What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
This is a retrospective on the six games highlighted by Tech Times on January 29, 2024—not a current giveaway list. They were not all the same kind of “free”: the list mixed free-to-play games, a free standalone game and two prologues. As of the Steam pages checked for this article, Unsung Empires: The Cholas – Prologue and Combo Card Clashers: Prologue are no longer available to new users through the store; the other four pages still show free access.
Six games, six different meanings of “free”
The original January 29, 2024 roundup presented these titles as games readers could add to Steam. That did not make them six limited-time, paid-game giveaways. Steam’s current pages describe several as free-to-play, one as free, and two as prologues; the latter pair are now marked unavailable in the store.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Visa Virtual eGift Card | $54.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Visa Virtual eGift Card | $28.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Visa Virtual eGift Card | $105.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
$500 Apple Gift Card—Email Delivery | $500.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Visa Virtual eGift Card | $206.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| Game | January 2024 context | Steam page checked for this article | What the distinction means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsung Empires: The Cholas – Prologue | Free prologue; released January 14, 2024 | No longer available on the Steam store | A prologue, not the full game; new users cannot rely on the old page as a claim opportunity. |
| The Last of the Summer Tank | Free-to-play; released January 15, 2024 | Free-to-play access remains shown | An arcade game with progression and references to coins, gold, buffs and upgrades—not a paid game temporarily discounted to zero. |
| Mystery Society 2: Hidden Puzzles | Free-to-play; released January 18, 2024 | Free-to-play access remains shown; in-app purchases are listed | Free download does not establish that every item or feature is free. |
| Combo Card Clashers: Prologue | Free prologue; released January 17, 2024 | No longer available on the Steam store | A portion of a planned full game, not the complete experience; new users cannot rely on the old page as a claim opportunity. |
| 77th: The Game | Free-to-play; released January 17, 2024 | Free-to-play access remains shown | A first-person puzzle adventure with a narrative, multiple endings and 11 Steam achievements. |
| TEST TEST TEST | Free game; released January 17, 2024 | Free access remains shown | A standalone pixel-art puzzle adventure; the page describes a 15-minute time loop. |
These availability descriptions reflect the Steam pages checked for this article, not a guarantee about future store status, regional access or an individual account.
What each game offers
Unsung Empires: The Cholas – Prologue
This single-player, narrative-driven 3D action-adventure casts the player as Rajendra Chola, using combat, exploration and stealth in a historical setting. Its label matters: this was a prologue rather than evidence of a complete game being given away. The Steam page now says the title is no longer available on the store, so readers arriving years later should not expect to claim it from the old listing. The page lists Windows 10/11 64-bit, 8 GB RAM, RTX 2060/RX 6600-class graphics, DirectX 12 and 50 GB of storage as minimum requirements. View the Steam page.
#1 Best Overall
- Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
- When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
- This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
- Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
- This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.
The Last of the Summer Tank
This single-player arcade tank game puts players in a Tiger I during World War II, fighting enemy tanks and a boss. Steam identifies it as free-to-play, and its description mentions upgrades, coins, gold, buffs and additional tanks. That makes it a free-to-play download with progression systems, not a temporary giveaway of a normally paid game. The page lists Windows 10 32-bit, 4 GB RAM, a 2.5 GHz processor and 2 GB of storage as minimum requirements. View the Steam page.
Mystery Society 2: Hidden Puzzles
Fans of hidden-object games get detective cases, puzzle scenes, match-three mechanics, collections and travel between locations. The Steam page calls it free-to-play and lists in-app purchases, so a free download should not be read as a promise that every item or feature costs nothing. The listed minimums are modest: Windows 7 or later, 512 MB RAM, basic graphics and about 150 MB of storage. There is a platform caveat: the game page’s stated Windows minimum is not the same as current Steam Client support. Steam says its client supports Windows 10 and later from January 1, 2024. View the Steam page.
Rank #2
- Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
- When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
- This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
- Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
- This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.
Combo Card Clashers: Prologue
This prologue combines roguelike deckbuilding with auto-battler mechanics. Its described content includes a procedurally generated map, cards, artifacts, gear, mercenaries and monsters, with Mage and Warrior archetypes to play. It was a sample of a planned full game, not the complete Combo Card Clashers experience. Steam now marks the prologue unavailable in the store, so the historical roundup does not mean a new user can still add it. View the Steam page.
