A big welcome back to all Loot Happens subscribers. Loot Happens is a weekly newsletter that is emailed and posted on LootHappens.com.
It's important to note that for premium subscribers, 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.
Key Giveaway For Premium Subscribers - Choose Your Game!
They Are Coming
They Are Coming combines roguelike progression, tower defence, and base building into a seamless side-scrolling hybrid that blends these elements into a pure survival loop. Set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies, you play a lone survivor defending the orphanage you once called home, fending off ever-growing hordes with a mix of firearms, melee weapons, and improvised defenses. With simple mechanics, crunchy ragdoll combat, and a high-risk system where death means losing everything, it’s a brutal but addictive experience—balanced by a sandbox Playground mode that lets you experiment, build freely, and wreak havoc on the undead without consequences.
-———OR---------
Plateman
Plateman is a steampunk 2D platformer that blends industrial fantasy with spiritual mystery, casting you as a high school senior pulled into a world powered by massive difference engines and steam-driven logic. As a memory-lost Steam Shaman wielding lightning and a ritual drum, you explore towering mechanical labyrinths filled with traps, monsters, and shifting machines. With a skill tree that fuses shamanic spells and steam technology, Plateman focuses on experimentation and atmosphere, delivering a moody journey about identity, power, and the strange soul hidden inside a world of iron and steam.
Marvel Comic Invasion: Key Giveaway For Free Subscribers
Marvel Cosmic Invasion is a classic beat ’em up reimagined on a cosmic scale, bringing together Tribute Games and Dotemu for a vibrant, old-school brawler steeped in Marvel lore. With dazzling pixel art, fast-paced combat, and a massive roster spanning Earth’s heroes and galactic icons, the game sends players from New York City to the depths of the Negative Zone to battle Annihilus and the devastating Annihilation Wave. Featuring a clever Cosmic Swap tag-team system, flexible co-op, and action that rewards creative team-ups, it’s a love letter to one of Marvel’s most iconic eras—built for longtime fans and newcomers alike.
If you would like to be in the running for a key, hit reply and just put 'marvel'. We will pick a winner and send over the key in 48 hours
Solo Leveling: ARISE OVERDRIVE: Key Giveaway For Free Subscribers
Solo Leveling: ARISE OVERDRIVE brings the hit webtoon to life with fast, stylish action and brand-new story chapters that expand Sung Jinwoo’s rise to power. Combat is fluid and reactive, built around perfect dodges, parries, and evolving skill combos that let you shape Jinwoo’s path through multiple job advancements. With shadow-powered abilities unlocked through Monarch Awakening, co-op raids against towering Commanders, and a deep weapon crafting system pulled straight from the source material, it delivers a power fantasy that feels both faithful and freshly energized.
If you would like to be in the running for a key, hit reply and just put 'leveling'. We will pick a winner and send over the key in 48 hours
Historically Low Prices
This section of Loot Happens currently tracks historical discounts 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!
RuneQuest: Warlords [Steam]
Field a diverse army drawing from heroes and creatures alike.$̶̶33.97 $20.45
Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered [PS5]
This bundle includes Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered, including all three DLC chapters.$49.99 $24.99
Demon's Souls [PS5]
Entirely rebuilt from the ground up and masterfully enhanced.$69.99 $29.39
Among Us [Nintendo Switch]
An online and local party game of teamwork and betrayal for 4-15 players...in space.$5.00 $3.00
Featured Game Review: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 wears its inspirations proudly, pulling from some of the most beloved modern and classic JRPGs—but its Game of the Year win confirms what many players felt long before awards season arrived. This isn’t just a respectful tribute; it’s a confident statement. French developer Sandfall Interactive has delivered a debut that feels both deeply familiar and unmistakably its own, blending dramatic storytelling with a somber, painterly world caught in a slow-motion apocalypse.
Each year, a mysterious figure known as The Paintress marks an age, and everyone who reaches it simply vanishes. No ceremony. No exceptions. As the leader of the 33rd expedition sent to stop her, you step into a fight generations have already lost, carrying the accumulated weight of their failures, fears, and unfinished hopes. The premise is bleak, but it never slips into despair. A quiet urgency runs through everything—from the sharp, restrained writing to the emotionally charged character moments and tense, reactive combat. Rather than bloating itself with filler, Expedition 33 stays deliberate and focused across its roughly 35-hour journey, knowing when to linger and when to let silence speak. The result is a story that feels immediate, personal, and impossible to shake once the credits roll.
Expedition 33 has one of the best turn-based combat systems
What makes Expedition 33 stand out isn’t just how stylish its combat looks, it’s how smartly it plays. Every party member comes with a distinct identity and their mechanical twist, turning each encounter into a puzzle that changes depending on who you bring. One wields a scythe and manages dual-phase cards, another shifts through elemental “stains” to power up spells, and a late-game character even ranks attacks and dodges with a flashy Devil May Cry-style grading system. These individual mechanics don’t just look cool—they matter, pushing you to think about synergy and specialization, rather than just stacking raw damage.
The layers go even deeper with skill trees that stay compact and focused, letting you build around condition-based tactics without being overwhelmed. Then there are Pictos—equippable perks that tweak everything from AP gain to status effects, which can eventually be stacked into Lumina for permanent upgrades. These systems encourage real experimentation, letting you shape your party in creative ways. While the early game feels easy, tougher bosses and evolving enemy patterns soon demand sharp timing and strategic thinking. By the end, you’re not just reacting—you’re actively composing your rhythm, and the result is one of the most satisfying turn-based combat systems in years.
Strong acting makes the story feel real
What elevates Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 beyond its stylish combat and striking world is the emotional weight of its story and the performances that carry it. Themes like grief, sacrifice, and mortality are explored with a sincerity that’s hard to shake. The voice acting is outstanding, with subtle, grounded delivery that makes even the most surreal moments feel believable. Combined with sharp writing and nuanced animation, the dialogue flows with a natural rhythm that gives characters real emotional depth.
The pacing stumbles a bit toward the end, with a few story beats feeling rushed, but the emotional core holds firm. The game shines most when it shows how grief can both unite and break people, especially within families. Lighthearted moments—like campfire banter or the oddball Gestrals—add needed balance, while the theatrical flair and French cultural touches give it a unique identity. Paired with a beautiful, varied soundtrack that heightens both battles and quiet scenes, Expedition 33 leaves a lasting impression.
Bottom line
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 draws inspiration from some of the greatest RPGs out there, but it never feels like a copy. Instead, it reshapes familiar ideas into something heartfelt and quietly confident, anchored by one of the most engaging turn-based combat systems in recent memory. While the story occasionally leans into melodrama, its sincerity and strong performances keep it grounded, letting emotional moments land without feeling forced.
What ultimately elevates Expedition 33 to its Game of the Year status is how deliberately everything fits together. The bold artistic direction, disciplined pacing, and thoughtful mechanical choices all serve the same fragile theme of time, loss, and defiance in the face of inevitability. It doesn’t chase scale or spectacle. It earns its impact through restraint, focus, and emotional clarity, standing not just as a tribute to RPG history but as one of its most memorable modern chapters.
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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