Steam's New 9/10 Free RPG Is An Unexpected Treat

A new indie RPG is now out on Steam, and it’s winning players over with its unique blend of genres. Every year, thousands of games are released on the PC gaming platform. Some of them are giants from well-known AAA studios, with prices to match the prestige. Others are smaller games from lesser-known devs that capture players’ hearts.

And sometimes, they’re completely free indie passion projects that end up buried as hidden gems. There are plenty of free games on Steam, though finding them can be a challenge: the PC gaming giant lumps “free” games in with microtransaction-based titles and free-to-play games (aka MMOs). One recently released game that’s worth your time has been gathering positive reviews and is completely, 100% free.

Between Stops is an indie RPG available on Steam from Too Tired Dev, a solo game developer who was inspired by Deltarune. This isn’t the dev’s first game; he’s been making cute, free 2D games on Itch.io, each of which is a delight to behold. But Between Stops is the dev’s first official Steam project, and it’s gathering some steam, so to speak, since its release on May 8.

The game’s Deltarune influence is easy to see, between the art and fighting style, and even the writing. The dev describes the game as a story-driven RPG with “bullet-hell inspired combat,” promising to be both an entertaining and challenging playthrough.

Between Stops is the first chapter in the story of a world that’s in danger of being forgotten forever. The title follows the main character and their friend, who fall asleep on board a train and find themselves in a strange world when they wake up. This world is full of odd beings, friends, and foes, and the world as a whole is about to be erased from existence.

Between Stops steam indie RPG talking to a devil

Battles take a familiar, Deltarune- and Undertale-like shape, with several new features. You can now parry, support, and even play brief rhythm minigames. As you journey through this realm and discover its residents and secrets, you’ll have to decide how to interact with them.

Every choice you make affects your relationships, boss battles, and even the way the story plays out. In the end, the fate of the world is up to you: Will you save it, or let it fade away?

Between Stops is a free Steam game that’s available to download and play in its entirety. As of this writing, it has only 23 used reviews, of which an impressive 95% are positive. As Too Tired Dev continues to work on Between Stops, it’s certainly a gem to keep an eye on.