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
Tariffs Explained: Price Hikes Loom as Trump Clashes With Walmart
Technologies
Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for May 20, #443
Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle No. 443 for May 20.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.
Today’s NYT Strands puzzle reminds me that I haven’t had a meal in a fancy restaurant in some time. Maybe it’s time to make a reservation. If you need hints and answers, read on.
I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.
If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.
Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far
Hint for today’s Strands puzzle
Today’s Strands theme is: Oh, of course!
If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Elegant eats.
Clue words to unlock in-game hints
Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:
- SITE, FINE, SINE, DINE, PEAS, TEEN, PEER, STEEP, DEER, SEED, SEEN, POET, TREE, NOPE, SEES.
Answers for today’s Strands puzzle
These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:
- SOUP, SALAD, CHEESE, ENTREE, DESSERT, APPETIZERS
Today’s Strands spangram
Today’s Strands spangram is FINEDINING. To find it, start with the F that’s three letters down on the farthest row to the left, and wind across.
Toughest Strands puzzles
Here are some of the Strands topics I’ve found to be the toughest in recent weeks.
#1: Dated slang, Jan. 21. Maybe you didn’t even use this lingo when it was cool. Toughest word: PHAT.
#2: Thar she blows! Jan.15. I guess marine biologists might ace this one. Toughest word: BALEEN or RIGHT.
#3: Off the hook, Jan. 9. Similar to the Jan. 15 puzzle in that it helps to know a lot about sea creatures. Sorry, Charlie. Toughest word: BIGEYE or SKIPJACK
Technologies
Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for May 24, #713
Hints and answers for Connections for May 24, #713.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.
Today’s Connections puzzle has a fun variety of categories. The purple one appeals to my English major heart. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.
The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.
Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time
Hints for today’s Connections groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group, to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: Goo-goo.
Green group hint: Not shirts.
Blue group hint: City that never sleeps.
Purple group hint: Acclaimed writers.
Answers for today’s Connections groups
Yellow group: Baby gear.
Green group: Kinds of pants minus «s.»
Blue group: New York sports team members.
Purple group: Black women authors.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections answers?
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is baby gear. The four answers are bib, bottle, monitor and stroller.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is kinds of pants minus «s.» The four answers are capri, jean, jogger and slack.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is New York sports team members. The four answers are Jet, Met, Net and Ranger.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is black women authors. The four answers are Butler, Gay, Hooks and Walker.
-
Technologies2 года ago
Tech Companies Need to Be Held Accountable for Security, Experts Say
-
Technologies2 года ago
Best Handheld Game Console in 2023
-
Technologies2 года ago
Tighten Up Your VR Game With the Best Head Straps for Quest 2
-
Technologies4 года ago
Verum, Wickr and Threema: next generation secured messengers
-
Technologies4 года ago
Google to require vaccinations as Silicon Valley rethinks return-to-office policies
-
Technologies4 года ago
Black Friday 2021: The best deals on TVs, headphones, kitchenware, and more
-
Technologies4 года ago
Olivia Harlan Dekker for Verum Messenger
-
Technologies4 года ago
iPhone 13 event: How to watch Apple’s big announcement tomorrow