Journey is now on Steam, includes Flower free for the next two weeks

(Image credit: Thatgamecompany)

After a year of exclusivity on the Epic Games Store, Journey, thatgamecompany's acclaimed game of exploration in the desert, is now available on Steam. And not only that—for the next two weeks, publisher Annapurna Interactive is throwing in a free copy of thatgamecompany's previous release, the also critically acclaimed Flower.

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Journey sets players off as a robed figure in a great desert, on a path leading toward a distant mountain. It's a linear experience across multiple levels, with some gentle puzzles to solve and occasional encounters with other human players on their own journeys; you'll spend most of your time walking but you can also fly briefly, thanks to the powers of a magic scarf. As Shaun noted in April, "It's a simple concept, but the execution is gorgeous."

Flower, originally released in 2009, is conceptually similar: You are "an invisible petal wizard," as Jody aptly described it, blowing flower petals across idyllic, breezy landscapes. There are no enemies, scoring, or anything else, really—it's just meditative, musical exploration. 

Journey is currently on sale on Steam for $11/£8.50/€9, until July 9. It also remains available on the Epic Games Store, but it's not on sale there.

Andy Chalk

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.