Technologies

What’s Free on the Epic Games Store This Week?

This week we’ve got River City Girls, Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms and more. Check out how you can get these games and all their rewards at the Epic Games Store.

Are you eager to play a game but struggling to decide on one? Or perhaps you’re reluctant to spend money on a game that might not meet your expectations. Making the right decision is crucial, particularly with rising gaming costs and 2025 looking unpredictable for the gaming industry. Look no further than the Epic Games Store if you’re after something that makes decision-making easier. Each week, you can download a free game (often two or three, if you’re lucky) and keep it forever—without spending a penny. This is the best way to discover exciting new titles without financial risk.

Fortnite is a major influence in pop culture, and it’s also a video game that helped propel Epic Games into the limelight. Following the game’s success, Epic Games launched its own storefront in 2019, offering various games — from action titles to indie favorites — to attract gamers. It quickly became a direct competitor for Valve’s own gaming store, Steam, especially with its offering of free games to play each week.

Sorry console gamers, but the Epic Games Store is exclusively available on PC. This means you cannot access its free games on systems like the PS5 or Xbox. However, if you have a PC or laptop, now’s the time to dive into the Epic Games Store and take full advantage of its free discounts and deals. Creating an Epic Games account is completely free, and you’ll gain numerous rewards. Don’t miss out.

What is the new free game on the Epic Games Store this week? (April 10 to April 17)

Arcadegeddon

It’s time to head into the future with IIIFonic’s Arcadegeddon, a cooperative rogue-lite shooter multiplayer. It is a third-person POV, and players will go up against a virus injected into the arcade they are part of. To level up and progress, they’ll have to explore multiple biomes, take part in mini-games, search for hidden chests and defeat enemies and bosses.

The game came out in 2023, so its player base isn’t as active as one might expect — so be sure you’ll be able to enjoy the game with friends before you download it. Even so, Arcadegeddon has been praised for its «tight level design» as well as its satisfying gunplay. If you like a challenge, you’ll probably want to take advantage of this shooter.

Players can redeem 5,000 ARC coins, which can be used to purchase items and weapons in-game. So don’t miss out on this limited-time offer.

Arcadegeddon’s offer of 5,000 ARC coins is available for free via the Epic Games Store. Released in 2023, most gamers who enjoyed it liked its diverse characters and found gameplay relaxing. It has a 4.5 out of 5 rating.

Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms: Astarion’s Champions of Renown Pack

Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms is a strategy management game that dares to ask: What if your favorite Dungeons and Dragons characters united and embarked on a grand adventure together? Wouldn’t that be the coolest thing ever? If you think so, then this is the game for you.

If you’ve been a fan of Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms, you’ll already know that Baldur’s Gate 3’s most popular character Astarion is a huge reason to jump into the game. With Astarion’s Champions of Renown Pack, players will receive over $100 worth of rewards for free. You’ll need to hurry, though, because this offer ends on April 17.

The rewards of the renown pack are the following:

Unlocks for the following Champions: Artemis (Seat 3), Karlach (Seat 4), Kalix (Seat 5), Astarion (Seat 10) and the Dark Urge (Seat 11)
Exclusive Skin: Tuxedo Kalix
Exclusive Familiar: Rumble the Angry Flumph
Artemis Chests: 32 Platinum Artemis Chests with 2 shiny equipment cards guaranteed.
Karlach Chests: 32 Platinum Karlach chests with 2 shiny equipment cards guaranteed.
Kalix Chests: 32 Platinum Kalix chests with 2 shiny equipment cards guaranteed.
Astarion Chests: 32 Platinum Astarion chests with 2 shiny equipment cards guaranteed.
The Dark Urge Chests: 32 Platinum The Dark Urge chests with 2 shiny equipment cards guaranteed.
Two Week-Long Buff Potions: 1 potion of the Gold Hunter and 1 potion of the Gem Hunter.

Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms: Astarion’s Champions of Renown Pack is free via the Epic Games Store. Idle Champions is a free-to-play game, with many gamers praising the game for its selection of iconic characters from the Forgotten Realms and how easy it is to jump into a game without worrying too much about controls.

