After more than twenty years since its first release, the PC shooter video game Counter-Strike 1.6 still has a decent number of active players playing online multiplayer matches.
What is Counter-Strike 1.6?
Released in November 2000, Counter-Strike 1.6 is a first-person shooter by Valve that was originally made as a mod to Half-Life. The number 1.6 refers to the last major content update of the original version of the game in the Counter-Strike series.
Whereas Half-Life has you control a physicist who must escape an underground research facility invaded by interdimensional aliens, in CS 1.6 you play in a team of terrorists or counter-terrorists. The goal is to thwart the opposing team in three typical map objectives: bomb defusal, hostage rescue, and assassination. You can readily identify what the objective is via the CS prefixes of the map name.

Where to get Counter-Strike 1.6
The official way to get a copy of Counter-Strike 1.6 today is via the Steam digital store. It is part of a package that includes the sequel Counter-Strike: Condition Zero. The package is not free at the Steam store, but it goes on sale from time to time at a heavily reduced price. Per SteamDB.info, the game’s lowest recorded discount price so far is Php28.99.
Play Counter-Strike 1.6 in your browser for free
If installing Steam and maintaining it with regular updates aren’t worth your while, or if you want to take a little break by slacking off and playing on your work computer, you can load up and play Counter-Strike 1.6 on your web browser. Whether that distraction is good for you or not is another story.

As of this writing, cs-online.club no longer works and only displays a “page not found” message when you visit the page. The folks behind this web version of Counter-Strike 1.6 have an alternate URL you can visit where you can play: play-cs.com/en/servers. Note that this site is not affiliated with Valve.
Joining a match is quick and easy. When you visit the page, find a map you want to play and click the connect button. Wait for assets to load, which may take a while on the first download and depend on how fast your computer is as well as your Internet connection. Once it’s done loading, select a team and start playing.
Beware of Counter-Strike 1.6 Malware

Even if it’s offered for free, it doesn’t mean you should take it. Like other games, Counter-Strike 1.6 may be obtained via questionable methods that come with a hidden catch. That often involves malware.
A report by Bleeping Computer, for instance, revealed that as much as 39 percent of up-and-running game servers of Counter-Strike 1.6 at the time were being used to infect players with malware by exploiting vulnerabilities in the game client.
The article mentioned one particular trojan malware, named the “Belonard” after the alias of the malware developer. The malware led to the creation of a botnet in which infected computers were used to advertise the Trojan developer’s websites and fake game servers.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO) is also free
If you want your Counter-Strike fix but also enjoy modern features, you can always play Global Offensive. This 2012 iteration improves upon the original and even introduces new elements to the gameplay. You’ll appreciate the graphical upgrade, balanced game modes, and new weapons.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has been available as a free-to-play game on Steam since 2018.