Free games have a deadline, and that is the whole problem
Almost every free game giveaway is a claim window, not a permanent offer. Claim it in time and it stays in your library forever. Miss the window and it is simply gone, usually replaced by the next one.
Epic's weekly giveaway is the predictable one. Everything else is not: Steam keep-forever promotions sometimes run for only a few days, publisher anniversary giveaways appear with no announcement at all, and free weekends are over before the weekend is.
The fix is not another newsletter. It is a notification on the device you already check, the moment the giveaway starts, with the link attached.
Which giveaways get posted
| Channel | What lands there | Why timing matters |
|---|---|---|
| #epic-games | The Epic Games Store free game, plus the bigger seasonal giveaway runs | Claim windows are short and rotate on a fixed schedule |
| #primegaming | New Prime Gaming claims for Amazon Prime members | Titles rotate out of the catalogue once their window ends |
| #steam | Steam keep-forever giveaways and limited-time free-to-keep promos | Often announced with little notice and gone in days |
| #free-weekend | Free weekends and free trial periods | Usually a two or three day window, start to finish |
| #other-freebies | GOG giveaways, itch.io drops, publisher and anniversary promos | Almost never announced anywhere in advance |
Claimed is claimed
A keep-forever giveaway only has to be claimed once. You do not need to install or play the game, and it stays in your library after the promotion ends. Which is why a ping that takes ten seconds to act on is worth having.
Turn on free game alertsJoin the server, pick the stores you use, and claim before the window closes.
Join the DiscordStore by store
Epic Games Store
The most reliable source of free games there is: Epic hands out at least one title most weeks, and the claim window rotates on a regular schedule. Around the winter sale it often steps up to a daily giveaway, which is the easiest run of the year to fall behind on. Everything lands in the Epic channel as it opens.
Prime Gaming
If you already have Amazon Prime, Prime Gaming adds free games and in-game content regularly, often in batches. The titles are claimable only while they are in rotation, so the ping tells you it is time to go and press claim.
Steam
Steam does not run a fixed giveaway programme, which is exactly why it is worth watching. Free-to-keep promotions turn up around launches, anniversaries and publisher events, sometimes for a handful of days. Free weekends get their own channel so they do not clutter the keep-forever ones.
GOG, itch.io and the rest
DRM-free giveaways on GOG, itch.io bundles and drops, publisher anniversary promos and the occasional store account freebie. Low volume, high value, and the category that is hardest to find on your own.
How to switch the alerts on
- Join the Discord. Free, and there is nothing to sign up for.
- Pick your stores. Only use Epic and Steam? Take those two roles and the rest stays quiet.
- Claim when the ping lands. The message has the link and the deadline in it.
Bundles run in the same server
Free games are half of what the bot watches. The other half is paid bundles worth knowing about: Fanatical bundle alerts for Star Deals and Build your own Bundle restocks, and Humble Bundle alerts for games, books and software. The coverage list shows every channel.