Steam's latest free game hailed as super hard to put down

Looking for a new game that won't cost you a penny and takes up vast swathes of your time? Steam's latest freebie might just be for you.

If you've got a PC and a Steam account then you're pretty much set when it comes to free games. There's a little something for everyone, and while they might not be the biggest names at the best of times, there's always some fun to be had.

This latest free game certainly isn't the kind of adventure I'd have looked twice at under ordinary circumstances, but it seems to have developed a following of genuine fans.

"Monster Racing League is a multiplayer combat racing game that combines speed, strategy, and monstrous fun," Steam explains. "Harness the power of your monsters to attack and defend your way to the finish line. It's chaos, mayhem, and non-stop fun all rolled into one!"

Mercifully it would appear Monster Racing League isn't yet another Mario Kart clone, but its own beast. Sure, there are elements of the famous Italian's racer at play here, but the emphasis is much more on combat than actual driving.

Players choose their monster and sort their abilities before the start of each race. From there, you control your position on the track "and strategically play your offensive and defensive abilities against your monster rivals." Less of a racer, then, and more of a car-based fighting game? Works for me.

At the time of writing Monster Racing League doesn't have a huge number of players, but of the 38 reviews the vast majority have been positive. The general consensus seems to be that this is a perfect game for parents to play with their kids, so if you're looking to keep your little one happy over summer while you get on with finishing Resident Evil 4, this could well be the game for you.