Tim told me before we started that he had played a lot of Don't Starve, but the reality of that didn't hit me until we got into the game and he became a well-oiled, survival machine. Don't Starve Together is a standalone, multiplayer version of the original that just recently entered Steam early access. It will be made free to those who currently own the original when it leaves early access, but Tim and I couldn't wait to get our hands on it. While it seems like not much has changed yet, sharing survival with another person can be a very different experience. Watch the video above to see me and Tim fight for our lives. 

Don't Starve Together, the standalone multiplayer expansion for Don't Starve, will hit Early Access on December 15. As the name implies, Don't Starve Together is a cooperative spin on the top down survival game, pitting friends against the harsh realities of starvation. It'll be a nice, friendship-building experience.

Klei Entertainment has announced that in its Early Access state, Don't Starve Together will no longer be a free upgrade for existing Don't Starve players. Instead, owners of the original game will pay $4.99 for the Frontier Pack. It's a decent deal though: upgrading will grant you a copy of Don't Starve as well as two keys to the Don't Starve Together Early Access. Those who don't already own the original game will pay $19.99 for the pack. Update: If you don't want to take part in the Early Access period, the multiplayer expansion will still be free if you own the game, you'll just have to wait for the final build.

The Early Access edition follows a beta, which proved so popular that Klei decided to make the upgrade to Steam. "As part of the Beta signup process, we ve found that there are a lot of people who really want into the Beta, and even while giving out a hundreds of keys every day, it became clear to us that we needed a release valve for the demand. 

"Specifically, people were starting to buy keys in back channels, with varying success. That's why we're now providing the Frontier Pack: a clear, official channel for access."

Check out the Early Access trailer below:

If for some reason you budget your video game spending by the weekend, then here's good news: you can spend that money on something else. May I suggest: nicer food. A new pair of shoes. A trip to the nearest theme park. 

The reason is, Steam is making ten games free this weekend as part of its aptly titled Free Weekend promotions. The games include Company of Heroes 2, XCOM: Enemy Unknown and Grid 2. You'll have over 48 hours to play them, as they unlock 10am Pacific time on Thursday, October 16. After that you'll need to pay for them, with the promise of substantial discounts.

Here's the list:

Awesomenauts Blade Symphony Company of Heroes 2 Don't Starve Grid 2 Injustice Killing Floor Payday 2 Trine 2 XCOM: Enemy Unknown

It's a good week for free games: GOG.com is giving away Alien versus Predator Classic this week as part of a GOG Galaxy test run.