A big welcome back to all Loot Happens subscribers. Loot Happens is a weekly newsletter that is emailed and also gets posted to LootHappens.com.
It's important to note that for premium subscribers, for game offerings and in-game content, every week is different. Sometimes it's in-game codes, Steam keys, and giveaways, but premium members will always get something special every mailing. We also occasionally get mind-blowing early access or premium games that pay for an entire year's subscription.
Each newsletter is generally structured as Premium Loot > Free Sub Giveaways > Game Feature > Game discounts.
Premium Subscribers: Grave Keeper Game Keys
Grave Keeper is a fast-paced hack-and-slash adventure set in a dark fantasy world where danger lurks in every shadow. As a fearless Bounty Hunter, you venture into the Forbidden Stronghold, a cursed domain ruled by the ruthless Skeleton King. To claim its hidden treasures, you must battle relentless waves of undead warriors, sinister mages, and towering bosses while upgrading your skills and collecting powerful gear. Face endless hordes, sharpen your abilities, and prove your strength in Versus Mode.
Premium Subscribers: Vice: Magic City Mayhem - Early Access Demo
Vice: Magic City Mayhem is a wild, retro-styled top-down adventure that fuses Zelda-like exploration with the chaotic energy of GTA. As Dutch, one of Magic City’s top enforcers, you embark on a raunchy, action-packed quest to rescue your beloved Sophie from the city’s most dangerous underworld figures. Fight through neon-soaked nightclubs, sunlit beaches, and even raptor-infested yachts, wielding an arsenal of weapons and solving intricate puzzles. This key is just the demo, but you get an early look at the game before anyone else (before it's debut at Steam Fest).
Space For Sale: Key Giveaway For Free Subscribers
Space for Sale is a charming interplanetary real estate adventure where you turn uncharted planets into thriving alien communities. As a budding Space Realtor, your mission is to satisfy quirky extraterrestrial clients, manage resources, construct homes, and overcome unexpected challenges, all while exploring vibrant and uninhabited worlds. Whether solo or with a friend, you’ll navigate treacherous ecosystems, outsmart hungry alien predators, and use your discoveries to enhance futuristic structures.
If you would like to be in the running for a key, hit reply and just put 'space4sale'. We will pick a winner and send over the key in 24 hours.
Star Wars Outlaws: Key Giveaway For Free Subscribers
Star Wars Outlaws is the first open-world Star Wars adventure, throwing you into the high-stakes life of Kay Vess, a daring scoundrel looking for freedom and fortune. Navigate a galaxy of opportunity and danger, from bustling cantinas to sprawling landscapes, as you take on risky jobs for crime syndicates, steal valuable goods, and outwit enemies with blasters, stealth, and cunning. With your loyal companion Nix by your side, every choice shapes your reputation, making each daring heist, thrilling chase, and deadly shootout a step toward becoming a legend.
If you would like to be in the running for a key, hit reply and just put 'outlaws'. We will pick a winner and send over the key in 24 hours.
Historically Low Prices
This section of Loot Happens tracks historical discounts right now on games and throughout the industry! Our tireless web crawlers scour the web daily, sniffing out the best deals across the gaming landscape.
These aren't just any games – they're titles we adore and highly respect. And right now, you can grab them at prices we've never seen before!
Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord [Steam]
The horns have been sounded, the ravens gathered already. $̶̶51.94 $19.64
ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN [Steam]
Pre-order the Elden Ring standalone adventure with an exclusive discount. $̶̶41.55 $35.59
The Stone of Madness [Steam]
Escaping such a well-guarded monastery is no easy task. $̶̶30.12 $19.06
STAR WARS Jedi: Survivor Deluxe Edition [PS5]
The story of Cal Kestis continues in a third-person action game.$89.99 $31.49
Nickelodeon Kart Racers [Nintendo Switch]
Racers to the starting line...it's GO SLIME.$29.99 $2.99
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen [Nintendo Switch]
Enter the high-fantasy setting of Gransys.$29.99 $4.99
Featured Game Review: Civilization 7
Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 takes bold steps to streamline the legendary 4X formula, but in doing so, it risks sanding away too much of what made its predecessors so engaging. Its design has an undeniable polish, capturing the strategic depth and long-term satisfaction the series is known for. However, the obsessive simplification of its interface and mechanics often works against it, making learning the game more frustrating than intuitive. Information that should be readily available is buried, and tooltips frequently fail to provide crucial context, leaving players to fumble through trial and error rather than strategizing with clarity.
While the core experience of building an empire remains compelling, the lack of transparency in unit abilities, city management, and diplomacy creates unnecessary friction. A minimalist UI strips away details that dedicated players rely on, leading to moments of confusion where vital mechanics remain opaque. The franchise’s signature charm and addictive gameplay loop still shine through, but this iteration feels more like an Apple product, designed to be sleek and accessible at the cost of depth and control.
Music and sounds deserve recognition
From the title screen to the final turn, Civilization 7 impresses with its audio design. Christopher Tin’s Live Gloriously delivers another unforgettable theme, blending Ancient Greek lyrics with a soaring composition. Gwendoline Christie’s narration adds gravitas, while crisp sound effects—from the satisfying chime of district placement to the thunderous crack of rifles—enhance every moment.
New narrative events bring a welcome human touch, with unique decisions tied to specific Civs. The Shawnee can embrace industrialization or preserve tradition, while Persia features a hero’s journey quest for its Immortal units. Age transitions introduce dynamic crises like plagues and barbarian invasions, though the shift to three broad Ages feels overly simplistic. The late-game tech tree’s abrupt cutoff around 1950 further limits strategic depth. While changing cultures between Ages offers flexibility, it also leads to odd moments—like Ben Franklin waging war for Persia. These refinements add variety but sometimes streamline the experience too far.
It could be a great game, but later
Every Civilization launch comes with its share of growing pains, and Civ 7 is no exception. Many of its shortcomings, such as weak tooltips, missing setup options, and underdeveloped systems feel like issues that could be patched or expanded upon over time. History suggests they will be. Civ 5 faced similar criticisms at launch before becoming a fan favorite, and there's reason to believe Civ 7 could follow the same path. It’s not a great game yet, but with the right updates and expansions, it has the potential to be.
Visually, it’s a mixed bag. Cities and units look fantastic, while city-states receive impressive detail with unique 3D dioramas. But the mountains? More like awkward piles of rocks. The undiscovered map’s board-game aesthetic also feels off, lacking the charm of classic fog-of-war designs. City-state mechanics have been simplified, turning diplomacy into a straightforward suzerain race with little competition from AI opponents. Meta progression adds leader-specific unlocks and cosmetics, but its impact is negligible. And then there’s the elephant in the room—where is Gandhi? While the new leader choices bring variety, omitting such an iconic figure makes the roster feel incomplete, especially when two versions of Napoleon are cut.
Bottom line
Civilization 7 takes bold steps to streamline the series, but in doing so, it strips away too much of the depth and transparency that made previous entries so engaging. The interface often fails to provide essential information, making strategy feel more like guesswork than mastery. However, improved warfare and diplomacy, along with narrative-driven events, add compelling new layers, and the audiovisual presentation remains top-notch. Despite its flaws, the one more turn magic is still there, and history suggests Firaxis will refine its rough edges through patches and expansions.
Next Week
Every newsletter has a lot to look forward to, and we are in active communication with several developers and studios. More to come next week!
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