What it is
You play a Tenno, a space ninja in a biomechanical suit called a Warframe, and you run missions across the solar system to collect parts for new frames, weapons and companions. More than a decade of updates, from The Second Dream to The New War and 1999, have turned it into one of the largest free games you can download. It plays on PC, consoles and, since 2024, phones, with cross-save between them.
The first evening
The opening quest looks good and explains very little. Expect to feel lost around hour three, when the star chart opens up and a dozen currencies appear. Our advice: follow the main quest line, ignore the market at first, and join a clan early. Warframe's players are unusually helpful to beginners. Once movement clicks (bullet-jumping, sliding, aim-gliding), it's one of the best-feeling action games around.
What you'll pay for
Platinum is the only premium currency, and it has a twist: players can trade it with each other. That means a patient free player can farm rare items, sell them to other players for Platinum, and buy whatever they want without paying. It's the main reason Warframe is often called the fairest free game around.
- Prime Access bundles sell the newest Prime frame straight away, plus cosmetics. The same frame can be farmed for free.
- Inventory space, skip timers and cosmetics are what most people buy. New accounts get some free Platinum to spend on inventory space. Spend it there.
- A few packs in the market have random contents, and the listing says so. You never need them. Everything in them can be earned in missions.
Who it suits
Players who like long-term goals, collecting and a game that rewards learning its systems. It suits you less if you want a clear campaign with a beginning and an end, or if long menus wear you out.
The score, mark by mark
- Feel25% weight8.5
- Depth20% weight9.5
- Price honesty25% weight8
- Time respect15% weight7.5
- Access15% weight8
What works
- Premium currency can be earned by trading with other players
- Nearly every item can be farmed without paying
- Movement and melee feel brilliant once they click
What doesn't
- Overwhelming number of systems in the first twenty hours
- Crafting timers push you gently towards skipping them
- A few paid packs still have random contents
How to pay for Warframe in the UK
Where you can buy Warframe or its premium currency, and what each store accepts. Currency bought in one store usually stays with that platform. See the full store guide for spending controls and refunds.
| Where you buy | Debit or credit card | PayPal | Paysafecard | Store gift card |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Epic Games Store | Yes | Yes | Some accounts | Some accounts |
| PlayStation Store | Yes | Yes | Some accounts | Yes |
| Microsoft Store (Xbox) | Yes | Yes | Some accounts | Yes |
| Nintendo eShop | Yes | Yes | Some accounts | Yes |
| App Store | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Google Play | Yes | Yes | Some accounts | Yes |
Studio: Digital Extremes · Publisher: Digital Extremes · Checked September 2026. The store's checkout page has the final word on payment options.
