Free PlayStation Plus games for May include an insanely addictive Roguelike deck builder and a quirky boomer shooter

Sony has just announced the PlayStation Plus free games for May 2025, and the lineup is nothing short of stellar. You get three absolute bangers, one of which is guaranteed to keep you hooked to your console for hours. The following games will be playable on May 6 and can be accessed on your console as long as you have an active PlayStation Plus subscription. 

Balatro: PS4 and PS5

At this point, Balatro needs to introduction. The Roguelike deckbuilder took 2024 by storm by snagging numerous accolades. And the best part is, it can run on just about anything made in the past twenty years. One might argue a PlayStation console might be a tad overkill for Balatro, but once you get started, there's no stopping.

It revolves around manipulating poker hands to get the highest score possible. That needs to be done in tandem with cards and jokers that provide boosts. Because of the sheer number of permutations and combinations, no two Balatro runs are identical, and if you came across a particularly interesting run, you can replay it or share it with your friends easily. 

Ark: Survival Ascended: PS5 only

Ark: Survival Ascended is essentially a remastered version of 2015's Ark: Survival Evolved. The premise remains identical across both titles— survive, thrive and clamber your way up to the top. This needs to be done via strategic tribe forming and most importantly dinosaur breeding. And you can even team up with your buddy via local split-screen co-op or play online with strangers. 

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun: PS4 and PS5

Much like Balatro, Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun also doesn't focus much on visuals. It looks like a quintessential Boomer Shooter from the '90s, complete with pixelated graphics and over-the-top violence. Add some Warhammer 40,000 lore to that and you get a fun experience with some backstory to it. Of course, it isn't as intricate as the recently released Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine 2, but you do play as a Space Marine here.