Store regulars are now halfway through the seventh year of getting free games from Epic Games Store. Every Thursday at 10 AM CT, players can go to the designated free games page on the platform to watch as new titles are rotated and upcoming ones are announced. On occasion, Epic will make things interesting by giving away titles daily during the holidays, and sometimes whatever free game is offered will be wrapped up like a present or kept in a vault until the freebie is up for grabs - the latter of which applies to this week's offerings.
Every year, Epic Games hosts what it calls the mega sale; an event full of discounts and free game drops that typically takes place between the end of May and the start of June. Part of the mega sale sees the Epic Games Store weekly freebies made into mystery vault games. These surprise giveaways are off to a great start already, as gamers can claim Dead Island 2 and Happy Game for free from right now until May 22.
Epic Games Store: A Comprehensive List Of Every Free Game It's Had To Date
Here's a list of all the games that have been made free on the Epic Games Store. You have until January 15 to get the current free game.
Epic Games Store Free Game Happy Game Explained
Happy Game is best described in the way that developer Amanita Design states on the game's Steam page - "Please note: Happy Game is not a happy game." The story begins when a child falls asleep and enters into a nightmare, sending him on a journey between worlds that are overly bright and colorful and then crushed and cut open in the most horrific ways imaginable. Happy Game isn't for the faint of heart, but many players have enjoyed the confusing and bloody adventure, even finding things to laugh about in all the darkness.
Regular Epic Games Store free game grabbers may be familiar with Happy Game's developer Amanita Design already. The Czech studio also made Botanicula and Chuchel, more comedic titles that were given away last month.
- Released
- October 28, 2021
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Blood, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Amanita Design
- Publisher(s)
- Amanita Design
Epic Games Store Free Game Dead Island 2 Explained
Some gamers regularly check the Epic Games Store free page in the hopes of being able to grab a big-name title for free, and those players have struck gold this week. Dead Island 2 is being given away alongside Happy Game, serving as more of a lighthearted horror experience while still delivering on bloody carnage. Players can either enjoy the game in single-player and explore everything the zombie-ridden "Hell-A" Los Angeles has to offer on their own, or team up with friends who have also picked up the game for free via a full co-op campaign mode.
To critics, Dead Island 2 is said to be great fun when not bogged down by its lackluster story and some performance issues. It was also nominated for Best Action Game at The Game Awards in 2023. As for fan reviews, Dead Island 2 has been granted a "mostly positive" rating on Steam, with some suggesting playing co-op with friends will elevate the experience even further. This makes Dead Island 2 a proper steal and something that should absolutely not be missed.
Dead Island 2
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 75 /100 Critics Rec: 57%
- Released
- April 21, 2023
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Dambuster Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Deep Silver
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
- Franchise
- Dead Island
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Between Happy Game and Dead Island 2, there's quite a lot for gamers to enjoy this week, so long as they're willing to take the literal bloody plunge. Dead Island 2 alone makes a great argument as to why the Epic Games Store free games promotion is a consistently great deal for players. Conversely, Happy Game proves how weekly giveaways can help show lesser-known games off to those who may be more willing to try them if it doesn't cost them anything. There will definitely be more surprises for fans to look forward to soon, as it seems like next week will have three free games available. What they are, though, remains to be seen, as they're locked away until the vault is unlocked on May 22.
