Zelda fans, you need to check out this Steam freebie

If you’re a fan of The Legend of Zelda on the lookout for something old-school, then you should check out this Steam freebie today.

Since its inception in 1986 on the NES, The Legend of Zelda series has continued to win the hearts of fans across the world. Even back in the limited days retro of the NES, no game provided the sense of adventure quite like the adventures of Link.

Now, the series is bigger and arguably better than ever, with the likes of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom leading the way, not to mention smaller titles such as 2024’s Echoes of Wisdom, which finally has Princess Zelda as the playable lead character.

My favourite game in the series is The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past on the SNES, released in 1991. No game at that time gave me a greater sense of adventure, and it’s still a title that I return to now and again to this very day.

As great as some of the more recent releases are, especially on a grander scale, sometimes it's nice to have a healthy dose of old-school The Legend of Zelda.

If that sounds like your cup of tea, then you might want to check out this indie game developed and published by Colorgrave, namely, April Grove. Best of all, you can play its free demo today.

April Grove most certainly has the old-school Zelda vibe, perhaps more so when compared to The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening when played on the Nintendo Game Boy Color.

“Undertake your new job as a forester in the first sections of a mystic and peaceful wood,” reads the synopsis of April Grove on Steam. “Chop, gather, level up and unravel the expansive forest and its splendour at your own pace, one log at a time!”

At the time of writing, April Grove only has three Steam user reviews (to be fair, its demo was only available this week), but all of which are positive.

“Beautiful pixel art and an engaging gameplay rhythm make April Grove's demo one of the winners of this Next Fest,” said Grail Knight.

“Addictive and relaxing. Super easy to get lost cutting trees for hours while you do other things in the background,” wrote Ferret129.

The full version of April Grove will be released on Steam on 23 June 2025.