River City Girls

You wake up one morning only to discover your and your best friend’s boyfriends have been kidnapped. What is a girlie to do? Find out who did it and beat them within an inch of their life, duh.

River City Girls can be best described as a chaotic, action-adventure beat-em up with glorious pixel-art aesthetic and graphics that will leave you wanting more. As the tough-as-nails heroines Misako and Kyoko, players who enjoy using an arsenal of weapons, items and wise-cracking dialogue to put the smackdown on their enemies will love the game’s zany energy.

Better yet, you won’t have to embark on this challenge alone (though you can, if you want to). With 2-player co-op, you and your friend can put the hurt on the bad guys who took your boyfriends while also enjoying the motion-comic story panels and anime cutscenes. If you love anime, you may even recognize some cameo characters featured in-game. And if not characters, recognizable voice actors such as Cristina ‘Vee’ Valenzuela, known for multiple roles in both anime and video games, are sure to entice you.

It isn’t just fights, however. River City Girls also features six large city regions to explore and participate in side quests. Some may even change the ending you get… depending on the choices you make.

Usually $30, River City Girls is now available for free via the Epic Games Store. River City Girls is well-liked, with 79% of critics recommending it, and it boasts a score of Strong on OpenCritic. Most gamers who enjoyed the game liked its appealing aesthetic and diverse characters.

What will be free on the Epic Games Store next week? (April 17 to April 24)

Firestone Online Idle RPG Epic Games Store Offer

If you’re someone who enjoys the aesthetics of fantasy RPGs but doesn’t have time to play them, then you’ll be intrigued by Firestone Online Idle RPG. Alternatively, if you’re someone who prefers the social aspect of multiplayer RPGs, you should also consider jumping in on this game before its offer next week.

While you might be sitting idle, your heroes never are. Even if you don’t have your eyes on the game, your characters will hack, slash and dice their way through waves of enemies. Of course, if you’d like to speed things up, you can treat the game as a clicker, giving you control of the ferocity of battle alongside other players.

With Firestone Online Idle RPG’s Epic Games Store offer, players will get the chance to claim special rewards and an exclusive skin — altogether valued at $100 altogether.

The offer contains the following rewards:

Exclusive skin for the hero, Boris
2 Avatars for your Character Profile
10 Common Chests, each containing at least 1 piece of gear for Heroes
5 Uncommon Chests containing at least 1 Uncommon gear
10 Wooden Chests with at least 1 Heroes Jewels
5 Iron Chests with at least 1 Uncommon Jewel
360 Strange Dust to help train your Guardians or conduct experiments
50 Scrolls to enhance your stats in battle
35 Game Tokens to test your mettle at the Tavern
5 Prestige Tokens
200 Gems

To get this offer, log onto the game through the Epic Games store — it doesn’t matter if you’re a new or existing player. However, new players must reach stage 15 before obtaining the rewards.

Firestone Online Idle RPG Epic Games Store Offer will be available via the Epic Games Store. Firestone Online Idle RPG is a free-to-play game, with a review score of 3.8 out of 5. Many players enjoy the game’s playful visuals and easy controls.

Previous free games on the Epic Games Store

Unsure whether your favorite game has been selected as part of Epic’s free game of the week or curious about what deals you’ve missed? We’ve listed a selection of games from previous weeks.

Epic Games Store free games in 2025

Firestone Online Idle RPG (April 17 to April 24)
River City Girls (April 10 to April 17)
Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms (April 10 to April 17)
Arcadgeddon (April 10 to April 17)
Cat Quest II (April 3 to April 10)
Cat Quest (March 27 to April 3)
Neko Ghost, Jump (March 27 to April 3)
Jurassic World Evolution 2 (March 20 to 27)
Mortal Shell (March 13 to 20)
World of Warships: Anniversary Party Favor DLC (March 13 to 20)
Them’s Fighting Herds (March 6 to 13)
Mages of Mystralia (Feb. 27 to March 6)
World War Z Aftermath (Feb. 20 to 27)
Garden Story (Feb. 20 to 27)
F1 Manager 2024 (Feb. 13 to 20)
Humankind (Feb. 6 to 13)
Beyond Blue (Feb. 6 to 13)
Undying (Jan. 30 to Feb. 6)
Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery (Jan. 23 to 30)
Escape Academy (Jan. 16 to 23)
Turmoil (Jan. 9 to 16)
Hell Let Loose (Jan. 2 to 9)
Kingdom Come Deliverance (Jan. 1)

