In 2023, the Epic Games Store carried on with its weekly free game giveaway campaign, offering a few fantastic titles for users to take advantage of. Explore whole list here!
With its now-famous giveaway program, the Epic Games Store continues to provide gamers with fantastic games for free every week, assisting users in expanding their library on the launcher with a choice of titles from several different genres. While some free games on the Epic Game Store are definitely more notable than others, this year's selection of free games is among the greatest overall to date. Players can still look forward to the free mystery games from the Epic Games Store this month, even if the deadlines for claiming these free games have passed.
When it first launched as an end-user in 2018, the Epic Games Store struggled to compete with PC gaming giants like Steam. During its introduction, Epic Games offered a free game every two weeks to entice consumers to download it from their online store. However, in June 2019, the promotional schedule was extended to once a week, and it has continued to this day.
These are the top 2023 games, listed in chronological order by the dates of their giveaways. Epic Games has spent millions of dollars on free game giveaways over the last five years.
10. Kerbal Space Program (January 5 - 12)
The year 2023 began with a giveaway from Epic Games of the 2015 game Kerbal Space Program, which was followed by the release of its sequel in February. The game's complete release has been out since 2015, however on the same day it was given away for free, Kerbal Space Program debuted on the Epic Games Store. This choice was a kind approach to encourage players who may not have played the game to do so without any obligations, showing that sometimes it pays to be a patient player.
Real-life space flight mechanics are combined with humorous green astronauts known as Kerbals in the space flight simulation game Kerbal Space Program. Building the rockets, rovers, and space stations required to take their Kerbals into space and using the game's physics engine to replicate real orbital maneuvers carried out by NASA astronauts will test players' patience and ability. Despite its challenging nature, the Kerbal Space Program has developed a cult following and even received recognition for its dedication to accurate simulation of physics from prominent leaders in the spaceflight business.
9. Dishonored: Death of the Outsider (February 2 - 9)
Fans of developer Arkane Studios had cause for celebration even though the studio's controversial Redfall launch made it a difficult year for them. Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, among other studio masterpieces, was given gratis on the Epic Games Store. Despite being released in 2017, the game wasn't available until December 2022 on the Epic Games Store, when it was first offered as a free download in February 2023. The previous month, players could have obtained Dishonored: Definitive Edition for free from the shop.
Thanks to its gameplay that lets players choose how they handle combat scenarios, the Dishonored series has become a classic among enthusiasts of the immersive simulation genre. The third game in the series, Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, started out as DLC for Dishonored 2 but ended up being a complete stand-alone game. The game centers on the mysterious figure known as The Outsider, who gives players their supernatural abilities throughout the series. Billie Lurk, a former assassin, teams up with her mentor Daud to kill him.
8. Dying Light Enhanced Edition (April 6 - 13)
The Epic Games Store released several fantastic games for free in the spring, starting in April with Techland's zombie parkour adventure Dying Light Enhanced Edition. Originally launched in 2016, it was brought to the Epic Games Store in February 2022, coinciding with the release of Dying Light 2: Stay Human in the same month. The Following expansion and the first year's worth of content—such as "The Bozak Horde" and "Be the Zombie" mode—come with the upgraded version of Dying Light.
In Dying Light, players take place in the made-up city of Harran, which is somewhere in the Middle East, after a viral outbreak that turns those who contract it into nimble, aggressive zombies. To help survivors in the quarantined metropolis, players will need to use their parkour talents as the main character Kyle Crane to navigate the roofs of the city and avoid the threats these zombies provide. The game's fast-paced traversal mechanisms, which were improved upon in the sequel, are its most famous feature.
7. Death Stranding (May 18 -25)
Death Stranding, the AAA masterpiece by Hideo Kojima, was one of the largest titles that Epic titles gave free in 2023. The game was first launched in 2019 as a PlayStation exclusive. It was then released on PC in 2020, and the Director's Cut version will be available on the PS5 and the Epic Games Store in 2022. Players could only get the base game for free with the option to purchase the Director's Cut upgrade, even though the Director's Cut was available at the time Death Stranding was given away.
In Death Stranding, Sam Porter Bridges travels the United Cities of America in a post-apocalyptic setting, trying to provide supplies and reestablish these cities' connections to the Chiral Network. Sam fights the terrorist group known as the Homo Demens and its commander, Higgs, along the way. BTs are creatures that reside in the realm between life and death. According to Kojima, Death Stranding's gameplay is "strand-like," with players using the simulated physics of the game to navigate a range of hazardous situations and construct buildings online asynchronously to aid other players in their instances of the game.
6. Fallout: New Vegas – Ultimate Edition (May 25 - June 1)
The beloved Fallout: New Vegas, which is frequently regarded as the best game in the Fallout series, was a pleasant surprise freebie from Epic Games that included all of the game's DLC in the Ultimate Edition. Obsidian Entertainment created the beloved role-playing game Fallout: New Vegas, which debuted in 2010 and was eventually added to the Epic Games Store in May of 2023. Epic Games handed the game as a freebie right away to commemorate its arrival on the storefront, making it accessible for free the day it launched on the Epic Games Store.
Fallout: New Vegas, like previous Fallout games, takes place in a post-apocalyptic future in which nuclear war has decimated the planet, leaving the ruins of civilization radioactively damaged and scarcely livable. This game, which was developed by Obsidian with Bethesda serving as the publisher, was not created by Bethesda themselves. It is set in the Mojave Desert, around the remnants of the Las Vegas Strip. Fallout: New Vegas players, in their role as the Courier, will have to deal with rival factions vying for land and control over the few resources left over after the nuclear war.
