This Friday, we don’t have any particular genre that stands out from the others. The big headliner game though, is Sable, which is available at the Epic Games Store! if you want something else that is distinctive, there is a rhythm-focused game that plays kind of like a RPG, a third-person shooter with horror elements where your loved ones think you’ve been dead for weeks, a “shmup” with the gameplay of a turn-based strategy game, and a JRPG where you have your canine companion with you as you fight other trainers!
Note: All of the images found below are from the game’s Steam sales page.
Speaking of which, Steam’s Summer Sale 2025 started yesterday! I plan on sharing a Steam Buyer’s Guide for it on Tuesday, July 1st. Please be on the lookout for it! Thank you.
Alice in Disguise (Stealth Puzzle)
As the title would suggest, Alice in Disguise is a stealth puzzle game taking place in the world of Alice in Wonderland. In it, you are Alice and you dress up as chess pieces (and move like them) to evade those who are looking for you. Stealth is the name of the game, and you definitely don’t want to get caught! One aspect that really sets the title apart is the art style. To me, it looks like pixelated characters that have been expanded out to a 3D perspective. it reminds me of 3D Dot Game Heroes for the PS3, although it doesn’t play like that. The couple of reviews I saw for it seemed to enjoy the game!
Astral Lodge (Old-school Escape Room)
Those nostalgic for escape room puzzles in the style of the early internet flash games may want to check out this one. Apparently, it takes place in a surreal, dream-like room and uses a point and click interface to solve puzzles. It is becoming popular, with 100% of its 16 reviews being positive!
Blast Processed (First-person Platformer)
For fans of flat-shaded polygon art design and first-person platformers, this one may be worth considering. I found it to be kind of intriguing with the sense of speed and moving from one location to another by bouncing off surfaces using a rocket. It is growing to be quite popular, with 92% of its 26 reviews being positive!
Fear the Timeloop – Prologue (Third-person Shooter Horror)
Sheriff James Cooper is in serious trouble. He is slowly bleeding to death at a hospital. Yet, when he calls his loved ones, he’s told that he’s been dead for two weeks! But from his perspective, he feels like he’s only been there for about 15 to 20 minutes. This is a third person action-adventure shooter where you journey through some weird hospital fighting off zombies or other creatures. If you don’t find a solution in 15 minutes then you have to do it all over again. The sense of confusion and surprise is really well done in the trailer, as is the general look of the game. Just as an aside, the reason I chose the picture above to show off the game is because the creepy swirl reminded me of the SEGA Dreamcast logo (bootup video for the system here). Finally, Fear the Timeloop seems real exciting and popular, with 89% of over 75 reviews rating it as positive!
Hardly Workin’ (Comedy Simulation)
For those of us for those of you who want to work in an office environment but really just want to goof off while you’re in your cubicle, this is a funny and charming looking game! In it, you chit chat with your coworkers, shoot hoops between cubicles, throw darts, cook marshmallows in your office, and more! All the while trying to make it so that it looks like you are working when your boss shows up. It seems like a pretty funny game and I like the art style a lot!
Hop n’ Hook (Fishing Platformer)
This is a 2D side-scrolling platformer where you play as a bunny who enjoys fishing, and also uses his fishing line to swing across pits like a grappling hook! The music in the trailer is nice and pleasant. Plus, it reminds me of the SNES platformer, Umihara Kawase (Steam link), which features a fishhook mechanic as well. One of the reviews did say that the game had quite a few glitches, but they still recommend it. I hope it does well!
Lost Prototype (Horror)
While it doesn’t look like much, this is a short first person horror game where you travel through an underground hallway trying to make your escape. Meanwhile, there is some shadowy figure who wants to erase your progress if he can get to you! I believe this is the developer’s first game, and people who’ve reviewed it seem to enjoy it, at least a bit. I want to encourage the developer to continue to work hard and grow as a game creator. I like the realistic aspect of it!
Midnight Riff (Rhythm RPG)
What we have here is a rhythm-focused game that also contains RPG elements. From watching the trailer, I kind of like the distinctive pixel artwork, and having a rhythm-based battle system sounds like a really unique idea! It appears to be getting quite popular, so I hope the developer does well. All of the game’s 15 reviews are positive!
My Last 20 (Arcade)
What in the world is going on with this game?! In the trailer, it looks like you are a double cheeseburger flying around in space, picking up coins and avoiding different obstacles for about 20 seconds at a time. The music and art design aren’t anything amazing, but if you like good old classic arcade games, then this one will probably be intriguing. I did like the sound effects in their simplicity, but they did seem a bit loud. Yet, with the absurdity of it all and its arcade nature, it does make me want to try it out!
