After a small post last week, we’re back to a normal-size listing of free games with over two dozen titles being highlighted! A multitude of genres are available to choose from, with Epic’s free offering being an emergency services simulation and a game that makes me think of a modern version of Road Rash.
Feel free to read below and see if you find anything to play for this weekend! Before you go on though, be aware that all of the images below are from the game’s respective Steam sales page.
112 Operator (Simulation)
I don’t think I could do this kind of work in real life, but if you have ever been interested in fielding calls for emergency services in a major city, this is the game for you! It is one of two free games at the Epic Games Store this week!
Atollo (Collectathon Exploration)
A relaxed overhead exploration collectathon game where you are in a boat and traveling between different islands. Along the way you take on pirates, meet different people, and pick up items. It has nice artwork and with the way the boat moves, it reminds me of RC Pro-Am for some reason. It doesn’t have too many reviews, but people keep posting pictures of boats in them on Steam!
Band Together (2D Platformer)
The graphics may not look like much, but the game’s trailer convinced me to include this game. In it, you and your band mates have crashed on an island, and unsurprisingly, each of you have been separated. Explore the island to obtain musical instruments that allow you to attack in different ways and make it past obstacles. It doesn’t have too many reviews, but I wish it had more.
BlockBlasters (2D Platformer)
A real polished looking 2D platformer with tons of reviews! One thing I noticed while watching the trailer is that you move between rooms in a real smooth manner, and that enemies can follow from one to the other! I really like the sound and look of this one as well. A shocking thing for me though, was that when you go up a ladder, your character climbs behind it instead of in front of it. I don’t think I’ve ever see that in a platformer before. 87% of 110 reviews are positive!
Core Of Magic
Although this has very few reviews, I still want to show it off. It is an action RPG where you are trying to defeat enemies. There are various places where you can go to fight monsters, along with an overworld to explore. As one would expect, it has items to collect and equipment to acquire as you progress in the game. One reason I wanted to show it off is because the creator points out that even though this is a free game, it has no microtransactions. I appreciate mentioning that! Oh, and by the way, the indicators for health and mana remind me of Diablo 1.
The Darkest Dusk (Point and Click Adventure)
A point and click adventure game that seems to be rather unique. One exciting part of it is that reviewers are making references to Flashback and Out of This World (Another World) when they talk about this game! Not that it plays like those classics, but that is a still really impressive that people would make such comparisons about the art style in this title. It takes place in Rome in the middle of the 21st century. It only has 6 reviews, but all are positive!
The Day in a Life of a Dayfly (Casual Visual Novel Adventure)
When I first saw this game I wasn’t sure about including it for this week’s post. However, I also find it intriguing with its discussions on mortality and meaning in life. I thought some would be interested in it so I decided to showcase it here! It seems to be doing something right, since 94% of 17 reviews are positive!
Delfini (Co-op Immersion Sim)
With a real relaxed atmosphere and nice music, this game seems to be a nice one for casual game fans. The art style is quite neat with co-op gameplay between two dolphins who are trying to save a polluted coral reef island. Like the game that follows, it doesn’t have too many reviews. Hopefully that changes!
Forgotten Beginnings: A New Afterlife (JRPG)
Although this game is intentionally designed to be like a NES JRPG, what impressed me about it is how the title spends a good deal of time explaining how the quest log works. Why I care about this is that it shows an attention to detail from the developer and the desire to make a game that can be understood easily by players. I also liked the limited use of a NES-style color palette for the character portraits. The game is supposed to be about 4.5 hours long, and I hope the creator finds a good audience for his game! It only has two reviews so far!
GeoJet (Flying Runner)
Fans of synthwave aesthetics or runner games may want to check this title out! It’s a cool looking game where you fly down a path trying to keep a chain going. I like the retro look to it and the music is pretty cool!
Gradient Flow (Racing)
I find the appearance of this minimalistic racing game to be rather appealing. You seem to be driving a wheel through winding, scenic locations, which a big reason why I included the game. I also liked the indicator on the bottom-right of the screen that shows how much you are turning. 80% of 15 reviews are positive!
JustRun (2D Platformer)
While it doesn’t look amazing graphically, I like the look of this platformer. It has a simple MS Paint appearance, but with smooth animation. The music is really chill and the game seems pretty straight forward. 90% of 11 review are positive!
Keyboard Quest (Typing)
While I’m not positive about the gameplay for this game, I really like the look of it! You seem to use your keyboard to either control the main character named Princess Tilda (get it?), or help her to move where she needs to go. You play as Scroll Lock, which is also a funny name. The game doesn’t have too many reviews yet, but I definitely want to showcase it today because I like the trailer so much!
