Steam Freebie: Download ‘Dear Esther’ Now and Keep It Forever

If there’s one thing we all love to see, it’s a nice freebie. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of Dear Esther, game developer The Chinese Room is offering the game for free on Steam. And as long as you act fast, the game is yours to keep.

One could argue that Dear Esther launched the entire genre called walking simulators. This led to beloved games like Gone Home, Firewatch, and a slew of other games not focused on combat. Instead, these games focus on story and exploration. Some people use the term “walking simulator” as an insult, but it can also be endearing.

The Steam description does a great job of explaining what makes Dear Esther so beloved:

Dear Esther immerses you in a stunningly realised world, a remote and desolate island somewhere in the outer Hebrides. As you step forwards, a voice begins to read fragments of a letter: ‘Dear Esther…’ – and so begins a journey through one of the most original first-person games of recent years.

It’s a simple premise, but the game’s gorgeous (for the time) world makes you want to keep exploring to find out what’s actually happening.

Usually, Dear Esther: Landmark Edition sells for $9.99, but from now until February 16 at 10:00 am ET, you can add it to your Steam library and keep the game forever.

This isn’t one of those free for a weekend sort of deals. Once you’ve added the game to your library, you can play it at your leisure.