The indie game that contributed to Portal 2 is now on Steam

The indie game that inspired Portal 2 is now free to play on Steam.

As first reported by PCGamesN , Tag: The Power of Paint is now entirely free to play and keep over on Steam. For those unfamiliar with the game, it blends puzzling and platforming together with the power of paint, as you spray various colors around an environment to proceed through a level.

If you don't know the extensive history behind Valve's highly influential Portal games, both the original and the sequel have deep ties to indie games. In the case of Portal 2 though, Valve saw what the student team was up to on Tag: The Power of Paint after it was lauded with a bunch of awards, and actually hired the developers.

From there, the team was tasked with implementing mechanics and concepts from Tag: The Power of Paint into what would become Portal 2. This then ended up becoming the gel system for the brilliant sequel, and an idea that originated from a group of students ended up taking form in Valve's sequel.

Nowadays, you can actually play Portal 2 on the go, as it was the first game to become "Steam Deck Verified" for Valve's latest gaming device late last year. Elsewhere, you can check out Portal 2: Desolation, the fan-made sequel to Valve's sequel that you've probably been waiting an incredibly long time for.

Check out our list of the best games like Portal and Portal 2 if you're looking for some amazingly mind-bending levels to puzzle your way through.