Build pretend PCs for free in the PC Building Simulator 2 open beta

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PC Building Simulator is a game about building a PC, which, let's be frank, sounds a bit silly. Why would you build a PC so you could play a game about building PCs? Yet when we tried it, well, we liked it, and so did a lot of other people: It built up a big following in Early Access on Steam, where it holds a "very positive" rating across more than 34,000 user reviews, and it was enough of a success that a sequel was announced earlier this year.

That sequel isn't out yet, but you can give a pre-release build a spin right now by way of the open beta that's currently underway on the Epic Games Store. The beta includes the first hour of PC Building Simulator 2's career mode, as well as access to the "free build" mode with a limited selection of parts. The full career mode will offer more than 30 hours of gameplay, and access to more than 1,200 individual components, including licensed parts from Nvidia, Intel, AMD, and a number of enthusiast brands.

If you're already committed to grabbing PC Building Simulator 2 when it launches, it's still worth your time to snag the beta: Anyone who tries it will get 15% off the purchase price of the full game at release. To give it a whirl, just pop around to the Epic Games Store page and scroll down the page a bit, until you see the "add to cart" button. Click that, then check out as usual, and it's all yours.

PC Building Simulator 2 is expected to launch later this year, and will be available exclusively on the Epic Games Store. The open beta runs until June 20, and you can find out more at pcbuildingsim.com.

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Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.