This week's Epic Games Store free games include a nightmarish piece of PC gaming history, and a way to cleanse your brain afterwards

Dark, disturbing, and controversial, I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream is one of those essential touchstones of PC gaming history. It's an experience to be recommended with caution - a refrain you could apply to many classic adventure games - but one that ardent point-and-click enthusiasts will want to see. If you've yet to tread Harlan Ellison's twisted dystopia, the Epic Games Store is giving you the chance to do so for free, and it's even throwing in the stylish, brash beat-em-up River City Girls 2 to clear your head afterwards.

Harlan Ellison's digital adaptation of his own bestselling, post-apocalyptic short story might share the same name, but the I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream game is a different beast; not quite a sequel, but rather a reimagining. In a future where humanity is all but wiped out by a supercomputer intelligence known as 'AM,' you take charge of its final five victims, each trapped in a terrifying extended lifespan where they are submitted to psychological torture based on their respective pasts.

The result is always unsettling, often upsetting, and something I'd only recommend with caveats of the extreme subject matter it dips into. Nevertheless, it's a striking tale that will speak to those who love delving into the darker aspects of horror and the human condition. Re-released under the care of Nightdive Studios in 2013, it's a hallmark on the shelf of grimdark point-and-click adventures, sitting alongside the likes of Sanitarium and Phantasmagoria, and those eager to round out their collection will certainly want to grab it while it's available for free.

Whether you've journeyed through the horrors of Harlan Ellison's creation and need something to wash away the nightmares, or would simply prefer to dodge that particular minefield altogether, River City Girls 2 is ready for the job. This high-octane beat-em-up combines bright, pixel-art action with a storming soundtrack. WayForward's modern spin-off from the Kunio-kun series (known best in the west for its third entry, which was localized as River City Ransom) proves that there's still space for the genre today, standing tall alongside hits such as Streets of Rage 4, Absolum, and TMNT: Shredder's Revenge.

River City Girls 2 steps up from the sequel by adding four more playable characters to bring the total to six, along with support for up to four-player co-op either locally or online. It's got a bigger environment, deeper combat systems, a whole heap of NPCs to chat with, and a gleefully tongue-in-cheek sense of style. If you were left questioning your existence by this week's other free giveaway, this is the ideal antidote, so thanks to Epic for preparing it in advance.

The I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream game and River City Girls 2 are both available for free via the Epic Games Store between Thursday July 2 and Thursday July 9 at 8am PT / 11am ET / 4pm BST / 5pm CEST. They're yours to keep once claimed, so head here to grab them while the offer lasts.