Underrated "Very Positive" Steam Game Is Free, But Only For A Limited Time

Summary Warhammer 40K: Gladius - Relics of War is a 4X strategy game available for free on Steam for a limited time.

The 4X game emphasizes the genre's eXterminate angle over diplomacy, and has "Very Positive" Steam reviews.

Familiarity with Warhammer lore is not needed to enjoy the game, so 4X buffs may want to jump on the opportunity.

The Warhammer 40,000 universe has featured in a wide variety of video games, and one that's flown under too many radars is temporarily available for free on Steam. Although its origins lie in miniature wargaming, Warhammer 40K has become a vast multimedia empire over the years. Strong iconography, memorable storytelling, and a harsh, vividly realized world have made it easy to translate into many different forms, and an approach to video games that focuses on licensing out to many different studios has yielded some excellent results, including the recent Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader CRPG.

A Steam promotion for Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War makes the typically $39.99 game available for free, but this deal only runs until May 30 at 1 PM ET, when the game will presumably return to its normal pricing. Clicking the "Add to account" button will take care of everything, as actually downloading the game isn't necessary to keep it forever once it's been added to a Steam library.

Related How to Increase Your Reputation In Warhammer 40k: Rogue Trader If you want to get your hands on more goodies from each faction's merchant in Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, you'll need to raise your Reputation.

Warhammer 40K: Gladius Is A Strong Strategy Experience

The War-Focused 4X Is Largely Well-Liked

Warhammer 40K: Gladius - Relics of War is a 4X strategy game, meaning it's built around the four prerogatives to eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate. It's a genre that might be most widely associated with the Sid Meier's Civilization games, but it also has a strong sci-fi legacy through games like Galactic Civilizations and Stellaris (not to mention the Civilization variants with that flavor). True to the Warhammer 40K brand, Gladius puts the emphasis on the "eXterminate," removing the focus on diplomacy in favor of all-out annihilation.

This actually isn't the first time that Warhammer 40K: Gladius has gone free on Steam, with a similar promotion occuring in May of 2023 as well. Despite that, it's still not a title that tends to crop up as frequently as something like the Total War: WARHAMMER trilogy or Warhammer 40K: Space Marine. "Very Positive" Steam reviews still serve as a strong enough endorsement of the game, and when it's free, it's hard to come up with any strong reason not to check it out.

The sales for Warhammer 40K: Gladius have both been a part of a promotional event tying in with the annual Warhammer Skulls game showcase.

It's worth acknowledging that Warhammer 40K can sometimes seem intimidating to newcomers, but familiarity with the extensive lore isn't necessary to enjoy Warhammer 40K: Gladius. Having some 4X experience is probably more relevant in general, but even that shouldn't be crucial. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War could end up being a surprise hit for anyone with even minor interest, so securing a copy before May 30 definitely seems like the best tactic to take.

Source: Steam