Once again, the holidays have come and gone, and things are falling into place for the grander year at large, including the Epic Games Store offering its usual weekly freebies. The Epic Games Store has done away with its yearly mystery games, and players can now expect the weekly rotation every Thursday at 10 AM CST to continue. While it may be a bit sad for some users that the free games won’t be daily anymore, there are bound to be plenty of great deals and worthwhile free games throughout the year that fans should watch. These freebies tend to stretch against all kinds of different genres and experiences, so some users may find something worthwhile as other players feel uninterested in the same grab-bag game. Even if some offerings may come off as a bottom-of-the-barrel game at first glance, there may be some days gamers find a diamond in the rough they wouldn’t have otherwise by giving a title that’s free a chance.
The final mystery game, Hell Let Loose, will be available until January 9 and marks the transition away from the holiday promotion into the regular Epic Games Store free games routine. Hell Let Loose is a great game to pick up for free among friend groups, as it offers up to 100-player online multiplayer. The FPS title is heavily inspired by World War 2 and many of its battles, allowing players to immerse themselves in the battles on the Eastern and Western fronts, choosing between 14 different roles that will change the tide of battle. Interestingly, the last Epic Games Store mystery game and the first proper weekly freebie of 2025 have an interesting common denominator, as January 9’s Turmoil is yet another historical video game.
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The Epic Games Store gives away freebies every week regularly with a few special promotions in between to spice things up, giving away a few gems.
Epic Games Store Free Game Turmoil Explained
Turmoil Brings Players Back to 1899 With Plenty of Wit and Challenge to Go Around
Gamious’ Turmoil invites players into North America’s oil rush, turning the events into an easy-to-follow playful simulation game. As part of it, players can use many tricks to be able to find oil veins, such as buying land at auction, searching for oil by hand, and engaging in shady deals behind closed doors with town NPCs. It features modes that players would expect from similar simulation games such as a campaign mode, but also unique modes such as one that features procedurally generated levels that ask players to progress as much as they can within one in-game year. Just like other games in the genre, there are plenty of modes and different strategies to try to reach the end goal players have in mind, from the meticulously thought-out to the stupidest “what ifs” fans can come up with.
To go along with how many modes in Turmoil gamify exactly how many oil tycoons made their bucks back in the day, it’s also wrapped in a sense of humor that keeps the relaxing vibe the entire game has been praised for by critics going. The self-proclaimed “tongue-in-cheek” take on the oil rush doesn’t save it from earning an even 50% critics’ recommendation, according to OpenCritic, though. Despite the mixed reviews, Turmoil is said to have had a fun start, so fans of simulation games might find something unexpectedly worth their while at no extra charge once it enters Epic’s rotation.
Turmoil offers players a visually charming, tongue-in-cheek take on the simulation genre inspired by the 19th century oil rush in North America. Get a taste of the rush and rivalry of the time as you earn your way to become a successful oil entrepreneur. As you make money digging up and selling oil, the town will grow along with you.
Lease land at the town auction and search for oil. Build a rig, create an efficient pipe network and bring up the oil to store it in silos. Sell the oil at the best times to maximize profits. Then buy essential upgrades in town to cope with rock, gas and ice. Acquire more town shares than your competitors in a bid to become the new mayor.
Strategy
Management
Simulation
- Released
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June 2, 2016
- Developer(s)
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Gamious
- Publisher(s)
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Gamious
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer
- Engine
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GameMaker
- ESRB
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E10+ For Everyone 10+ // Use of Tobacco
- How Long To Beat
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8 Hours
- Steam Deck Compatibility
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Playable
- OpenCritic Rating
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Fair
- PC Release Date
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June 2, 2016
- Nintendo Switch Release Date
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May 28, 2020
No matter how Turmoil has been received, though, there are definitely many benefits to getting to try out an underdog title like Gamious’ simulation title for free. Some players out there may see Turmoil as such a worthwhile steal on the Epic Games Store that it may be one of the games they missed from 2016. Even if titles such as the oil-digging experience don’t interest players much, there’s always the chance of something more to their liking when the next game is revealed.
Epic Games Store
A digital video game storefront for Windows PC and macOS created and operated by Epic Games. Originally launched in December 2018, Epic Games Store is both a website as well as a standalone launcher.