Epic Games Store free games in 2024

Sifu (Dec. 31)
[Redacted] (Dec. 30 to 31)
Orcs Must Die 3 (Dec. 29 to 30)
Kill Knight (Dec. 28 to 29)
Hot Wheels Unleashed (Dec. 27 to 28)
Ghostrunner 2 (Dec. 26 to 27)
Control (Dec. 25 to 26)
Dredge (Dec. 24 to 25)
Darker and Darker: Legendary Status (Dec. 23 to 24)
Wizard of Legend (Dec. 22 to 23)
TerraTech (Dec. 21 to 22)
Astrea: Six Sided Oracles (Dec. 20 to 21)
Vampire Survivors (Dec. 19 to 20)
The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria (Dec. 12 to 19)
Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop, Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (Dec. 5 to 12)
Brotato (Nov. 28 to Dec. 5)
Beholder (Nov. 21 to 28)
Castlevania Anniversary Collection; Snakebird Complete (Nov. 14 to 21)
Apex Legends Ash Unlock Bundle; Deceive Inc (Nov. 7 to 14)
Witch It; Ghostwire: Tokyo (Oct. 31 to Nov. 7)
Moving Out (Oct. 24 to 31)
Kardboard Kings; Invincible Presents: Atom Eve (Oct. 17 to 24)
Empyrion: Galactic Survival; Outliver: Tribulations (Oct. 10 to 17)
Bear and Breakfast (Oct. 3 to 10)
The Spirit and The Mouse (Sept. 26 to Oct. 3)
TOEM; The Last Stand: Aftermath (Sept. 19 to 26)
Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland; Super Crazy Rhythm Castle (Sept. 12 to 19)
Football Manager 2024; Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts (Sept. 5 to 12)
Wild Card Football; Fallout: Classic Collection (Aug. 29 to Sept. 5)
Gigantic: Rampage Edition; The Callisto Protocol (Aug. 22 to 29)
Death’s Gambit: Afterlife (Aug. 15 to 22)
Cygni: All Guns Blazing; DNF Duel (Aug. 8 to 15)
Lumbearjack (Aug. 1 to 8)
F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch; Olympics Go! Paris 2024 Exclusive Outfits Pack (July 25 to Aug. 1)
Maid of Sker; Arcade Paradise (July 18 to 25)
Floppy Knights (July 11 to 18)
The Falconeer (July 4 to 11)
Sunless Skies: Sovereign Edition (June 27 to July 4)
Rumble Club Free Game of the Week Bonus; Freshly Frosted (June 20 to 27)
Redout 2; Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms (June 13 to 20)
Marvel’s Midnight Suns (June 6 to 13)
Chivalry 2 (May 30 to June 6)
Farming Simulator 22 (May 23 to 30)
Dragon Age: Inquisition – Game of the Year Edition (May 16 to 23)
Firestone Free Offer; Circus Electrique (May 9 to 16)
Orcs Must Die! 3, Cat Quest II (May 2 to 9)
Lisa: Definitive Edition, Industria (April 25 to May. 2)
Town of Salem 2; The Big Con (April 18 to 25)
Ghostrunner (April 11 to 18)
Thief; The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition (April 4 to 11)
Islets (March 28 to April 4)
Invincible Presents: Atom Eve; Call of the Wild: The Angler (March 21 to 28)
The Bridge; Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (March 14 to 21)
Astro Duel 2 (March 7 to 14)
Aerial_Knight’s Never Yield (Feb. 29 to March 7)
Super Meat Boy Forever (Feb. 22 to 29)
Dakar Desert Rally (Feb. 15 to 22)
Lost Castle; Doki Doki Literature Club Plus (Feb. 8 to 15)
Doors: Paradox (Feb. 1 to 8)
Infinifactory (Jan. 25 to Feb. 1)
Love (Jan. 18 to 25)
Sail Forth (Jan. 11 to 18)
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Jan. 4 to 11)
A Plague Tale: Innocence (Jan. 3 to 4)
20 Minutes Till Dawn (Jan. 2 to 3)
Escape Academy (Jan. 1 to 2)

