Published Jul 9, 2026, 9:00 PM EDT
Tom Wilson is a Gaming Features Writer at Screen Rant. Over the past five years, Tom has worked as the Editor-in-Chief at The Game Crater, as a Staff Writer for GamingIntel, a List Writer at TheGamer, and, of course, as a Senior Writer at ScreenRant. Tom has experience writing reviews, guides, news, and features, and has been responsible for teams of writers, training them and editing their work.
Tom graduated with a Masters in Multimedia Journalism, and has since gone on to build up his portfolio of games journalism work.
Steam is a treasure trove of free-to-play video games, which is perfect for those looking to expand their libraries without breaking the bank. Of course, the quality of free games on Steam can vary wildly, from predatory gacha titles that are more pay-to-play without and entry fee, to amazing games that just so happen to be completely free to keep with no catch. Fortunately, while there are certainly plenty of the former on Steam, the platform absolutely specializes in the latter.
From massive free open-world RPGs on Steam to humble indies with novel game mechanics and a lot of potential, there are so many different kinds of completely free games on the platform that everyone's tastes are catered to, even the most obscure. The latest free-to-play game on Steam, a hidden gem from 2025, didn't start out that way, but a generous move from the developer has made it so that even more people can access it.
A lot of the games handed out for free on Steam tend to be either accessible for a short window of time, or free to keep forever, but the opportunity to grab it before its price skyrockets back to normal is limited. However, that isn't the case with Grit the Dark World, the 2025 indie title developed by EdgeStudios and Fareed. It started out as a premium title, something that may have inadvertently hampered its chances of success, as the studio clearly didn't get the sales and player numbers it was hoping for.
Fortunately for those who love a good bargain and the opportunity to try out something new for free, the developers decided to make the game completely free in June, 2026, with absolutely no strings attached. This was announced in a community update post on its official Steam store page, where the developer explained that it hoped the game being made free would allow fans to offer feedback to help fix any glaring issues and allow it to reach its full potential. The developer stated:
"The main reason for this change is that I'd like to hear from more players. Right now, my biggest goal Is learning what people think of the game. I want honest feedback about what's working, what isn't, and what I can improve. The more people who play, the more I can continue refining and expanding the experience."
So far, the reviews for this Vampire Survivors-esque RPG shooter haven't been exceptionally glowing, although that is the entire point of Grit the Dark World being made free in the first place. It is worth noting that the reviews have accused the developers of using AI to generate assets and potentially other elements of the game design, although no AI usage has been disclosed on the store page. It is possible that if AI has been used to create aspects of the game, that its developer will alter this at a later date.
Ultimately, Grit the Dark World is just one of many free Steam games available right now, and a potential option for those who love the roguelike survivor-genre and have little else to play. Hopefully, an influx of new players eager to try out something completely for free will spur the developers on to fix any major issues and make Grit the Dark World an easier game to review confidently. At the very least, it is certain to be a better use of time than simply scrolling endlessly through one's massive Steam library, hoping to find something to play.
Brand Valve
Original Release Date September 12, 2003
English (US) ·