Kimochii Classroom (Dating Sim Visual Novel)
Our last visual novel for the week, with this one also having dating sim elements. It features four main characters with their own voice actor to go along with them, which is really cool! Unfortunately, sound samples of the voice acting isn’t shared in the trailer, which is a bummer. 100% of 29 reviews are positive, so fans of the genre will likely enjoy it!
Ninja Party (Multiplayer Parkour)
From first impressions, this is a multiplayer parkour game where you play as a ninja, but you’re also able to attack other players. I like the animation and art style quite a bit, with many people enjoying the game! 83% of 91 reviews are positive!
Nora and Frank (Action Survivor)
Although this has nothing to do with Fallout, an aspect that struct with me when I watched the trailer was the sense of a fake 1950’s tone at the start. The game seems to be a survivor game like Vampire Survivors, but this one uses baseball cards and candy for some reason? 93% of 15 reviews are positive!
The Man in the Park (Horror)
This is a mini-horror game that can be completed in less than 5 minutes. It has multiple endings and a few jump scares. 100% of 13 reviews are positive!
Mecharashi (Turn-based Strategy)
For this week, this may be the coolest game around! It is a turn-based tactical RPG where you control a bunch of mechs and you’re able to upgrade and modify them as needed. Multiple reviews say it scratches that Front Mission itch, which is a big deal to me! Sadly, the monetization is a bit huge, from what some of the reviews have said. 73% of 599 reviews are positive!
Phantom Feline (2D Puzzle)
This is a cool game inspired by Game Boy hardware. You are a cat that can change form when under light and climb up and down walls and the like. All the while you avoid enemies and try and make it to the exit. I really like the music from the trailer! 100% of 12 reviews are positive!
The Qubit Factory (Puzzle Simulation)
Ok, so here is a game that may be too smart for me. In it, you set up logic circuits that use bits and quantum bits to solve computational challenges and meet various quotas. 100% of 13 reviews are positive!
Road Redemption (Vehicular Combat)
This looks like Road Rash for the modern age, but with primary focus on combat between yourself and other riders. Fans of that classic game may want to check it out! It is the second free game from the Epic Games Store this week.
Robo Rhythm (Rhythm)
For those who like music rhythm games, this one is a bit intriguing due to its pixel artwork and side-scrolling perspective. One thing that is odd about it is that you don’t have to hit each mark all the time, rather, the purpose seems to be only to hit 1 of 4 points if an enemy enters the box if it is on the beat of the song. The game has 6 levels, or songs right now. I am featuring it because I like this person’s play of the game on YouTube.
Spores of Fortune (Shop Simulation)
After your grandmother dies, she asks you to go to her shop at the edge of a forest near a town. There you forage for mushrooms and sell what you find to the towns people. This game teaches you how to identify real mushrooms, which is a nice touch. It only has 7 reviews as of this writing, but people are enthusiastic about it!
Swing Into Zero-G (Multiplayer Runner)
One of many multiplayer-focused games being shown today! I don’t think the graphics are amazing, but people seem to really like it! An aspect that I do like from the trailer is the various items or weapons you can use to impact other players so you can overcome them and win. 87% of 55 reviews are positive!
Test Zero (Side-scrolling Action Roguelite)
A cool looking action platformer where you blast away at enemies while rolling and jumping to avoid attacks. I also think it is neat how the bullets from your gun ricochet off ways and the like. The levels are procedurally generated as well. Sadly, there aren’t too many reviews for it.
Twilight Syndicate (Side-scrolling Detective Adventure)
This game doesn’t have a lot of reviews, but I am curious about it because the story and world building seem to be a big part of the adventure. The pixel art style with the strong use of purple in the color scheme is also intriguing to me.
Visite virtuelle de l’Assemblée nationale (Virtual Tour)
As some of you may have noticed, I like to promote education through video games. In this title you can visit the French National Assembly from the comfort of your own home. I really like the look of it, and the music is nice, too. 81% of more than 150 reviews are positive!
Wheelchair Wizards
Here we have a 4-player party game that is played as a 2D action game against other wizards in wheelchairs. The game seems really absurd (in a good way), and doesn’t take itself too seriously! I like the simple pixel art and some of the comedy shown in the trailer. 96% of 107 reviews are positive!
Wires And Wiskers (Co-op Puzzle Platformer)
With its very high quality 3D graphics, I was very curious about this title once I saw it. Apparently, it is a puzzle platformer which is intended to be played as a couch co-op. It’s been developed by students at ISART DIGITAL as part of their final year project. They must have done something right because 92% of over 200 reviews are positive!
Xalos Conquest (Side-scrolling Strategy Action)
The first thing that stands out about this title is the quality voice acting that is showcased in the trailer. It seems to be a strategy action game where you pick units and then then go across the screen to defeat enemies on the right side. It is designed to be beaten in about half an hour and people seem to like it!
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