Deal | Under $5: "Beautifully melancholic" RPG drops to its lowest price yet on Steam

Willow Guard was developed by the Finnish indie studio MiTale and released on Steam in April 2025. The RPG normally costs around $15.99, but the current 70% discount lowers the price to $4.79 until April 27. According to SteamDB, this is the game’s lowest price to date. Previously, it had only been discounted by up to 50%, most recently during the Spring Sale in mid-March.

Players step into the role of Ghweros, a badger who travels to the remote village of Woikos to investigate a string of mysterious monster attacks plaguing the local population. From there, a dark fantasy story unfolds, shaped by conflict and meaningful choices. Ghweros is no ordinary badger, but a so-called Willow Guard – a guardian in a world abandoned by its gods.

In gameplay terms, Willow Guard combines demanding hack-and-slash combat with deckbuilding and a strongly choice-driven narrative. In battle, players rely on a personal deck of abilities, while outside combat they gather clues, discover new locations and take part in conversations. Those who prefer to jump straight into the action can instead choose Dungeon Run mode. The game’s most distinctive feature, however, is the world itself: rather than aiming for grand, bombastic fantasy, Willow Guard embraces a quiet, melancholic atmosphere populated by anthropomorphic characters and shaped by a palpable sense of decline.

The online magazine Movies Games and Tech awarded Willow Guard a solid 7.5 out of 10 in its review, describing it as a “beautifully melancholic role-playing game.” Particular praise went to its emotional story, atmospheric soundtrack and evocative presentation. Criticism focused on the somewhat repetitive combat and the limited variety of enemies.

The response on Steam has also been positive. Willow Guard has collected only 41 user reviews since release, but 92% of them are positive. Steam Deck compatibility is currently listed as “Unknown.”

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