Category: Buy-to-Play

Left 4 Dead 2

Left 4 Dead 2 is a 3D post-apocalyptic zombie FPS and the follow-up to Valve’s breakout cooperative hit Left 4 Dead. Built around frantic 4-player action-horror, it drops a squad of survivors into sprawling levels packed with fast-moving infected, frequent set-piece events, and a director system designed to keep every run tense. Alongside the co-op campaign, it also offers an asymmetric multiplayer mode where Infected players hunt human Survivors across the same maps.

Publisher: Valve
Playerbase: Medium
Type: Survival Horror FPS
Release Date: November 17, 2009
Pros: +Four-player co-op campaign that remains highly replayable. +Standout asymmetric Versus matches. +Huge mod support via Steam Workshop.
Cons: -Visuals are dated compared to modern shooters. -Bot teammates can be unreliable. -Little onboarding for first-time players.

TechWars Online

TechWars Online is a turn-based tactics game built around head-to-head mech combat. Before a match begins, each player assembles a squad of up to five machines, adjusts their loadouts, and then attempts to outmaneuver the opponent on a hex-grid battlefield until all enemy mechs are taken out.

	Developer: Argus Games Playerbase: Very Small Type: Turn-based Strategy Release Date: March 17th, 2016 Pros: +Deep mech and pilot customization. +Good variety of maps and battlefields. +No RNG, outcomes are skill-driven. Cons: -Controls can feel awkward. -Noticeable bugs and rough edges. -Tournament mode lacks polish and clarity.

Hurtworld

Hurtworld drops you into a hostile sandbox with no safety net, no tutorial hand-holding, and very few guarantees beyond the fact that something out there wants you dead. It blends open-world survival staples (hunger, exposure, crafting) with a PvP-leaning ruleset and a harsh economy of time and resources, all wrapped in shifting weather and a day and night cycle that can turn a simple run for supplies into a disaster.

Developer: Bankroll Studios
Playerbase: Low
Type: B2P Survival Sandbox
Release Date: December 3, 2015
Pros: +Deep crafting with meaningful progression. +Day/night and weather impact moment-to-moment survival. +Distinct biomes that change how you play.
Cons: -Resource drops can be hard to read at a glance. -Technical issues and bugs persist. -Punishing design can be too brutal for some players.

Kabounce

Kabounce is a physics-driven multiplayer arena title that mixes the feel of pinball with competitive team play. Instead of flippers and a table, you and nine other players become the pinballs, ricocheting through a neon arena to build points and outscore the opposing team before the match timer expires.

Developer: Tivaru
Playerbase: Low
Type: Pinball Arena
Release Date: May 29, 2018
Pros: +Several modes to rotate through. +Deep cosmetic options for your ball and effects. +Quick, chaotic matches with constant action.
Cons: -Very small community, matchmaking is often empty.

Fragmented

Fragmented is a sci-fi survival game with a noticeable RPG progression layer. You scavenge and harvest what you can, craft better gear and shelter, and deal with aggressive alien wildlife while trying to establish a foothold on an unfamiliar world.

Developer: Above and Beyond Technologies
Playerbase: Low
Type: Survival MMO
Release Date: April 26, 2016
Pros: +RPG-style progression that rewards most actions. +Striking alien setting and biomes. +Ties into The Repopulation universe. +Different server rulesets for PvE and PvP tastes.
Cons: -Many genre staples feel familiar. -Rough edges and bugs can disrupt sessions. -Low playerbase limits the MMO side.

The Aetherlight

The Aetherlight is a tween-oriented MMORPG that reimagines Biblical scripture through a steampunk lens. Players join the Resistance in a fight against the Emperor and his clockwork Automaton forces, gathering parts to craft gear and teaming up with others for tactical, turn-based battles.

Publisher: Scarlet City Studios
Playerbase: TBA
Type: Steampunk MMORPG
Release Date: May 05, 2016
Pros: +Memorable, friendly cast. +Runs well on modest PCs. +Designed with younger players in mind. +Strong musical score. +Useful parent dashboard.
Cons: -Primarily aimed at tweens. -Limited, preselected naming options. -Story delivered in episodes.

Pumpkin Days

Pumpkin Days (formerly Pumpkin Online) is a laid-back farming and life sim RPG built around day-to-day routines rather than combat. You can play alone or alongside other players, grow seasonal crops, decorate and expand your property, and spend your time socializing, dating, and eventually marrying either NPCs or other players. It aims for a cozy, role-play friendly pace where small goals, community interaction, and self-directed play are the main draw.

Publisher: Pumpkin Interactive
Type: Farming/Sim
Release Date: July 31, 2019
Pros: +Clear Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing influences. +Lots of freedom to personalize your home and farm. +Relationship and dating systems add long-term goals.
Cons: -Not much guidance for new players. -Movement and interaction can feel awkward. -In-game days can pass too fast. -Technical issues and performance roughness.

GOCCO of War

GOCCO of War is a cheerful online co-op shooter where kids act out a pretend battlefield, riffing on old playground games from about a century ago and turning them into a quirky “attraction” you can drop into with friends.

Publisher: AGM Playism
Playerbase: Low
Type: MMO Shooter
Release Date: November 18, 2015
Pros: +Vibrant, cheerful art style. +Lots of outfit crafting and character personalization. +Easy to learn, quick sessions.
Cons: -Small mission parties (four players) and 32-player hub cap. -No PvP modes. -Limited content with 21 quests. -Frame rate locked to 30 FPS.

Insurgency

Insurgency is a lobby-based first-person shooter that drops you into tense, round-based battles as either U.S. Security forces or Insurgents. With a lethal damage model and authentic firearms, the game rewards careful movement, communication, and coordinated pushes far more than solo hero plays.

Publisher: New World Interactive
Playerbase: Medium
Type: FPS
Release Date: January 22, 2014
Pros: +Very lethal, grounded damage model. +Punchy weapon audio and satisfying effects. +Clean controls that are quick to pick up. +Strong emphasis on squad tactics and coordination. +Mod support.
Cons: -Steep learning curve for newcomers. -Best enjoyed with teammates who communicate. -Occasional performance and optimization hiccups.

Naval Action

Naval Action is an open world naval combat title set across the 18th Century Caribbean, built around sailing, gunnery, and ship-to-ship tactics rather than quick arcade action. It aims for a grounded historical feel with manual-style navigation, deliberate battle pacing, and ships that look and handle like convincing period vessels.

Publisher: Game-Labs
Playerbase: High
Type: Sandbox MMO
Release Date: January 21, 2016
Pros: +Authentic-feeling navigation and sailing. +Excellent ship visuals and period detail. +Deep, granular damage modeling. +Caribbean map built with historical accuracy in mind.
Cons: -Combat encounters occur in instanced battles. -Fights are intentionally slow and can run well past 20 minutes. -Progression still feels unfinished and uneven.