Chains of Freedom

Chains of Freedom on PC is a single-player, isometric turn-based tactics game from Nordcurrent and Nordcurrent Labs. Steam, GOG, and Epic Games Store currently list it under the same name, with no verified rebrand or replacement edition. Its campaign combines squad combat, scavenging, equipment customization, and a conspiracy story set in a dystopian Eastern European state.

Turn-based squad combat with real-time preparation

Chains of Freedom alternates between exploration and turn-based tactical battles. You guide an elite military squad through abandoned urban areas, forests, laboratories, and fortified installations before choosing how to approach hostile encounters.

Combat is built around positioning, cover, flanking, weapon range, and the careful use of each character's abilities. The battles are presented from an isometric perspective, giving you a clear view of the battlefield while preserving the close-quarters feel of a small-unit operation.

Before a fight begins, exploration lets you inspect the environment, collect supplies, and assess threats. This preparation matters because ammunition and consumables are limited, while a badly handled encounter can leave the squad exposed to concentrated enemy fire.

The game does not use a traditional tile-based presentation as its defining identity. Movement and positioning instead feel more fluid, with tactical decisions shaped by the available terrain, sightlines, cover positions, and the action economy of each turn.

Environmental objects can also become part of the plan. Explosives and other battlefield elements create opportunities for environmental kills, distractions, and more efficient attacks when direct fire would be too costly.

Weapons, biocrystals, and survival resources

Squad customization is one of the main systems separating Chains of Freedom from a basic cover shooter. Characters can be equipped with weapons ranging from firearms and melee tools to flamethrowers and mortars, allowing the team to adapt to different enemy formations and battlefield layouts.

The unusual progression layer comes from biocrystal abilities. These crystals can be mixed and matched to give characters additional capabilities, encouraging experimentation with squad roles rather than locking every soldier into a single rigid class.

Equipment choices become especially important when the group enters a mission with limited supplies. Healing kits, Molotov cocktails, ammunition, and other consumables can change the outcome of a battle, but using them early may leave fewer options for a later confrontation.

The arsenal is intentionally broad. A meat hook or axe can support close-range tactics, while heavy weapons offer area control and burst damage. The best loadout depends on the mission, the terrain, and the enemies expected in the next encounter.

Chains of Freedom also uses resource pressure to support its survivalist tone. Scavenging is not separate from combat strategy; it feeds directly into the player's ability to sustain the squad and keep valuable tools available for difficult engagements.

A conspiracy in a post-apocalyptic Eastern Europe

The story follows a military squad operating in a fictional, dystopian Eastern European country. A wider crisis involving a rogue scientist, mind control serums, and a government close to collapse gradually turns routine missions into an investigation.

Its setting moves between grimy abandoned settlements, overgrown wilderness, hidden research facilities, and military strongholds. These locations support a grounded post-apocalyptic atmosphere rather than a purely fantastical wasteland.

Moral dilemmas and betrayal are part of the campaign's narrative framing. The squad is not simply clearing disconnected combat arenas; missions are tied to a larger attempt to understand who is manipulating the country and why.

Players looking for a tightly authored campaign should note that the structure is primarily linear. Optional areas and environmental discoveries add room for exploration, but this is not an open-ended strategy sandbox with a changing world map or a faction-management layer.

The story focus is a useful distinction in a crowded tactics market. Players who enjoy compact post-apocalyptic squad tactics like Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden will recognize the appeal of combining exploration, resource awareness, and carefully chosen engagements.

Content model and PC editions

Chains of Freedom is sold as a paid standalone game. The current Steam, GOG, and Epic storefront listings do not identify a free-to-play transition, season pass, or separate licensed expansion structure.

A free demo is listed on Steam, giving prospective players a way to sample the tactical combat and story presentation before purchasing the full campaign.

The core experience is focused on one authored story campaign. There is no advertised multiplayer suite, competitive mode, or cooperative campaign attached to the PC product listing.

Steam lists achievements, Steam Cloud, and Family Sharing. GOG lists achievements, cloud saves, controller support, and overlay integration, while also offering a DRM-free version that can be installed and played without GOG Galaxy.

That makes the GOG edition the clearest choice for players who specifically want an offline installer and no mandatory launcher connection. Steam and Epic remain storefront alternatives for players who prefer their existing PC libraries and platform ecosystems.

Who should play Chains of Freedom?

Chains of Freedom is aimed at players who enjoy single-player turn-based tactics, squad equipment decisions, resource management, and story-led missions rather than endless procedural campaigns.

It should appeal to players who like planning around cover, conserving ammunition, combining character abilities, and searching hostile environments for useful supplies. Its emphasis on biocrystals gives the squad-building layer more flexibility than a purely fixed-class system.

It is less suitable for players seeking online co-op, a large strategic overworld, deep base construction, or a highly reactive branching campaign. The mission structure is curated and linear, with replay value coming mainly from improving tactical decisions and testing different equipment combinations.

Fans of mercenary management and broader tactical campaigns may prefer a more systemic alternative. Players wanting larger-scale mercenary tactics with co-op and strategic map management can look toward Jagged Alliance 3, which offers a more expansive campaign structure than Chains of Freedom.

Controller support, languages, and storefront features

The PC versions support controller input, making the game suitable for players who prefer a gamepad over keyboard and mouse. Steam also identifies the game as compatible with Steam Deck, with accessible controller functions and readable in-game interface text.

Steam includes Steam Cloud, achievements, Family Sharing, and a separate demo listing. GOG provides controller support, achievements, cloud saves, and optional Galaxy integration rather than requiring the Galaxy client for offline play.

Steam lists English full audio and interface or subtitle support for French, German, Spanish from Spain, Japanese, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, and Simplified Chinese.

No verified PC features such as mod support, split-screen, local co-op, dedicated servers, cabinet mode, or multi-monitor display support are advertised on the current storefront listings. Those omissions matter for players comparing it with more feature-heavy tactical sandboxes.

For another bleak, stealth-oriented squad strategy experience, Corruption 2029 offers a related post-apocalyptic tactical setting with a stronger emphasis on stealth preparation. Chains of Freedom instead puts more weight on direct turn-based combat, equipment variety, and its biocrystal system.

Chains of Freedom FAQ

Is Chains of Freedom still the official PC name?

Yes. Steam, GOG, and Epic Games Store currently list the game as Chains of Freedom. No verified PC storefront rebrand or replacement title was found.

What type of game is Chains of Freedom?

It is an isometric, single-player turn-based tactics game with action, adventure, strategy, survival, and role-playing elements. The campaign combines squad battles, real-time exploration, scavenging, equipment choices, and a conspiracy-focused story.

Does Chains of Freedom have multiplayer or co-op?

No multiplayer or cooperative campaign is advertised on the current PC storefront listings. The game is presented as a single-player experience.

How does character customization work?

You equip the squad with different weapons and consumables, then customize abilities through biocrystals that can be mixed and matched between characters. This lets you adjust the team's capabilities for different tactical situations.

Is Chains of Freedom free to play?

No. The full game is a paid purchase. Steam also lists a free demo, but the demo is separate from the complete campaign.

Which languages are available on PC?

Steam lists English audio, with interface and subtitle support for English, French, German, Spanish from Spain, Japanese, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, and Simplified Chinese.

Can Chains of Freedom be played offline?

The GOG version is listed as DRM-free and supports offline installation without requiring GOG Galaxy. Other storefront versions depend on their respective PC platform clients and account systems.