The Epic Games store has continued with its offering of free games, with this week featuring two top-down shooters: There’s Vlambeer’s post-apocalyptic roguelite Nuclear Throne, and Reikon Games’ violent cyberpunk shoot ’em up Ruiner.
Both games can be claimed in the Epic Games store, provided you have an account set up there. Use the Epic Games launcher to navigate to the store, and then click the banner for the free games. You’ll be able to ‘buy’ them both for zero monies, and they’ll pop up in your library, ready to install.
Nuclear Throne is my personal favourite out of this pair. It’s a tough twin-stick shooter where you pick one of a motley group of mutants, each with their own special ability, to run through the wasteland to seek out the eponymous throne. Developer Vlambeer launched Nuclear Throne in early access on Steam, and used community feedback to help shape how the final version of the game looks. It’s fun, challenging, and there’s plenty of secret stuff to unlock, a la The Binding of Isaac.
Ruiner, however, is no slouch either. It’s set in an extremely cool imagining of future city of Rengkok, and there’s cyberpunk and anime style oozing out of all of its synthetic pores. You’re wired up to some kind of mainframe that gives you instructions, but it’s unclear at first whether it’s your friend or enemy. As you fight your way through the city, you’ll unlock new time-bending abilities and powerful moves, all the better for lighting up bad guys and looking increasingly badass while you do it.
Nuclear Throne and Ruiner will be available until November 14, at which point the free game offering will switch over to Sabotage’s classic Ninja Gaiden throwback The Messenger. Of course, there’s plenty more to choose from if you’re on a budget: check out our list of the best free PC games if you’re still on the hunt.