We’re well into peak holiday, and that means it’s time for another free PC game from Epic. Today, it’s one of this year’s most unique RPG games, the reverse roguelike Loop Hero. You have until tomorrow at 8 am PT / 11 am ET / 4 pm GMT to claim your copy and start your quest to rebuild a shattered world.
Loop Hero is a roguelike RPG, but rather than playing the hero, you’re placed in the role of dungeonmaster, watching a little warrior (or thief, or necromancer, as you unlock additional classes) plod around a track floating in the midst of an undifferentiated black abyss. As the little fighter journeys round and round, you’ll pick up new tiles to place down that give shape to the landscape. Each one has different effects, with some granting benefits and others spawning monsters, and your job is to modulate the difficulty such that your hero gets just enough of a challenge so that they’re properly leveled when they meet the area boss.
The lo-fi Amiga-style graphics and chiptune soundtrack might lull you into thinking Loop Hero is a simple game, but don’t be fooled: there’s a lot of complexity here, and plenty to discover. Tiles often have hidden synergies that magnify their effects or change neighboring tiles, and each class demands a different approach to leveling and enemy placement.
Here’s the launch trailer:
You can read our Loop Hero review to learn more, or check out our Loop Hero beginner’s guide for some pointers and tips on how to get going. You can grab your free copy over on the Epic Games Store.