{"rewrite":{"id":"r_5506c0571ab9349fc8820b23","clusterId":"c_13f42fb2f4b4afe77add7232","slug":"space-menace-is-free-on-steam-until-september-24","model":"deepseek-v4-1-flash","headline":"Space Menace Is Free on Steam Until September 24","summary":"Developer Only4Gamers began a limited-time free giveaway of Space Menace on Steam on September 17. The giveaway runs until 2:00 AM on September 24. Players who add the game to their library during that window keep it at no cost afterward. The regular price is 905 yen including tax. Space Menace is a top-down real-time strategy game set in space. The player starts with a single spaceship, takes missions from factions, builds reputation, and uses the rewards to upgrade and construct ships. Ships can be specialized for roles such as EMP or as carriers that launch fighters. The game was released in November 2022. On Steam it holds a 57 percent positive rating from 38 user reviews, a Mixed rating, with players responding to the variety of builds and the simple, casual combat. A sequel, Space Menace 2, appeared in 2025 and is currently 60 percent off at 540 yen including tax, down from 1,350 yen.","whyItMatters":"The giveaway is paired with a discount on Space Menace 2, so Only4Gamers is using the free original to pull players toward the paid sequel.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eThe giveaway is the latest promotion for a game that has built a niche following since its November 2022 launch. The Steam user rating sits at 57 percent positive from 38 reviews, a Mixed score, though players single out the range of viable builds and combat that stays simple and casual.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShip customization drives that variety. Vessels can be fitted for specialist roles such as EMP or configured as carriers that deploy fighters, letting each hull fill a distinct job in a fleet.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eSpace Menace: free to keep on Steam from September 17 until 2:00 AM on September 24; regular price 905 yen including tax.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eSpace Menace 2: released July 2025, on sale at 60 percent off for 540 yen including tax, down from 1,350 yen, also until September 24.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGame Spark describes the sequel as brushed up overall, naming its pacing and fleet customization as the areas that received attention. The first game casts the player as a freelance captain who takes missions from the factions scattered across the map. Reputation rises or falls with those choices, and the rewards feed directly into upgrades and new construction. Combat plays out in a 2D top-down view, with fleet expansion and fighter preparation as the main levers. Only4Gamers frames a run around the idea that a player\u0026#39;s decisions determine the fate of the galaxy.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Space Menace's giveaway lands as Space Menace 2 sits at 60 percent off. Only4Gamers is discounting the sequel while the original goes free, so the two release windows now overlap.","twitterPost":"Space Menace goes free while Space Menace 2 is 60 percent off. Only4Gamers is running both discounts at once.","threadsPost":"Space Menace's giveaway overlaps with a 60 percent discount on Space Menace 2. Only4Gamers is pushing the original and its sequel at the same time, which splits attention between a free entry point and a paid follow-up.","newsletterBlurb":"Only4Gamers is giving away Space Menace on Steam until 2:00 AM on September 24. The space real-time strategy game normally costs 905 yen. The 2025 sequel, Space Menace 2, is also 60 percent off at 540 yen.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Automaton\",\"url\":\"https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/space-menace-20260917-468195/\",\"title\":\"Space Real-Time Strategy Game 'Space Menace' Is Free on Steam; Normally Priced at 905 Yen\"},{\"source\":\"Game Spark\",\"url\":\"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/09/17/172392.html\",\"title\":\"[Limited-Time Free] Epic Space RTS Now Free on Steam - Start with a Single Ship, Gain Glory and Wealth, and Hold the Fate of the Galaxy in Your Hands. Sequel Also on Sale for a Bargain\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":11200,"outputTokens":1284,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1789617562,"createdAt":"2026-09-17T03:54:16.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-09-17T03:58:20.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-09-17T03:58:20.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_13f42fb2f4b4afe77add7232","canonicalTitle":"宇宙リアルタイムストラテジー『Space Menace』がSteamにて無料配布中。定価905円のゲーム","representativeArticleId":"a_f184870f9886e4169320a2a8","sourceCount":2,"writtenSourceCount":2,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"Space Menace\"],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"release\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-09-17T00:44:41.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-09-17T01:30:03.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-09-17T03:58:20.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Automaton","url":"https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/space-menace-20260917-468195/","title":"宇宙リアルタイムストラテジー『Space Menace』がSteamにて無料配布中。定価905円のゲーム"},{"source":"Game Spark","url":"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/09/17/172392.html","title":"【期間限定無料】壮大な宇宙RTSゲームがSteamにて無料配布中―たった1隻から始め、栄光と富を得て銀河の運命を握ろう。続編もセール中でお買い得"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["Space Menace"],"studios":[],"people":[],"type":"release","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["Only4Gamers began a free giveaway of Space Menace on Steam on September 17, running until 2:00 AM on September 24.","Space Menace normally costs 905 yen including tax on Steam.","Space Menace 2, the sequel released in 2025, is on sale at 60 percent off for 540 yen including tax, down from 1,350 yen.","Space Menace was released in November 2022 and holds a 57 percent positive rating from 38 user reviews on Steam.","Space Menace is a top-down real-time strategy game where players start with one spaceship and build faction reputation through missions."]}