Steam is offering players the chance to try out three different games for free over the weekend, with the promotion running until July 13. Among the titles available are the early-access survival game Ark: Survival Ascended and the highly-rated roguelite city builder, Against the Storm.
Ark: Survival Ascended, a 2023 remaster of Ark: Survival Evolved, was rebuilt using Unreal Engine 5. The game tasks players with forming tribes, taming dinosaurs, exploring, crafting, building, and battling to survive. While the remaster has received mixed reviews from players, citing technical issues and monetization concerns, its core concept of survival and dinosaur interaction remains appealing to many. Those who enjoy Ark: Survival Ascended may also find the base game and its downloadable content currently on sale on Steam.
Against the Storm, developed by Eremite Games, offers a unique take on the city-building genre with its roguelite structure. Instead of lengthy, persistent city development, players start over every one to two hours, leading different species—including humans, beavers, lizards, foxes, and harpies—to rebuild civilization amidst apocalyptic rains. The game has garnered significant praise for revitalizing the genre, with Steam users giving it a 94.6% positive rating based on over 34,000 reviews. The free weekend coincides with a sale, reducing the game's price to $8.99.
The third free title, Gogh: Focus with Your Avatar, is described as a "cozy multiplayer co-working sandbox." Developed by ambr, it focuses on character customization, room building, and productivity tools, allowing players to work, study, and relax together. The game includes features like a Pomodoro timer, to-do lists, and focus statistics, and holds a "very positive" rating on Steam. It is also available at a discounted price of $7.19 during the promotion.