Weekly, the Epic Games Store makes at least one free title available for download. This week, two games are highlighted: Home – A Unique Horror Adventure, an indie horror title focused on choices, and Sker Ritual, a round-based multiplayer FPS.
Sker Ritual
Sker Ritual is a cooperative first-person shooter where participants battle swarms of adversaries across multiple rounds. The setting takes place in the 1940s, incorporating themes of superstition, mythology, paganism, and rural rituals to establish a sense of terror known as folk horror. Its dynamic resembles the Zombies mode in Call of Duty, requiring four players to survive each round by facing common and special enemies, collecting new weapons and benefits, completing missions, and solving puzzles to advance the narrative.
A distinctive aspect of Sker Ritual is the miracles, items that provide upgrades to weapons and abilities, following the logic of roguelike games. This mechanic helps differentiate Sker Ritual from other similar titles and from CoD's Zombies mode.
Sker Ritual
This game is recommended for enthusiasts of Shadows of Evil and other iterations of this mode, especially the initial ones. Despite the similarities, it maintains its own characteristics that may attract even players who do not appreciate Call of Duty's Zombies mode.
Home
Home is an independent horror game characterized by an entirely pixel art visual style. In this pixelated setting, the player controls a character whose identity and origin within the house remain unknown. The mystery is revealed gradually, reinforced by the soundtrack and dark atmosphere, which intensify the feeling of horror.
Home's gameplay follows the classic model of point-and-click games from the 1980s and 1990s: the player must explore the residence, read documents, and thus unravel the enigma surrounding the protagonist and the location. This process is intrinsically linked to numerous decisions, each presenting two alternatives, which branches the story into various paths and, consequently, multiple endings. These choices also contribute to replayability, given that the game has a short duration, estimated at about two hours.
Home is offered for free on Epic Games this week, capturing the essence of classic point-and-click games while differentiating itself through the strong emphasis placed on narrative choices. Its conception suggests something closer to an interactive film than a traditional game, although it manages to engage and hold the attention of those who enjoy mysteries and point-and-clicks.
The article about Free Games on Epic Games: Home and Sker Ritual was originally published on Olhar Digital.
