Deciding to slap your hard-earned cash down on a new game is always a little scary, so taking advantage of a free weekend is a great way to try out something you’ve had your eye on. First launched in 2021 by RocketWerkz, the studio founded by DayZ creator Dean ‘Rocket’ Hall, survival game Icarus has come a long way since then. To celebrate its latest update you can play it for free right now, with a big Steam sale discount making it cheap to keep if you like it.
Our Icarus review back at its launch in 2021 found it to be a “refreshing take” on survival games, albeit one marred by harsh penalties and bugs. Since then, however, RocketWerkz has continued to update and improve it, and the latest set of upgrades includes a roaring flamethrower. This is just the first in a series of new weapon types being added “in preparation for some new creatures and bosses that are on the way,” and you can try it out now thanks to the Icarus free weekend.
For those of you who aren’t familiar, the setup for Icarus is that you’ve landed on the eponymous planet in search of fortune. Icarus was supposed to be humanity’s greatest project – a planet terraformed to our exact needs – but turned into our biggest mistake. Now, it’s a savage wasteland with a toxic atmosphere, prone to raging storms and forest fires, and filled with vicious, untamed predators. Oops.
The good news is that the project’s failure was caused by the presence of a new, exotic matter that everyone wants to get their hands on. Now, you have the chance to take advantage of this rich vein of resources – provided that you can stay alive. So drop in, whether alone or with a co-op group of up to eight players, and get to work. Gather resources, find sources of reliable oxygen, craft advanced technology to improve your efficiency, level your skill trees, hunt creatures, or tame and ride them, and explore the world in search of those precious materials.
Icarus also offers several ways to play. You can step into the standard open-world game mode and take on the elements and monsters alike as you seek out your valuable quarry. Alternatively, Mission mode is a quick in-and-out format where you take on a specific task, drop in, establish a base from nothing, complete your goals, and make your escape before time runs out. Or, if that’s all too stressful, Creative lets you hop into an established outpost region with regenerating resources and safe environments to let you play as you wish.
If you’re tempted to take a look, the free weekend is the perfect chance to do so. Plenty of players are already taking advantage of the offer, with the game surging to a peak of 8,796 concurrent players, its highest count in 2024 – and it’s likely to go even higher as the weekend carries on. Then, if you like what you see, a Steam sale discount lets you grab a copy to keep for less.
Icarus is free to play on Steam until Monday November 11, with double XP for the full weekend. You can also buy it for 50% off through Thursday November 14, meaning you’ll pay just $17.49 / £14.75 for your copy. Head here to give it a try.
Looking for something else you can check out this weekend? Here are the free Steam games you should be playing in 2024. Or bring your friends along for the best co-op games on PC.
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