Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
The Epic Games Store’s latest giveaway period continues in full swing, dishing out another eclectic mix of free titles through September 25 and beyond. It’s a weekly tradition at this point—and one that quietly undercuts the idea that you need to spend big to find worthwhile games. Some of the fall season’s most varied freebies are live now: a survivor-laced paranoia sim, a gorgeously strange point-and-click oddity, and the promise of Soulslike swords and slapstick sci-fi just around the corner. It’s the kind of lineup that rewards players willing to step outside of their usual comfort zone.
Hidden Agendas and Blizzard Betrayals: Project Winter
Free until September 25, 2025
Project Winter wears its inspiration on its frostbitten sleeve: survival is cold, and trust is costly. As a multiplayer social deception game, it’s easy to describe it as “Among Us in the snow,” but the layered systems here go far beyond party-game simplicity. Up to eight players scramble to survive a deadly environment while fending off the harsh terrain, gathering supplies, fixing escape objectives, and—most crucially—figuring out who among them is sabotaging the group.
The tension builds fast. At first, cooperation seems natural: you and your crew split up duties, perhaps chopping wood or mining ore. But as the blizzards grow harsher and resources dwindle, paranoia seeps into every action. The hidden traitors play a long game of subtle interference—sabotaging radio towers, poisoning rations, and manipulating isolated teammates. Successful runs feel like navigating a minefield of mistrust, especially when players begin dropping mysteriously.
The real charm lies in the voice chat: accusations flying, alliances forming, and betrayals hitting hard. It’s a game that thrives on the chaos of human behavior, and whether you make it out or end up frozen, it’s wild every time.
Whimsical Echoes from Another Planet: Samorost 2
Free until September 25, 2025
Samorost 2 is less about mechanics and more about mood. Amanita Design’s signature surrealism gives this tiny point-and-click adventure a dreamlike atmosphere, letting you drift through hand-crafted micro-worlds that feel like interactive collages. The soundtrack warbles like an alien lullaby. The puzzles aren’t cruel, just peculiar—logic, but bent through the lens of whimsy.
There’s a storyline in there somewhere—something about retrieving your dog from thieving aliens—but it never insists on itself. Instead, you click through scenes that evolve like picture-book pages: mossy landscapes covered in gears, hollow logs riddled with button-puzzles, mushroom-strewn transit pods. It’s weird in a delightful way, never too long, and entirely distinct. If you’re tired of games that yell in your face, Samorost 2 is the opposite: it whistles softly and points to the stars. Grab on Epic for sure.
Upcoming: Ghosts, Steel, and Galaxy Hot Dogs
Arriving Free on September 25 – October 2, 2025
Next week’s pair of freebies signals an unusual twist in tone and tempo. On one side: Eastern Exorcist, a deadly serious 2D action RPG set in a shadowy world of demonic corruption and sword arts. On the other: Jorel’s Brother and The Most Important Game of the Galaxy, which explodes in Saturday-morning cartoon energy and puzzle-solving silliness.
Eastern Exorcist looks sharp in both senses: the art style channels classic Chinese ink-brush painting, framing its parrying-heavy combat with an ethereal look you don’t often see in side-scrollers. There’s clear influence from Souls games here—methodical timing, challenging boss designs, and haunting environments—but animated in a 2D plane. It seems primed to reward patience and punish button-mashers.
Then you have Jorel’s Brother, which is like someone cracked open a Cartoon Network episode and turned it into a puzzle-laced fever dream. Built on Brazilian cartoon vibes and full of offbeat charm, it sets players loose in a planet-hopping narrative about media conspiracies, sibling chaos, and playing as a character literally called “the brother of Jorel.” Expect absurd logic puzzles and animated cutscenes that overreact constantly—in the best way.
Discounts That Demand Attention
Beyond the freebies, Epic’s sale rack beckons with substantial discounts on both major hitters and niche charmers. HITMAN World of Assassination leads the pack, and at 80% off, it’s kind of absurd how much content you get. It compiles the entire modern trilogy into one sprawling assassination sandbox. Each level is a handcrafted playground of possibilities—it’s not just about killing creatively, but thinking meticulously. If you’ve never tangoed with the barcoded bald head of Agent 47, this is your best onramp.
On a completely different end of the spectrum, Ranch Simulator lets you live out every quiet cowboy fantasy—chopping trees, raising livestock, fixing up barns—solo or in deeply chill co-op. Judging by the 80% sale tag, this is a good moment to wrangle your own virtual family business.
Hades, also discounted by 75%, needs less introduction. It’s still one of the only roguelikes that manages to thread clever writing, razor-sharp combat, and evolving story all at once. Even after clearing it several times, the hunger to dive back into Tartarus returns.
Fighting game fans haven’t been left out either. SAMURAI SHODOWN, now 85% off, mixes high-risk duels and stylized swordplay in a refined revival of SNK’s cult-classic franchise. Every swing feels heavy. Every mistake tastes like blood. And while it doesn’t hold the same cultural spot as, say, Street Fighter, its brutal economy of motion still clicks with genre faithful.
Expanding the Pasture: A Notable DLC Drop
While most DLC launches feel like cash grabs, the Ranch Simulator: Southwest Ranch Expansion Pack—marked down at 50%—actually vaults some new purpose into the sim. It adds another zone, fresh objectives, and a change of scenery that goes beyond cosmetics. Think of it as much-needed land for those already knee-deep in chicken feed and fence repair. It doesn’t resurrect the novelty if the base game didn’t work for you, but for anyone clicking with quiet rural grind, this is added value done right.
Final Thoughts on This Month’s Haul
September’s closer may not bring out AAA bombshells, but the free lineup offers enough contrast to keep all kinds of players entertained. The shift from the slow-burning treachery of Project Winter to the soothing exploration of Samorost 2 couldn’t be sharper—yet both deliver something memorable. And with Eastern Exorcist and Jorel’s Brother on deck, next week looks equally unorthodox in the best way.
As for the deals, it’s hard to argue against snatching up modern stealth classics or roguelike greats for some of the deepest discounts we’ve seen in months. Whether the genre is assassin chess, demon-slaying side-scroller, or turnip-ranching co-op, Epic’s batch this time doesn’t lack flavor.
