This Is the Epic Games Store Free Game for January 16

Summary

Escape Academy, a free-to-claim game on the Epic Games Store, is available starting January 16th. This escape-room style puzzler marks the fourth free game offered by EGS in 2025 and boasts the highest OpenCritic score among this year's free offerings so far.

The Epic Games Store's free game for January 16th is Escape Academy. Available for a week, from January 16th to 23rd, it's a puzzle game developed by Coin Crew Games. Players take on the role of students at the Escape Academy, training to become escape room masters.

Escape Academy's return as a free EGS title is particularly timely for Xbox Game Pass subscribers, as it's scheduled to leave the service on January 15th after an 18-month run. While previously offered as a free mystery game on EGS on January 1st, 2024, this giveaway marks its first full-week availability on the platform.

Epic Games Store Free Games in January 2025

• Kingdom Come: Deliverance (January 1)
• Hell Let Loose (January 2 – 9)
• Turmoil (January 9 – 16)
• Escape Academy (January 16 – 23)

Escape Academy receives a "Strong" rating on OpenCritic, with an average score of 80 and an 88% reviewer recommendation rate. This makes it the highest-rated EGS free game of 2025 to date. Positive player reviews on Steam and high ratings on PlayStation and Xbox stores further support its critical acclaim. Offering both solo and online/split-screen multiplayer, Escape Academy is widely considered one of the best co-op puzzle games recently released.

Escape Academy is the fourth free game offered by the Epic Games Store in 2025, following Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Hell Let Loose, and Turmoil. The announcement of the fifth free game is expected on January 16th, coinciding with Escape Academy's release. Players can also purchase two DLC packs: Escape From Anti-Escape Island and Escape From the Past, individually for $9.99 or together as a Season Pass for $14.99.