A roguelike game called Knight’s Empire, which released in 2024, has permanently dropped its price, allowing all Steam users to play it for free. Paid games becoming free-to-play is nothing new and happens frequently on Steam. The challenge is keeping track of these changes, while not all of the games are worth gamers’ time, even at the enticing price of $0.00.
Before Knight’s Empire, another 2D game on Steam called Hayfever also became permanently free. It is a retro-style platformer with high replay value. The same can be said of Knight’s Empire, although it is not a platformer. Instead, it combines tower-defense and roguelike elements, two genres that are highly replayable by nature.
Knight’s Empire Used to Cost $9.99 USD, Now It’s Free to Play
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Developer StarsCrew removed Knight’s Empire‘s price tag on September 8 (via SteamDB). The gameplay loop is relatively minimalist: enemies attack the kingdom in waves, and the player must eliminate them before they cause irreversible damage. Between each round, however, the protagonist, Knight, must explore the surrounding areas and collect resources to expand her camp, upgrade her skills, or set up traps for the invaders.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Easy (120s)Medium (90s)Hard (60s)
One reason Knight’s Empire can be considered a small game with high replay value is its build-crafting system. Similar to most roguelike games, players can allocate points to enhance specific aspects of Knight’s attributes, creating a more formidable character. Players can also unlock allies during each wave who can fight alongside the protagonist and help protect the kingdom. It is also worth noting that Knight’s Empire does have an ending: collecting a set amount of resources between invasion rounds can ultimately earn Knight a victory.
Other Paid Steam Games That Recently Became Free-to-Play
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One of the more interesting paid Steam games to have recently gone free is BlackColled Madala Force 2, an indie first-person shooter set in a fictional World War 3 scenario. The game is clearly not the most polished FPS on the market, but it could be worth a look for fans of older Call of Duty or Battlefield games, as it captures an old-school feel.
On the free-to-keep promotion side of things, Steam is currently giving away Crystal Crisis. The time-limited offer ends on September 21, and those who claim the game before then can keep it forever. Crystal Crisis is a PvP fighting game in which players must defeat their opponents by solving Tetris-style, color-matching puzzles.
