Steam's latest freebie is an open-world adventure with Breath of the Wild visuals

We’re on the precipice of a very expensive time of year, with September and October set to deliver us an onslaught of games ahead of Grand Theft Auto VI’s November launch.

Across the next two months, Marvel’s Wolverine, Minecraft Dungeons II, Silent Hill: Townfall, The Blood of Dawnwalker, Control Resonant, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, Gears of War: E-Day, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 are among the titles on the way.

With that in mind, you’re likely going to want to save your money in August, so here I swoop with a delicious free recommendation that perfectly fits the bill.

Developed by Roboto Games, Stormforge is set to launch on PC via Steam later this year. But ahead of its launch, it’s now dropped a brand new free demo.

Stormforge is an open-world survival crafting game, so it’ll definitely appeal to fans of Valheim and Palworld, but it shares a visual kinship with the much-loved The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Roboto Games

Playable solo or in groups of up to eight players, Stormforge sees you traverse that aforementioned open-world map, which is procedurally generated, as magical storms constantly form and cross your path.

“Survive in deadly magical storms filled with key resources but fraught with danger. Harness the storms’ power to save the world of Sorana,” devs note.

Players will be able to choose from a variety of weapons to find a playstyle that best suits them, whether that’s ranged, melee, or magical.

Unfortunately, the land that you call home within Stormforge is being drained of its life force by “sinister foes” who, of course, you’ll need to put a stop to.

They draw strength from those storms I mentioned so if there’s a storm raging nearby, you’ll want to pick your battles wisely.

Outside of combat, there are plenty of secrets and treasures to discover as you traverse a number of biomes.

As a crafting game, you’re going to want to build a base too - one that can withstand the power of the storms that come your way.

Stormforge boasts multiple character classes, allowing players to further refine their playstyle. Examples include Warrior, Ranger, Mage, Forager, or Villager, with over 100 skills and 20+ active abilities at your disposal.

READ MORE: Retro-inspired Steam RPG launches to rave 98% rating, major PS2 vibes

Enjoy over four hours of access to Stormforge for free on Steam

It looks like a great game, and you can now try it out for yourself.

Stormforge’s new demo grants you access to over four hours of the game’s opening, which is incredibly generous.

It supports that eight-player multiplayer I mentioned, and you’ll get to experience everything from boss battles to those fierce storm mechanics.

The demo is limited to the first two biomes in the game (Meadow and Forest), and there are only two Build Mode sets (Wood and Stone).

Finally, although the game is procedurally generated, those who play the demo will only be able to explore a region of 24 square kilometers, but that’s plenty to sink your teeth into.

The demo has only just launched, so there’s no rating at the time of writing, but reviews are just beginning to trickle in.

“Fun game with great art and a nice aesthetic. Gives you what you're craving for a survival crafting game, with the added challenge of venturing into storms when you're ready. Combat has good variety even in the early game,” said one happy player.

“Super fun survival game with a cool magic twist,” added another.

A perfect excuse to while away an enjoyable evening at absolutely no cost to you, if you ask me.