This well-reviewed game on Steam can be yours to claim for free for the next three days, at which point you’ll have lost your chance to grab it forever (without paying for it, at least).
I’ve noticed a bit of a trend on Steam lately with certain games being given away for free, and I think I’ve figured out why so many publishers are opting to use this rather odd business model.
Case in point, here’s today’s free game giveaway offering: Cartoon Survivor, by developer and publisher Spunge Games Ply Ltd.
As stated in the latest news post for Cartoon Survivor on Steam, the free game will no longer be free as of August 28– roughly seven weeks after its initial July 3, 2025 release date.
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As the news post states, anyone who has already redeemed the game (or does so before August 28) will also be granted access to all 15 of the free levels included in both world one and world two.
So, why? What do the devs gain from giving the game away for free during this initial period, if they always planned for the game to eventually transition into a paid title?
I think the answer is pretty straightforward. Firstly, you get a lot of great reviews for doing this. Cartoon Survivor is currently sitting at an 85% “Positive” score on Steam.
Secondly, I believe that this lets the game reach a wider audience. That might sound obvious, as of course more people are going to download a game that’s free, but it’s also a result of how Steam advertises free titles on their platform.
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If you’re a smaller dev, like this one certainly is, using Steam to essentially advertise your game when it's free is a great way to get your foot in the door.
And hey, everyone wins at the end of the day. This dev gets a lot more recognition, and we all get a free game. Hard to complain about that.
Topics: Steam, Valve, Free Games, PC