I think my answer would be: besides the possibility to pay for a work, there’s usually going to be that social aspect too - where a creator will probably still enjoy people playing their games (even if it’s the free ones).

Plus, I think things kinda cycle around, where not everyone’s going to be able to afford to support creators at any given time, but the ones who have money and are able to… do. And even some of the ones who can’t pay immediately, might still do it in a couple of years.

As said above, devs know what they’re getting into when they make a game and most often don’t expect revenue from it. But yeah, we’d be happy with people playing and sharing them. Good to rate, give reviews and spread the word.

But actually, if you do want to put a little more in, perhaps according to cynical metrics, post on Reddit about games you like. Badger YouTubers, commenting on games they should play. Sometimes it’s taken by them in a different way than a developer asking a YouTuber if they’re interested in playing their game. YouTubers may often be doing it for the views and won’t play a game unless there is demand for it. And smaller devs get more exposure if those YouTuber’s audience grows as well, so supporting them is supporting devs slightly.(YouTuber/streamer letsplays, video essayists, top ten lists.) like and reply to comments you see praising games you like and amplify them. It’s derisory but it all contributes to a little wind in the sails on the digital profile etc.