If you’re one of the loyal subscribers of PS Plus, and have claimed the slew of free games that have come with the service over the years. You’ll know just as well as I do that it’s a pretty mixed bag.
2025 has been no different, with a wealth of free games to add to our respective libraries, some serving as pure fodderand others as instant favorites that distract us fromthe newer games we can’t afford until they go on sale.
However, the question remains. What have been the best free games on offer with the service, and as a whole, has this been a good year to be a PS Plus Essential subscriber? Here’s what we consider to be the highlights so you can make that decision for yourself.
10.
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk
A Love Letter To Jet Set Radio
First up we have Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, a game that is about as close to playing a remake of the beloved Dreamcast classic, Jet Set Radio, as we will ever get.
This game places you in the shoes of a decapitated and reanimated protagonist who is tasked with making their urban gang the most respected and well-known outfit in all of New Ansterdam. But this isn’t so much about gang warfare as it is about earning style points.
You’ll need to skate, BMX, or inline skate around the city, tagging your gang’s insignia, and ripping up spots in true arcade-like THPS fashion to make a name for yourself. It’s easier said than done, but do it well, and you just might find out who chopped off your head, and why.
It’s a retro meets modern classic, and a brilliant freebie courtesy of PS Plus this year, but there’s even better offerings to come.
9.
Stray
A Feline Freebie
While I can’t go on record saying that I absolutely adore Stray as much as some cozy-loving gamers do, I do have a soft spot for this kitty-cat caper.
There’s a surface-level fascination with this game that comes through the fact that you get to play as a cat, which is undeniably novel and cute. Which the game leans into through it’s mechanics.
However, you’ll come for the cute cat, but you’ll stay for the fascinating dystopian world that you get to explore, and the surprisingly emotional narrative that will likely have you in bits by the end.
The gameplay leaves a lot to be desired, at least in my humble opinion, which is why I don’t see this as an indie darling like the rest of the world did on release. But, it’s still a worthwhile adventure, and a purr-fect way to fill an afternoon.
8.
Cocoon
Worlds Within Worlds
There’s a cavalcade of puzzle games that get released year on year, all trying their damndest to be the next Portal. Almost none of them even touch the sides in truth, but occasionally, you get a game like Cocoon that upsets the apple cart.
This staggeringly clever puzzler from the minds of PLAYDEAD alum that brought us games like LIMBO and INSIDE is a mind-melting masterclass, allowing you to use little colored spheres to hop deeper and deeper into layered worlds, using the environment of one to create solutions in another.
It sounds like a galaxy-brain concept, and it is. But, it never feels like a game to hard or too obtuse for its own good, offering its fair share of earned ‘A-ha’ moments to those who persevere.
It truly is a generational puzzle game, and one of the best ever made. So, to be given it as a freebie was a real boon.
7.
Jusant
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
I’m a sucker for a game that accommodates vertical traversal, and even more so for games that do it in a novel way. Something that Jusant arguably does better than any game in existence. At least until Cairn releases early next year.
Jusant places you in the role of a mountain climber who is exploring a lost civilization decayed by time, and the only way to truly explore all there is to offer is by embracing the hyper-realistic climbing mechanics.
This title has you make use of Pitons and carabiners, and control all your limbs independently to methodically forge a path up each sheer cliff face to your next point of interest.
The story left me a little cold, but the gameplay is excellent, and more than makes up for it. So, if you’re handy at bouldering and fancy taking it to the next level, Jusant is the way to go.
6.
Psychonauts 2
The Circus Rolls Into Town
Psychonauts has always been a series that has been fawned over by critics, but has never quite achieved household name status. But, for the life of me, I’ll never understand why, as Double Fine has created two unbelievable games that make up this series.
As you would expect from a Tim Schafer project, Psychonauts 2’s writing is as on point and witty as ever. But, unlike the first game, which was mechanically a little rough around the edges, the sequel is much more polished and satisfying as a platformer.
