You love video games, but you’re not made of money. Lucky for you, game studios and subscription services offer a handful of free titles every month. Don’t miss out. Here’s what you can download in October.
Everyone loves free games. Steam has a hefty collection of them, but some places offer titles for only a limited amount of time. Epic Games gives away multiple games a week. Amazon’s Prime Gaming subscription service has new titles each month. But if you’re not paying attention, you’ll lose out on a PC game you could have kept forever. In an effort to help gamers know what’s out there to claim, we’re tracking the best free games available in a given month. While some titles are free outright, others are included as part of a subscription service. Here’s everything you can grab this month. Free Epic Games Store Games Epic Games gives away free titles every week; no need for a subscription. Head over to the Epic Games Store website or open the launcher, scroll down to the Free Games section, and hit the Free Now banner on the title you want. Then, go through the process as if you were purchasing the game. You won’t be charged, and the game will appear in your games library on the Epic Games launcher. DARQ: Complete Edition (Until Nov.4) In the horror-adventure game DARQ, you control a boy trapped inside his own nightmare. Solve gravity-defying puzzles by walking up walls and around rotating rooms as you navigate his nightmare world. Aven Colony (Nov.4 – Nov.11) In the city-building strategy game Aven Colony, your goal is to establish a colony on an alien world. You must construct buildings, defend against alien threats and natural disasters, gather resources, grow crops, and expand your colony in order to keep morale high. Rocket League (Now Free) Rocket League, a game in which you play soccer with race cars, combines high-speed racing with competitive sports gameplay to make it an Editors’ Choice winner among competitive esports titles. It’s now a free-to-play game exclusive to the Epic Game Store. Free GOG Games GOG doesn’t have regular giveaways as some other websites do, but when there is a free game to claim, you can grab it right from the front page. You will see a banner with a free game and countdown. Click the green button to claim the game. In between giveaways, GOG always has a small collection of free games, which mainly comprises classic computer games that have been made available at no cost. The Witcher: Enhanced Edition GOG allows you to score a free copy of the first Witcher game if you download the GOG Galaxy desktop client. Go to the Recent view and click the giveaway button at the top of the screen. As long as you agree to let GOG send you news and offers, the game is free to claim. Free Games Collection You can grab any of GOG’s free games by adding it to your cart and proceeding as if it were a normal purchase. The game will then be added to your account for $0. Standouts include Beneath a Steel Sky, Shadow Warrior, Postal, and several Ultima games. Akalabeth: World of Doom (1979) Ascendant (2014) Beneath a Steel Sky (1994) Bio Menace (1993) Cayne (2017) Delores: A Thimbleweed Park Mini-Adventure (2020) Doomdark’s Revenge (1984) Eschalon: Book I (2006) Flight of the Amazon Queen (1995) Hello Neighbor Alpha Version (2017) Janosik Jill of the Jungle: The Complete Trilogy (1991) The Lords of Midnight (1984) Lure of the Temptress (1992) Loria (2018) Open TTD (2004) Postal: Classic and Uncut (2003) Samorost 1 (2003) Sang-Froid: Tales of Werewolves (2013) Shadow Warrior Classic Complete (1997) Stargunner (1996) Sunrider: Mask of Arcadius (2014) Teenagent (1994) Treasure Adventure Game (2011) Tyrian 2000 (1999) Ultima 4: Quest of the Avatar (1985) Ultima World of Adventure 2: Martian Dreams (1991) Worlds of Ultima: The Savage Empire (1990) War Wind (1996) Free Itch.io Games Tired of big blockbusters? Itch.io is a digital game store dedicated to indie titles you won’t find anywhere else. It offers plenty of free-to-play games, but some will even go on sale for 100% for a limited time. Find a game you want to grab and click the Download or claim button. If you’re feeling generous, you can fork over a few bucks to the developer, but it’s completely optional for free games. You can get the free game by clicking the No thanks, just take me to the downloads link and selecting Claim game to add it to your library. The game files are then made available to download. Shift! (Until Oct.30) The puzzle game Shift! takes its cues from games like Portal and Q.U.B.E., with the game’s main mechanic allowing you to switch back and forth between the past and the present. Cybernetic Moon Horse 2071 (Until Oct.31) Billed as an equine emulator, Cybernetic Moon Horse 2071 is an endless runner (or, in this case, galloper) where you navigate a horse through a randomized psychedelic world. The further you get, the more obstacles pop up to get in your way. Untangle (Until Oct.31) The first-person survival horror game Untangle pulls you into an otherworldly school with the vengeful spirit of your missing classmate. Can you stay alive long enough to learn the truth about her death and put her soul to rest? The Flight (Until Nov.1) The Flight is a short horror game where you wake up on an empty airplane with no memory of what happened. You must then explore the abandoned airport and discover what is going on. Daft Disputes (Until Nov.19) Daft Disputes is a hand-drawn card game where you must help a group of senior citizens make it back to their retirement home. Collect character and power-up cards in order to take down the enemies you encounter along the way. Free Microsoft Store Games Microsoft doesn’t usually give away games on the Microsoft Store, but there are a few titles the company has decided to make free moving forward (some you can find only on the web, and not the desktop app). If you have a game code to redeem, sign into your Microsoft Account, then enter the code at redeem.microsoft.com; from the web app, go to More > Redeem a code. If it’s a game for your Xbox console, you must first make sure remote install is set up on your console. Crackdown 1 & 2 (Now Free) Microsoft has made the sandbox-style third-person shooters Crackdown, and its sequel Crackdown 2, available for free from the Microsoft Store. The games let you cause massive amounts of destruction as you fight enemies within the game world. Farming Simulator 14 & 16 (Now Free) Farming Simulator lets you grow crops, care for animals, and run a farm while operating true-to-life farming equipment. Newer editions have been released, but the 2014 and 2016 versions are now free in the Microsoft Store, giving you a good chance to try out the games before investing in the newest version. Phantom Dust (Now Free) The original Xbox release Phantom Dust combines third-person combat with card collecting to create a unique real-time strategy experience. Complete missions to gain new skills and equip unique builds for each new battle. The game was supposed to get a remaster on Xbox One, but was made free instead after it was cancelled. Too Human (Now Free) The action RPG Too Human is a science-fiction retelling of Norse mythology, where all the gods are cybernetically enhanced humans who must stop Loki’s machine army. Free PlayStation Plus Games PlayStation Plus is Sony’s online multiplayer and games subscription service that costs $9.99 for one month, $24.99 for three months, or $59.99 for a full year. As part of the service, you can claim new games to keep every month. They’ll be accessible as long as you have an active PlayStation Plus subscription. Subscribers who own a PS5 will also be able to keep games from a curated selection of titles. You can claim these games directly from your console by choosing the PlayStation Plus button on the PlayStation home screen or going through the PlayStation Network Store.
