Free PC Games This Weekend: Payday 3, Age of Wonders 4 and Flotsam

Three PC games are free to grab to kick off November: Payday 3 and Age of Wonders 4 are free to play on Steam until November 9, and the city-building sim Flotsam is free to keep on the Epic Games Store until November 12. Humble Bundle's monthly subscription also has a strong November lineup if you're willing to sign up.

Steam: Payday 3 and Age of Wonders 4

Payday 3 is still recovering from its rough launch, and you can try it risk-free until November 9. Download it, grab some friends, and attempt a few heists without spending anything. One Steam reviewer recently summed up the current state of the game: "Launched badly, but it's slowly taking a turn for the better. To me personally, I love it now, but I can also see that it needs some more spice to give it enough kick for everyone. Will keep supporting and keep genuinely hoping that it could pull a Cyberpunk 2077 moment."

Age of Wonders 4 is a generally well-regarded 4X strategy RPG, and it's also free to play until November 9. It mixes fantasy empire building with tactical battles and strikes a good balance between the two. Players are still running into bugs and multiplayer issues, but if you mostly want cozy city building and battles, it's a solid pick. You'll need a PC with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 670 or better.

Note that both Steam offers are limited-time trials, so neither game stays in your library once the window closes.

Epic Games Store: Flotsam

Flotsam is a floating city management sim, free to claim until November 12. It's a post-apocalyptic game, but a feel-good one: you salvage debris, meet fellow survivors, and work through skill trees to help rebuild civilization. It's vibrant and relaxed, and it normally costs $25. Unlike the two Steam offers, this one is yours to keep, so it's worth claiming if you haven't played it.

Bonus: Humble Bundle's November lineup

Humble Bundle's monthly subscription isn't an easy recommendation in most months, but November's games are worth a look. Members get PC keys for Mafia: The Old Country, The Outer Worlds 2 and Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, plus several more. The horror shooter Crisol: Theater of Idols, which only released in February, is also part of the mix. Those first three titles alone justify the sign-up for many players.