Not many online retailers in the gaming space embraced Halloween as fully as the Epic Games Store. Not only did it have an incredibly generous seasonal sale, with huge discounts on spooky titles like Ghostrunner and Prey (alongside hundreds of other games). Furthermore, the store offered a huge selection of themed events throughout the month of October, with fancy costumes available in both Rocket League and Fortnite exclusively on the platform. All of that seasonal stuff comes before thinking about one of the Epic Store's most popular policies — its free game initiatives.
This strategy has always been a simple one — the more free products given away, the more customers will use the Epic Games Store. According to CEO Tim Sweeney, it's a system that works, and it's been in full swing this Halloween. Alongside the occasional content pack, Epic Games dropped a number of thematically appropriate free Halloween games, from ridiculous, schlocky satires to genuinely terrifying experiences. All told, a total of six free products became available across October, with a fascinating sci-fi title staying free into November.
Europa Universalis 4
The first week of October had Europa Universalis 4 free on the Epic Games Store. Although the overwhelming strategic decisions can be scary, the game doesn't exactly fit the same theme as the other games throughout the month. While the scary sales on offer did become compelling towards the end of the month, it began with two games that were not exactly full of spooks. Europa Universalis 4 has remained one of Paradox Interactive's flagship grand strategy titles since its release in 2013, with content and DLC still being produced for the game in 2021. Its free release coincided with a lot of hype around Paradox's newest title, Crusader Kings 3.
PC Building Simulator
For many, there's nothing scarier than sitting down and actually building a brand new PC. The parts can be horrendously expensive, and even incredibly rare when considering factors like the recent semiconductor shortages seen around the world. If someone wants to practice before embarking on such a terrifying endeavor, then PC Building Simulator is the perfect game. It was free throughout the second week in October 2021 on the Epic Games Store: It includes both a sandbox mode and a career campaign, making for a comprehensive PC construction experience.
Paladins Epic Pack
Epic also made a generous content pack for the team-based FPS Paladins free. Paladins includes 51 different champions, giving players a huge range of options when duking it out with the various suites of magic powers. The aptly named "Epic Pack" gave Epic Store users access to four champions, alongside four different skins. The four champions unlocked were Androxus, Raum, Tyra, and Ying — each filling a different gameplay role.
Stubbs The Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse
Although it's not exactly a horror game, Stubbs The Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse was perfectly on theme as a free game for Halloween. Upon its original 2005 release, the game courted controversy from video game censors who decried its depiction of cannibalism and violence.
This discourse didn't rear its head in quite the same way when its remaster was released, or when it became free on the Epic Games Store. The game's critical reception wasn't exactly stellar, but it was still a fun free Epic Store game in October 2021.
Among the Sleep: Enhanced Edition
Easily the spookiest game on the Epic Games Store throughout Halloween 2021 was Among the Sleep: Enhanced Edition. This is a more feature-complete version of the 2014 Kickstarter smash hit Among the Sleep. The enhanced edition even comes with an entirely new ending that players can find, depending on what decisions they make throughout the game.
One of the scariest horror games out there, Among the Sleep is from the perspective of a child. He has to navigate the fraught relationship of his parents through a terrifying dreamscape, populated with nightmarish recreations of day-to-day life. It also makes for some really cool puzzles thanks to the relative size of the house compared to the protagonist.
DARQ: Complete Edition Ends Epic Games' October Free Titles
Until November 4, DARQ: Complete Edition is free on the Epic Games Store. Interestingly, it almost directly follows a lot of the ideas laid down in Among the Sleep. Both games star a young child trapped in a dreamlike realm, haunted by the daily goings-on in their lives. DARQ is also a puzzle game, but it has a whole host of different mechanics.
Players can flip and rotate the orientation of the world around them to reposition the protagonist. DARQ is a psychological horror game set in a lucid dream, scaring players with a foreboding atmosphere, incredible sound design, and a unique art style.