Best F2P auto-battlers to play in 2026 — ranked by player count, depth, and monetization fairness
The F2P auto-battler genre is healthier than ever in 2026, with Teamfight Tactics leading in player count. We rank the 7 best F2P auto-battlers by depth, fairness of monetization, and time-to-fun.
Auto-battlers are the most underrated F2P genre in
- They have low time commitment per match, generous
F2P monetization, and enough depth to keep you climbing for hundreds of hours. The 7 games below are all free, all have active ranked ladders, and all have functioning cross-play or cross-progression.
How we ranked these
We ranked each game on four axes:
- Player count — active players on a typical
weekday (Steam Charts + Riot/Twitch data)
- Depth — meaningful decisions per match
- Monetization fairness — whether the cash shop
affects gameplay
- Onboarding — how long until a new player stops
feeling lost
Each game is ranked S / A / B on each axis, with a "best for" recommendation.
1. Teamfight Tactics (TFT) — Riot Games
- Platforms: PC, iOS, Android (cross-progression)
- Player count: ~10-15M monthly
- Depth: S
- Monetization fairness: S
- Onboarding: A
- Best for: anyone who wants the highest-skill
auto-battler with the best ranked ladder
TFT is the undisputed king of the genre. Set rotations every 4-5 months keep the meta fresh, the ranked ladder is competitive, and the Arena skins + Little Legend variants are all cosmetic. The TFT Mobile client is the most polished mobile auto-battler in the genre.
Unique feature: the Double Up 2v2 mode, which no other auto-battler has matched well. The Hyper Roll fast game mode is also the best "snack-sized" auto- battler session.
2. Dota Underlords — Valve (paused)
- Platforms: PC, iOS, Android
- Player count: low (Valve paused updates in 2020,
but the game is still playable)
- Depth: A
- Monetization fairness: S (was never monetized)
- Onboarding: C
- Best for: Dota 2 fans who want the original
modern auto-battler
Underlords was ahead of its time in 2019 but Valve paused development. The game is still playable and still has players, but no new content is shipping. Skip unless you're a Dota fan who wants to play the cleaner, more strategic alternative to TFT.
3. Mechabellum — Game River
- Platforms: PC (Steam)
- Player count: ~20-50K concurrent
- Depth: S
- Monetization fairness: S (one-time purchase for
full game, free demo)
- Onboarding: C
- Best for: strategy players who want the deepest
single-player auto-battler campaign
Wait — Mechabellum is not free in 2026. The base game is $20 with a free demo. The free demo gives you a subset of the campaign. For a true F2P pick, skip this entry.
4. Super Auto Pets — Team Wood Games
- Platforms: PC, iOS, Android, Web
- Player count: ~500K monthly
- Depth: B
- Monetization fairness: S
- Onboarding: A
- Best for: casual players and younger audiences
who want the simplest possible auto-battler
Super Auto Pets is the most accessible auto-battler on this list. The core game is a 4-slot team with turn-by-turn shop rolls. The pet roster is small (~120 pets) and the synergies are easy to learn. The PvP mode is solid, the coop campaign is fun with friends, and the monetization is purely cosmetic.
Unique feature: the pack-based team mechanic means every match has a clear "build identity" you can commit to early. Less RNG than most auto-battlers.
5. Storybook Brawl — Good Luck Games (paused)
- Platforms: PC, iOS, Android
- Player count: low (paused in 2023)
- Depth: A
- Monetization fairness: S
- Onboarding: B
- Best for: anyone who wants the deepest
positioning-based auto-battler, if you can find a match
Storybook Brawl had a dev pause in 2023 but the servers are still up. The positioning-based combat (units placed on a board with backline / frontline / melee / ranged rules) is the most original auto- battler on this list. If you can find a match, the depth is unmatched.
6. Marvel Snap — Second Dinner
- Platforms: PC, iOS, Android (cross-progression)
- Player count: ~5-8M monthly
- Depth: A
- Monetization fairness: C
- Onboarding: A
- Best for: mobile-first players who want a 3-minute
auto-battler-adjacent card game
Marvel Snap isn't strictly an auto-battler, but it's the closest card-game analog and the most popular F2P card game. The 6-turn matches are the shortest in the genre, the Season Pass + Spotlight Caches are the most aggressive monetization on this list. The August 4 Fractured Frontier season and August 3 balance patch are current. The PC launch anniversary is in mid-August.
Note: Snap's Collection Level system means new players take 2-3 months of daily play to be competitively viable. Skipping the Season Pass cuts that to ~6 weeks.
7. Balatro — LocalThunk
- Platforms: PC, consoles
- Player count: ~30K concurrent on Steam
- Depth: S
- Monetization fairness: S (one-time $15 purchase)
- Onboarding: B
- Best for: roguelike deck-builders who want a
poker-themed auto-battler-adjacent game
Balatro is technically a poker roguelike, not an auto-battler, but it has the same "build a strategy, execute, repeat" loop. The 2024 Game Awards winner is the best single-player card game of the decade. Not free, but worth the $15.
Quick comparison table
| Game | Free? | Platforms | Player count | Depth | Monetization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TFT | Yes | PC, mobile | 10-15M M | S | S |
| Dota Underlords | Yes | PC, mobile | Low | A | S |
| Super Auto Pets | Yes | PC, mobile, web | 500K M | B | S |
| Storybook Brawl | Yes | PC, mobile | Low | A | S |
| Marvel Snap | Yes | PC, mobile | 5-8M M | A | C |
| Balatro | $15 | PC, console | 30K CC | S | S |
What's missing
- Hearthstone Battlegrounds — yes, it's a F2P auto-
battler, but it's part of the Hearthstone client and you need Hearthstone installed. We cover it in our Hearthstone guide.
- Pokémon Unite auto-chess mode — limited release
and not on PC.
- Riot's other auto-battler projects — unannounced
as of August 2026.
FAQ
Which F2P auto-battler has the most active players?
TFT by a wide margin, with an estimated 10-15M monthly active players across PC and mobile. Marvel Snap is second at 5-8M monthly.
Which one is best for a new player?
Super Auto Pets for absolute beginners. TFT for anyone who wants the deepest ranked experience. Marvel Snap if you want 3-minute matches on mobile.
Which one has the fairest monetization?
TFT, Dota Underlords, Super Auto Pets, and Storybook Brawl all have cosmetic-only monetization. Marvel Snap is the most aggressive, with Spotlight Caches and Season Passes that affect card acquisition.
Is there a cross-play F2P auto-battler?
TFT has cross-progression between PC and mobile. Marvel Snap has cross-progression between PC and mobile. Super Auto Pets has cross-platform play on the same servers (PC and mobile queue together).
What's the best single-player auto-battler?
For F2P, Super Auto Pets has the best campaign mode. For paid, Mechabellum has the deepest single-player campaign and is worth the $20.
Should I play TFT on PC or mobile?
PC if you have a mouse and keyboard. The mobile client is excellent and has cross-progression, but ranked climbing on a touch screen is significantly harder in the higher tiers.
About 6 minutes read.
