Inventory sorting indie roguelike Backpack Hero is yours for free if you're fast

Even beloved games like Baldur's Gate 3 make inventory management a fuss, so it's been wonderful watching the trend of indies striving to transform that busywork into something you want to do. Backpack Hero, the turn-based RPG roguelike from developer Jaspel, is just such a treat. It holds the highest rating among its run-based peers on indie site Itchio and boasts an 86% positive Steam rating from nearly 7,000 user reviews, and now you can get a copy for nothing thanks to this week's Epic Games Store free games lineup.

Backpack Hero puts you in the shoes of a young rodent venturing into dangerous dungeons in an attempt to gather resources and rebuild their hometown of Haversack Hill. Strapped on your back is the eponymous magical sack, which gradually expands to offer slots for the various weapons, armor, items, and consumables you find along your way. This Resident Evil 4-style inventory Tetris is Backpack Hero's 'deckbuilding' core, delivering a battle system that stands out even among our best roguelikes.

The way you lay out your gear determines their effects in battle. A basic wooden sword deals seven damage to a single target, for example, while a machete swings to deliver three damage to all your enemies. The soldier's buckler grants block on use, but also increases the potency of any adjacent weapons for the remainder of the encounter.

Armor poses particular problems, as you need to place it in appropriate positions to maximize the benefits - helmets up top, boots down below, and so on. Manage to sort your gear correctly, however, and you'll be able to overcome any foe that comes your way. If you fall, simply return to the village, where you can use your gathered materials to buy and sell items, conduct research, and unlock additional playable heroes, challenges, and quests, gradually restoring the world to its former glory.

Backpack Hero is free to keep on the Epic Games Store until Thursday July 10. Be sure to claim it while you can. You can also get the hand-drawn, musical action-adventure game Figment for free during the same period.

For more of the best free PC games, take a look through our current recommendations. If you've been considering a GPU upgrade to make them shine even better, we've picked out the best graphics cards in 2025 as well.

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