Epic Games Store Officially Announces February 12 Free Game

Updated on Feb 5: In a late update, the Epic Games Store revealed Nobody Wants to Die as its second free game for February 12. The original story is as follows.

The Epic Games Store has officially announced The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark as its free game for February 12. This will be one of the highest-rated freebies on the Epic Games Store since the start of 2026, both in terms of critic scores and user reviews.

First released in April 2021, A Fumble in the Dark is a comedic pixel art point-and-click adventure that serves as a direct sequel to Spooky Doorway’s 2017 title The Darkside Detective. Like its predecessor, it follows paranormal detective Francis McQueen and his partner Patrick Dooley across a fresh batch of occult cases tied to the cursed town of Twin Lakes. It launched to predominantly favorable reviews, as reflected in its “Strong” rating on OpenCritic, derived from an 83% recommendation rate and an average score of 81. Moreover, it has “Overwhelmingly Positive” reviews on Steam as of early 2026, based on over 1,500 player submissions. By most metrics, The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark is regarded as one of the best point-and-click adventures of 2021.

The Darkside Detective Sequel Is Epic Games Store’s Next Freebie

A Fumble in the Dark has now been formally announced as the Epic Games Store’s next freebie. The title will be available to claim from February 12 to 19, beginning and ending at 8 a.m. PT / 11 a.m. ET / 5 p.m. CET. That’s just over two months after the Epic Games Store gave away the first Darkside Detective. This will be the first time that A Fumble in the Dark is free on Epic’s digital marketplace.

New and Upcoming Epic Games Store Free Games

Like the first title, The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark is a relatively short experience, with crowdsourced data suggesting that a typical playthrough takes around eight hours, with completionists possibly spending up to four more hours on the game. The point-and-click adventure offers a variety of cases that riff on iconic supernatural media, with an emphasis on the ’90s genre staples. In other words, A Fumble in the Dark is likely to appeal to fans of games inspired by Twin Peaks, X-Files, and the like.

While waiting for the February 12 giveaway to begin, Epic Games Store users are able to claim Botany Manor. The first-ever title from UK developer Balloon Studios, this cozy first-person puzzler launched to rave reviews in April 2024. The game casts players as retired botanist Arabella Greene, who inherits a Victorian manor in the English countryside. She proceeds to make the most of her inheritance by using it to research and grow a wide assortment of magical plants. Each plant requires specific conditions that are easy to reproduce once discovered, but may require investigation around the manor to uncover. Critics praised Botany Manor for its cozy atmosphere and minimalist art direction, with many claiming it succeeds in marrying gentle exploration with satisfyingly logical deduction. Over on OpenCritic, the game has an average score of 83 and an impressive 91% reviewer recommendation rate, earning it the platform’s “Strong” rating label.

Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.

Easy (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)

Start

Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.

Easy (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)Start

This week’s Epic Games Store promotion also includes the Poison Retro Set for Pixel Gun 3D, a long-running free-to-play shooter known for its blocky, Minecraft-like visuals. With the recently concluded Definitely Not Fried Chicken giveaway and the newly announced A Fumble in the Dark promotion, the combined value of Epic’s February 2026 free offerings is set to reach about $90 once the February 12 giveaway begins.

Released

April 15, 2021

ESRB

T // Drug Reference, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Mild Violence, Partial Nudity

Developer(s)

Spooky Doorway

Publisher(s)

Akupara Games

Engine

Unity

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