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5. Payday 2 (June 8 -15)
The week following Fallout: New Vegas, the well-liked cooperative heist shooter Payday 2 was given away on the Epic Games Store, carrying on the storefront's 2023 tradition of amazing free releases. Since its 2013 release, Payday 2 has remained the benchmark cooperative shooter game, even in 2023, according to the Epic Games Store. Similar to Fallout: New Vegas, Payday 2 was given away for free the day it was launched, most likely to build anticipation for the film's follow-up, which is scheduled for release in September 2023.
In Payday 2, gamers can play alone or with up to three other people to take on epic heists such as armored cars, and bank, and store robberies. Payday 2 gave gamers a ton of replay value whether they were playing alone or with other players since it allowed them to play as one of 22 gang members and featured a variety of play styles. Even though Payday 3 fell short of the high standards set by its predecessor in many aspects, this giveaway allowed both fans and beginners to continue enjoying the series until 2023.
4. Guacamelee 2 (June 8- 15)
Guacamelee and Guacamelee 2, two fantastic indie Metroidvanias that fans can add to their library in 2023, were given away with Payday 2. Guacamelee 2, the follow-up to the 2013 indie darling, was first made accessible on the Epic Games Store the week it was featured in this gratis promotion, even though it was first launched in 2018. Even though Guacamelee 2 isn't as big of a release as other of the games that were given away this year, it's still a great Metroidvania game that was worth grabbing during this promotion.
Independent game developer DrinkBox Studios' Guacamelee 2 follows retired luchador Juan Aguacate as he returns to the Mexiverse to rescue it from the evil Salvador. Guacamelee 2 not only has a tight action-platforming gameplay and a funny cast of characters comparable to its predecessor, but it also improves on these aspects in a way that both new and returning players will find enjoyable. In addition, the game does a fantastic job of conveying Mexican culture and tradition in a gorgeously rendered environment that will pique players' interest and encourage exploration.
3. GRIME (July 6 - 13)
This year, the Epic Games Store also gave GRIME for free, which is another fantastic independent game in the genre that lovers of metamorphosis were rewarded. GRIME, which was released in August 2021, was created by independent studio Clover Bite and distributed by Akupara Games. But this past summer, from July 6–13, Epic Games added it to their freebie campaign, so anyone who hadn't had a chance to try it yet may enjoy this Metroidvania–meets–Souslike game without any obligations.
In GRIME, players are thrust into a grim universe where people worship sculptures that depict idealized physical attributes and strive for the perfect physique. In classic Metroidvania tradition, players take control of The Vessel, which gains new powers as the player advances and opens up previously unreachable areas. Aside from the platforming gameplay, there's also combat that is influenced by Soulslikes. To avoid losing progress and having to restart at an obelisk, players must learn when to time their attacks and approach adversaries with caution.
2. The Elder Scrolls Online (July 20 - 27)
The Elder Scrolls Online subtly released its base game for free on the Epic Games Store in July, but Bethesda's fan base was more focused on the announcement of Starfield and the conversation surrounding the upcoming Elder Scrolls game this year. Since its initial release in 2014, the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) has seen multiple expansions, including the release of Morrowind, Summerset, Elswyer, Greymoor, Blackwood, High Isle, and most recently, Necrom, in January of this year. In July 2023, to commemorate the game's eventual release on the Epic Games Store, Tamriel Unlimited, the base game, was given away.
The Elder Scrolls Online provides players with so much content through its numerous missions, chance events, and exploration incentives—even with access to just the main game—that getting it for free was unquestionably worthwhile. Character races, class builds, and skill trees that let players invest in the skills required to manufacture various resources are all recognizable features for fans of The Elder Scrolls franchise from its single-player games. The Elder Scrolls Online was a fantastic addition to the Epic Games collection for those who wanted to live out a fantastical life in Tamriel.
1. The Evil Within 2 (October 26 - November 2)
For those wishing to embrace the devilish spirit, Halloween 2023 offered a great free horror game with The Evil Within 2. Players were able to play both Evil Within games over the holiday season by claiming the first game from the series last week from the Epic Games Store. Although The Evil Within 2 was first published in 2017, it made its public premiere on the Epic Games Store in August 2023, and a few months later, it was made available for free.
Developer Tango Gameworks, the company that Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami started, is behind The Evil Within 2, and it's evident that the Evil Within series draws inspiration from the beloved horror genre. Once more, gamers will follow investigator Sebastian Castellanos as he ventures into the world of Union in The Evil Within 2, hoping to save his daughter, whom he had assumed to have perished in a home fire. By using the game's crafting system to manage resources and engaging in either direct or stealth warfare, players will confront the twisted evils of Union.
Final Verdict
As the curtains close on Epic Games' phenomenal giveaway in 2023, it's been an unforgettable journey of freebies, surprises, and gaming joy. Whether you snagged a few or caught 'em all, the memories created during this epic giveaway will linger in the hearts of gamers. Here's to the excitement, the adventures, and the countless hours of gaming bliss. Until the next epic chapter unfolds, happy gaming, and may your victories be as grand as the giveaways themselves!
Continue Read:Game Awards Mania 2023
