Sci-fi strategy game Stellaris is free to play this weekend on Steam Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Sci-fi strategy game Stellaris is free to play this weekend on Steam And there's 80% off at the same time. News by Matt Wales Reporter Published on 20 May 2022 1 comment If you're in the mood for a spot of space domination this weekend and somehow haven't yet given Paradox Interactive's galactic empire builder Stellaris a whirl in the six years it's been out, now's the perfect time to do so, given it's free to play for the next few days. Stellaris, a sort of space-faring amalgam of grand strategy and 4X action, burst onto the scene back in 2016 to significant acclaim. Six years on, it's a substantially different beast, with Paradox having made some sweeping changes along the way, most notably in its radical 2.0 release. The many faceted road to galactic supremacy it presents is still a tonne of strategic fun though, even if - as is generally the way with Paradox titles - the purity of the base game has now been somewhat muddied by an increasingly unwieldy stack of post-launch DLC. Watch on YouTube Stellaris - 6 Year Anniversary + Free Weekend Trailer. If you'd like to flex your space muscles and see what's what in Stellaris' orbit, it's entirely free to do so this weekend on Steam. You can download and play it in exchange for exactly zero pee until Monday, 23rd May, whereupon you'll need to actually buy it to continue playing. The good news, though, is that there's 80% off the base game - bringing the price down to £7 - for the duration of the free weekend, meaning it's a good time to buy if you find yourself in need of a permanent fix. Additionally, there's up to 50% off Stellaris' DLC if you really want to go wild. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Overwatch 2 suffers another DDoS attack and character roster bugs Mei Mei. 8 Nintendo Switch firmware update lets you take screenshots in the Switch Online app The app on your console, not your phone. 7 Latest Articles Genshin Impact Path of Gleaming Jade dates, login event rewards Including other anniversary rewards and how to claim them. Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Jelly Deals Logitech's G Pro X gaming headset is its lowest-ever price during Amazon's Early Access sale Prime Members can get it for just £52. Jelly Deals Save over £500 off the retail price on this beefy ASUS TUF Dash gaming laptop from Amazon Under £1080 for an RTX 3070 laptop. Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store