Steam is giving away a short psychological adventure called Away, and those who claim it by September 24 can keep it forever. Steam probably features thousands of short games that players can beat in a single sitting. But Away might stick out among them because it alters the standards of short gameplay.
Typically, games with an average playtime of five hours or less are considered short. Some of the best examples of short games are Inside and the classic Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which players can finish in less than three hours. However, Steam's Away introduces a new approach to short gameplay, telling a story that can be experienced in the time it takes to listen to a song.
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Away Is a Short Psychological Adventure That's Free on Steam
Until September 14 at 1:00 PM PT, Steam users can claim Away for free and keep it. The game is a short visual novel about the final minutes of a dying protagonist. As developer NipoBox describes, Away tells the story of a hero's death. Players can complete it in less than five minutes, with the gameplay mostly involving clicking through the dying hero's monologue. This has resulted in "Mixed" reviews on Steam, as many players argue the experience is so short that it's hard to call it a "game."
There are positive reviews as well. Players who enjoyed Away suggest that, although it may not have been worth the original $3 USD price, as a free game, it offers an eye-opening, gloomy experience. They also find the concept interesting, as it depicts a protagonist's final thoughts before death. For some, it even feels like a fitting prologue to a spirit-world journey if Away were a game set in the afterlife. Fans should note that Away appears to be developer NipoBox's first game, which could explain its simplistic and brief playtime. The studio has since released several other titles, some of which hold positive reviews on Steam. The most recent example is Knight's Night, a retro-style 1-bit platformer with promising user scores.
If Away doesn't sound like a worthwhile freebie, Steam users can instead grab Puzzle Chambers, which offers higher replay value and will be free until September 19. Valve's storefront will likely continue adding more free games throughout the Fall. Some of the titles speculated to receive a 100% discount soon are Cybarian: The Time-Traveling Warrior, a retro action adventure, and The Deed, a murder mystery adventure.
