If Valentine's Day hasn't already had its merry way with you, leave it to free games to get you in a good mood this weekend. In this case it's 1997's Dungeon Keeper and the fine folks at GOG.com who have stepped up to put a—hopefully—devilish grin on your face. The classic dungeon management game is free to download there through 10:59 GMT Sunday.
In cases like these the trusty PC Gamer archives are helpful in understanding the particular charm of developer Bullfrog Production's god-game style RTS. As Alec Meer writes, Dungeon Keeper is often thought of as "Bullfrog's best, vilest management game."
"Even the smaller battles are a fascinating hybrid of screaming carnage and decision-making," Meer writes. "You're not a helpless observer, but an active participant, feverishly casting spells (researched by a crack team of dragons and vampires) and praying your imps are mining enough gold to pay for all this. And what are you, exactly? You're a Keeper, and you're evil. That is all. You only see your hand and your heart – a gigantic gem at the centre of your dungeon. If it dies, you die."
As an additional incentive to keep our minds in some properly vile places, GOG.com is also offering the sequel Dungeon Keeper 2 at a 75 percent discount for $1.50.
