Which kind of online PC game suits the way you play, and what does “free” really cover?
A comparison library for readers in Australia: pricing models, game styles, operating systems, account security and family settings, set out side by side with the criteria shown.
How this site is paid for
Ignite Base is published by BELLE & NATURELLE. Some links on this site are paid affiliate links: when a reader follows one and registers with the game it points to, an affiliate network pays the publisher a commission. You pay nothing extra because of it. The commission does not decide what these comparisons say; the stated method on the About page does. Full details are on the affiliate disclosure page.
Points this library keeps returning to
- "Free to play" describes the entry price, not the total cost.
- Check the operating system before you create any account.
- Protect the email address that a game account depends on.
- Use Australian sources for classification, scams and privacy.
The comparisons in this library
Ignite Base is a small comparison library about online PC games, written for readers in Australia. Each page puts two or more options next to each other on the same set of criteria, so that the differences are visible instead of implied. The options are usually kinds of things, such as payment models, operating systems or account protections, not rival products. Comparing approaches lets the library say things that hold true whichever title you play, without claims about products the publisher cannot verify.
- Free-to-play, buy-to-play and subscription games — what each model charges for, when the costs appear, and what Australian consumer rights apply to digital purchases.
- Arcade, simulation and build-your-own vehicle combat — how the three broad design approaches differ in learning time, pace and what you spend effort on.
- Windows, Linux and macOS for online games — why a title can be listed for one system and not another, and what to check before you sign up.
- Ways to protect a game account — passphrases, password managers, multi-factor authentication and email security, compared on effort and benefit.
- Classification, parental tools and spending limits — the Australian classification system, operating-system family settings and in-game purchase controls.
- Profile: a vehicle-building online game — the one title this site currently profiles, described strictly from its listing.
How each comparison is assembled
Every comparison page follows the same four steps, so a reader can judge the result by its process.
- Define the question. Each page starts from a question a reader is likely to search for, such as whether a free game really costs nothing.
- Fix the criteria first. The rows of each table are chosen before the options are filled in, and every option is assessed on all of them.
- Source or soften. A factual statement about law, regulation or risk links to the body that publishes it. Where no primary source is linked, the text is written as general guidance and says so.
- Separate the commercial part. The single title with a paid link is profiled on its own page, is described only from the information supplied with its listing, and is never scored, ranked or rated.
The full editorial method, including what this site does not do, is on the About and method page.
Pricing models side by side
The question most readers begin with is cost, so it is the first comparison summarised here. The table below shows how the three common pricing models for online PC games tend to differ. It is a description of typical structures, not of any particular game; individual titles mix and adjust these models, and the store page or vendor site is the only reliable statement of what a given game charges.
| Criterion | Free-to-play | Buy-to-play | Subscription |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront charge | None to start | One purchase price | Recurring fee, sometimes with a trial |
| Where revenue usually comes from | Optional in-game purchases | The sale, plus any expansions | Ongoing fees |
| When spending decisions arrive | Repeatedly, during play | Mostly once, before play | At each renewal |
| What to check first | What purchases exist and how they are presented | System requirements and refund terms | Cancellation steps and billing dates |
The full pricing comparison works through each row in detail and explains how Australian Consumer Law applies to digital purchases.
The title currently profiled
The one game this site currently profiles is Crossout. Its listing describes it as a massively multiplayer online game set in a post-apocalyptic world, in which the central role belongs to vehicles that players construct themselves. According to the same listing, players can modify both the appearance and the parameters of a vehicle, from its shape and armour through to armament, support systems and cosmetic accessories. The listing describes it as free to play and as a desktop game for Windows and Linux; macOS is not listed.
That is the whole of what the listing states, and it is the whole of what this site says about the game itself. Anything else, including system requirements, the purchases available in the game and the age classification, should be read on the vendor's own website. The profile page sets out what is stated, what is not, and the questions worth answering before you register.
Paid affiliate link: if you register through it, an affiliate network pays BELLE & NATURELLE a commission at no cost to you. Listed for Windows and Linux desktops only, not Mac.
A platform check before any sign-up
A frequent and avoidable frustration with online games is registering an account and then finding the software does not run on the computer you own. The checklist below is ordered so that the cheapest checks come first.
- Confirm which operating systems the vendor lists, and whether your version is among them.
- If you use a Mac, do not assume a Windows title will run; check for a native macOS version.
- If you use Linux, check whether there is a native client or whether the vendor relies on a compatibility layer.
- Compare your graphics hardware and memory with the vendor's published minimum requirements.
- Check the download size against your storage and your internet plan's data allowance.
- Read the vendor's account terms, including the minimum age, before entering an email address.
Each of these is explained in the operating system comparison, including the reasons a developer might support Windows and Linux but not macOS.
What to watch out for
None of the points below suggests anything is wrong with your computer or account. They are general habits that consumer and cyber security agencies in Australia encourage for anyone with online accounts.
- Unofficial downloads. Install games from the vendor or an established store. Copies offered elsewhere may be altered.
- Offers of free in-game currency. Messages promising currency or items in exchange for your login are a common scam pattern; Scamwatch describes how such scams work and how to report them.
- A reused password. If the password for a game account is also used elsewhere, a leak from one service exposes both. The Australian Cyber Security Centre publishes guidance on passphrases and multi-factor authentication.
- Unplanned spending. Payment methods saved in a game client make small purchases easy. Spending limits are covered on the family settings page.
Australian sources referred to in this library
Where these pages refer to rules or official advice, they link the Australian body responsible.
- Australian Classification Board — classifies films and computer games in Australia; its website is the place to look up a game's classification and what the categories mean.
- eSafety Commissioner — Australia's independent regulator for online safety, with guidance for parents and carers about online gaming.
- Australian Cyber Security Centre — the Australian Government's lead agency on cyber security, publishing practical guidance on account protection.
- Scamwatch — run by the National Anti-Scam Centre within the ACCC; explains current scam types and how to report one.
- ACCC — the national competition and consumer regulator, which explains consumer guarantees for goods and services, including digital ones.
- Office of the Australian Information Commissioner — oversees the Privacy Act 1988 and handles privacy complaints, including complaints about this site.