Permafrost Playtest and Demo: Is There a Free Trial?
Updated 2026-10-14 · Last checked 2026-10-14 · Early Access
There is no free trial on the live Steam page. A timed playtest already happened, and it ended before Early Access. If you want to play now, the path is a purchase, not a demo button.
I looked for a Demo block on the store page on 14 October 2026 and did not find one. The playtest dates below come from Steam news posts titled “Playtest Starts Now!” and “Extended Playtime & Second Round of Invites.” I am not calling it a Next Fest demo, because I did not find that label in those posts.
What the October playtest allowed
The playtest started on 2 October 2026 and ended at 14:00 CEST on 6 October 2026. Each person had a 2-hour cap, counted from launching the game, including character creation. Each participant could send three friend invites. A survey was requested afterward. An earlier cap of 1 hour was extended to 2 hours on 3 October.
What you can do today
Early Access went live on 9 October 2026. The store page shows Buy and edition bundles, not a free demo. The developer letter on 6 October mentions people who “fought to survive in our demo,” which confirms a demo existed before launch. It does not say that demo is still downloadable.
Questions
Can I play Permafrost for free?
Not on the Steam page checked 14 October 2026. The timed playtest ended 6 October 2026.
Will there be another playtest?
No second free trial was announced in the posts I checked.
Related pages
Sources
- Steam store page — Permafrost (app 2254990) — Checked 2026-10-14. Price, platforms, Early Access FAQ, and system requirements.
- Steam news feed — Playtest Starts Now and Extended Playtime posts, checked 2026-10-14.