I’m always on the lookout for another tactical game or roguelike to play, as both genres are where I find myself sinking most of my free time. That blend of replayability and decision-making is incredibly engaging, as there’s always another challenge lurking around the corner. That’s why I’m delighted to tell you that Oaken, a fantasy concoction of deckbuilding, roguelikes, and turn-based tactics is free to keep right now. You’ve got to be fast, though.
Oaken is a combination of the mechanics I love most in videogames. Battles take place on compact hexagonal grids, where your unit’s position and orientation both play a key role in victory. It’s instantly familiar to Into the Breach, but instead of sending mechs from the future to do your dirty work, you need to commune with nature and master mystical forces to succeed.
You’re not just relying on in-the-moment tactics in Oaken, though, as you’ve also got to build a deck of magical creatures to take into battle. You can use wooden animals, alongside fantastical abilities to give you the edge when you need it most. There are also plenty of roguelike game upgrades to choose from, so you can make the most of your spells and spirits, similar to how you can upgrade hero cards in Marvel’s Midnight Suns.
Oaken’s world map is randomly generated and filled with an array of bosses and levels to conquer, but you’ll be able to take all your upgrades and skills into your next fight. It’s the classic roguelike progression system you know from games like Hades, Dead Cells, and Balatro where a combination of learned skills and in-game enhancements combine the more you play.
Oaken is free to keep on GOG until Monday December 2 at 6am PT / 9am ET / 2pm GMT, and Tuesday December 3 at 1am AEDT. You can download it right here.
If you want to play even more without spending a dime we’ve also got all the free Steam games and free PC games you need to check out as well.
You can also follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides, or grab our PCGN deals tracker to net yourself some bargains.