As 2025 continues on, fans have relied on the Epic Games Store's free games to kill the time between more prominent releases on their schedule. These titles are swapped out each and every Thursday at 10 AM CT, and the Epic Games Store free games giveaway regularly surprises by shining a spotlight on lesser-known games from a variety of genres. This generally means that certain players will be interested some weeks, and others will skip out until something that's a bit more their cup of tea comes around. Either way, the promotion stands out for its weekly grab-bag specials.
Sometimes, the Epic Games Store freebies incidentally work rather well in tandem, and the next four titles being given away do just that. Currently, players can grab Hidden Folks and Totally Reliable Delivery Service, two goofy and delightful games that offer fun content for both single-player and multi-player fans. If users have already snagged and played Hidden Folks and Totally Reliable Delivery Service and enjoyed them, then they're likely going to enjoy what the week of August 21 has to offer, as it's similarly colorful and whimsical. The next freebies are Kamaeru and Strange Horticulture.
Epic Games Store Free Game Strange Horticulture Explained
Strange Horticulture Invites Players to Uncover a Mystery Through the Language of Plants
As the owner of the titular plant store, players who pick up Strange Horticulture will find themselves wrapped up in a mystery to solve where the local plant life holds the key. In this hand-drawn adventure, players will need to observe their surroundings and specimens to inform their choices along the way. Exploring the outskirts of the town of Undermere leads to some interesting paths, from saving the day to joining the dark cult that threatens to take over everything. Players who give this unique puzzle game a try can look forward to features like:
- Identify and use all sorts of plants to influence the story with potions and drugs, if desired.
- Helpful guidebooks and notes help players while also not holding their hands to offer challenge throughout.
- Pet the cat that lives in the shop.
- Multiple endings that are easy to play again and again after completing the game once
- 5 and a half hours to finish the story, 9 hours for completion.
After a game like Hidden Folks where players are encouraged to explore everything for delightful interactions, Strange Horticulture feels like a great follow-up with a bit of intrigue. Many players have loved the detailed art style while also praising the similar foreboding vibe and item management system as Papers Please. The requests players get from the customers of the shop are so pleasing to solve for some fans that they have written in the Steam reviews that the only thing it would need to be a perfect experience is an endless request mode. One flaw some fans have noted with this title is that there's no way to write down observations to remember, so observant players will have an advantage with all the smaller details. Regardless, it seems hugely popular with those who have given it their time.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 84 /100 Critics Rec: 92%
- Released
- January 21, 2022
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Bad Viking
- Publisher(s)
- Iceberg Interactive
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Unity
- Genre(s)
- Adventure, Puzzle
Epic Games Store Free Game Kamaeru Explained
Players Can Collect Adorable Frogs in Kamaeru For Free
If Epic Games Store users aren't interested in mystery games, or they want a calmer and longer experience, Kamaeru is the game they're looking for. Kamaeru may seem similar to some fans as it takes inspiration from the virtual pet game Neko Atsume, but with frogs instead. For those unfamiliar, both games deal with players cleaning up and maintaining a yard for, in Kamaeru's case, frogs to gather and play with toys and furniture. Fans can take pictures of the frogs as they play, adding them to an index specifically for the colorful amphibians. Other features include:
- Feed, breed, and collect over 500 frog variations
- Design a unique wetlands playground with lakes, cosmetic items, toys, and more
- Calming music
- A heartwarming story
- Cooking minigame
Potential players should be aware that Kamaeru has very positive ratings on Steam for a reason, as there are a number of flaws reported with the game. One of these is the biggest difference from Neko Atsume, that being Kamaeru isn't an idle game. The characters will always need to do something for frogs to come and go throughout the experience. Some players have voiced frustration with how quickly some of the frogs can leave, and others dislike the management features and feel like they detract from the core frog care aspect of the game. A majority of Kamaeru fans have enjoyed their time with the game despite the flaws, and the Epic Games Store will be offering it for the hard-to-argue price of free very soon. With the fact that fans can get Kamaeru for keeps at no cost to them, there's no better time to find out what they personally think of it.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 71 /100 Critics Rec: 57%
- Released
- June 8, 2024
- Publisher(s)
- Armor Games Studios
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Farming, Simulation, Casual
These freebies might not be perfect, but they offer interesting hand-drawn experiences for users who enjoy those types of games. Due to how lucky fans of colorful titles have been over the last two weeks, there's a very high chance that the next Epic Games Store free game or two will be of entirely different genres. There might be a few more understated indie games in users' future, as shining a light on games players might have missed out on is one of the Epic Games Store free game promotion's greatest strengths.
