Whether you want puzzles, action games, racing games, or classic remakes, thousands of titles compete for your attention. Rather than cluttering up your Start screen with subpar titles, try out these five free entertaining gems.

‘Robotek’

“Robotek” is a game that blends strategy and luck with a unique combat system. You play a robot, and you fight against a robot. You can choose whether to call support bots, play defense, or play offense on each turn and press a button that runs a slot machine-style roller. Whatever shows up on the three spinning wheels is what you get for your turn. A big part is the luck of the wheel, but equally important is your ability to strategize and calculate your risks.

  • Requires combination of strategy and luck.

  • Quality music and graphics.

  • Simple rules.

  • Can get boring once you’ve learned the game well.

  • Too many losses result in need to buy energy.

  • Multiplayer is glitchy.

“Robotek” is compatible with Windows 10 and Windows 8.1.

Download Robotek

‘Royal Revolt’

“Royal Revolt” flips classic tower defense games on their heads as you control the invading force busting through obstacles trying to take the enemy base while the computer fights to keep you at bay. You play as a young prince sent away to boarding school only to have his detestable relatives take over the kingdom. Your job is to return and lead a revolt, taking back castle after castle to take the throne that is rightfully yours.

  • Simple but requires strategy.

  • Broadly appealing.

  • Entertaining storyline.

  • Cutesy animation.

  • Serious gamers might find boring.

  • Upgrades at a premium.

The gameplay is simple enough to learn, but playing well requires strategy as you have to spawn the correct units to combat enemy soldiers and installations. The animation style is on the cute side, but the game has appeal for all ages.

“Royal Revolt” is compatible with Windows 10 and Windows 8.1.

Download Royal Revolt

Space Invaders Radiant

“Space Invaders Radiant” manages to capture the simple fun of the classic arcade game “Space Invaders” in a modern revamp. You control a ship as you gun your way through asteroids, aliens, and big bosses to fight an alien invasion. As you destroy enemies, you earn cash that you can spend to buy new weapons. Each weapon has different strengths you can use to your advantage as you fight through waves of enemies.

  • Lots of fun for “Space Invaders” and “Galaga” fans.

  • Intentionally retro feel.

  • Engaging.

  • Some language might be inappropriate for young players.

  • Limited levels.

  • Ad-heavy.

The game starts slow, but as you upgrade, so do your enemies, and you’ll find frenetic fun as the levels progress.

“Space Invaders Radiant” is compatible with Windows 10, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 Mobile.

Download Radiant

‘Flow Free’

“Flow Free” is a simple-sounding puzzle game that can deliver a satisfying mental workout. You start on a grid with a series of colored dots. It’s your job to connect each colored dot to its pair with a pipe. The various pipes cannot intersect, and you must use every square of the grid to finish the level.

  • Increasing challenge with every level.

  • Requires concentration and forethought.

  • Numerous puzzles.

  • Ad-heavy.

  • Frustrating for some players.

  • Crashes often for some users.

When you start, the paths are obvious, and the game is deceptively simple, but as you progress and the grids expand, you need to think carefully about every move you make.

“Flow Free” is compatible with Windows 10 and Windows 8.1.

Download Flow Free

‘Nightmares From the Deep: The Cursed Heart’

“Nightmares of the Deep: The Cursed Heart” is a hidden-item adventure game that has you exploring levels and solving puzzles to progress through the game. You control a museum curator who receives the dredged-up corpse of a famed pirate captain. While preparing it for an exhibition, the curator finds strange things going on with this particular pirate.

  • Campy fun.

  • Well-drawn graphics and good voice acting.

  • Engaging storyline.

  • Minigames too easy for many players.

  • Predictable story.

  • Many levels require in-app purchase.

This horror game can be delightfully cheesy, and the puzzling levels will keep you busy for hours.

“Nightmares of the Deep: The Cursed Heart” is compatible with Windows 10 and Windows 8.1.

Down Nightmares from the Deep: The Cursed Heart

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