Altitude, the 2D multiplayer aerial combat game, goes free on Steam

If you find yourself with time on your hands and nothing to do on this dull Thursday afternoon, allow me to direct your attention to Altitude. It's a cute, cartoony little 2D multiplayer aerial combat game with multiple modes of gameplay and an unexpectedly sophisticated control scheme. More to the point, developer Nimbly Games is now offering it completely free.

I've only spent a few minutes with Altitude so I can't offer any definitive opinions, but PC Gamer UK said it's "deceptively deep [and] rewarding to master" and I hear they're a pretty solid bunch of guys. Plus it's a relatively tiny download—62 meg or thereabouts—so why not?

And in fact, it does look pretty good. It offers multiple free-for-all and team-based gameplay modes, Call of Duty-style perks, a variety of power-ups, and a throttle-based flight model complete with stalls. And did I mention it's free? Because it is.

Altitude is available on Steam , or DRM-free for Windows, Linux and Mac from AltitudeGame.com .

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.