Today, December 28, the Epic Games Store is giving away SKALD: Against the Black Priory for the next 24 hours. It is a 2024 retro-style RPG that looks like a lost Commodore 64 game but plays with modern mechanical polish. If you miss the giveaway window, you can still find it for 50% off on the Steam Store until January 5. For those looking for the absolute lowest price, G2A (affiliate link) currently has keys for approximately $4.20, which is a 72% discount from the standard retail price.

Pixels and Cosmic Dread

SKALD is a party-based RPG that leans heavily into Lovecraftian themes and gritty fantasy. You lead a group of mercenaries through a world filled with body horror and ancient, awakening gods. The combat is turn-based and tactical, but the story is the real draw here, featuring branching dialogue and dice rolls that actually matter for your survival.⁴ It avoids the hand-holding common in modern RPGs, forcing you to manage your party’s resources and sanity in a world that feels genuinely dangerous. It is a dense, high-quality experience for anyone who values strong writing and a specific, lo-fi aesthetic.

Free Mobile Hits: Monument Valley 1 & 2 For Mobile

Beyond the PC giveaway, you should also head to the mobile Epic Games Store to claim Monument Valley 1 and Monument Valley 2 for free until January 1. These are iconic perspective-based puzzle games inspired by M.C. Escher’s impossible architecture. They are short, polished, and rely on visual storytelling rather than dialogue. To get them, open the Epic Store on your phone and add them to your library. They usually cost around $4 each, so grabbing the pair for free is an excellent deal for your mobile library.

Final Claim Details

You have until December 29 at 11:00 AM ET to secure SKALD for your PC. The Monument Valley games will remain free for a few more days, giving you time to set them up on your Android or iOS device. This lineup is particularly resourceful because it offers a mix of high-stakes RPG mechanics and relaxing puzzle logic. Whether you are rolling dice to survive a pixelated cult or shifting golden towers on your phone, these titles offer more creative value than most of the big-budget releases that filled the rumor lists earlier this month.

The post Retro Horror and Mobile Classics: Today’s Epic Store Picks appeared first on Game Reviews, News, Videos & More for Every Gamer – PC, PlayStation, Xbox in 2026.

While the big-budget leaks continue to fall flat, Epic is handing out a genuine gem for anyone who grew up with monster-collection games but wants something with more mechanical grit. Today, December 27, you can claim Cassette Beasts for free. If you happen to miss the 24-hour Epic window, don’t worry because there is a second chance to snag it at a deep discount. The Steam Store currently has the game at 60% off through January 5, but the even bigger deal is on G2A (affiliate link) where you can pick it up for just $1.55, which is a massive 92% discount compared to its standard price. Whether you want it for free right now or for a couple of coins later, it is an essential addition to your JRPG library.

Transforming the Genre Formula

The central hook here is that you don’t just “summon” monsters; you record them onto tapes and then play them back to transform into those creatures yourself. It creates a weirdly personal connection to the roster because your character is the one doing the fighting. The game also features a massive Fusion System that allows you to combine any two monster forms into a unique, fully-animated hybrid. This isn’t just a cosmetic change either—there are thousands of possible fusions that impact your stats and movesets. It encourages you to experiment with your human companions, as the strength of your relationship directly influences how powerful your fused forms become during combat.

Exploration and Elemental Chemistry

Unlike the linear paths found in typical monster catchers, the island of New Wirral is a true open world. You’ll need specific monster abilities to navigate, such as gliding through the air, swimming across lakes, or using magnetism to solve environmental puzzles. The combat itself is built on a chemistry-based elemental system that goes beyond simple “type advantages.” For example, hitting a plastic-type monster with fire will melt it, changing its attributes and creating new tactical problems to solve. It is a smart, resourceful system that rewards players who actually read the status effects instead of just spamming their strongest attack.

Why It’s Worth the Download

Cassette Beasts is a 2023 release that usually retails for $19.99, and it has maintained a high reputation for its incredible synth-pop soundtrack and its willingness to let the player break the game with clever builds. You have until December 28 at 11:00 AM ET to claim it for free on Epic. Whether you are in it for the 80s aesthetic or the deep tactical combat, it is one of the most refreshed takes on the genre we’ve seen in years.

The post Record, Rewind, and Fuse: Cassette Beasts is Today’s Epic Mystery Gift appeared first on Game Reviews, News, Videos & More for Every Gamer – PC, PlayStation, Xbox in 2026.

Now freshly Steam Deck Verified and with MicroProse Software backing it as publisher, TFC: The Fertile Crescent has a big upgrade out now.

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