This new action-adventure FPS on Steam is free-to-play and only takes an hour to play through

Dreadtome isn’t trying to be the next big thing, and maybe that’s why it works. It’s a short, free, Unreal Engine 5 shooter that dropped on Steam without much noise. Built by a group of student devs at Breda University, it tosses you into a haunted library full of twisted architecture, weird creatures, and one job: survive, and maybe understand what’s going on.

The game only lasts about an hour, give or take, but that’s not a knock. You get a repulsor gadget to push enemies around, a basic firearm, and tight combat arenas that make you use both. There’s no fluff, no long cutscenes - just movement and shooting. It's light on narrative but heavy on the overall atmosphere.

It’s also worth noting that Dreadtome launched as a free game - and has stayed that way since June 12, 2025. That’s rare for something with this level of visual polish, especially coming from a student team - even though the playtime is merely an hour.

Early players also seem to agree. The game’s sitting at a 94% "Very Positive" rating on Steam, and while the player base is still minuscule, the feedback has been surprisingly strong for a project like this. It’s clearly rough around the edges in some parts, but the polish is there where it counts.

The system requirements aren’t exactly low-end, which is the only real barrier here - an RTX 2060 Super (curr. $320 on Amazon) or equivalent is the minimum for 1080p60 on low. But if your rig can handle it, there’s not much reason not to give it a shot.

Sometimes, a short and focused game like Dreadtome lands harder than a 40-hour epic. And when it’s free-to-play, it’s even easier to appreciate what it pulls off. You can take a look at the Steam store page for the game here.