A Return To Stealth As Epic Gives Away The First Two Styx Adventures

I remember Styx, Cyanide Studios' goblin protagonist, from a time in the early 2010s when he was one of the only stealth heroes around. Genuine sneaking games were becoming a rarity. Then Hitman made a comeback and the goblin faded from memory for a while. Now, to mark the upcoming release of a new adventure in February, Epic is giving away the first two Styx titles, making this a great opportunity. From now until January 22, both Styx: Master of Shadows and its sequel, Styx: Shards of Darkness, are available free to keep.

To get games for free, visit Epic Games Store and find two pages with free games until January 22.

I played these games and found them to be serious about their stealth mechanics. While Styx can engage in direct combat, he is not skilled at it and will likely be killed. The gameplay loop pushes players toward evasion, using tricks, and eliminating guards from the shadows as the primary means of progression.

Master of Shadows was the game that set the series' template. It sent Styx on a variety of infiltration and assassination missions set across large-scale fantasy locations. I saw Cyanide deliver impressively grand environments that gave me fun ways to use verticality to my advantage. The sequel, Shards of Darkness, took this foundation and expanded it. It opened up the levels for more nonlinear exploration, improved upon the original's systems, and introduced a cooperative mode that let me play through the entire campaign with a friend. The level design felt more mature, giving players more freedom in how they approached their objectives and navigated the world. The core of the experience remained focused on thoughtful, patient stealth, rewarding observation, and planning over brute force.

Neither game is a perfect creation. Styx himself is a character who can be a tough hang, as he talks constantly. Yet, I see them as fundamentally decent stealth games. For the price of nothing, they are certainly worth adding to a library. The promotion itself is in celebration of the new game, Blades of Greed. It promises to open up the structure even more, trading discrete levels for three massive fantasy environments that players can explore at their own pace. I also see that new tools are being introduced, such as a glider similar to the one in Breath of the Wild.

In this new entry, Styx is his own master, putting together a crew of thieves to pull off heists from the safety of a personal airship. Blades of Greed is set to be released on February 19, which provides just enough time to play through the first two games.

Read also, I see that Styx is back in a playable demo for Styx: Blades of Greed. Cyanide is giving players an early look at the game, which is live now and covers about the first hour. It takes place in The Wall, an area shown in previous previews, serving as an introduction to the game's stealth, vertical movement, and distinct tone for anyone new to the series.