Greenhouse: Schism Goes Free on Steam—New 2D Platformer to Try in 2025
If you’re in the mood for a sharp 2D platformer, Greenhouse: Schism is worth a look—especially now that the indie game has dropped its price and become free to claim. While it doesn’t aim for the huge scale of blockbuster storefront staples like Celeste, it still targets the kind of tight, genre-friendly challenges that platformer fans tend to enjoy.
Release and availability: now free on Steam
| Game | Store status | Previous price | Where to claim |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenhouse: Schism | Free-to-keep | $4.99 USD | Steam |
Steam’s free-to-keep promotions haven’t had a strong run in the latter half of June, and the early view of July’s lineup hasn’t looked much better either—so far, only three titles are expected to become fully free. With that in mind, this kind of surprise drop helps fill the gap for PC players who want more than just a couple of decent freebies.
In Greenhouse: Schism’s case, the change is coming from the developer directly: a solo creator has made the 2D platformer available at no cost on Steam. If you’re trying to balance the quieter promotion schedule with something challenging, this is one of the more straightforward “grab it now” moments.
Steam users interested in free-to-keep games can also expect there to be a catch with some giveaways—but here, the main headline is simple: Greenhouse: Schism is now free to claim.
Greenhouse: Schism Used to Be a $5 Game on Steam, Now It’s Free
- Search for Greenhouse: Schism on Steam to claim it
Just a couple of days after the game marked its first anniversary on Steam, solo developer Volpanic! posted a community update explaining the decision to remove the price tag and let players access the game for free. “I’m making the game free,” the post states, framing the move as a way to lower the barrier to entry now that there’s essentially no cost to try it.
Volpanic! also acknowledged that sales hadn’t been particularly strong. In their words, they’d rather see the project reach more players—feeling better about the game’s performance if more people end up playing than if a few additional copies move. SteamDB pricing history indicates Greenhouse: Schism previously sat at $4.99 USD, before joining Steam’s free-to-play indie catalog.
Free Game Giveaways
Greenhouse: Schism’s Gameplay Features
- Challenging platforming missions
- 6 boss encounters
- 6 areas you can explore
- Spellcasting mechanics
- Hidden secrets to uncover
- A tough NG+ mode
- Pixel-art visuals
- Retro-style music
One important expectation-setting note: Greenhouse: Schism is a short indie platformer if you’re just looking to beat it, but it’s a longer journey if you’re aiming to truly master it. Even the developer says they haven’t unlocked every achievement themselves, which hints at how much depth players may find once they start chasing mastery.
To keep the experience intense for fans of pixel-art platformers, Volpanic! intentionally avoided adding an easy mode. The result is a game that stays focused on challenge rather than comfort settings.
Performance-wise, Greenhouse: Schism isn’t demanding. It should run smoothly on most lower-spec PCs, making it a practical free pickup if your hardware isn’t built for heavier modern releases.
At the time of writing, the game has only a small number of Steam reviews, but none of them are negative. Volpanic! pointed that out directly, saying that there weren’t any negative reviews yet. They also noted that Greenhouse gives them room to expand the project beyond the current release—so getting more eyes on it could matter for what comes next.
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Volpanic! explained that they handled essentially everything in the game, including the retro soundtrack. The only other contributor was an illustrator, who provided the background art and several key art pieces. Steam is often a strong platform for solo developers, helping lift smaller indie projects into wider visibility—examples mentioned include Schedule 1 and Hollow Knight.
That said, Greenhouse: Schism is still relatively unknown compared to the biggest solo-dev success stories on Steam. With the game now fully free to play, though, there’s a clear opening for it to reach more players—especially those who want a pixel-art platformer with spells, secrets, bosses, and a tougher NG+ to sink into.
