What do you actually need from a free-to-play PC game?
Mostly, you need a computer that runs it, a connection that keeps up, and a clear idea of what the game will try to sell you later. This guide works through those checks in plain terms, so you can decide before you hand over an email address.
Three questions to answer first
Most people pick an online game the way they pick a takeaway: whatever a mate mentioned, or whatever turned up in a video. Three questions, answered honestly, head off most of the regret that follows.
- Will it run on the computer you already own? Online PC games publish minimum and recommended requirements. Compare them with your machine before you register, not after. If you use a Mac, check platform support first, because some games simply don't offer it. How to check your PC.
- Can your connection keep up? Speed matters less than you'd think. Stability and distance to the game's servers matter more, and both are things Australian players notice. What your connection needs.
- What will it ask you to pay for later? A game that costs nothing to start can still sell cosmetics, upgrades, passes or currency. Knowing that up front lets you set your own limit. What free to play usually means.
If any answer is unclear, the linked pages go into detail.
Match what you want to what to look for
Start from what you want out of a game rather than from a title. The left column is the need; the right column is what to check on the game's own website.
| If you want… | Look for… |
|---|---|
| Short sessions after work | Match length, and whether you can leave mid-match without a penalty |
| Something to tinker with | How much of your character or vehicle you can build or change yourself |
| To play with friends interstate | Party or squad features, and which server region you'll be placed in |
| To spend nothing | What is sold in the game and whether progress is realistic without paying |
| A game for an older laptop | Minimum requirements, especially graphics and free storage |
| Low hassle at sign-up | What details registration asks for, and whether email confirmation is required |
The second row is where games differ most; building games and shooters covers it.
Where Crossout fits, and where it may not
Crossout is the one product this site describes in detail, and we are paid when readers sign up, so treat this as a description rather than a verdict. It comes from the vendor's own summary and the offer terms.
It is a massively multiplayer online game with a post-apocalyptic setting. The main role is played not by a character but by a vehicle that you build yourself. The vendor describes thousands of possible combinations for changing how a machine looks and performs: its shape and armour, its weapons and support systems, and a range of purely cosmetic accessories. The offer describes it as free to play.
It may suit you if you enjoy building and testing, and like the idea of a match being decided partly by the machine you designed before it started. It is likely to suit you less if you want a story-led single-player game, if you only have a Mac, or if you want to play on a phone or tablet: the offer lists desktop computers running Windows or Linux only.
The summary doesn't tell us what is sold inside the game, what the system requirements are, or how it is classified in Australia. Check those three on the vendor's site and the classification database first.
Paid affiliate link. It passes through an affiliate network on its way to the Crossout website, and we earn a commission if you register there. How this works.
What is different for readers in Australia
A few things catch Australian players that guides written elsewhere skip over.
Distance to servers. Many online games host their busiest servers in Europe, North America or Asia, and playing from Perth or Hobart against one adds delay that no internet plan removes. Look for a stated server region.
Currency. In-game prices are often shown in US dollars or euros rather than AUD, and your bank may add a foreign transaction fee on top.
Classification. Games sold or made available in Australia are subject to the national classification scheme. The Australian Classification Board explains how ratings work and lets you look up a title.
Consumer rights. Purchases you make are covered by the Australian Consumer Law in the ways the ACCC explains on its consumer pages, whatever a game's own terms say.
Check these on the vendor's site before you register
- Which operating systems are supported, in writing
- Minimum and recommended system requirements
- How much free storage the installation needs
- What can be bought in the game, and in which currency
- Whether any purchases give randomised items
- The minimum age in the terms of service
- What personal details registration asks for
- How to contact support and how to close an account
If the vendor's own pages don't answer one of these, that is information too.
Things you don't need to buy
Very few of the add-ons promoted around online games are needed to start. A standard keyboard and mouse is fine. You don't need a paid "booster" or "optimiser" program; the game's own settings and current graphics drivers do that job. You don't need a VPN to play from Australia. And you never need to buy in-game currency from a third-party site: those offers are a common route to scams, as Scamwatch explains.
Where to get free official help
Government bodies publish clear, free advice on the questions in this guide.
- Australian Cyber Security Centre: guidance on passphrases, multi-factor authentication and keeping devices updated.
- Scamwatch: how to recognise and report scams, including fake game currency offers.
- eSafety Commissioner: advice for players and parents about online games, and reporting tools for abuse.
- Australian Classification Board: what game ratings mean and how to look up a title.
- ACCC: your consumer rights when you buy something, including digital items.
- Office of the Australian Information Commissioner: your privacy rights and how to complain about how your information is handled.
Frequently asked questions
No. Nothing is sold here and there is nothing to sign up for. Some links lead to the Crossout website and are paid affiliate links; every one of them is labelled where it appears.
Not according to the offer we work with. It lists desktop computers running Windows or Linux only, and says Mac is not supported.
No. Bright Idea is published by KUSIV s.r.o., an independent company. We have no link to the developer or publisher beyond the affiliate arrangement described in our Affiliate Disclosure.
The game's own support team, through the vendor's website. We cannot see or change any account. For scams, report to Scamwatch; for online abuse, the eSafety Commissioner has reporting tools.