Marcos 
Epic’s free game this week is Knightica, and you have until Thursday, November 19 at 11 AM ET to add it to your library for keeps. It’s a single giveaway this time, but a turn-based roguelike auto-battler that normally costs $14.99 on Steam is a pretty sweet single. Not into autobattlers? Two runs will tell you.
Mad Mango Games and Goblinz Publishing launched it on Steam on August 21, 2025, so it has a full year of tweaks behind it. The timing is clever too, since the Faraway Tales DLC dropped the same day the giveaway went live.
What Epic is giving away from November 12 to 19
Knightica is the only PC freebie this week, and it’s also the free pick on Epic’s mobile store. Once claimed, it stays in your account after the promotion ends. The Epic version has 40 achievements, cloud saves and controller support.
How to claim Knightica on PC and mobile
On PC it takes less than a minute. Sign in at store.epicgames.com or in the Epic Games Launcher, open the Free Games section and then:
- Click the Knightica card marked “Free Now”.
- Hit Get, then Place Order. You won’t be asked for any payment.
- Check your Library. You can download it any time later.
On mobile you need the Epic Games Store app, available globally on Android and in supported regions on iPhone and iPad. Log in with the same Epic account and claim Knightica from the free games section. Short turns suit a phone nicely.
Why Knightica is worth claiming, rough edges included
The pitch is simple. You recruit units, drop them on a grid, rotate them and watch the fight play out on its own. Each unit’s talent depends on where it sits and which way it faces, so placement is the real game. Undead army or magician’s guild? Your call.
The economy is where it gets spicy. You get a flat 10 gold per turn with no interest, so hoarding never pays off. Merging three copies of a unit upgrades it, and the game rewards one strong carry over a thin, wide army. Buying a bit of everything is the classic first-run mistake, while Elite fights and Demonic Halls hand out permanent perks that turn runs around.
The rough edges players keep pointing out
Steam reviews sit at Mostly Positive, with 74% of 1,148 players recommending it, and the complaints repeat. The big one: unit stats are coefficients, not final attack and HP numbers. The compendium explains the formulas, but expect some mental math.
Variety is the other sore spot, since a standard run ends after the same three bosses. Endless mode and the Arena stretch things out, although there’s no PvP. For a free game? I can live with that, and if you want a roguelike that keeps reinventing itself, the new Blitz and Dread modes in Slay the Spire 2 scratch that itch.
Is the Faraway Tales DLC worth buying right away?
Faraway Tales costs $4.99 on Steam (less on mobile) and adds three commanders plus new troops and encounters. The Corsair runs procedurally generated missions for bonuses, the Crystalist turns rocks into obstacles and allies, and the Emperor plays around traits and a special shop.
My take? Hold off. Beat all three bosses in the free base game first, then decide if you want more commanders. New leaders won’t fix a loop that doesn’t grab you.
What’s free on Epic next week, November 19 to 26
Next Thursday is a big one: Alien: Isolation and Mark of the Deep, free from November 19 to 26. Alien: Isolation alone deserves a calendar reminder, because it’s still one of the tensest survival horror games around. You’re Amanda Ripley, trapped on Sevastopol station with a creature you can’t kill. If sweating through custom Phasmophobia contracts is your idea of fun, your next week is sorted.
Mark of the Deep is a pirate Metroidvania with Souls-like elements. You play Marcus “Rookie” Ramsey, shipwrecked on a cursed island and hunting for his missing crew. Smaller name, solid freebie.
Personal review
What sticks with me is how much a single rotation can flip a fight. Knightica looks cute and casual, then quietly asks you to plan your board turns ahead. If you loved chasing clan combos in our Monster Train 2 Pyre Heart tier list or spent way too long on Necrobinder builds in Slay the Spire 2, you’ll feel at home. Fans of the 9 Kings full release will recognize that same one-more-run pull, and Steam even bundles it with Backpack Battles and Hero’s Hour.
It’s on PC through Steam and Epic, plus Android and iOS. Claim it before November 19 at 11 AM ET, give it a few runs and tell me in the comments which army you built first. Would you recommend it? Let me know.