Technologies

5 Free-to-Play Games We Love

We’ve pulled together a selection of free games so you can start enjoying your new system.

Gaming PCs and game consoles offer hundreds of hours of entertainment, thanks to the breadth of games available these days. They also «offer» hundreds of dollars in additional expenses in the form of new games and accessories. That’s why we recommend checking out free-to-play games, which give you a chance to test out your new gaming machine without all the added costs.

We’ve curated a list of popular free-to-play games from different genres, along with a few alternatives. Keep in mind that there are other ways to get free games, too. The Epic Games store periodically offers the chance to download otherwise paid games for free. Xbox Gold and PlayStation Plus members also get access to a monthly selection of free games for as long as they stay subscribed.

And though they’re not technically free games, there are game subscription services that grant you access to all kinds of games (including console exclusives) for a relatively low monthly price. These services are good deals if you play a lot of games.

Here are our picks for the best free games to play on your new gaming system, whether you’re into shooters, fighters, party games, MMOs or simulation games.

Shooter: Fortnite

Available on: PC, PlayStation, Switch, Xbox

Also check out: Apex Legends, Overwatch 2, Valorant (PC only)

Most multiplayer shooters are free to play these days, and we have Fortnite to thank for much of that. Fortnite started as a paid disaster survival game before shaking up the entire video game landscape with its free-to-play battle royale mode. Now the game features various game types, including zero-build, team rumble, party royale and dozens more. And with the game recently moving to Unreal Engine 5.1, it looks better than ever on new consoles and gaming rigs.

Fighting game: MultiVersus

Available on: PC, PlayStation, Xbox

Also check out: Brawlhalla

A recent Game Awards winner for best fighting game, MultiVersus blends the frantic pace of Smash Bros. with more technical fighters for a truly unique fighting game experience. The core game mode is 2v2 battles where the first team to four knockouts wins. Pick from your favorite DC Comics and other Warner Bros. characters, like Bugs Bunny, Arya Stark, Wonder Woman and… Gizmo from Gremlins?

Party game: Fall Guys

Available on: PC, PlayStation, Switch, Xbox

Also check out: Bombergrounds (PC, Mac, iOS only), Stumble Guys (PC, iOS, Android only)

Fall Guys has dropped off a bit from its initial, pandemic-propped hype, but it’s still arguably the best free-to-play party game out there. Run, jump, stumble and fall your way to various objectives in minigames while competing against dozens of comically costumed competitors. If you enjoy Mario Party minigames, Fall Guys offers a similar experience on a larger scale.

MMO: Final Fantasy XIV

Available on: PC, PlayStation

Also check out: Destiny 2 (not available on Switch), Lost Ark (PC only)

Final Fantasy XIV’s free trial has turned into a bit of a meme, but it’s a genuinely great deal — effectively letting you play through the entire base game and first expansion for free. FFXIV has an unusually newbie-friendly player base, and recent updates allow you to play through dungeons with computer-controlled allies, meaning you don’t even have to experience the «multiplayer» part of «massively multiplayer online role-playing game.» Unlike other MMOs, Final Fantasy XIV also lets you play all classes on just one account, giving you even more freedom to play the way you want. Note that the other expansions are paid, and some functions like item trading are locked for free accounts, but there’s plenty to do in the free trial.

Simulation: Sims 4

Available on: PC, PlayStation, Xbox

Also check out: Minecraft

If you’re less interested in saving the world and just want to relax with a game that lets you build things and live your digital life, The Sims 4 is a great option. The game recently became free to play and features dozens of DLC packs to make the game more your aesthetic, whether that’s summery, spooky, school-focused or nearly any other theme you can think of.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Tuesday, April 7

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for April 7.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Informative commercial, for short
Answer: PSA

4A clue: Something you trace to draw a Thanksgiving turkey
Answer: HAND

5A clue: ___ Johnson, former Prime Minister of the U.K.
Answer: BORIS

6A clue: Opposite of include
Answer: OMIT

7A clue: Crosses (out)
Answer: XES

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: City with the Notre-Dame Cathedral
Answer: PARIS

2D clue: Bad mood
Answer: SNIT

3D clue: About eight minutes of the average half-hour sitcom
Answer: ADS

4D clue: Remote worker’s office, perhaps
Answer: HOME

5D clue: Word that can follow each group of circled letters (and hints at its shape)
Answer: BOX

Technologies

NASA’s Artemis II Breaks Record With Trip Around The Moon

Technologies

In Honor of the Artemis II Mission, Explore the Moon in Fortnite Now

You might not be able to see the moon the way the Artemis II team is, but there’s an educational Fortnite simulation that will get you onto the celestial body’s surface.

You may not be able to explore the vast majesty of space in the same way that the four-person crew of the Artemis II is, but you can still get an up-close-and-personal view of the moon… in Fortnite, at least.

While you may not be able to slingshot around Earth’s own lunar body, space enthusiasts can see a little bit of what the Artemis II crew is seeing by spending time on the Lunar Horizons Fortnite map right now. The map is a creative collaboration between Fortnite’s creator, Epic Games, and the European Space Agency. Lunar Horizons was released in 2024 after extensive testing and play from ESA trainee astronauts.

If you’re looking to learn more about our own orbiting body, the Lunar Horizons map is an educational simulation of the surface of the moon’s South Pole.

It blends game mechanics with learning, as players get to build up their own sterile lunar habitat bases, interact with ESA astronauts and roll around with robotic rovers as they discover informative plaques that contain information about the moon and international space agencies. There are still dangers to navigate, too — a solar storm may strike when you least expect it.

If you’re interested in exploring the moon, we’ve got all the information you need to join in on the Fortnite fun below. And if you’re looking for a more serious livestream during this momentous human achievement, tune into NASA’s feed here.

How to join the Moon Fortnite island while you follow the Artemis II mission

The Lunar Horizons Fortnite map is a great educational simulation that shares details about ESA’s work and catalogs information about humanity’s lunar research.

These three simple steps will get you up and running (or more accurately, taking slow leaps and bounds) on the surface of the Lunar Horizons Fortnite map:

Download Fortnite

If you haven’t played Fortnite before, but you want to check out this limited-time event, you’ll have to download the game. If you’re on PC, you can download Fortnite for free from the Epic Games Store. Console players can navigate the PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store or Nintendo eShop in order to download Fortnite on their devices.

Navigate the in-game menus until you reach the Search button

Once you’re in the game, scroll down past the different official Fortnite game modes and the Discover tab until you find the Search button.

Input the Lunar Horizons island code

In the search bar, you can input a map’s name or its distinct search code in order to find it in the map directory. You can search for the Lunar Horizons map or input the code 3207-0960-6428 to explore this map in time.

Correction, 3:35 p.m. PT: This story initially was in error about the features available in the Lunar Horizons map. There is no Artemis II-specific mission in Fortnite. Rather, the Lunar Horizons map is an educational simulation of part of the moon’s surface.