The best free-to-play games for families in 2026

Free-to-play games are a great way to try online gaming without buying anything first. The catch is that “free” rarely means “nothing for sale”. Each game below is free to download, and each one sells something inside. We picked games with gentle age ratings, checked every rating on the official PEGI database today, and noted plainly what costs money.

If you have not set up family controls yet, read our safe gaming guide for young players first. It covers spending limits and chat settings on every major platform.

How we chose these games

We looked for three things:

• A low age rating. PEGI is the rating system used across most of Europe. Its database also explains why each game got its rating, which is handy for parents.
• Fair free play. For most games on this list, PEGI’s notes say the game “can still be played without the need to purchase” the optional items. We only picked games where you can genuinely play without paying.
• Wide platform support, so families with different devices can play together.

We have not done hands-on testing for this list. It is built from official rating and publisher pages, checked on 23 October 2026.

1. Rocket League: football with rocket-powered cars

Rating: PEGI 3, with “Content specific issues: None” on its recent listings.

Platforms: Epic’s support page lists PC, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.

What it costs: The Epic Games Store page says “Play Rocket League for free”. You can play one against one, two against two or three against three, and weekly and season-long challenges unlock customisation items at no cost. Money comes in through the Item Shop, the Rocket Pass and “Blueprints for premium content for your car”.

Why it suits families: There is no fighting and the rules are easy to explain: hit the giant ball into the goal. Your inventory, competitive rank and Rocket Pass tier carry across connected platforms, so a player can switch devices without losing progress.

2. Fall Guys: a chaotic obstacle-course party

Rating: PEGI 3, with an in-game purchases notice.

Platforms: PEGI lists Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, plus a mobile release dated August 2024.

What it costs: The Epic Games Store page calls Fall Guys “a free, cross-platform massively multiplayer party royale game” and says it “contains in-game purchases”. PEGI’s note explains that those purchases are in-game currencies, cosmetics and a season pass, and that the game can be played without them.

Why it suits families: Rounds are short and silly, and the bean-shaped characters wobble and tumble rather than fight. Fall Guys supports cross-play, cross-platform parties and shared progress through an Epic Games account.

3. Brawlhalla: a cartoon platform fighter

Rating: PEGI 7. PEGI says the rating is for non-realistic violence in a child-friendly setting: kicks, punches and some weapons, with no blood or visible injury.

Platforms: The official site calls it “the free-to-play platform fighter” and lists PC (through Steam, Ubisoft Connect and the Epic Games Store), PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Android and iOS. It says you can “play cross-platform with anyone, anywhere”.

What it costs: PEGI’s note says players can buy in-game items, and that the game can be played without them.

Why it suits families: Very few free games run on this many devices, so it is an easy one for siblings or cousins with different hardware to share. It is a fighting game, though, so it is better suited to slightly older children than the first two picks.

4. LEGO Fortnite: building and survival inside Fortnite

Rating: LEGO Fortnite Odyssey is PEGI 7, for violence, with an in-game purchases notice.

What it costs: PEGI’s note says V-Bucks, Fortnite’s currency, can be spent on cosmetic items, and that the game can be played without purchases.

An important warning: LEGO Fortnite runs inside the wider Fortnite app, and other parts of Fortnite carry higher ratings. Fortnite Battle Royale is PEGI 12. The general Fortnite listing is marked “Parental Guidance Recommended” because it contains user-generated content that may not suit younger children.

Epic’s parental controls help here. Every experience in Fortnite has its own rating, and you can block anything above the level you choose unless your parental PIN is entered. There is also an “Allow Paid Random Items” setting that decides whether a child can spend V-Bucks on rewards they cannot see in advance. We recommend leaving it off.

5. Roblox: millions of player-made games

Rating: PEGI lists Roblox as “Parental Guidance Recommended”. Its notes also mention mild violence and some frightening scenes.

What it costs: Roblox is free to play, and its currency is Robux. PEGI’s note says players can buy in-game currency and randomised items, and that the game can be played without them. Any offer of “free Robux” is a scam; our safe gaming guide explains why.

Why it is on the list (with care): Roblox is huge, creative and social, but the quality and tone of its games varies a lot, because players make them. Parents can set content maturity levels, chat rules and monthly spending limits. Our Roblox starter guide walks through those settings.

Quick comparison

Before you hit download

1. Set a spending limit first. Every major console and Roblox has one. Our safe gaming guide shows where to find each setting.
2. Use Epic’s purchase PIN. For Rocket League, Fall Guys and Fortnite, Epic’s parental controls can require a PIN for real-money payments made through Epic. Epic says that PIN does not cover payments made on PlayStation, Steam, Xbox or Nintendo Switch, and does not cover spending V-Bucks, so set console limits too.
3. Know the under-13 limit. Epic applies a daily spending limit of $100 to accounts of players who say they are under 13, and anything above that needs the parent’s PIN. It is a backstop, not a budget, so set your own lower limits.
4. Talk about random items. Explain that paying for a surprise reward means you do not know what you are buying, and agree on a family rule.
5. Play together first. Fifteen minutes side by side tells you more about a game than any rating label.

Still choosing hardware? Our guide to a first gaming PC on a budget and our tips for better FPS on a low-end laptop can help. If you spot a rating that has changed since we checked, please let us know.