Steam and Epic Games Store Drop Two Free PC Games

PC players have a couple of fresh freebies to check out this week, and they offer very different kinds of entertainment. One takes players through unsettling horror stories, while the other heads into space for a more emotional science-fiction adventure.

Most of all, neither requires spending anything to get started. These offers also show how free releases remain part of wider gaming trends, whether developers are building an audience or storefronts are tempting players back with weekly giveaways.

Horror goes free

Tales of Fear – Episode Zero arrived on Steam on September 1 as a completely free first-person horror adventure from indie developer MediaTale. Rather than being a temporary promotion, the game itself is free to play, making it an easy addition for anyone browsing the latest game releases.

Players work through three separate cases, each built around a different protagonist and atmosphere. Some stories are fictional while others draw on real events, leaving players to gather clues and decide which tales are actually true.

One chapter follows Patrick McKelvy as an ordinary evening turns into an encounter with a mysterious creature. Another puts players on a night shift at a technology company where an artificial intelligence experiment goes dangerously wrong. Finally, freelance journalist Kaito investigates a rumour around Mount Tanigawa before becoming caught up in a mystery involving Doai Station.

Beyond exploration, the experience includes interactive dialogue, mini-puzzles, recreated real-world locations and a dynamic audio system. MediaTale says Episode Zero took around 10 months of game development and contains about 90 minutes of content across its three chapters.

Players approve

Early reception has given the small release an impressive start. By September 5, it had amassed 138 Steam user reviews and a 97% approval rating, with 134 positive reactions against only four negative ones. That figure has already moved as more people have played. Steam currently classifies Tales of Fear – Episode Zero as “Very Positive,” with 96% of its listed reviews recommending the game.

Several early players have been surprised by how much is offered without a price tag. MediaTale, however, has a reason for making Episode Zero free: the studio wants feedback on the concept before moving forward. Its next episode is planned as a larger paid release, meaning this free chapter essentially serves as an introduction to the series.

Epic adds another

Those wanting something less frightening can also grab Alone With You from the Epic Games Store. Normally priced at $9.99, the sci-fi adventure is free to claim until September 10, and Epic giveaways remain in a player’s library once redeemed.

Developed by Benjamin Rivers, the game follows the last survivor of a doomed space colony trying to escape before the planet is destroyed. Exploration and puzzle-solving are mixed with visual-novel elements as players uncover what happened to former colonists.

During the day, a troubled AI accompanies the protagonist, while nights are spent developing relationships with four holographic companions. Branching conversations and multiple endings give those relationships consequences as the story unfolds.

Between a permanently free horror experiment and a limited-time sci-fi giveaway, this week’s offers provide two very different reasons to fire up a PC. For gaming fans watching current gaming trends, both also show how free access can introduce players to experiences they might otherwise overlook.