Steam's New Free Game Offering Blends The Best of Zelda and Dark Souls

Nostalgia is at an all-time high among the indie games scene, with plenty of new free game offerings hearkening back to the old days of the Sony PlayStation and Nintendo 64.

Steam users can now play a brand new demo for Mouseward, an upcoming soulslike that fuses elements of N64 platformers.

The free slice of the game allows players to check out a small chunk of the final release, giving you a way to sample it to decide whether you want to add it to your wishlist or not.

The announcement of Mouseward's demo came alongside a new trailer, released as part of the Six One Indie showcase, which I've embedded into the article below.

As the name implies, Mouseward is a game where you control a little mouse who has a sword and shield, who must go around collecting items, defeating enemies, and searching for celestial fragments to restore a once great kingdom.

The blurb on Mouseward reads: “A calamitous starfall has shattered a once bright kingdom. You, a loyal Mouse Guard fallen in the line of duty, are reawakened by its arcane power. With your oath unbroken even in death, you must take up your sword once more to protect the kingdom from a threat born of the heavens. The smallest of heroes can cast the longest of shadows. Can you restore light to a kingdom shrouded in darkness?”

In Mouseward, combat is deliberate and stamina-based, where every move you make could be your last. In order to best your opponent, it’s important to learn their attack patterns and respond appropriately, typically with a series of parries and dodges in between each flurry of attacks.

As developer Finite Reflection Studios says, “Death is a lesson, not an end.”

You can download the demo for Mouseward on Steam now.

Mouseward Is A Game That Will Appeal To Dark Souls And The Legend Of Zelda Fans

You have access to a wide variety of different weapons, with multiple armour sets and magical abilities also going alongside that to complement them.

This means being able to be a bulky knight, complete with a sword and shield, a light-footed archer, or a powerful mage.

Finite Reflection Studios

Your main goal in Mouseward is to hunt for the scattered star fragments, which hold the key to uniting the kingdom.

Throughout your adventure, you’ll unlock powerful new skills and abilities with which you can get stronger. You can use these abilities to open secret paths across the game’s different non-linear levels, finding new routes and making your way around the game’s sprawling kingdom.

“A keen eye and a curious spirit are your greatest tools. The kingdom is filled with hidden passages, cryptic clues, and environmental puzzles,” teases Finite Reflection.

As for when the full version of Mouseward will be released, Finite Reflection has not released any information regarding that yet. However, considering that the game now has a demo, it should tide you over until a full release is ready.

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