Epic Games Store free games of 2023

Ghostrunner (Dec. 31, 2023 to Jan. 1, 2024)
Saints Row (Dec. 30 to 31)
Snakebird Complete (Dec. 29 to 30)
Cat Quest (Dec. 28 to 29)
Cursed to Golf (Dec. 27 to 28)
Human Resource Machine (Dec. 26 to 27)
The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition (Dec. 25 to 26)
Ghostwire: Tokyo (Dec. 24 to 25)
Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition (Dec. 23 to 24)
Art of Rally (Dec. 22 to 23)
Melvor Idle (Dec. 21 to 22)
DNF Duel (Dec. 20 to 21)
Destiny 2: Legacy Collection (Dec. 13 to 20)
Predecessor, Gigabash (Dec. 7 to 13)
Mighty Fight Federation; Jitsu Squad (Nov. 30 to Dec. 7)
Deliver Us Mars (Nov. 23 to 30)
Surviving the Aftermath, Earthlock (Nov. 16 to 23)
Golden Light (Nov. 9 to 16)
Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion (Nov. 2 to 9)
The Evil Within 2; Tandem: A Tale of Shadows (Oct. 26 to Nov. 2)
The Evil Within; Eternal Threads (Oct. 19 to 26)
Q.U.B.E. Ultimate Bundle; Blazing Sails (Oct. 12 to 19)
Godlike Burger (Oct. 5 to 12)
Soulstice; Model Builder (Sept. 28 to Oct. 5)
The Forest Quartet; Out of Line (Sept. 21 to 28)
911 Operator (Sept. 14 to 21)
Spelldrifter (Sept. 7 to 14)
Cave Story Plus (Aug. 31 to Sept. 7)
Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak (Aug. 24 to 31)
Dodo Peak; Black Book (Aug. 17 to 24)
Orwell: Keeping an Eye on You; Europa Universalis IV (Aug. 10 to 17)
Loop Hero, Bloons TD 6 (Aug. 3 to 10)
Severed Steel; Homeworld Remastered Collection (July 27 to Aug. 3)
The Elder Scrolls Online; Murder by Numbers (July 20 to 27)
Train Valley 2 (July 13 to 20)
Grime (July 6 to 13)
The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos (June 29 to July 6)
The Hunter: Call of the Wild; Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms (June 22 to 29)
Guacamelee 2; Guacamelee Super Turbo Championship Edition (June 15 to 22)
Payday 2 (June 8 to 15)
Midnight Ghost Hunt (June 1 to 8)
Fallout: New Vegas Ultimate Edition (May 25 to June. 1)
Death Stranding (May 18 to 25)
The Sims 4 The Daring Lifestyle Bundle (May 11 to 18)
Kao the Kangaroo; Horizon Chase Turbo, Against All Odds (May 4 to 11)
Poker Club; Breathedge (April 27 to May 4)
Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna); Beyond Blue (April 20-27)
Second Extinction; Mordhau (April 13 to 20)
Shapez; Dying Light: The Following — Enhanced Edition (April 6 to 13)
Tunche; The Silent Age (March 30 to April 6)
World of Warships Starter Pack: Ishizuchi; Chess Ultra (March 23 to 30)
Warhammer 40,000: Gladius — Relics of War (March 16 to 23)
Call of the Sea (March 9 to 16)
Rise of Industry (March 2 to 9)
Duskers (Feb. 23 to March 2)
Warpips (Feb. 16 to 23)
Recipe for Disaster (Feb. 9 to 16)
Dishonored: Death of the Outsider; City of Gangsters (Feb. 2 to 9)
Hell Is Others, Adios (Jan. 26 to Feb. 2)
Epistory: Typing Chronicles (Jan. 19 to 26)
Gamedec: Definitive Edition; First Class Trouble; Divine Knockout (Jan. 12 to 19)
Shadow Tactics: Aiko’s Choice; Kerbal Space Program (Jan. 5 to 12)

