On Steamfree games number in the thousands, but very few reach the top of player ratings. This is, however, the case of A Date with Deathvisual novel from the Australian studio Two and a Half Studioswhich currently has 98% positive reviews from nearly ten thousand evaluations. Released on December 7, 2023 on PC, this title mixes romance, dark humor and very elaborate aesthetics around a simple idea: having a date with the Reaper.
The icing on the cake is that this game, already considered a little narrative gem, is offered with full access on the Valve platform. No paywall for the main story, no hidden subscription trap, just a Steam download and a few gigs to free up on your hard drive. Enough to make you want to take a close look at this phenomenon which is causing a lot of talk among fans of visual novels.
A Date with Death on Steam: why is this free game so talked about?
On his page Steam, A Date with Death displays the mention “Extremely Positive” with around 9,900 reviews, 98% of which are favorable, an extremely rare score for a completely free game. In an opinion relayed by Screen Rant, a player named ~Potato~ explains that he was “pleasantly surprised” by the quality of the game, “especially considering it was free”. The French specialized press, The Cream of Gaming other sites already cite it among the best free games not to be missed.
This success is as much due to the writing as the concept: you participate in a mysterious program that puts you in contact with the Grim Reaper, Death himself. Over the course of a week in game, your exchanges will decide whether this meeting turns into flirtation, disaster or something even more unexpected.
What do we actually find in this free visual novel on Steam?
A Date with Death is a dating sim And visual novel playable as a chat simulator, with messages and video calls. You create your avatar in detail, from appearance to gender and pronouns, with very inclusive options. Between two conversations with the Reaper, you decorate your apartment, you interact with an adorable dog and even with a scaly companion, which gives a cozy life sim side to the whole thing.
The dialogue choices have a real impact on the relationship and on the multiple endings, which encourages you to repeat a game to explore other routes. The artistic direction, often described as “gorgeous”, combines expressive characters and full-page illustrations. Allow one afternoon to complete a first story, a perfect format for discovering the genre if you have never touched a visual novel.
How to download A Date with Death for free, and what is the follow-up worth?
The game is available for free on Steam for Windows, macOS and Linux, as well as on itch.io. However, you must be comfortable with English or Japanese: interface and subtitles are only offered in these two languages for the moment, with no official French version. Also be careful of fake mobile files, no official Android or iOS version exists, it is better to stay on the legitimate stores.
The business model is clear: the base game is completely free, with no intrusive microtransactions. Optional DLC, such as the Main Expansion or Beyond the Betadd text, scenes and at least one additional ending, for around 7 dollars, or roughly 7 €. And if you hang on, know that a A Date with Death 2: Remnants is scheduled for 2026, one more reason not to miss this first meeting with the Reaper.