IMHO.

Free games like Forward Defense

Below are 8 free-to-play Steam games similar to Forward Defense, ranked by player overlap and content similarity. No purchase or Steam login required to view the list. Every pick is a full free-to-play title — not a demo, trial, or time-limited giveaway. imho.run's catalogue refreshes daily, so newly free or newly popular titles surface here without manual editing.

Want the full alternatives list (paid + free + Steam Deck + cheaper picks)? See the parent games like Forward Defense page.

Ranked picks

  1. 1
    Counter-Strike:Global Offensive — Steam game cover

    Counter-Strike:Global Offensive

    Free-to-play alternative to Forward Defense — no purchase or trial window. Shares Action with Forward Defense.

    Counter-Strike:Global Offensive (CS:GO) expands upon the team-based action gameplay that it pioneered when it was launched over 2 decades ago. CS:GO features new maps, characters, weapons, and game modes, and delivers updated versions of the classic CS content (de_dust2, etc.).

    2012ActionFree To PlayFreeDeck PlayableFree to playSimilar games →
  2. 2
    Landfall Archives — Steam game cover

    Landfall Archives

    Free-to-play alternative to Forward Defense — no purchase or trial window. Shares Action and Strategy with Forward Defense.

    Break into the Landfall Archives to steal and play previously unreleased games, demos, interactive slide shows, and even an unreleased version of Totally Accurate Battle Simulator from 2017!

    2023ActionStrategyIndieFreeFree to playSimilar games →
  3. 3
    Die in the Dungeon: Origins — Steam game cover

    Die in the Dungeon: Origins

    Free-to-play alternative to Forward Defense — no purchase or trial window. Shares Strategy and Indie with Forward Defense.

    Fight your way through a mysterious dungeon in this deck-building, turn-based roguelike game where you don't use cards, but DICE! Deal with enemies by combining dice on your board, boost their effects with magical relics, and discover the story behind Die in the Dungeon!

    2023StrategyIndieRPGFreeDeck VerifiedFree to playSimilar games →
  4. 4
    The Riftbreaker: Prologue — Steam game cover

    The Riftbreaker: Prologue

    Free-to-play alternative to Forward Defense — no purchase or trial window. Shares Action and Strategy with Forward Defense.

    The Riftbreaker: Prologue allows you to experience the events taking place before the story campaign of the main game. Explore an entirely new world. Gather resources. Build up a base. Defend yourself from thousands of alien creatures.

    2020ActionStrategyIndieFreeDeck PlayableFree to playSimilar games →
  5. 5
    Jigsaw Puzzle Dreams — Steam game cover

    Jigsaw Puzzle Dreams

    Free-to-play alternative to Forward Defense — no purchase or trial window. Shares Indie with Forward Defense.

    Beautiful Multiplayer Jigsaw Puzzle game where you can design the room you play in!

    2021IndieFree To PlayCasualFreeDeck PlayableFree to playSimilar games →
  6. 6
    The Last Sovereign — Steam game cover

    The Last Sovereign

    Free-to-play alternative to Forward Defense — no purchase or trial window. Shares Strategy and Indie with Forward Defense.

    Explore a world torn between armies of lust and purity in which everything is more complex than it seems, deciding the fate of nations through might, politics, and finance. Every decision matters in an intricate saga that tracks thousands of variables.

    2025StrategyIndieAdventureFreeDeck VerifiedFree to playSimilar games →
  7. 7
    Shape of Dreams: Prologue — Steam game cover

    Shape of Dreams: Prologue

    Free-to-play alternative to Forward Defense — no purchase or trial window. Shares Action and Indie with Forward Defense.

    《Shape of Dreams: Prologue》is a unique game that blends action roguelite with MOBA-style gameplay. Edit your character's Memories to create your own champion. Face all challenges alone or play with friends in up to 4-player co-op.

    2024ActionIndieAdventureFreeDeck PlayableFree to playSimilar games →
  8. 8
    Wires And Whiskers — Steam game cover

    Wires And Whiskers

    Free-to-play alternative to Forward Defense — no purchase or trial window. Shares Action and Indie with Forward Defense.

    Wires and Whiskers is a local co-op action-puzzle game where two players control a lab-engineered gerbil and its magnetic exosuit. Work together to fight mutated enemies, solve magnetic puzzles, and survive in a ruined, post-apocalyptic trench world.

    2025ActionIndieAdventureFreeDeck PlayableFree to playSimilar games →