Steam free taster for 91% rated WWI game is an emotional take on Call of Duty

Steam users might be sleeping on a fantastic WWI game that’s not about winning the war, but surviving it. Luckily, you can try it for free.

It’s called The Caribou Trail, and it launched earlier this year on PC via Steam and PlayStation 5. An Xbox Series X/S or Nintendo Switch/Switch 2 port haven’t been made available yet.

The Caribou Trail is a narrative-driven game set during the First World War that tackles how propaganda made war sound like a heroic affair, when the reality couldn’t be further from the truth.

Its Steam synopsis says: “The WWI story where your goal isn’t to kill, but to survive. In the still trenches, three soldiers learn the harsh truth of war: reckless missions, digging trenches, collecting dog tags and ghostly whispers in the dark. Home before the leaves fall, they thought.”

While there is first-person combat as you’d find in Call of Duty or Battlefield, it’s much slower. As the description implies, you’re not taking on thrilling missions that could decide the fate of the world; you’re simply young men trying their best to make it home.

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What do gamers think of The Caribou Trail?

At the time of writing, it currently holds a Very Positive 91% rating on the Steam store, with nearly 600 reviews.

One reads: “I cried at a certain point. This sets the standard for what video games depicting historical events should be. Everyone who worked on this did an incredible job.”

Another said: “This game was truly amazing. It was an impeccable experience to play as Fisher and see what the Newfoundland regiment had to go through. I am so glad that I got to play this game, or if I'm being honest, the game played me.”

Finally, one review read: “Beautiful Game and a beautiful story. The entire game was full of ups and downs and tons of plot twists. Long story short, I loved this game. I recommend this game to anybody who likes war games and anybody who enjoys story games.”

While players praised the game’s story, they also praised the game’s length. HowLongToBeat reckons you can finish it in just three hours, making it one of many palate-cleanser games to play in-between AAAs.

Due to its length, you can grab it for a mere $12.99/£10.99, but if you’re still on the fence and want to try before you buy, a free demo is also available. It’s even Steam Deck verified if that’s how you’d prefer to play.

While the game is also available on the PlayStation Store, there’s no demo to be found there, for some reason.

With so many glowing reviews, you’d be foolish not to give The Caribou Trail a go while it’s free to try.

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