Luto and Echo Generation: Midnight Edition Are Free on Epic Games Store

The Epic Games Store‘s weekly giveaway has refreshed again, and this time it pairs two very different indie experiences. Luto — a critically acclaimed psychological horror game — and Echo Generation: Midnight Edition — a nostalgic turn-based RPG about kids investigating a small-town mystery — are both free to claim until July 23, 2026. Combined, the pair is worth roughly $45 at regular price.

These are Epic’s seventh and eighth free titles of July 2026, continuing the storefront’s weekly Thursday giveaway tradition. Neither game has previously been offered for free on Epic, and both stay permanently in your library once claimed.

⏱ How to Claim

1. Head to the Epic Games Store free games page or open the Epic Games Launcher on PC.
2. Find Luto or Echo Generation: Midnight Edition on the storefront.
3. Click “Get” and complete the zero-cost checkout.
4. Repeat for the second game.

The deadline is July 23, 2026 at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET. After that, both titles return to their regular prices.

Luto — An Acclaimed, Unsettling Look at Grief

Developer / Publisher: Broken Bird Games  |  Released: July 21, 2025  |  Regular price: $19.99

Luto (Spanish for “mourning”) is a first-person psychological horror walking sim that puts players in the role of Samuel, a man who cannot seem to leave his own home. Every attempt to escape only pulls him deeper into a shifting, non-linear space where corridors don’t lead where they should and the rules of reality bend without warning.

Rather than leaning on jump scares or monsters, Luto builds its horror through disorientation, symbolism, and an unreliable narrator whose commentary becomes increasingly relevant as the story unfolds. The game explores grief, loss, and mental health, and it is worth noting upfront that it touches on heavy themes including anxiety, depression, and suicide as part of its narrative. Most players finish it in around 5 to 6 hours.

Reception has been strong. Debut developer Broken Bird Games earned comparisons to Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice for its handling of difficult psychological themes, and GameSpot gave it an 8/10, calling it a twisting, experimental horror game that goes places players won’t expect. Critic aggregation sites put it in the high 70s to low 80s range, with reviewers consistently praising its atmosphere and audiovisual design while noting some of its puzzles can feel cryptic or slow the pacing down.

Echo Generation: Midnight Edition — 90s Nostalgia Meets Turn-Based RPG

Developer / Publisher: Cococucumber  |  Original release: October 2021  |  Midnight Edition released: June 2024  |  Regular price: $24.99

Echo Generation follows a group of kids in the small town of Maple Valley during the 1990s, as they investigate a string of supernatural mysteries over the course of a summer. Structurally, it blends point-and-click adventure elements in the vein of Ron Gilbert and Tim Schafer’s classics with turn-based, EarthBound-inspired combat, all wrapped in a distinctive voxel art style that’s become something of a signature for developer Cococucumber.

Gameplay revolves around talking to townsfolk, chasing down clues, unlocking new areas, recruiting pet companions, and collecting comic books that double as combat upgrades, all while fighting an increasingly bizarre cast of creatures and extraterrestrials. The Midnight Edition, released in 2024, is the definitive version of the game, adding fast travel, a quest journal, rebalanced combat, new status effects, camera tilt and zoom controls, upgraded visuals, broader controller support, and 12 additional language options on top of the original 2021 release.

The original Echo Generation holds a 75 on Metacritic and won Best Indie Game at the 2022 Canadian Game Awards, along with Best Narrative and Best Soundtrack at the Canadian Indie Game Awards that same year. The Midnight Edition sits around 70 on Metacritic and carries a 92% positive rating on Steam. Reviewers describe it as a fun, breezy homage to genre greats with strong atmosphere and writing, though some note the adventure and RPG mechanics don’t push far beyond familiar formulas. Total playtime for most players lands around 8 hours.

Quick Comparison

Last Week’s Games Are Gone

Luto and Echo Generation replace last week’s giveaway of Nova Lands and Tattoo Tycoon, which ended earlier today. If you missed that window, both are now back to their regular prices.

Epic hasn’t yet announced what comes after this pair. Check back closer to July 23 for the next reveal.

Quick Summary

• Luto — free until July 23
• Echo Generation: Midnight Edition — free until July 23
• Deadline: July 23, 2026 at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET
• Combined value: ~$45
• Claim at: epicgames.com/store/free-games

Sources: Epic Games Store · Game Rant · Cloud Dosage · GameWatcher · Last Word on Gaming · GameSpot (Luto review) · Metacritic (Echo Generation)