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Deal | December 23 Epic Games Store mystery free game turns out to be critically acclaimed RPG

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night will remain a free game until tomorrow. Pictured: an edited screenshot from the game. (Image source: Epic Games Store)
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night will remain a free game until tomorrow. Pictured: an edited screenshot from the game. (Image source: Epic Games Store)
The mystery free game for December 23, 2025, has been revealed, and while it's not what some predicted, the freebie is a top-rated side-scroller RPG. This giveaway will remain live on Epic Games Store for just 24 hours.

Epic Games Store has revealed the seventh free game for the holiday 2025 season. Even though it didn't turn out to be what many speculated, it's a well-rated title, and for many, it will be worth claiming.

The game under the spotlight is Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, a side-scrolling RPG that was released in 2019. This current giveaway will remain available to claim for just 24 hours, expiring on December 24, 2025, at UTC 16:00.

For those interested to learn more, the current free game on Epic Games Store was developed by Artplay. Directed by Koji Igarashi, Castlevania's creator, it stands as a spiritual successor to the Castlevania series. The story follows Miriam, an orphan battling through a castle filled with demons.

Gameplay mechanics mostly revolve around melee combat, but there are variations, and it's possible to acquire ranged guns. The combat system is regarded as fluid, and there are diverse movement options.

Another notable highlight of the free game is the gothic visuals, which are complemented by a nostalgic soundtrack. The boss fights are memorable, and players can experiment with a variety of builds.

As for the not-so-good aspect, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is known for having bad drop rates. Most items require frustrating grinding, and even the Luck boosts don't do much. Some players have also noted some pacing issues as the narrative progresses quite slowly in the early stages.

Beyond these, the current Epic Games Store free game stands as a solid option for those into games like Dead Cells, Hollow Knight, and Momodora. It generally goes for $39.99 when not on sale, there's proper support for controllers (Manba One curr. $66.49 on Amazon), and on Steam, it has over 10,000 reviews with 93% of them being positive. Check out the video below to learn more.

Disclaimer: Notebookcheck is not responsible for price changes carried out by retailers. The discounted price or deal mentioned in this item was available at the time of writing and may be subject to time restrictions and/or limited unit availability.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2025 12 > December 23 Epic Games Store mystery free game turns out to be critically acclaimed RPG
Abid Ahsan Shanto, 2025-12-23 (Update: 2025-12-23)