Amplitude Games, the creators of Humankind, have announced a free weekend for the game. The Civilization-style historical strategy game from the team behind Endless Space and Endless Legend is one of the best 4X games on PC right now, and brings some great ideas to the table that are worth a shot if you’ve had your fill of Civ or simply want to try something new. Humankind will be free for several days to celebrate the release date reveal for its first expansion, Together We Rule, so anyone interested in trying it out can do so.
You can play Humankind for free from October 6-10 on Steam as part of the SEGA Megamix Sale. If you like what you see, the game itself will be half price during the sale, with additional discounts of up to 33% on its additional culture packs such as the Humankind Latin America DLC. In addition, you’ll be able to pre-purchase the first full Humankind expansion for 10% off ahead of its release in November.
The Humankind: Together We Rule release date is November 9. The upcoming expansion focuses on international diplomacy and introduces the ‘Congress of Humankind’ along with embassies, agents, a new diplomatic affinity that allows its cultures to take more active roles in world politics, six new cultures (the Sumerians, the Han Chinese, the Bulgarians, the Swiss, the Scots, and the Singaporeans), six new wonders, and new narrative events and music.
Humankind: Together We Rule will be available on Steam, the Epic Games Store, and the Microsoft Store for $19.99 USD / £15.99 GBP / €19.99 EUR. As noted above, it will be 10% off if purchased prior to release. You can watch the gameplay overview for the new expansion below:
That’s not all, though – November 9 also sees the release of a free ‘Metternich’ update for Humankind. This will be going out to all players, whether they own the expansion or not, and introduces new stealth mechanics as well as revamping independent peoples, allowing for third-part reinforcements during battles, and adding new UI options and improvements.
The head of Amplitude Studios says he is “sure that there will be” a Humankind 2 eventually, although don’t expect to hear anything along those lines soon. If you’re still not sold by the prospect of playing for free, our Humankind review explains how its new ideas promise to change up the 4X genre. If you’re looking for something new to play, our picks of the best city-building games on PC and the best turn-based strategy games are great places to start.