You know this whole social games thing those whippersnappers are talking about is big when Steam gets into the game. The premier PC games distribution platform from Valve, creators of the Left 4 Dead and Half-Life (read: hardcore) franchises, has just signed on five free-to-play games for gamers to enjoy for, well, free! The games include hits like Forsaken World and Champions Online. But most notable of which is Spiral Knights, a brand new casual online role-playing game, or RPG, published by Sega and developed by San Francisco-based Three Rings. Did we mention it's free? Because it totally is.

Spiral Knights is a top-down, hack 'n slash RPG that isn't a far cry from games like The Legend of Zelda. Players assume the role of a Spiral Knight (no way, really?) as they delve deeper into the "Clockworks" of an unknown planet named Cradle. Your mission? Find a way home for your people by harvesting new materials to repair their busted spacecraft. You'll do just that through countless ever-changing dungeons presented in a style that harkens back to the good old days of gaming. And you can dungeon crawl with up to four friends at a time, create guilds, and craft your own armor and weapons with what you find.

"A game with strong co-operative and social elements like Spiral Knights is, put simply, a great fit for Steam," said Three Rings CEO Daniel James in a statement. "Beyond the convenience of automatic game updates and easy Energy purchases through Steam, our players will be able to enjoy their time in the Clockworks with their existing Friends List members, aided by built-in voice chat and instant messaging."

The game, since it is free to play (we hope that's sunken in by now), is supported by micro-transactions for new duds and the like, but most important is Crystal Energy. As you dive deeper into the Clockworks, you will need more of this Energy to operate the gates that unlock those dungeons. Luckily, just like in your favorite Facebook games, that Energy refills over time. You can check out the lot of Steam's new free-to-play games right here, and get to playing some Spiral Knights already ... we could always use more dungeon buddies.

[Image Credit: MMO Front]

Now that Steam has brought in some free-to-play games, do you think you'll be giving it the old download. Do you think Steam can compete with Facebook and other free game offerings? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.