This week, the Epic Store is giving away the Game of Thrones board game conversion as well as the then very popular Car Mechanic Simulator 2018.
While the competitor Steam is starting its big Summer Sale!, Epic is giving you two more free games shortly beforehand. They may seem a bit niche at first glance, but if you enjoy simulators from time to time or are not averse to Game of Thrones, you could get a few hours of fun for 0 euros here.
Here are the key facts about the two free titles:
- The Car Mechanic Simulator 2018 was a big hit on Steam and YouTube at the time. Although there is already a successor in the meantime, you shouldn’t disdain the original by any means because of that. The beginner-friendly design makes car wrenching fun even for those who can’t tell a wheel nut from a spark plug in real life.
- In the digital version of the popular board game with a Westeros setting you yourself wrestle for supremacy in the seven kingdoms. As one of up to six players, you take control of one of the great houses and try to ascend to the iron throne with military strength and diplomacy. Of course, you can also do this alone against the AI.
We’ll explain how the two titles play and for whom they are worthwhile in the rest of the article. If you want to jump directly to the free games, you can find them by clicking on our shapely button:
(Click here to get the Two free Games)
What to expect in Car Mechanic Simulator 2018
The car mechanic simulator proved to be a real insider’s tip (90 percent positive ratings) when it was released in 2018, which also managed to record surprisingly constant player numbers on Steam until the release of its successor three years later. On average, 1,500 people screwed on the digital car bodies every day for 36 months. Remarkable for a simulator without a multiplayer mode.
Budding tinkerers can look forward to about 1,000 spare parts, which they can install in over 40 vehicles with the help of 15 tools. These can then not only be painted and tuned, but of course also driven themselves. Thanks to colour-coded borders, you’ll always know exactly which part fits where, and with a little practice, repairs are easy even for non-professionals.
With the wages from the randomly generated contract work, you can gradually expand your workshop and earn a fortune. You can then spend your wealth on rare cars at auctions. There is also an editor for building your own vehicles.
What’s inside: Many well-known brands like Mercedes, Porsche or Chrysler can be added (on Steam) via DLCs. There are currently no signs of them in the Epic Store and we doubt that they will be included in the free offer.
How to play the Game of Thrones board game
The digital edition of the board game in which you guide the fortunes of one of the great houses of Westeros may not boast very high player numbers, but those who have tried it gave it a 74 percent positive rating on Steam.
After the death of King Robert Baratheon, the seven kingdoms fight over the iron throne. You have a total of 10 rounds to increase your influence sufficiently by means of your troops, clever diplomacy or deceit and to gain supremacy.
At the same time, however, all kingdoms must sacrifice some of their resources to strengthen the Night’s Watch on the northern border, otherwise an invasion by the wildlings threatens. The entire game principle is based on the tactically clever use of limited resources.
While you move units around a campaign map like in a classic strategy game, it is comparatively small because at the end of the day it is a recreation of a real board game. So don’t expect the depth of a Civilization.
The single-player experience occasionally suffers from bugs, slow enemy moves or AI dropouts, while the multiplayer lobbies are relatively empty and it’s best to bring your own friends. With these, however, you can expect a thoroughly successful adaptation of the popular analogue variant.
What’s inside: In contrast to Car Mechanic Simulator, the two DLCs are already listed at Epic, but will probably not be part of the free offer. They each set the campaign in a different scenario, familiar to connoisseurs from the novels “A Dance with Dragons” and “A Feast for Crows”.
For whom are the two free games suitable?
Because of its beginner-friendliness, pretty much anyone can spend a few whimsical hours with Car Mechanic Simulator 2018. You don’t need to know anything about cars or simulators, because the missions and the initially manageable spare parts repertoire gently introduce you to the game principle.
In case of doubt, the only thing that helps with the digital board game is trial and error, because although there are similarities to the strategy genre, the game, which is limited to ten rounds, is much more manageable than PC generals are used to. If you get the hang of a round against the AI, it might be worth getting five friends together for an online session – then even the stupid AI won’t bother you.
Will you let these two games persuade you to try out car wrenching and board games, or do the two free games completely miss your taste this week? Feel free to let us know in the comments!
