Costume Quest and SOMA are free on the Epic Games Store

(Image credit: Frictional Games)

This week's Epic Games Store freebies are excellent Halloween fare, but they couldn't be more different. Costume Quest and SOMA will both keep you company during the spookiest part of the year, one comforting you while the other tries to freak you out.

Costume Quest is a Double Fine RPG set, conveniently, on Halloween, that pits costumed kids against monsters in turn-based scraps. The slightly rubbish costumes also transform into giant, real versions of what they're trying to depict, like a kid in a cardboard robot costume becoming a towering mecha. It's good fun and understands the value of candy.

There's no candy in SOMA. It's a survival horror game set in an underwater base where you're being stalked by grotesque mechanical monsters. These creatures are the source of many a jump scare, but at its heart SOMA is a psychological horror game about exploring the eerie environment. The monsters actually get in the way a bit, but thankfully modders, and eventually the developer, created a death-free safe mode.

Both games are free until November 7, followed by Nuclear Throne and Ruiner.

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.