Epic Games Store free games of 2022

Eximus: Seize the Frontline; Dishonored: Definitive Edition (Dec. 29, 2022 to Jan. 5, 2023)

Epic Store free games FAQ

What do I need to do to get free Epic Store games?

To get free games from the Epic Store each week, you must sign up and make an account.

To register as a user for the Epic Store, first head to the Epic Games website. At the top right-hand corner, click the Sign In button and then Create Account at the bottom of the page.

Can I play the free Epic Store games on Steam?

The Epic Store is different to Steam, so the games that you own on the Epic Store will not be available to play on Steam. If you want to play the free games you’ve downloaded from the Epic Store, you must play them via Epic’s launcher.

Technologies

How to Use the New Blood Pressure Tool on Your Samsung Galaxy Watch

You’ll need additional hardware to use the blood pressure monitoring tool on your Samsung Galaxy smartwatch.

After years of regional limits, Samsung is finally unlocking blood pressure monitoring for Galaxy Watch users in the U.S. Starting Tuesday, the feature is rolling out to the current Galaxy Watch 8 series as well as older models dating back to the Galaxy Watch 4. It’s a major addition for anyone tracking cardiovascular trends, but you shouldn’t expect a simple «plug and play» experience.

For starters, you’ll need to own (or buy) a traditional upper-arm blood pressure cuff to calibrate the feature on the smartwatch. And you’ll have to download a separate app, the Samsung Health Monitor app, on your smartphone. Then you’ll have to recalibrate with the cuff every 28 days to ensure accurate readings.

In other words, the blood pressure monitor requires a blood pressure monitor to function.

Samsung first introduced blood pressure monitoring on its watches in 2020, gradually rolling it out in other countries, but regulatory holdups kept it from being usable in the US.

Unlike Samsung’s ECG and sleep apnea detection features (both FDA-cleared), the blood pressure feature has not received FDA clearance and is intended for wellness purposes only. This means it is not a diagnostic tool and should not be used to identify or treat high blood pressure. Readings are also on-demand only, so you have to manually take them through the watch rather than having it happen automatically in the background.

That last part may change. Samsung’s announcement also noted that passive blood pressure trend monitoring is coming later this year.

Apple debuted FDA-cleared hypertension alerts on newer Apple Watch models in September 2025, which passively monitor and alert owners when it detects signs of high blood pressure. Oura and other wearable companies are working toward similar features through long-term data trends, though true on-demand blood pressure readings remain out of reach for most mainstream consumer smartwatches.

The blood pressure feature is compatible with Galaxy Watch 4 and will only work on watches paired with a Samsung Galaxy phone running Android 12 or higher. It will not be available on other Android phones or on Samsung’s Galaxy Fit tracker. And even if you check all those boxes, you might not get it right away. Samsung says it’s rolling out the feature in phases.

If you do have access (and a cuff handy), setup is fairly straightforward. Once your watch is connected to your phone, download the Samsung Health Monitor app, enable blood pressure tracking and follow the calibration steps while using your upper-arm cuff. Just know you’ll need that cuff nearby anytime you want to keep your readings accurate.

Technologies

Google Upgrades Maps Features With More Gemini and Faster Photo Uploads

Google Maps strengthens its crowdsourcing efforts for its 500 million contributors.

Google announced three new features for Maps on Tuesday that should streamline sharing your experiences. Despite being a strong maps application itself, Google relies on everyday users to contribute their reviews, photos and videos so others doing research can make more informed decisions about places they plan to visit. With the new updates to Google Maps, you can access your photos faster to contribute to information about places you’ve been. You can also choose to have Google’s AI model, Gemini, caption your photos and more quickly check the contributions you’ve made in the past.

