Here's a list of some of the best freeware games I've played.
Rogues:
ADOM - If you haven't heard or played this one yet, do so immediately!!!
DOOM: The Roguelike - A surprisingly well made and downright fun rogue to play. It's a little simplier than the other rogues, but that doesn't change the fact that it's a blast to play.
Here's a review for it over at playthisthing.
Dwarf Fortress - Not really a rogue or an rpg, but it has to be mentioned in any freeware list. I was a little put off by the ASCII graphics for awhile, but once I got over that (and downloaded some
tilesets ) I found a wonderfully complex, yet totally compelling game. Beware!!! This game will suck you in and you'll lose all sense of time. One hour will feel like a minute. I've literally started playing this game and the next thing I knew it was 5 o' clock in the morning.
Angband - Same opinion as ADOM. Try it out if you've never played it before.
Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup - If ASCII turns you off to a game (it did for a long time for me) then try out this rogue. It gives you all the benefits of being a rogue game, but it comes with tiles instead of ASCII. Even if you don't mind playing a ASCII game I still recommend downloading
the tileset version. It's nice to be able to play a rogue where you actually see some graphics in it
Nethack Falcon's Eye - Nethack with graphics. I prefer Stone Soup, but this one should be mentioned as well.
LambdaRogue - Truthfully I haven't gotten around to this one(I know this is a "best" list, but it looks really good. I just haven't got around to playing it yet. It's another rogue with graphics.
RPG:
Runesword I &
Runesword II - Had a lot of fun with these two. You can make your own adventures with them or download some user made ones from the net.
Dark Disciples I & II - Dark Disciples I and II offer something more than just hack and slash such has a little more character interaction (sorta) and puzzles. The graphics are not that good, but that isn't what makes this game appealing. It's a great first and second attempt by one guy to make a true old school rpg.
Ultima 4 part 2 - I'm still playing this one, but I'm very impressed so far. It's a parody of the ultima series (as well as a few games from the bronze and silver age of gaming). If you're a fan of the Ultima series then this is a must download.
MMO-RPG:
Darkwind - If you're a fan of Autoduel or any car driven rpg then this one is right up your alley. You control a gang of characters trying to survive in a post apocalyptic world. There is so much to do in this game that I don't even know where to get started. You can race in the arena, have death matches there or just go out alone into the wilderness (don't recommend that by yourself).The graphics are really good for a freeware game and the gameplay is fun. It's a little tricky at first trying to figure out how to work with the turnbased system, but once you figure it then the world opens up to you. Here's a hint I learned the hardway. DON'T GO OUT INTO THE WILDERNESS ALONE!!!
EUO - This is the only other MMO I play. It's basically Ultima 4 and 5 online. Again if your a fan of the Ultima series you should check it out at least even if you're not into MMOs (like me).
Misc:
Battle for Wesnoth - If your a fan of turn-based strategy games with a fantasy theme then you can't go wrong by playing this awesome freeware game. It's constantly being upgraded and the graphics are good (bear in mind I think Ultima V's graphics are great too
)
Here are three that I have to throw in here because they are the best rpglike boardgames made for the computer:
Heroquest - If you've played the Heroquest boardgame then you've played this game. They made the boardgame into a computer game. When I say they made it into a game I mean it looks and plays EXACTLY the same. The maps, monsters, characters, hell even the dice looks identical to the boardgame. You can download tons of new adventures for the game. Now you don't have to wait around for your friends to show up to play this little gem
I hope someone makes Warhammer Quest one of these days. That game pumped HeroQuest and Advanced HeroQuest full of steroids to make on of the best rpg boardgames I've ever played.
Spacehulk-Sp - Same as Heroquest. They took the boardgame and made it into a computer game with exactly the same rules and characters. Tons of fun waiting to be had for any Space Marine freaks out there
Alien Assault - A new and improved version of Space Hulk. I think it was named Spack Hulk at first, but GW got a bug up their butt about this game so they just changed the name and a few little things inside the game.
You guys already know about these, but they had to be mentioned.
Dungeon Siege Total conversions:
Ultima 5 Lazarus &
Ultima 6 - There's tons of info on both those games throughout rpgwatch. It's a absolutely fantastic remake of the original with some added touches by the developers thrown in there. Awesome game!!!
Copperhead - This one you may not know about. It's another DS total conversion, but this time set in space. It kicks Chris Taylor's Space Siege's butt from here to Uranus.
I'm probably forgetting a few others, but I think that's enough for today. I recommend anyone at least give these games a shot. I've spent many hours playing a ton of freeware games and a lot of them are beyond awful. These are some of the better ones out there.