NEXT JUMP: Shmup Tactics (Turn-based Strategy)
In quite possibly the weirdest blending of genres ever, this game is a “shmup” that is played with a turn-based battle system. Don’t ask me how it could be done, but this company did it! It is currently free on Steam until the beginning of July, and is very positively rated with over 65 reviews! Too bad I can’t take advantage of this deal, I had already gotten it!
Nitro Battle Racing (Racing)
As I’ve shared before, racing games are really rare to find on Friday’s Free Games, but I am glad I am able to include this one. Although it’s probably not intentional, the way it looks makes me think of it being like a micro-machines game, but with weapons to attack your enemies. I say this because of the size of the cars and how they seem kinda small (not a bad thing). Although i did find the music a bit repetitive in the trailer, I like the game’s style and I’m glad that 92% of the title’s 14 reviews are positive!
OAsys – Speedbots Tournament (First-person Runner Shooter)
In terms of graphical quality, this release seems to be among the greatest for the week! It’s a pretty cool looking first-person runner, parkour, shooter game in which you control some sort of robot, or speedbot. I enjoyed the look of the game and how it flowed moving from one platform to the other. Using your gun in conjunction with the running looks really neat!
Sable (Adventure Puzzle Platformer)
The big Epic Games Store freebie for this week is Sable, the very popular 3D puzzle platformer with a fantastic art style and multiple endings. Go ahead and add it to your library if you want!
SaHwa_The Altered Timeline (Third-person Hack and Slash)
Now we’ve come to a third-person action hack and slash game. What I like most about it is its style; there is a clear artistic direction in the appearance of your slashes and how they look like writing with a calligraphy brush. It’s really incredible! According to the trailer, it seems like the gameplay loop is you defeat about half a dozen enemies in a small area, and then go on to the next, I’m not sure if there’s super deep set pieces in the areas in which you fight. The description says there are three different playable characters, each with their own set of skills and passive abilities. I hope it gets some good success!
Satori | 悟り (Walking Simulator?)
With probably the weirdest trailer that I’ve seen thus far. We have Satori | 悟り, a psychological experience about sadness. Like some of the other games shown here, it has a specific artistic direction which I appreciate. However, I don’t have a lot to say about it because the trailer doesn’t show much gameplay footage (to my knowledge). One of the tags is Walking Simulator, though. Much of the trailer just shows a person next to a closed door with his hands or body against it in frustration. If that sounds intriguing to you, feel free to check it out!
Sounds of Her Love (Visual Novel Dating Sim)
I’m including this game here because this week its sequel was released on Steam. Both the first and second game are free, and are romantic visual novel titles. This one is about 8 years old, so it has a ton of reviews. 91% of more than 700 reviews are positive. Note: This one seems to be more risque than its sequel, based on the tags used on the sales page, so viewer discretion is advised.
Sounds of Her Love 2 (Visual Novel Dating Sim)
And this is the sequel to Sounds of Her Love. Both of them take place in an international school in Tokyo and are visual novels with dating elements. I do like the art style of this second title significantly more than the first, with relatively realistic character designs. Nothing is too flashy about them, and the story is pretty down to earth according to the reviews., These titles are focused on relationships, character development, and building trust between the main characters. 100% of its 11 reviews are positive!
Tears of Vanfell: New Beginning (Dungeon Crawler)
Although this game doesn’t have the RPG tag, it reminds me of one in the sense of it being a dungeon crawler and having a multiplayer component. According to the trailer, you can choose different weapons and characters, with working together as a team being a big part of the game. As is said in some of the reviews, the title has been in development for a while now, and this newest version has more story elements and better graphics than before. Very cool! Of the 19 reviews, 89% of them are positive!
Ultra-Ultra Doggy Trainer!! (JRPG)
If you’ve been following my posts for a while, you know that originality is a big part of what I look for in the titles I mention on Friday’s. Here we have an extremely unique RPG where you go around challenging trainers with your pet dog. In it, you get to have really bizarre doggy-focused battles against other canines. To me, it feels like Pokemon in the sense of challenging other doggy trainers. A few things I liked in the trailer were the music, the pixel art, and the seemingly absurd storyline!
Valsa das Macaúbas (3D Puzzle Adventure)
Once I first saw this title I was curious about it and thought about showing it off this week. In it, you are a woman living in a monastery, and apparently, there is some sort of mystery going on that involves the supernatural. It is a 3D adventure game that also contains puzzle solving and exploration elements. It doesn’t have a lot of reviews yet, but I really like the premise!
Voice of the Ocean (Exploration)
Upon watching this game’s trailer, I had a hard time figuring out what was going on with it. You seem to be a sea creature, like a merman, who is exploring the ocean depths and looking for relics. As is alluded to by the title of the game, the voice is an important aspect to the design. Apparently, your character sings underwater in some way, and I think the game incorporates the use of a microphone at certain points. It sounds pretty neat, but according to reviews, some people had trouble getting it to work. I hope it succeeds!
Cheap Retro Gaming 
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