In brief: In these days of economic uncertainty, we can all appreciate a freebie or two. Gamers currently have a couple of oldies-but-goodies they can grab gratis: the RPG titan that is Fallout 3 (GOTY edition), and the excellent social simulator The Sims 4.

Starting with Bethesda's classic, Fallout 3 is currently one of the games being given away free as part of the Epic Games Store's weekly promotion. Released in 2008, it marks Fallout's move from a 2D isometric, turn-based game into the 3D epic the franchise is known for today.

This isn't vanilla Fallout 3, either; it's the game of the year edition, which means you also get all five of its DLCs: Operation: Anchorage, The Pitt, Broken Steel, Point Lookout, and Mothership Zeta.

The Epic Game Store is celebrating #Fallout25: https://t.co/LJhDnGLPme

Starting on 10/20 be sure and snag:
'️ Fallout 3 GOTY edition for free until 10/27.
'️ Fallout 1, Fallout 2, and Fallout Tactics for 75% off until 11/1 pic.twitter.com/GojWHBBsjC

— Fallout (@Fallout) October 20, 2022

Fourteen years is a long time, even longer in video game terms, so Fallout 3 is showing its age a bit, but it's still an amazing experience and definitely worth your time if you've never had the pleasure of exploring the Capital Wasteland. The giveaway is part of Fallout's 25th-anniversary celebrations that include the original Fallout, Fallout 2, and Fallout Tactics selling on the Epic Store for $2.50 each.

Epic gives away two games on rotation each week, of course. Alongside Fallout 3 is Evoland: Legendary Edition. It consists of the original Evoland: A Short Story Of Adventure Video Games Evolution and the sequel, Evoland II: A Slight Case Of Spacetime Continuum Disorder. It mixes different styles from RPG history, including the Game Boy's familiar monochrome, Zelda-like NES graphics, and more modern 3D à la Final Fantasy VII.

Fallout 3 and Evoland: Legendary Edition are free on the Epic Games Store until October 27.

Elsewhere, Sims fans can now download and keep The Sims 4 for Windows, Mac, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series forever without paying a penny. The 2014 fourth main entry in the series is going permanently free-to-play, though it only includes the base game and not any of the numerous expansions. PC owners can grab it from Steam, the EA app, and Origin. And make sure to check out our feature, The Sims: 22 Years and Counting.