But it still retains all the wackiness, the surreal level design, the memorable cast of characters, and the inescapable AA charm of the original.
It’s one of those hidden gems that isn’t all that hidden, but just criminally underrated. So, if you’ve not indulged, I would highly recommend you dive into the madness.
5.
Stardew Valley
Sowing The Seeds
I won’t hide my bias at all here. For me, Stardew Valley is hands-down the best game on this list in terms of quality. But the reason it finds itself all the way down here is because, if you haven’t bought and played Stardew Valley by now, you probably never would have.
That said, if you were just waiting for the right moment to take up the simple life of a farmer, then this freebie will be a blessing. Or, the start of a very unhealthy addiction.
Stardew Valley is, in a nutshell, Harvest Moon dialed up to eleven, with mountains of content, an addictive ‘one more day’ loop, and a setup that encourages replayability thanks to the seamless co-op options.
It’s genuinely a bucket list game, so if it’s occupying your backlog right now, head off to Pelican Town and change that for good.
4.
Balatro
Know When To Hold ’em…
Speaking of acquiring new dangerous gaming addictions, Balatro is essentially like gaming crack, and I was hooked on this one for a long time.
Balatro is a poker game, if you want to boil it down to its simplest form, but what makes it more appealing than your standard puggy machine is the roguelike mechanics and the sublime depth of systems.
It’s one of those games you can pick up and play in an instant, with quick runs that allow for short sessions or hours-long binges.
It takes a while to truly master, but before long you’ll know Poker hands as well as anyone on the World Tour of Poker circuit, and you can even wear sunglasses indoors like them too, if that’s your thing.
3.
Lies of P
No Word Of A Lie, This Game Slaps
I’ve seen many Soulslikes come and go in my time; however, of all those that have beaten me to a pulp, I have never enjoyed the punishment and pain more than when taking on the boss gauntlet that was Lies of P.
Lies of P plays as close to Bloodborne as any Soulslike has ever managed to replicate, and that’s about as big a compliment I can pay this game, as Bloodborne is the zenith of Souls games in my eyes.
The fast-paced combat is superb, the boss design is phenomenal, and, above all, the game pulls no punches, offering a difficult run that even Miyazaki would be proud of.
Krat isn’t exactly a hospitable tourist destination, especially for a puppet like yourself. But it is a real hotspot for Soulslike excellence, so I suggest you make the trip regardless.
2.
Neon White
And It Feels Like Heaven
Our runner-up is none other than the heavenly speedrunner, Neon White. A game from the mind of Ben Esposito, the creator of equally charming and weird indie, Donut County.
It’s cliché to say at this point, but Neon White is ‘the game that lets you speedrun speedrunning.’ Allowing you to find shortcuts, fine-tune movement, and take calculated risks to blaze through levels at pace.
But the game is also wonderfully weird when you aren’t blitzing through levels, as the narrative is like an anime-fueled fever dream in the best way possible.
It’s truly a game that very quickly makes you believe that you are a pro gamer, and while I would love to say that I’m gifted, that’s down to the expert design above all else.
So, if you too want to feel like an all-powerful speed demon, this is the game for you.
1.
Alan Wake 2
Bring A Flashlight
Without a shadow of a doubt, the best game that has been gifted to PS Plus Essential subscribers this year is Alan Wake 2. A Game that is so artistically accomplished, surreal, and downright scary that it still lives rent-free in my head over a year after playing.
Playing as both Saga and Alan, this sublime sequel tells one of the most unique, meta, and enthralling stories in gaming history, even managing to weave in the curious and confusing world of Control into this epic.
This New Weird title is as much an experience as it is a horror game, but that’s not to write off the gameplay as second-rate, as the survival horror and action on screen is out of this world.
Very few horror games have given me a sense of dread that made me apprehensive to start a new chapter, but Alan Wake 2 was certainly one, and I see that as a selling point. So, be sure to play this one soon if you haven’t already.
