Europa Universalis 4 gets free weekend, El Dorado expansion released

Europa Universalis IV preview thumb large

If maps and menus are your thing, you could do worse than checking out Europa Universalis 4—something you can do this weekend for absolutely no money at all.

It's a Paradox grand strategy game, and so all but guaranteed to be unlearnable in a single weekend. Nevertheless, if you think you're up to the task, you can head here to download the Steam temporary trial version. If nothing else, you should have time to conquer a few of the smaller nations. If you like what you play, the base game is currently 75% off.

For current owners, new expansion opportunities arrive in the form of the now released El Dorado DLC. The add-on's focus is on Central and South America, and it also features a nation designer that'll let you custom create your own empire.

Here's a tiny trailer:

Phil has been writing for PC Gamer for nearly a decade, starting out as a freelance writer covering everything from free games to MMOs. He eventually joined full-time as a news writer, before moving to the magazine to review immersive sims, RPGs and Hitman games. Now he leads PC Gamer's UK team, but still sometimes finds the time to write about his ongoing obsessions with Destiny 2, GTA Online and Apex Legends. When he's not levelling up battle passes, he's checking out the latest tactics game or dipping back into Guild Wars 2. He's largely responsible for the whole Tub Geralt thing, but still isn't sorry.