By  Published May 10, 2026, 12:30 AM EDT Bruno Yonezawa is a Gaming Senior Writer for Screen Rant. He's been practicing professional journalism for over 10 years, and is also a communications specialist. He's played games all his life and turned that passionate hobby into a passionate career, in an industry where he's worked as a writer, editor, analyst, and more. Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

is offering its players a chance to test a new that mixes elements from Elden Ring and The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim for free, and given what this game has to offer, it may be worth keeping it on your radar. Plenty of free options populate the gaming platform, from entirely free-to-play titles to smaller demos that allow players to get a sneak peek of what the full game has to offer. You can find a , gearing up for its eventual release, for example.

Now, there’s another good-looking RPG on the horizon, and players who are interested can check it out. Available on , this upcoming game has a free demo that grants access to a small portion of the game. You won’t need to pay anything or be subscribed to any service to gain access to it; if you’re interested, head on over to the product page on the storefront, download the demo, and play it at any time you’d like.

Aran and Adso get ready to face an enemy in Blades of Fire. Aran and Adso get ready to face an enemy in Blades of Fire.

The demo is for a called Blades of Fire. Scheduled for full release on May 14, the game is developed by MercurySteam and published by 505 Games. In the game, you control Aran de Lira, a smithing warrior who forges and improves his own weapons, using them to carve a path through the enemy lines. The game draws a bit of inspiration from soulslike titles, with challenging, stamina-based combat, and certain losses upon death.

The weapons you forge in this game, , have different effects, so preparing weapons for various types of enemies is key to your success. Fans of games with careful combat rather than button-smashing battles may find solace in Blades of Fire. The release on May 14 represents the arrival of Version 2.0, which brings forth a series of improvements, like New Game Plus, a new difficulty level, additional gameplay options, and more.

Aran forges a weapon in Blades of Fire. Aran forges a weapon in Blades of Fire.

The Blades of Fire demo is entirely free to check out, so be sure not to miss it. If you’re not a fan of soulslike games or dark fantasy stories, there are other options, like a that offers casual adventure-based gameplay. You can also find tons of free demos on the platform by filtering them through the search engine or paying attention to any events, like the current Steam Deck Builders Fest.

Even if you don’t like soulslike games, traditionally, it may be worth checking out Blades of Fire. The game does present a different approach to the subgenre with unique forging mechanics, and the demo for this RPG is free on Steam, so you won’t be spending any money unless you really enjoy it.

blades-of-fire-tag-page-cover-art.jpg Like Tactical Systems Released May 22, 2026 ESRB M17+ For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language Developer(s) MercurySteam Publisher(s) 505 Games blades-of-fire-official-image.jpg 3 Images blades-of-fire-official-image.jpgblades-of-fire-official-image-2.jpgblades-of-fire-official-image-4.jpgClose

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