This surprisingly popular Steam MMO is now on the Epic Games Store, with a free starter pack if you're quick

If you've ever wanted more danger in Minecraft or perhaps wanted more angular features in Stalker, then you have hit the jackpot this week. Stalcraft X, the blocky MMO that takes more than a few hints from the hardcore post-apocalypse game, is now on the Epic Games Store and free to play. Oh, and there are a ton of in-game freebies up for grabs if you want to get stuck in.

If you haven't heard of Stalcraft X, it goes a little like this: you and your friends are given almost free rein over the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone to explore, loot, and fight. You can build a home base to relax, a la Minecraft, but must venture out into the unknown to gather resources and loot. You'll face dangerous anomalies, monsters, and maybe the most deadly thing of all: other players.

Loot is hard to come by and easy to lose, so make sure you keep your head on a swivel, or you'll end up gifting another stalke… erm, player, your hard-earned stuff. Getting your start in these games is sometimes the most difficult part, but with a free starter pack on offer to celebrate its Epic debut, you'll have a much easier time finding your feet than most.

From now until Thursday, February 26, you can claim your Stalcraft Starter Pack from Epic Games, which includes a couple of fancy weapons, some wearables, a ton of ammo, and a few cosmetics for good measure. With this haul in hand, there shouldn't be too much out in the wasteland that can bother you.

Even though Stalcraft often flies under the radar, it's actually a surprisingly popular MMO over on Steam. It gets peak concurrent player counts of around 20,000 a day, according to SteamDb data, which is mightily impressive. By coming to Epic, it's now expanding that playerbase even further.

The free Epic Games don't end with Stalwart; the emotional, narrative-driven novel Return to Ash is also being given away this week. Waking up in what appears to be the afterlife, you must explore and chat your way to some sort of resolution, bonding with those existing with you in this strange purgatory. Sounds lovely.