Steam Giving Away 2012 PC Game for Free

Steam is giving away a 2012 PC game, but not just for PC users of the digital Valve storefront, but for Steam Deck users as well. In other words, the 14-year-old PC game in question is Steam Deck Verified, which means Valve has tested the game on its handheld and can confirm it works from start to finish, though players have, on occasion, reported some wonkiness with input configuration. All of that said, the PC game — which normally costs $9.99 on Steam — is only free to download until August 20. After this, it will revert to its normal price point. If claimed before this deadline, though, it’s a permanent addition to your Steam library, free of charge.

The PC game in question was released back in 2012 by German studio Daedalic Entertainment, aka the free Steam game is Deponia, which has been given away for free on Steam once in the past, so if it’s already in your library and you don’t remember purchasing it, this may be why. For those who missed the previous free giveaway, this is another opportunity.

A Classic PC Adventure Game

2012 is closer to 2000 than the present, which is to say, it was a long time ago. Thankfully, the game in question is an adventure game, and one with a cartoony art style at that. To this end, it holds up well and does not look out of place in 2026, unlike some other 2026 games.

Deponia was notably the first game in a four-game series, which also includes 2012’s Chaos on Deponia, 2013’s Goodbye Deponia, and 2016’s Deponia Doomsday. There is also currently a new game in the series in the works and scheduled to release this year, Surviving Deponia, but it’s a completely new style of game and largely unrelated to the previous foursome. Meanwhile, it is only the first game available for free.

Speaking of the first game, it boasts a 74 on Metacritic and a 77% approval rating on Steam. So, it’s not a great game, but it’s decent. And it’s not the most popular game, but it found its niche, hence the fact that it spawned a series with three sequels that is still going to this day.

Those who end up adding the adventure game to their Steam library now that it is free to download on the Valve platform, and up playing it as a result, should expect a game that is about 8 to 10 hours long, on average.

As for the game itself, players play as Rufus, a crotchety character with a sorry existence in a world degenerated into a vast garbage dump. Rufus is part of the lowest social class with no chance of escaping, until fate smiles on him and sends an attractive lady named Goal falling from the sky and higher society into his trash heap of a home. Rufus has to help her get back home, and in the process, find a way to gain access to the upper world.

If this free Steam game does not tickle your fancy, there are other options. To this end, just earlier this week, a 20-year-old classic PC game from the mid 2000s was released on Steam for the first time, and released there for free.

6-Year-Old Open-World RPG Just Outsold Halo: Campaign Evolved Last Week