New photo and video recommendations

It’s not hard to share photos or videos for a location on Google Maps, but the app will now offer photo and video suggestions from your saved images — if you give it permission to do so. The new feature will appear on the Contribute tab at the bottom of the maps app. When scrolling through the view, you’ll see photo and video recommendations or the option to upload other photos.

How the specific photo and video recommendations are determined isn’t clear, but the new feature will likely use a photo’s geolocation if that setting is enabled in your camera’s settings.

A Google representative didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

This feature is now available globally on Android and will expand to iOS in the coming months.

Gemini will auto-caption your photos

Google’s giving your photos some Gemini power by automatically analyzing and captioning them once you’ve selected them to share. This could be helpful in situations where you have selected several photos you don’t care to caption.

If you don’t like what Gemini comes up with, you can edit or remove the caption completely before publishing your photos to Maps.

Gemini captions are available in English on iOS and will expand to other languages globally and Android in the future.

New ways to view your contributions

You can now show off your prior contributions to Google’s Local Guide community program.

When you contribute, you gain points, and the more you contribute, the more you can level up as a Local Guide. All your points and badges are now prominently displayed on your profile. Google’s also adding gold profiles for high-level contributors, so you know you’re reading reviews from experienced users.

The new contributor updates are rolling out now on Android, iOS and desktop.

Technologies

This New Health-Tracking Pet Collar Is Like a Smartwatch for Dogs and Cats

Tractive announces two new smart collars armed with GPS tracking, AI-powered health monitoring and other tech tools.

Our pets can’t speak up and tell us how they’re feeling, or why and where they are hiding. Tractive, an Austria- and Seattle-based tech company that creates GPS tracking devices for pets, announced on Wednesday two new smart collars that, according to the press release, «will redefine pet care for millions of families.»

Is your pet stressed, breathing unusually or scratching too much? Much like the basic health-tracking features you can find on a smartwatch, the collars — the Cat 6 Mini ($79) and Dog 6 XL ($89) — are designed to track this behavior and communicate the issues to help maintain your dog or cat’s quality of life.

«Pets can’t tell us when something is wrong, but their bodies can,» Michael Hurnaus, CEO and founder of Tractive, said in a statement. «With cutting-edge sensors on every tracker, learnings from millions of pets and AI-powered insights, we’re turning one of the world’s largest pet data platforms into clear, simple information so pet parents can act sooner and care even better.»

When it comes to tracking collars, dogs have usually been the target pet audience for such devices. Tractive’s new Cat 6 Mini collar aims to provide the same service for your feline friend. You can use it to monitor your cat’s respiratory rate and resting heart rate and identify any health concerns early. It’s expected to ship on May 31.

The Dog 6 XL collar, an upgrade from the company’s previous dog wearable, is designed for dogs weighing over 55 pounds. It’s more durable for outdoor use and offers up to four weeks of battery life between charges. It comes equipped with a scratch-monitoring system that flags unusual scratching behavior caused by allergies, skin irritants and other stressors.

You can also use the app to access your pet’s travels and mark safe zones regarding walks, entries and exits. An AI-powered health hub displays your pet’s overall health stats and also acts as a GPS tracker in case your dog or cat goes missing.

How would a veterinarian interact with the data collected on the device?

A Tractive representative told CNET, «In our experience, veterinarians are most interested in baseline resting heart and respiratory rate, so it’s less about monitoring these vitals in real time during recovery from anesthesia/acute care and more about understanding if the baseline is changing day to day to identify the onset of new conditions or manage existing ones.»

Even though the collars use a SIM card and require a strong cellular connection to work properly, they can capture activity, sleep and health data while offline. However, without connectivity, the devices «ultimately will not provide any utility,» the representative confirmed.

You’ll need to download the accompanying app and select a separate subscription plan at an added cost. The one-year plan costs $120, the two-year plan costs $168, and the five-year plan costs $300.