Frigid survival sim Frostpunk goes free on the Epic Store

Frostpunk
(Image credit: 11 Bit Studios)

Remember when we put a bunch of children to work in the coal mines, and one of them was horrifically injured? And then instead of giving the kid a little time off to recover, we yelled at him so the rest wouldn't get any funny ideas? Good times. Anyway, if you've ever aspired to that sort of firm-but-fair father figure position, today is your lucky day, because the society survival game Frostpunk is free on the Epic Games Store.

Frostpunk puts you in charge of the last city on Earth, although calling it a "city" is generous. It's really just a small collection of people struggling desperately to survive in the ice-packed end of days. And it's not just the weather and lack of resources that you'll have to contend with: The people have little patience for nonsense, and while sacrifices have to be made, push them too hard and they'll start pushing back. It's an older game, but a very good one: We called it a "grim and engrossing survival-strategy" game in our 89% review, and later selected it as the Best Sim of 2018.

(Image credit: 11 Bit Studios)

You thought I was kidding, didn't you?

Frostpunk is free on the Epic Store until June 10, and the Rifts and Last Autumn DLCs are on sale for 20% off until June 17. Next week's freebie is yet another mystery, so stay tuned for that—and if you're interested in even more free games, be sure to keep an eye on our list.

Andy Chalk

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.