Nothing draws people in like free stuff, and the Epic Games Store is giving you a great reason to visit by giving away a free game every two weeks. First there was Subnautica (opens in new tab), then Super Meat Boy, and from now until January 24 you can grab What Remains of Edith Finch at no charge just for using the Epic Games launcher. That’s an amazing value, considering that Edith Finch is one of the best first-person stories since Gone Home, and we ranked it highly among the best games of 2017 (opens in new tab). Redeeming your free copy is as simple as downloading the Epic Games Store (opens in new tab) client to your PC and clicking a few buttons.
You play as the titular character in What Remains of Edith Finch, visiting your abandoned childhood home that once housed every member of your family tree. It’s no ordinary house, either: each generation built atop the rooms of their ancestors until the residence became a precarious tower full of hidden passageways and locked-away secrets. With Edith narrating her strange trip down memory lane, you’ll relive the bizarre circumstances that led to the deaths of everyone in the Finch family. It’s equal parts grim and hopeful, eerie yet heartfelt; a bit like A Series of Unfortunate Events if it followed multiple generations of a seemingly cursed bloodline.
This is the latest in a series of compelling reasons to check out the Epic Games Store. With its seemingly infinite revenue generated by Fortnite (opens in new tab), Epic can afford to give away tons of freebies to anyone and everyone, with plans for a new free game every two weeks during the storefront’s opening year. Epic also just snagged The Division 2 as an exclusive that won’t be coming to Steam (opens in new tab), with more Ubisoft games to come throughout 2019.
If you’ve got any appreciation for the artistry of first-person exploration games that let you slowly uncover the wrinkles of an affecting, intriguing story, What Remains of Edith Finch is a must-play. Even though it’s been nearly two years since I’ve played it, I can still vividly recall some of its most enchanting scenes. And even though the story sounds morbid, what with all the untimely deaths, it’s the perfect bite-sized pilgrimage through the past that everyone ought to experience at least once. Bravo to Epic for giving it away free, and we’re already in anticipation of which game will get the ‘free giveaway’ treatment two weeks from now.
For more great narrative-driven games, check out our list of the best video game stories ever (opens in new tab).