November 3rd free games roundup

Today's roundup covers eight free games across the Epic Games Store and the web, led by an unusual bulk promotion from Indian studio Yash Future Tech Solutions that has dropped 13 of its budget PC titles to $0.00 at once. These self-funded developer promotions pop up periodically alongside Epic's bigger weekly giveaways, and while they're low-budget casual releases rather than blockbusters, five standouts from the batch are grouped below alongside three browser games.

Epic Games Store

1. Balloon Strike

Balloon Strike originally came out on PC back in July 2014 and doesn't complicate its premise: you use a bow and arrow to pop floating balloons across three difficulty tiers in an endless high-score loop. It's a tiny, five-minute score chaser, though it's hard to argue with the price tag when the base game is 100% off on the Epic Games Store until November 8 at 18:30 UTC. Just make sure you select the full base game rather than the separate demo listing on the store page before checking out.

2. Dark Mystery

First released in August 2017, Dark Mystery is a 2D puzzle-platformer built around 35 stages of hazards and shared-screen two-player support. The plot follows a fuzzball named Furry trying to rescue his queen from the Dark World, which reads like a weekend game jam pitch, but local co-op makes it one of the more functional entries in the studio's catalog. You can claim it for free on the Epic Games Store until November 8 at 18:30 UTC.

3. Gladiator: Blades of Fury

Gladiator: Blades of Fury shifts into medieval melee combat, letting you pick fighters from four factions: Barbarians, Assassins, Knights, and Dwarves. It's a rough-around-the-edges 2019 arena brawler with 20 playable heroes and offline multiplayer, and I'm curious whether the faction weapon styles actually feel different in practice or just swap animations. Normally $9.99, the full version is free to keep on the Epic Games Store through November 8 at 18:30 UTC.

4. Highway Driving

For something straightforward behind the wheel, Highway Driving is a 2022 3D arcade racer where you weave through endless traffic tracks to earn cash for vehicle unlocks. It even supports steering wheels alongside standard gamepads, which feels wonderfully overkill for a budget traffic dodger. Grab it for $0.00 on the Epic Games Store before the promotion ends on November 8 at 18:30 UTC.

5. Horror Adventure

Released in early 2023, Horror Adventure puts you in the shoes of a paranormal investigator exploring an abandoned manor with a flashlight. The layout uses procedural generation to shuffle rooms and demonic encounters on each run, and you can add it to your Epic Games Store library for free until November 8 at 18:30 UTC. (If you want to grab the rest of the developer's discounted catalog while the window is open, Epic World - Hunt For Quest, Funtoon's World, Horse Racing, Math Fun, Maze - The Amazing Labyrinth, Mountain Racing, Quiztopia: The Ultimate Trivia, and Super Kids Racing - Mini Edition are also free until the same deadline.)

Browser and mobile

6. Cartógrafo

Cartógrafo is a fast-paced geography duel that runs directly in desktop and mobile browsers without requiring an account or download. Following in the footsteps of classic web map quizzes like 1997's Seterra, it pits up to 12 players against each other in two-minute live lobbies (or asynchronous challenge links) across 51 modern geographical maps covering the world, continents, and administrative divisions of 43 countries. It's permanently free to play, with no expiration date.

7. Hotlap

Hotlap is an open-world driving sandbox that loads straight into your web browser on PC or mobile with zero installation. You can cruise solo or join online lobbies across paved circuits and dirt rally stages while the solo developer continues tuning the vehicle physics. It's completely free to play in your browser with no time limit.

8. DragonScape Idle

Built by solo developer gapko and inspired by Old School RuneScape and Melvor Idle, DragonScape Idle lets you train 19 gathering, crafting, and combat skills up to level 99 across 106 quest chains. What makes it stand out from standard incremental RPGs is its offline progression: rather than handing you a flat XP estimate when you reopen the tab, the game actually simulates every action, food item eaten, and loot drop roll that happened while you were away. It's free to play right now in open beta on web browsers and Android with no ads or paywalls, and players who jump in before the January 30, 2027 global launch reset will keep an Open Beta badge and launch gems.

Make sure to claim the Epic Games Store titles before their promotional windows close on November 8, as they'll revert to their standard retail prices once the timer runs out.