Try a Card-based Deckbuilder Roguelike for Free on Steam for Board Game Fest

Sometimes, developers share free weekends for their titles to coincide with the latest Steam sale, which is a clever tactic. Using the free-to-play promotion, players are able to try it out throughout the sale and decide, after getting their hands on it, whether to transfer over to the full experience.

Unlike Valve's recent push for demos, the free-to-play promotion gives players the opportunity to experience the launch of the title and try it outside of a self-contained experience. Thisgives players the opportunity to see the gameplay loop beyond a bespoke early-game tutorial or area, instead getting a good lay of the land before fully committing to the purchase.

For the Steam Board Game Fest, developer Thing Trunk and publisher Skystone Games are sharing 2024 HELLCARD, a cooperative deckbuilder roguelike title where you'll have to descend paper dungeons. Offering both multiplayer and single-player options, players can either recruit NPCs or join others and battle with card combat.

Here's what you need to know about the game:

You can check out HELLCARD until the 2nd of February 2026. Unfortunately, the title is not at a discount for the Steam Board Game Fest, so if you want to continue your experience, you'll have to buy it for the full price of £20.99, though its all-time historical low was £8.39.