Dark fantasy RPG Hellslave is free to keep on Steam right now

It's time to sound the 'free game alert' siren once again, because it's just been revealed that dark fantasy dungeon crawler Hellslave is completely free to keep on Steam for a limited time. Fresh off of the reveal of its upcoming sequel, this hidden gem of an RPG, which has an air of Darkest Dungeon about it, can be claimed right now and will stay in your library for the rest of days.

While I'd never advise selling your soul to the devil, that's exactly what you'll be doing straight away in Hellslave. As a last ditch attempt to overthrow the forces of Hell, you tie yourself to the devil in order to gain powers from one of several demons. Essentially acting as your 'class' in this RPG, you'll then look to lean into your selected, demonic playstyle through skill trees and your lineup of combat abilities.

Just like so many beloved dungeon crawlers of years gone by, you explore locations from a top-down view, point-and-click-style, with each point of interest resulting in either a piece of lore, a new ability or buff that you can add to your repertoire, or a combat encounter. Battles are either triggered randomly, or will be guaranteed to occur if your threat level is maxed out.

Encounters are turn-based, but are far from slow and methodical – during the game's later stages, you'll have a huge deck of abilities and weapons to use. It gives major Darkest Dungeon energy, if you've ever had the pleasure of playing that series before. Your own demonic powers will of course help you out in battle, but because you're facing some hellish opponents, expect them to throw similar powers right back at you. While you may face off against a single enemy or boss at once, encounters can throw multiple combatants your way.

While not the most high-profile of RPGs, this is a well-respected game with an impressive 81% user rating on Steam. However, looking to take things further, solo developer Ars Goetia is creating a sequel, with Hellslave 2 looking to push its narrative and storytelling to new levels.

It's destined to arrive in 2026, but to celebrate its reveal (and to help you pass the time until it launches), publisher Dear Villagers is giving away the first game for the low, low price of naught.

Hellslave is free to keep forever on Steam right now, but you'll only have until Monday, June 16 to claim it and add it to your library. You can do so right here. Oh, and if you come away from it with a grin on your face, you can always drop Hellslave 2 a wishlist here.

For even more great titles with a similar combat experience, head to our list of the best turn-based RPGs. Or if you just want some more low-cost gaming, check out our free Steam games guide.

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