As we are reminded every time we log onto a student loan company's website after being overcome by a wave of masochism, education is not free. That's because Two Point Campus, the comedic college management sim that was named Katie Vickens' personal GOTY last year, is available for free on Steam this weekend.

As you might have guessed from its name, this is Two Point's follow-up to the themed hospital-like "Two Point Hospital," and it continues the surreal humor and mild catastrophe of its medical predecessor. To celebrate its first birthday, the game is free to try until Monday, July 31, and 50% off until Monday, August 10.

It's a management game in the vein of the classic bullfrog: you'll spend a lot of time hiring and firing strange little people and drawing blueprints for countless facilities. You balance the budget, keep the students happy there and then while squeezing the hell out of them, and generally keep your entire venerable institution from collapsing under the weight of its inconsistencies and frustrations. In short, it's a one-on-one simulation of actual university operations.

To give you some idea of the academic opportunities offered here, the classes at Two Point Campus consist of things like wizardry and espionage; in his review of Two Point Campus, PCG's Fraser Brown wrote, "Two Point Hospital ends up feeling like it follows the model," even if it is "bursting with energy, charisma, and slapstick mayhem, a good time is guaranteed."

Plus, if you're in the proper millennial age bracket, it could be one of the most nostalgic experiences you've had in a while. The fact that it's (temporarily) free doesn't hurt, either.