By the DealDie Team · Published September 27, 2026 · Last updated October 28, 2026
Claim first, decide later
Free-to-keep giveaways are short and they do not come back on a schedule you can predict. A game you are not interested in today might be the one a friend invites you to play next year. Since claiming costs nothing and takes a minute, the simplest rule is to claim anything you might ever play and sort it out later.
Build a weekly habit
Many stores refresh their free offers on a regular cadence, and loot drops cluster around game seasons and events. A five-minute check once or twice a week catches nearly everything. DealDie's Ending Soon page lists offers that expire within seven days, which makes it the best page to check if you only have time for one.
Spread across stores
No single store gives away everything. Keeping a free account on each major PC store, plus the stores for any console you own, roughly multiplies the number of games you can collect. You do not need every launcher installed all the time; most stores let you claim from a browser and install later.
- Create accounts once and protect them all with two-factor authentication
- Use a password manager so you are never tempted to reuse passwords
- Claim in the browser and install only what you plan to play this month
Keep track of what you own
After a year of claiming, it is easy to forget which store a game is on. Keep a simple list, a spreadsheet, or use DealDie's save and claimed markers to remember what you already grabbed. Before buying any game, check whether you already own it somewhere.
Play the good ones
A big backlog is only useful if you play it. A good approach is to pick one free game per month to actually finish, chosen from the ones with the best reviews. Value estimates on DealDie listings give a rough idea of a game's original price, but reviews from players are a better guide to whether it is worth your time.
Don't overspend on 'free'
Free-to-play games and free starter packs are designed to lead to purchases. That is fine if you enjoy the game, but set yourself a limit. The whole point of a free library is that you never need to pay to have something great to play.