Samurai PC game 'Total War: Shogun 2' is free for a limited time

If being stuck at home has you going stir crazy, fret not. Video games are here to save the day once more.

Acclaimed PC strategy game Total War: Shogun 2 will be available free from 10 a.m. PDT on April 27, providing entire armies of samurai to keep you entertained. Grab it on Steam before 10 a.m. PDT on May 1, and the game is yours to keep forever.

Set in 16th century Japan, Total War: Shogun 2 has players command armies, govern settlements, and engage in diplomacy, aiming to unite warring clans under their rule. Gameplay is a mix of turn-based strategy and real-time battles, but there are also role-playing elements, with politics and personality traits influencing how you manage your generals. You can also send geisha assassins to murder your enemies, in a historically inaccurate but no less awesome touch.

Total War: Shogun 2 was well-received upon its release, winning the title of IGN's Best Strategy Game of 2011 as well as the 2012 British Academy Video Game Award for Strategy. Even now, it's still considered one of the best games in the Total War series.

Developer Creative Assembly was prompted to do this giveaway by the current coronavirus pandemic.

"The past few weeks have presented unimaginable challenges for many of us, but the remarkable collective effort being made by the global community to overcome this moment of adversity has been truly inspirational," Creative Assembly wrote in a blog post.

"With this in mind, we want to continue to encourage you all to stay home and save lives by extending a gift to everyone to help make this difficult situation a little bit easier."

It will also run a sale on other Total War titles and DLC from April 27, ending 10 a.m. PDT on May 4.

If you prefer to do your gaming on consoles, Sony has also gotten into the lockdown giveaway spirit. Journey and Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection are both currently available free for PlayStation 4, and are yours to keep if you grab them before 8 p.m. PDT on May 5.