77th: The Game
This first-person, single-player puzzle adventure is built around joining and navigating an online community. It combines a semi-linear narrative with environmental puzzles and multiple endings; Steam lists 11 achievements. The current page presents it as free-to-play. Its minimum requirements include Windows 10 64-bit, 4 GB RAM, DirectX 12-capable graphics and 2 GB of storage. View the Steam page.
Rank #3
- Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
- When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
- This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
- Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
- This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.
TEST TEST TEST
This retro pixel-art point-and-click adventure follows an overworked office employee caught in a time loop. The page describes nonlinear puzzles, multiple areas and alternate-reality-game elements, with a 15-minute loop. Steam currently presents the game as free. Its listed minimums are Windows 7, 2 GB RAM and 1 GB of storage, but the page also notes that Steam Client support has required Windows 10 or later since January 1, 2024. View the Steam page.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can you still claim the six games?
Pages that still show free access
The Steam pages checked for The Last of the Summer Tank, Mystery Society 2: Hidden Puzzles, 77th: The Game and TEST TEST TEST continue to show free-to-play or free access. That is evidence of their current store-page status, not evidence that each was a limited-time January promotion or that availability will never change.
Rank #4
- For all things Apple - products, accessories, apps, games, music, movies, TV shows, iCloud+, and more.
- Perfect for App Store purchases and subscriptions—get apps, games, music, movies, TV shows, and more.
- The perfect gift to say happy birthday, thank you, congratulations, and more.
- Available in $15 - 500, Card delivered via email or SMS
- Use it for purchases at any Apple Store location, on the Apple Store app, apple.com, the App Store, iTunes, Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple News+, Apple Books, Apple Arcade, iCloud+, Fitness+, Apple One, and other Apple properties in US only
Pages marked unavailable
Unsung Empires: The Cholas – Prologue and Combo Card Clashers: Prologue remain identifiable through their old Steam URLs, but their pages say they are no longer available on the store. A live URL is not the same as a working way for a new user to claim a game. If you added either title previously, access may depend on your account and the product’s status; the page information does not establish a guarantee for every former owner.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
- When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
- This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
- Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
- This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.
Free-to-play, prologue and giveaway are not interchangeable
- Free-to-play: The base game is available without an upfront purchase. Optional purchases may still exist, as the Mystery Society 2 page makes explicit.
- Free standalone game: The store presents the game as free, but that alone does not make it a temporary offer or establish that its status cannot change.
- Prologue: A free introductory portion of a larger project, not necessarily the full commercial release. Both titles in this roundup with “Prologue” in the name fit this distinction.
- Free Weekend: Steam’s documentation describes this as temporary access to a normally paid game; when the event ends, continued play requires purchasing the full version. It is different from a permanent free license. Steamworks Free Weekends documentation.
- Free-to-keep promotion: A promotion that grants a license to retain is not the same thing as free-to-play or temporary weekend access. Do not assume “free” means “yours forever” unless the offer explicitly grants that license.
How to check a Steam listing before downloading
- Open the game’s Steam store page and check whether Steam shows “Play Game,” “Free” or “Free to Play.” The exact control and wording can vary as a listing changes.
- Look for notices that the product is no longer available. If Steam displays one, do not treat an old link as a current claim route.
- Check the page for in-app purchases and read the description to see whether the listing is a prologue rather than a full game.
- Review the listed system requirements and platform notes; a game’s stated minimum operating system may differ from the current Steam Client’s requirements.
- Use Steam’s own wording to distinguish ongoing free access from a dated temporary promotion, and avoid assuming that adding a title guarantees permanent access in every case.
Which games best fit your tastes?
- For puzzle fans: TEST TEST TEST offers a time-loop point-and-click premise; 77th: The Game leans toward first-person environmental puzzles and narrative.
- For hidden-object fans: Mystery Society 2: Hidden Puzzles combines detective scenes and match-three play, with in-app purchases listed.
- For arcade action: The Last of the Summer Tank is the straightforward tank-game choice, with upgrades and currency systems.
- For deckbuilding and strategy: Combo Card Clashers: Prologue is the genre match, but its page is no longer available to new users.
- For historical action-adventure: Unsung Empires: The Cholas – Prologue was the relevant pick in 2024, though Steam now marks it unavailable.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →
