Google Stadia: 13 recent games to try out for free

After a somewhat chaotic start, Google Stadia is hoping to reawaken interest in its cloud gaming platform by offering 13 games to try for free for a limited time. So which games are available and for how long can you play them? We take a look at Google's announcement.

Stadia wants to bounce back with demos

Launched in 2019, Google Stadia was expected to revolutionise cloud gaming to allow as many people as possible to access their games catalogue on all their devices (TV, PC, tablet, smartphone).

The details of the Google Stadia announcement left technology and video game lovers, including myself, dreaming.

In reality, a very large connection is required to achieve a stable result. As for the catalogue, it is far from the promise of the Netflix of video games. There are several hundred games, but not many recent ones. The Stadia Pro subscription gives access to 51 titles, but once again, few recent games and less than a dozen AAA.

Demos make a comeback

If, like me, you were around in the 90s, you probably remember the great era of demos. Video game magazines were regularly accompanied by a CD-ROM (I feel like I've lost the younger ones) containing demos to test upcoming games. Before the arrival of the internet, it was the only way to discover the gameplay of a game before buying it.

Well, those days are not over yet, as Stadia has decided to revitalise its offer and bring demos up to date.

Games to try for free on Google Stadia

By logging into the Stadia app on iOS and Android, you can access 13 recent mobile games for a limited time. This time period varies depending on the game. Here is the list in detail:

• Little Nighmare: 30 minutes
• The Jackbox Party Pack 8: 30 minutes
• Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle: 30 minutes
• SteamWorld Dig 2
• World War Z: Aftermath: 60 minutes
• Risk of Rain 2: 60 minutes
• MotoGP 21: 60 minutes
• Blaze and the Monster Machines: Motor City Drivers: 60 minutes
• Super Animal Royale: 60 minutes
• Dragon Quest XI S: 120 minutes
• Humankind: 120 minutes
• Grime: 120 minutes
• Ys XI: Monstrum Nox: 120 minutes

Other games were already available in limited version on Google Stadia such as Destiny, Hitman, Immortals Fenix Rising, Chorus and Resident Evil Village. This catalogue of game demos is likely to grow in the coming months. So, are you interested in testing a game before buying it?

And if you want to enjoy Google Stadia games on mobile with a controller, I redirect you to the second method of our tutorial to play mobile games with a controller.