Steam’s Free Weekend Adds ARK, Against the Storm, and Gogh

Steam continues to rotate its Free Weekend lineup, and this time the offer spans survival, roguelite strategy, and a cozy idle experience. From July 9 to July 13, players can try three different games for free—then grab them at major discounts if they want permanent access.

Free Weekend dates and the three-game lineup

Steam’s Free Weekend promotion runs from July 9 through July 13, with play access ending at 1:00 PM on July 13. During and shortly after the free-to-play window, Steam also applies discounts to the featured titles—giving players a chance to purchase permanent access if the games click.

The lineup is intentionally varied: ARK: Survival Ascended brings a first-person survival setting with building and exploration, including dinosaur encounters; Against the Storm is a roguelite city builder focused on repeatable runs and escalating challenges; and Gogh leans into cozy, idle-style progression rather than traditional “gameplay” loops. All three titles are available on Steam Deck, though only ARK and Against the Storm are listed as Verified.

What to play for free: ARK, Against the Storm, and Gogh

ARK: Survival Ascended (October 26, 2023) is an Unreal Engine 5 remake of ARK: Survival Evolved, featuring refreshed visuals across creatures and maps, alongside features like photo mode and quality-of-life changes such as a UI overhaul. The early-access nature of the remake comes with a warning: performance issues and crashes are mentioned as a concern even on strong hardware. There’s also controversy around expensive mods and DLC, although the core crafting and combat are described as enjoyable.

Against the Storm (December 8, 2023) flips the tone with a critically acclaimed strategy city builder that blends city management and roguelite mechanics. Runs are presented as meaningfully different, with “permanent progress” even when mistakes happen. Players manage citizens with different strengths, assign them to tasks, and respond to frequent storms that bring enemies and other threats. The game’s endgame structure includes a first Seal goal that takes roughly 20 hours, and while that can be completed over the free weekend, the title is positioned as highly replayable.

Gogh (April 30, 2025) is the most casual pick of the three. It’s designed to be “played” alongside real life, supporting activities like studying, office work, or watching content while the game runs. The experience centers on creating anime-style avatars and setting up work environments using images and GIFs. It also includes online co-presence in the same area, with chat and the ability to watch YouTube together in-game, plus practical tools such as to-do lists and timers. Unlike the other two games, there’s no “beating” objective during the promotion.

Discounts after the trial: big price drops if you want to keep playing

If you’re deciding whether to commit, the discounts are positioned as substantial. ARK: Survival Ascended is listed at $44.99 → $11.24 (discount shown until July 23), while Against the Storm is $29.99 → $8.99 (until July 23). Gogh starts from a lower base price and drops from $11.99 → $7.19 (until July 23).

Steam also notes that the free-to-play period is only part of the story: the games can be discounted during and shortly after the free window, meaning the best time to purchase is right after you test them—especially if you want to avoid waiting through another sale cycle.

Key points

• Steam Free Weekend runs July 9–13, ending at 1:00 PM on July 13
• Free lineup: ARK: Survival Ascended, Against the Storm, and Gogh
• Steam Deck support is available for all three; only ARK and Against the Storm are Verified
• Each game receives a major discount during and shortly after the free window (shown as ending July 23)

Steam Free Weekend offers (July 9–13)

Expert View

Steam’s rotating Free Weekend lineup is doing more than filling weekends—it’s actively sampling three different audience segments at once: survival fans (ARK), roguelite strategy players (Against the Storm), and casual idle users (Gogh). For the broader market, this signals how platforms are using short windows plus steep discounts to convert trial users into long-term buyers, while also giving smaller or niche genres a chance to break through. In community terms, expect ARK and Against the Storm to draw the most discussion due to their gameplay depth, but Gogh may stand out as the “hangout” option—especially for players who want co-presence without committing to a full session.