Epic Games — Cardpocalypse (free until Aug 27)
Cardpocalypse Standard Edition hit the Epic Games Store for free last Thursday (August 20) and remains available until next Thursday, August 27. Anyone who claims it takes home the full game permanently — not a trial, not a demo, the complete copy ties to your Epic account forever.
Cardpocalypse is an indie RPG developed by solo studio Gambrinous and originally released in September 2019. The premise is as unconventional as its execution is competent: you play as a teenager who arrives at Dudsdale Elementary, a school where cards from a fictional collectible card game have come to life and the monsters from the cards have invaded the real world. The core mechanics revolve around a collectible card game within the story, but with a brilliant twist — the player themselves can change the rules and the cards mid-game, creating a hybrid system that blends narrative gaming with deck-building strategy. It sounds strange but works well, and Metacritic reviews confirm it: the game holds an average of "Very Positive" ratings based on hundreds of reviews.
What makes Cardpocalypse especially interesting is its nostalgic humor. Set in the late 1990s, the game captures the atmosphere of classrooms, VHS tapes, and pop culture from a decade that, for many current players, was their childhood. The cartoon visuals, the reference-heavy script, and the creative soundtrack create a blend that goes well beyond the conventional card RPG genre.
At the Epic Games Store, Cardpocalypse was priced between US$ 9.99 and US$ 14.99. At this moment the price is zero. The promotion ends on August 27 at 11:00 EDT. If you enjoy alternative narratives and personality-driven card games, it is worth claiming.
Where and how much: store.epicgames.com/p/cardpocalypse — free until Aug 27, normal price ~US$ 10.
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Steam Free Weekend — Over The Top: WWI (until Aug 24)
Steam is hosting a Free Weekend valid until Monday, August 24 (10:00 PT / 12:00 CT), with two distinct options for the same event. The first title is Over The Top: WWI, a third-person tactical shooter set in World War I.
Developed by British studio Flying Squirrel Entertainment — a team of four developers passionate about history and competitive gaming — the game stands out for its battles of up to 200 simultaneous players on the same map. Two hundred units: infantry, tanks, aircraft, and artillery all competing on the same destructible battlefield. Over The Top has earned a "Very Positive" rating on Steam with 87–90% positive reviews, which is rare for indie shooters without the backing of a major publisher.
Over The Top's differentiator is not reflexes but strategy. Squad positioning, communication, and class choice matter more than mouse skill. The game launched in March 2026 at around US$ 19.14 and even in August received the "US Expeditionary Forces" update, which added the United States as a faction with new maps, uniforms, weapons, vehicles, and a first-person perspective — something that significantly expands what Free Weekend players can experience.
The proposal is both historical and ambitious: relive trench warfare with a mechanic that favors combined arms on a massive scale. For anyone who has never played a World War I shooter, this could be the door. And for those who already know the genre, the August update content offers at least a week of entertainment before the event closes.
Where and how much: store.steampowered.com/app/2778610 — free until Aug 24 at 10:00 PT, normal price ~US$ 19.
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Steam Free Weekend — Front Mission 3: Remake (until Aug 24)
The second offering in Steam's Free Weekend is Front Mission 3: Remake, the third entry in Square Enix's legendary mecha tactical RPG series, available at no cost until the same deadline — Monday, August 24.
The original Front Mission was released for the PlayStation 1 in 1999 and quickly became a genre classic. The remake, available on Nintendo Switch from June 2025 and on Steam since January 2026, brings a complete overhaul: updated visuals, refined UI, smoother battle animations, and full support for its dual-route campaign structure — players can follow either Emma's storyline or Alisa's, with exclusive missions and dialogue on each branch. This is a design decision that honors the spirit of mid-1990s JRPGs, when multiple endings and asymmetric experiences were the norm.
The game's setting takes place in the year 2090, where military conflicts are fought by giant machines called "Wanzers" — a concept Square Enix popularized that continues to influence games from the Mega Man Legends series to more recent franchises like Armored Core. Players command Kazuki and Ryogo in volatile military zones, with the region's fate resting on their strategic decisions.
For fans of tactical JRPGs, Front Mission 3: Remake is practically a must-play. The series has a devoted following that values deep Wanzer customization (every piece can be swapped, modified, and combined in ways that directly affect turn-based combat) and its branching narrative. The Free Weekend grants access to the entire game — there is no limited version or disguised demo.
Where and how much: store.steampowered.com/app/3795900 — free until Aug 24 at 10:00 PT, normal price ~US$ 40.
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Quick summary
| Game | Platform | Free until | Normal price | |---|---|---|---| | Cardpocalypse (Standard Edition) | Epic Games Store | Aug 27, 2026 | ~US$ 10 | | Over The Top: WWI | Steam Free Weekend | Aug 24, 2026 10:00 PT | ~US$ 19 | | Front Mission 3: Remake | Steam Free Weekend | Aug 24, 2026 10:00 PT | ~US$ 40 |
Sources: Epic Games Store, Denfaminicogamer, GG.Deals, Notebookcheck, Games Press, PCGamesN
✓ Independent sources cross-checked and verified before publishing
