Deal | Steam: Dark roguelite strategy game (94% positive) free for a limited time

In Against the Storm, players serve the Scorched Queen, ruler of a dark fantasy world repeatedly ravaged by devastating storms. As a viceroy, they establish new colonies around the Smoldering City and gradually reclaim the dangerous wilderness. The city builder from Eremite Games is completely free to play on Steam until Monday, 1:00 p.m. EDT. After that, it will remain available at a 70% discount until July 23, reducing the price from $29.99 to $8.99. According to SteamDB, the current deal matches the game’s previous all-time low, most recently reached in late May.

The game’s main appeal lies in its combination of city-building strategy and roguelite mechanics. Instead of developing a single city indefinitely, players repeatedly establish new settlements. After each successful expedition, the next colony begins in a different region with new random events, resources and building blueprints. The recurring storm resets progress on the world map, while permanent upgrades carry over and unlock additional options for the next campaign.

Another key feature is the need to coordinate several fantasy races during each expedition, such as beavers, harpies and foxes, each with distinct abilities and needs. Building a successful colony requires players to carefully balance production, labor and supplies.

German gaming magazine PC Games awarded Against the Storm 8/10, praising its innovative blend of city-building strategy and roguelite elements, atmospheric presentation and interplay between the different fantasy races. However, the review also criticized the steep learning curve, which the occasionally overwhelming tutorial does not fully offset. The settlements also feel less lively than those in competing city builders, lacking some of the bustling atmosphere found in genre classics such as The Settlers.

Player reception on Steam is even stronger: 94% of more than 36,000 user reviews are positive. Metacritic lists a Metascore of 91, while the User Score stands at 7.9. Against the Storm is rated as “Verified” on the Steam Deck and should therefore run without any major limitations. The free weekend also offers a good opportunity for anyone who has yet to try a strategy game on Valve’s handheld, as the genre often works surprisingly well on the device.

Disclaimer: Notebookcheck is not responsible for price changes carried out by retailers. The discounted price or deal mentioned in this item was available at the time of writing and may be subject to time restrictions and/or limited unit availability.