is nothing wrong with the occasional one-and-done, sometimes you just need a game to invest hundreds of hours in.

Free-to-play games are usually in this department and offer endless progression systems, a wealth of content, and constant updates to keep things fresh.

Whether you’re into grinding for better gear or looking for a game with a vast map to explore with your friends, this list has you covered.

Here are the best free-to-play time sinks guaranteed to keep you entertained for hundreds of hours.

10 World of Tanks

Tactical Combat and Grind-Heavy Progression

World of Tanks has one of the best gameplay loops I’ve experienced – drop in, earn points, upgrade your tanks through tech trees, and unlock better tanks to play with.

The grind is real, but mastering different tanks is just so satisfying. So much so that it makes you say “just one more match”, until you realize it’s 2 AM.

With over 600 tanks from different nations, there’s always a new vehicle of destruction to aim for. But, starting out can be confusing, so here are a few tips to help you get going.

One thing I like about the game is the map variety. One moment you could be in a dense forest and the next you could be in an open desert, exposed to the camping tanks that enjoy fighting from range.

Plus, there are always special or limited-time events with rewards that add something new.

You can also play in tournaments, ranked matches, or clan wars, which adds depth to the experience.

9 Delta Force

Tactical FPS With Massive Multiplayer Battles

If you’ve been disappointed by the recent Battlefield games, let me introduce Delta Force. The fact that it’s free to play is mindblowing.

You can play as one of four classes, but that doesn’t really restrict you to the weapons you can use – you’ll just have different abilities.

You’ll find yourself playing game after game to level up your weapons and unlock attachments, and to level up your account to get access to new weapons.

The matches themselves are incredibly immersive with great graphics, amazing audio, and realistic gunplay.

There’s nothing quite like holding down an objective while a helicopter rains destruction from above and a sniper is picking off your squad from a distance.

That being said, there are a few issues I have. The GPU and CPU usage in the main menu consistently reaches between 90-100%, yet in-game only about 60-70%. Which makes zero sense. Why is my graphics card reaching almost 176°F in the main menu, but only 158°F in-game?

The second is matchmaking. Sometimes finding a match takes a second, but sometimes the game gets stuck at finding 1 more player for up to 10 minutes.

8 Dauntless

Monster Hunting with Endless Grind

You’ll have to forgive the negative reviews for Dauntless on Steam – the developers basically wiped everyone’s progress. The reviews aren’t for the gameplay itself, which is in fact really fun.

Imagine if Monster Hunter had a more approachable younger sibling that didn’t worry so much about micromanaging and instead was more about the action. Well, Dauntless would be it.

You’ll be dropped into medium-sized maps of your choice and your objective is to hunt Behemoths (massive monsters).

The time-sink factor for this game is that once you defeat a Behemoth, you use the materials you get to craft even better gear. So, sure, you could drop in for a quick hunt, but let’s be honest – you’re going to spend hours chasing the next upgrade.

There are around 40 Behemoths in total to defeat, so you’ll have your hands busy.

Plus, you can choose from a wide variety of weapons, each with its own playstyle and suited for different encounters. Seasonal events also add exclusive and limited-time rewards which keep things fresh.

It’s a great game to play with friends across many platforms. Or you can make new ones in-game like I usually do while getting bodied by an oversized owl.

7 Albion Online

Player-Driven Progression Sandbox MMO

Every item in Albion Online is crafted by players, which creates a great gameplay loop for those who enjoy crafting because you get something back from it.

But that’s also the drawback – if you hate crafting, then you won’t enjoy this game as it’s kind of the core feature.

However, it also offers sandbox freedom, meaning you can do whatever you want – craft, farm, explore dungeons, or participate in PvP.

There are endless builds you can create because gear determines your stats, making the game unique.

However, the real time-sink is that, despite looking like a cute game, it’s a full-on PvP bloodbath.

Joining a guild and participating in battles to control territory is where you will spend most of your time.

Now, keep in the mind, the game has been out for a while, so be ready for PvP sweatlords who will go out of their way to make your life miserable as a new player.

6 Fortnite

Constant Updates and Diverse Gameplay

Fortnite is one of the biggest time-sinks – not because it has one special feature, it’s just really fun. That is until you’re in a build fighting with a 12-year-old that has the reflexes of a fighter pilot.

The core gameplay loop of dropping in, looting up, and fighting to be the last player standing is just satisfying. Of course, playing with friends is even more fun.

There’s also always new content to explore, like new weapons, mechanics, and map changes which keep things interesting.

Since the recent update to creative mode, there is even more content than before – almost full games within the game. It’s not just a battle royale anymore, it has evolved into something much bigger.

