Most of the major gaming platforms have some kind manner of giving away "free" games to their consumers. Sometimes these games require a subscription, as is the case with PlayStation Plus, Xbox Live Gold, and Nintendo Switch Online. PC gamers sometimes get free games through Steam, but Epic Gamers Store users are treated to free games on a much more frequent basis. New free games are added to the Epic Games Store every week, and in some rare cases, Epic sometimes give new free games away daily.
The Epic Games Store is bringing back its free daily mystery games promotion to count down to the new year. Each day will bring with it a brand-new free game for subscribers to claim for their digital libraries, and if previous years are any indication, many of the games are going to be critically-acclaimed heavy hitters. With that in mind, we've decided to take a look at the best Epic Games Store free games that were added to the service prior to this year's mystery games promotion, which is currently scheduled to kick off on Thursday, December 15.
The current Epic Games Store free games will be replaced on December 15 when the mystery games promotion starts. In the meantime, here are the best Epic Games Store free games that were given away in 2022. EGS users should certainly try to prioritize playing these as soon as possible, assuming they were diligent about claiming all the free games every week throughout the year, of course. Please note that this list is in the order the games were made free.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (February 17 - February 24)
Josef Fares has made a name for himself for directing some of the absolute best co-op games on the market, with It Takes Two even winning the coveted Game of the Year award in 2021. But before Fares worked on It Takes Two and A Way Out, he made a single-player game called Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. While Brothers was built as a single-player experience, the co-op centric game design that would appear in Fares' later work was still at play, with players controlling two characters at once. A later version of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons actually did add a proper co-op mode, but the game is still incredibly fun to play and an emotionally-engaging, memorable journey without it.
Total War: Warhammer (March 31 - April 7)
When it comes to strategy video games, one of the biggest names in the genre is Total War. Total War: Warhammer is a Total War version of the Warhammer universe, and it proved popular enough to inspire two sequels. Even though the original Total War: Warhammer first released in 2016 and has since seen the release of two sequels, it still costs a whopping $59.99 when not on sale, which proves the incredible value that the Epic Games Store free games offer to PC gamers who make it a point to claim the games whenever they're made free.
Rogue Legacy (April 7 - April 14)
Cellar Door Games hit it out of the park with roguelike Rogue Legacy, an addicting action platformer that's tough as nails but also fun and fair at the same time. Every time players die in Rogue Legacy, they are reborn as a descendant of their previous character with unique traits that can have a huge influence on their playthrough. But while some roguelikes may make players feel like they're not getting anywhere, Rogue Legacy incorporates satisfying progression so even when they fail, players still feel like they're making some progress and improving their odds for their next attempt.
XCOM 2 (April 14 - April 21)
Firaxis has firmly established itself as perhaps the industry's premiere strategy game studio, and it's thanks to games like XCOM 2. XCOM 2 is one of the highest-rated turn-based strategy games in years, tasking players with making crucial tactical decisions as they fight against the dangerous alien presence that has completely taken over Earth. XCOM 2 is a game that strategy fans could easily sink hundreds of hours into if they hope to truly master it.
Prey (May 12 - May 19)
The original Prey was a well-received first-person shooter that released in 2006 after being trapped in development hell. The next game in the series had a rough development journey as well, with it taking a whopping 11 years between the release of the 2006 Prey game and the 2017 version. The 2017 Prey has more in common with games like BioShock than the original Prey, but it still managed to win over fans by delivering a polished sci-fi shooter adventure.
Borderlands 3 (May 19 - May 26)
Fans waited years for Borderlands 3, and for many, the third entry in Gearbox Software's long-running looter-shooter franchise was worth the wait. Borderlands 3 sees a new group of Vault Hunters go head-to-head with the villainous Troy and Tyreen Calypso, all the while collecting countless weapons and completing all kinds of quests given out by a cast of eccentric characters. Borderlands 3 was a long-time coming, and it managed to meet many's expectations. Considering the sheer amount of content that the game brings to the table, being able to get it for free through the Epic Games Store was an absolute steal.
BioShock: The Collection (May 26 - June 2)
This entry might be cheating because BioShock: The Collection is technically three games, but its addition to the Epic Games Store free games lineup this year underscores the importance of PC gamers making sure they are claiming these games when they're available. Not only does BioShock: The Collection give Epic Games Store users three games to check out, they just happen to be some of the highest-rated video games of all time. The original BioShock is a landmark release in the first-person shooter space, while BioShock 2 gave gamers another opportunity to explore Rapture. And finally, the award-winning BioShock Infinite took the series to the sky with an action-packed adventure that will stick with players long after the credits roll.
Wolfenstein: The New Order (June 2 - June 9)
MachineGames successfully the long-dormant Wolfenstein franchise with Wolfenstein: The New Order, a blood-soaked first-person shooter that originally released in 2014 to rave reviews. Wolfenstein: The New Order felt like a modern interpretation on classic first-person shooter gameplay, and its focus on delivering a quality single-player narrative over muddying the waters with multiplayer helped it reach impressive heights. MachineGames' work on Wolfenstein: The New Order and its sequel is why many are excited what the studio will accomplish with its Indiana Jones game and the upcoming Wolfenstein 3, and Epic Games Store users were given the opportunity to check it out for free.
Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition (October 20 - October 27)
There are those who consider Fallout 3 one of the best video games of all time, and so being able to get its Game of the Year Edition completely free of charge is fantastic, especially for anyone who somehow hasn't played the game yet. Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition not only includes the tremendous base game, which would be enough to get it on this list by itself, but it also throws the game's DLC into the mix. Some of Fallout 3's DLC expansions are truly exceptional and add great value to already fantastic game, making this one of the absolute best freebies that the Epic Games Store gave away all year.
Star Wars: Squadrons (November 24 - December 1)
The most recent Epic Games Store free game on this list is Star Wars: Squadrons, a space combat shooter from EA Motive, the studio that's been trusted with remaking the original Dead Space game. Star Wars: Squadrons earned widespread positive reviews at the time of its release, with many pointing to it as one of the finest Star Wars video games of recent years. It has both single-player and multiplayer to check out, so Star Wars: Squadrons should have no problem keeping Epic Games Store users busy while they wait to see what the free mystery game promotion has in store this year.