I missed this co-op open world base-builder when it first came out, but it's got over 10,000 positive Steam reviews and it's free to play all weekend

(Image credit: Fair Game ApS)

I know base-builder fans are always on the lookout for a new open world co-op game to dive into with their pals… and while I don't have a new one to tempt you with today, there is one from a few years ago that you might not have heard of. I hadn't, and I play a lot of these sorts of games. You can check it out for the next few days without paying a dime.

It's called Necesse, and if you missed it when it launched (or wishlisted it but never bought it) this is a great chance to finally dabble. Necesse has a free weekend on Steam that's already underway, and it comes with a perk: if you enjoy it and want to buy it, it's on sale for 35% off until February 3, meaning it'll cost you less than 10 bucks. Plus, any progress you make during the free weekend will be saved for when you unlock the full game. That's a good deal! Check out the new trailer and tell me Necesse doesn't look like a lot of fun:

Necesse Steam Free Weekend! - YouTube

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I'm going to be jumping in myself tonight: Necesse is verified for Steam Deck and it looks like a good one to play while chilling on the couch and mostly ignoring a movie playing in the background. There's an infinite world to explore, monsters to battle, bases to build, and even if you're going solo you'll still have plenty of company: there are NPC settlers to recruit "that can work your fields, tend to your animals, and acquire resources without needing your constant attention and supervision."

If you've already got Necesse, then this seems like a great opportunity to jump back in and convince your friends to come along for some co-op adventuring and building, especially since its most recent update added new weapons, many of them themed for cooperative play. There are several new staves that provide buffs to your allies, and if you're playing solo you can still give them to your NPC pals. The world has gotten a bit more dangerous in this update with new environmental hazards you'll encounter when exploring caves, but that's balanced out with a new subterranean crop so you won't starve to death quite as often down there.

And don't just take my word for it: Necesse, even if it's not well known, has a 'Very Positive" Steam rating, with over 10,000 reviews giving it a healthy 94% approval rating. Wait, why am I still trying to convince you? It's completely free until Sunday.

Chris started playing PC games in the 1980s, started writing about them in the early 2000s, and (finally) started getting paid to write about them in the late 2000s. Following a few years as a regular freelancer, PC Gamer hired him in 2014, probably so he'd stop emailing them asking for more work. Chris has a love-hate relationship with survival games and an unhealthy fascination with the inner lives of NPCs. He's also a fan of offbeat simulation games, mods, and ignoring storylines in RPGs so he can make up his own.