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.
50,000 Reward Credits on CheatHappens.com for Premium Subscribers
CheatHappens.com is giving out 50,000 Reward Credits for each premium subscriber of Loot Happens. You must have a CheatHappens.com account (free or premium) in order to enter.
Key Giveaway For Premium Subscribers: Salammbô: Battle for Carthage
Step into the brutal world of the 3rd century BC in Salammbô: Battle for Carthage. Carthage, once supported by thousands of mercenaries, fell to the Romans during the first Punic War. As the city crumbles, Salammbo, daughter of the Carthaginian commander, finds herself entangled in a forbidden love with Matho, the mercenary leader now besieging Carthage in demand for his unpaid dues. Will you be able to deliver Salammbo’s critical message before the city falls completely? Navigate deadly gardens filled with toxic fumes, unleash chaos on Mount Solitude, and experience the dark beauty of a world in turmoil. Immerse yourself in stunning 360° panoramas and the stirring music of Dvorak’s New World Symphony.
Team Fortress 2: Key Giveaway For Free Subscribers
Team Fortress 2 is the undisputed king of free-to-play online action games, and for good reason. As one of the most highly-rated games in gaming history, it has captivated millions of players since its release, offering a steady stream of free updates that keep the experience fresh and exciting. TF2 boasts an impressive roster of game modes, including fan favorites like Capture the Flag, Payload, and King of the Hill. The fast-paced matches keep you on your toes, while the rich, colorful maps provide the perfect backdrop for epic showdowns. And the best part? You can truly make your character your own.
If you would like to be in the running for a key, hit reply and just put 'fortress'. We will pick a winner and send over the key in 48 hours
Planet Crafter: Key Giveaway For Free Subscribers
Planet Crafter offers a relaxing yet immersive survival experience, where you and up to 10 friends can terraform a barren, hostile planet into a thriving paradise. Your mission is to collect resources, build bases, and craft machines to create an oxygen-rich atmosphere, heat the planet, and eventually populate it with life. With customizable difficulty levels and procedurally generated shipwrecks to explore, Planet Crafter combines base-building, crafting, and terraforming into a chill, non-violent adventure, where the environment itself is your only challenge.
If you would like to be in the running for a key, hit reply and just put 'planet'. We will pick a winner and send over the key in 48 hours
Historically Low Prices
This Loot Happens section on our website records past discounts on games and current ones available in the gaming industry. Our web crawlers work tirelessly daily to find the best deals across the gaming landscape.
These games are not just any games, but titles we truly love and highly respect. You can purchase them at prices we have never seen before!
The Plucky Squire [Steam]
Jump between 2D and 3D worlds in this charming action-adventure - solving puzzles, boxing badgers, flying with a jetpack.$33.46 $22.76
Sackboy: A Big Adventure [Steam]
Go solo in an epic race against time stuffed with danger and peril.$66.92 $24.72
Until Then [Steam]
Wake up in a typical teenage bedroom, practice piano, race to meet homework deadlines, and build relationships.$21.75 $8.87
Don't Starve Together [Steam]
Wake up in a typical teenage bedroom, practice piano, race to meet homework deadlines, and build relationships.$16.72 $4.45
Kingdom Come: Deliverance [PS4]
You're Henry, the son of a blacksmith. Thrust into a raging civil war, you watch helplessly as invaders storm your village.$29.99 $2.99
SOUTH PARK: SNOW DAY! [PS5]
Join Cartman, Stan, Kyle, and Kenny, in three-dimensional glory, to celebrate the most magical day in any young child’s life - a snow day.$29.99 $22.49
Payday 3 [Xbox Series X|S]
PAYDAY 3 is the much-anticipated sequel to one of the most popular co-op shooters ever.$39.99 $15.99
Resident Evil 2 [Xbox Series X|S]
An unparalleled adrenaline rush, gripping storyline, and unimaginable horrors await you.$39.99 $9.99
Featured Game Review: Frostpunk 2
Frostpunk 2 is not your typical sequel. While most follow-ups to successful games tend to play it safe, sticking close to the tried-and-true formula, Frostpunk 2 dares to do something different. Set in the same unforgiving, frostbitten world, this bold new entry in the series breathes fresh air (or rather, icy gusts) into city-building strategy. The familiar struggle for survival remains, but almost every mechanic has been reimagined—from how you heat your city to the political system that governs it. It’s a game of tough decisions and delicate balances, where the cold isn't your only enemy. Though you might miss the close-up view of your citizens' daily lives, Frostpunk 2 compensates with sweeping, strategic layers that make every choice a weighty one in the quest to keep New London alive.
Intriguing city-building puzzle, though it has a few quirks
The city-building mechanics in Frostpunk 2 introduce some intriguing new layers, but they come with a few quirks that might leave you scratching your head. One of the more unique elements is the frost-breaking system, which requires you to clear batches of frozen tiles before you can expand your city. While this fits the narrative of battling the harsh cold, it sometimes feels like busy work that slows down your progress rather than adding meaningful challenges. It’s a hurdle that tests your patience more than your strategy.
Another hiccup in the design is the rigid approach to district construction. If you want to reposition a single building, you’re forced to demolish the entire district and start over from scratch. The good news? You get all your resources back, so the cost is more in time than materials—but it’s still an unnecessary annoyance in an otherwise thoughtful system. Despite these frustrations, the city-building puzzle remains engaging, especially when balanced with the overarching challenge of keeping your citizens alive and your resources flowing. It’s a test of foresight and flexibility, even if the mechanics sometimes work against that.
Faction and government systems are centerpieces of the game
The faction and government systems in Frostpunk 2 are undoubtedly the core of the game, where every decision feels like a tightrope walk. Managing the various factions within New London is a delicate balancing act, as you attempt to keep promises to opposing groups while simultaneously pushing your own agenda. Rather than fearing a total collapse from resource shortages or external threats, your real concern is losing the trust of your people. Fail to maintain their confidence, and you might find yourself booted out of office before the frost even has a chance to take you down.
The political system is where Frostpunk 2 shines, giving you a Council made up of faction representatives who vote on critical decisions. Persuading—or even bribing—factions to support your proposals feels both strategic and immersive, adding layers of tension to every law passed and technology unlocked. The visual feedback as votes are cast adds a touch of drama, and there’s always the looming fear of a deal falling through if it doesn’t align with a faction’s worldview. However, expanding the scope of governance to multiple colonies does introduce some detachment from the human element that made the first game’s close-up perspective so impactful. While the political game is deep and rewarding, moments of personal tragedy, like a mine collapse killing dozens of children, sometimes feel more like numbers on a screen than gut-wrenching losses.
Bottom Line
Frostpunk 2 is an ambitious sequel that trades the intimacy of the original for a broader, more complex experience. Managing multiple colonies, juggling faction demands, and weathering literal and figurative storms require strategic finesse and constant adaptation. While the zoomed-out perspective means losing some of the personal connection to your citizens, the fresh take on city-building, resource management, and political systems makes for a game that feels both challenging and new. It’s a bold step forward that offers enough reinvention to ensure that even veterans of the original won’t feel like they’re treading familiar ground. If you're ready for a high-stakes test of leadership in the frozen wasteland, Frostpunk 2 won’t disappoint.
Next Week
There is a lot to look forward to in every newsletter, and we are in active communication with several developers and studios. More to come next week!
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