F2P (Steam) games I'd recommend (no spoilers)
Sheepy: A short adventure – a 2D pixel-art platformer with stunning visuals, amazing gameplay, flawless soundtrack and great challenges + achievements. The story itself is a bit dark, so I like to think about this game as old Kirby's indie emo cousin. I'd recommend playing on a controller bc pc controls are a bit scuffed imo (I played with a PS5 controller)
Reverse:1999 – a gacha game, yes, but one of the most f2p gacha games I've ever played. The story is complex but entirely understandable, and characters are interesting and diverse. It's more of a story-focused type of game, with a spin on turn-based gameplay. While many characters are female, this game has almost no unnecessary fanservice (looking at you, Hoyo games) and its character designs are beautiful. Characters have clear cultural backgrounds, with many wearing traditional clothes. There are also many "unconvential" designs. Overall amazing game, better than both genshin and hsr imo
Saihate Station – tw: this game is a psychological horror about unhealthy/obsessive relationships, with blood, gore and physical and mental violence. There aren't many jumpscares (coming from an absolute coward, loud/sudden jumpscares make me cry), but please beware.
That said, I finished this game multiple times and got every ending. Incredibly unsettling and creepy, and the setting hides the true horror of the story. Everything seems confusing and unrelated at first, but things get revealed bit by bit. Also an interactive game, and choices REALLY matter. Twilight Railway DLC is available on Steam for €6.89 (I have not played it yet), but the base game is free
Doki Doki Literature Club – an oldie but a goodie. Again, tw: this game is a psychological horror, and definitely contains jumpscares (one of which made me freeze irl). This game contains blood, gore and violence, as well as manipulation and obsessive characters, as well as depictions of mental health issues, self-harm, abuse and suicide. Please beware.
I love this game because it's such a good twist on the typical yandere genre. The story is incredibly well thought out, and it makes the visual novel genre more interesting and engaging. Its horror is incredibly focused on visual and sound cues, hence why the soundtrack is so important. Doki Doki Literature Club Plus is available (on Steam) for €14.99. As far as I'm aware, it expands on the characters and gives a new story (see this Game Theory video about it if you're curious, but beware of spoilers), although I have not played it myself