Plus, there are tons of unlockable cosmetics for your weapons or character, like these celebrities, you can show off in-game.

Just be warned – the game reinvents itself every few months. You could be fighting off alien invaders, then riding dinosaurs, or suddenly be watching a live Eminem concert in-game. Not kidding, that actually happened.

5 The Finals

Intense Gameplay and Extreme Replayability

In my opinion, you won’t find more intense multiplayer FPS fun than in The Finals. And the best part? You don’t even have to be particularly good at FPS games.

The Finals match time hits the sweet spot – it’s long enough that it feels like you actually played something but short enough that you go “just one more game”, which leads to suddenly losing hours.

Every match feels different because you can change your loadout (depending on the map), your strategies might change, and the environment is destructible, so there’s a layer of unpredictability.

The game receives constant updates, almost always offering something new to play.

The Finals would benefit from being able to actually use the money you win in matches, in my opinion. Perhaps a more extensive arsenal of weapons and an introduction of attachments. I mean, the developers worked on previous Battlefield titles, so how hard could it be, right?

4 Destiny 2

PvE and PvP with Endless Gear Grind

Destiny 2 is one of those games that just find a way to pull you back in even when you’ve sworn you’re done with it. It’s not just an FPS – it’s a looter-shooter with the soul of an MMO.

Plus, the combat is extremely satisfying.

The time-sink in this game is the grind for new, better gear – and it’s endless.

There are many ways to get new gear. They could drop from enemies out in the world or for rewards for completing campaign missions.

Then there are the Raids and Dungeons (high-level cooperative challenges) that provide higher-tier loot.

Aside from the gear grind, you can also participate in PvP action in modes like Crucible and Gambit.

Regular content drops create FOMO – if you don’t grind for the rewards in the seasonal event, they’re gone forever.

The only criticism I have is that Bungie has a habit of vaulting older content, which includes gear. And the newer Raids are typically locked behind a DLC paywall, which means getting the newest gear requires you to buy the latest expansion.

But, let’s face it, you’re probably still going to log in to get just one more exotic that’s calling your name.

3 Path of Exile

ARPG Mechanics and Endless Builds

Path of Exile offers one of the biggest skill trees I’ve ever seen in an ARPG game, roughly around 1,325. How is that for near-infinite build possibilities? It’s like the developers looked at Diablo and said, “This isn’t nearly as complex as it could be.”

It’s honestly so expansive that by the time I’ve decided on my build path, I wanted to try something else.

Plus, there’s nearly an infinite amount of content with endgame systems like Atlas of Worlds, providing endless challenges.

If you pair that with loot-driven progression and complex mechanics like trading, crafting, and socketing gems – you’re left with a gameplay loop that will suck you in for hours.

To top it off, seasonal content adds new items, mechanics, and challenges. The result? You always have something to do.

If you like the sound of this so far, you’re probably the type of person that enjoys MMO suffering, only to optimize your build, eventually ascend into an all-powerful warlock, and speak in damage calculations.

Oh, and the only thing you ever have to pay for is the cosmetic content, everything else is free to play without any paywalls.

2 Genshin Impact

Open-World and Character Progression

Genshin Impact does an amazing job of balancing an engaging storyline with everything you expect from an MMO – except it’s not an MMO.

You have a massive open world to explore, which is a time-sink within itself, plus an endless resource grind to farm new talents, weapons, and characters.

You’ll spend hours upon hours leveling up your many characters and creating the perfect build.

Beneath the friendly anime exterior is a never-ending grind disguised as an adventure. You’ll be playing until 3 AM, telling yourself that this final run will give you the weapon you need for that perfect crit damage ratio. Maybe I’m just projecting, because that’s what I did.

There are also frequent updates that introduce new characters, events, and regions, so there’s always something new to grab hold of you.

Plus, you can tackle the game with a friend and take on bosses and domains.

1 Warframe

Evolving Gameplay and Endless Progression

Warframe is probably the best free-to-play time sink because it offers endless progression.

I mean, there are more than 50 Warframe and hundreds of weapons to collect, some better than other. That isn’t even mentioning the number of mods for the weapons and the countless missions to do.

There are regions like the Plains of Eidolon and Orb Vallis that have massive environments players can explore and grind for resources.

Content like game modes and new story quests are always being added to the game, providing new things to do. The existing content as is will keep you busy for hundreds of hours.

Then, of course, there are the limited-time events that bring exclusive rewards.

Now, for me personally, I found the grind to be somewhat repetitive, but only because the missions, in my opinion, seemed very similar. Go to this location, kill these enemies, interact with this thing, and then leave. The gameplay itself was buttery smooth and the gunplay was phenomenal. Probably why I sunk hundreds of hours into the game.