How to Claim Tell Me Why for Free on Xbox and Steam (June 2026)

What is Tell Me Why about?

Developed by DONTNOD Entertainment, the studio behind Life is Strange, Tell Me Why is a three-chapter narrative adventure set in the fictional town of Delos Crossing, Alaska .

The story follows 21-year-old twins Alyson and Tyler Ronan, who reunite for the first time in ten years. They were separated after the death of their mother, Mary-Ann, an event that led to Tyler confessing to killing her in self-defense and spending a decade at a juvenile rehabilitation center called Fireweed . Alyson remained in Delos Crossing and was adopted by the local police chief .

When the twins return to their childhood home to sell it, they discover they share a supernatural telepathic link called the Bond. This power lets them communicate silently and, more critically, revisit key memories from their past — memories that often appear in conflicting versions between the two siblings. The core mystery of the game is whether they can trust their own recollections to uncover the real truth of what happened to their mother .

Tyler Ronan: a groundbreaking protagonist

Tyler Ronan is a transgender man. He and Alyson were raised as sisters before Tyler transitioned, and while his identity doesn't dominate the plot, it is central to the family trauma that fractured their childhood — the twins initially believe their mother's actions on the night she died were driven by rejection of Tyler's identity .

The character was developed with consultation from GLAAD, and a trans man, August Aiden Black, was cast as Tyler's voice actor . Beyond Tyler, the game also features Michael, a queer Tlingit man, making it one of the more intentionally inclusive titles published by Xbox Game Studios .

Why the game is free every June

Microsoft and DONTNOD do not simply drop the price randomly. The giveaway always spans the full month of June in recognition of Pride Month, with the official Xbox account and store pages explicitly tying the promotion to a celebration of LGBTQIA+ communities .

The first chapter of Tell Me Why is permanently free year-round as a kind of extended demo, but chapters two and three are normally sold together . During this window, the entire package becomes free to claim.

In previous years, DONTNOD has encouraged players who would have spent money on the game to instead donate to trans-inclusive charities, though no specific charity partner has been announced for the 2026 giveaway at time of writing .

How to claim the game before it's too late

The process is straightforward and doesn't require any paid subscription:

• On Xbox consoles: Navigate to the Microsoft Store on your Xbox One or Xbox Series X/S, search for Tell Me Why, and select "Get" or "Install." Once claimed, it stays in your library permanently.
• On PC (Microsoft Store): Visit the Tell Me Why listing on the Microsoft Store, sign in with your Microsoft account, and claim it. Because the game supports Xbox Play Anywhere, claiming it once makes it playable on both Xbox and Windows PC with synced saves .
• On Steam: Go to the Tell Me Why Steam page and click "Add to Account." No credit card or payment information is required .

The giveaway runs through the end of June 2026, with the promotion ending on July 1 . If you claim it before the deadline, the game remains yours to download and play whenever you want, with no time limit.

With a Metacritic score of 78 and an 80% positive rating from nearly 8,000 Steam reviews, Tell Me Why has quietly built a reputation as a thoughtful, well-written experience that deserves more attention than it gets . If you've enjoyed narrative-driven games like Life is Strange, there's no reason not to grab this one while it's completely free.