This Friday’s Free Games has significantly fewer titles to choose from than normal, but it still has some interesting releases. One of the big reasons for this is that the Epic Games Store has three games that are being given away this week! I’ve included them at the top of this post along with a new 4v4 MOBA Dragon Ball title that just came out on Steam!
Also worth pointing out is that for the three Epic Games Store freebies, be aware that they are only free until 8 am PST on Thursday, September 18. This is at least 2 hours earlier than normal. I don’t know if this change is permanent, but I want to mention it just so you all are aware.
Note: As is per usual, all of the images below are from each game’s respective Steam sales page.
I’ve also prepared a brief YouTube video where I mention each game found below as well.
The Battle of Polytopia (Turn-based Strategy)
The first of three free games at the Epic Games Store this week, we have this real-time strategy title. It has a cute low-poly look to it, and according to the trailer, tons of different gameplay mechanics to explore as you play!
Ghostrunner II (Cyberpunk Action)
Those who like bloody first-person action titles with parkour elements will be interested in this one! It’s free on the Epic Games Store this week.
Monument Valley II (Puzzle)
Finally, after last week having Monument Valley available on the Epic Games Store, this week we have the sequel. Pick it up if you haven’t already gotten it!
Dragon Ball Gekishin Squadra (MOBA Game)
Our last big game for the week is a Dragon Ball title! I reported on its release at my YouTube channel a couple days ago. It is a 4v4 MOBA game taking place in the Dragon Ball universe. As of this writing, 64% of 1153 reviews are positive.
(BURIED TAPES) The Cleaner (Simulation Horror)
Here’s the first horror title for the week. It’s got a bit of a simulation style to it where you go to a house and clean up stuff, water plants, and feed the cat. The graphics look a bit like a PS1 game, which I like. 95% of 21 reviews are positive!
Consumption Line (Casual Simulation)
Instead of focusing on gameplay, this title wants players to reflect on how the work place changes over time. This game lasts five in-game working days and takes about 30 minutes to complete. It’s an experimental indie release, with it exploring modern life and deceptive advertising. 95% of 41 reviews are positive!
Duck Dash (2D Platformer)
With its nice pixel art style and enjoyable musical style, this looks to be a fun game! One area that is surprising is that as you move around the camera zooms in and out based on the speed of your duck. There’s 10 levels to play and the game also has a collectathon aspect with gold coins to acquire in each stage. 100% of 16 reviews are positive!
Dungeon Raid: Zero Floor (Roguelite Deckbuilder)
This is a roguelite deck builder that has a fantasy or medieval look to it with hand-drawn artwork. It also has some pretty neat music in the trailer. 89% of 28 reviews are positive!
Event Race (Overhead Multiplayer Racer)
Those who enjoy old-school single screen racing games may want to consider this one. I like the look of it! An aspect that makes it stand out is that you can use phones as controllers as well. Hopefully, you’ll have a lot of multiplayer fun with it! 93% of 16 reviews are positive!
Everranger (Puzzle)
I found this to be pleasant and charming, as shown in the trailer. It’s a minimalistic-looking puzzle game, and the graphics aren’t amazing at all. One of the reviews say that the game really ramps up up in difficult quickly, so be aware of that!
Gravitrix (3D Platformer)
I can’t say I’ve seen the combination of a pogo stick mechanic with a 3D Platformer before! Here you use a pogo stick to lift yourself up in the air and do tricks as you come down to the ground. It has parkour elements to it as well. I like the art style quite a bit!
REDSHIFT (Psychological Horror)
What happens when you close your eyes? In REDSHIFT, you work at Tower 7, and when you close your eyes, you can see a hidden layer of reality. Something is chasing you that wants you dead! I think the art style of the trailer is really neat, as is the sound design. Both are fitting for a first-person game in this genre. Sadly, it can be completed in about 10 minutes, but it is from a solo developer so that is a bit understandable. 84% of 33 reviews are positive!
Samuel Prince Attorney at Law Chapter 1 (Investigation Visual Novel)
While not a particularly impressive looking title, part of me is actually kind of charmed by the trailer. It has some nice little dialogue and I appreciate that the developer is trying to put together a 7-chapter series of games (only the first is free). Although it isn’t as good as the Ace Attorney games, fans of those titles may want to check this out. The sound when text appears on the screen is a little irritating though. Hopefully that can be turned off.
Second Works (Metroidvania)
Despite this having a bit of a flat look to it, Second Works still has a distinctive appearance. The game is a 2D platformer metroidvania with action-adventure elements. According to the trailers, it’s a rather challenging game. I like that they show a lot of different aspects of the game, such as the map, using potions, choosing souls from a skill tree, and more. I think it has a lot of promise! One issue it has is that the game’s menu starts in Japanese and you have to change it to English manually, so be aware of that.
Cheap Retro Gaming 
Leave a comment