One of them strands you in the middle of the Pacific after a plane crash. The other drops you into a war with tanks and fighter jets. Both cost you nothing on Steam until October 19.
That’s the deal this weekend: Stranded Deep and Battlefield 6 are free to play on Steam for a limited time. If you’ve had either one sitting on your wishlist, now’s your chance to try it before you buy.
Washed up with no way to call for help
Stranded Deep starts with a mysterious plane crash and leaves you in the middle of the Pacific Ocean to deal with the fallout. Nobody’s coming. You have to find supplies, craft tools, gather food and build shelter if you want to stay alive.
A roof over your head is only the start. You’ll also have to manage hunger, thirst and exposure while you explore islands and search underwater locations for useful resources. Between dangerous wildlife and the constant chance of running out of supplies, every trip away from camp is a gamble.
You don’t have to suffer alone, either. Stranded Deep supports solo play or co-op with a friend, so you can bring someone along if going it alone sounds like too much.
The official Steam store page says Stranded Deep is free to play until October 19 at 10 a.m. PT. It’s also on sale during the promotion at 60% off, which brings it down to $7.99 if the trial wins you over.
The timing is good, too. On October 15, the developer published an update on Stranded Deep 2 with details about its desert environment and wildlife. If you’re curious about the sequel, you can add it to your Steam wishlist now.
Prefer firefights to coconuts?
Then Battlefield 6 is the one for you. The military shooter came out in 2025 and puts you in battles with infantry, tanks, fighter jets and a range of modern weapons.
It’s the opposite of Stranded Deep. Battlefield 6 is all about fast-paced combat across large and unique battlefields. The multiplayer has several modes to fight in, and Battlefield Portal gives you more ways to mess around with the game’s maps and gameplay.
The Battlefield 6 free trial runs from October 15 through October 19. The publisher’s official access guide says you get the full game during the trial, including all available game modes, events and Battlefield Portal. If you’ve had it wishlisted forever but didn’t want to pay without trying it first, this is a good offer.
It’s discounted too. If you decide to buy after the trial, you’ll get 60% off, which drops the price to $27.99.
How to get in before the clock runs out
Go to the official Steam store page for either game, sign in to your Steam account and pick the play for free option to install it. Both free play periods end on October 19, so don’t leave the download until the last minute or you won’t have any time left to play.
One catch for Battlefield 6: you’ll need an EA account linked to Steam and a persistent internet connection.
And keep in mind these are free-play offers. You don’t get to keep the games. Once the promotions end, so does your access to the full versions, unless you buy them. The one exception is Battlefield REDSEC, which is still its own separate free-to-play game.
