Amazon Prime has offered the best freebies ever.

Amazon is the wretched corporate overlord. It's a company that I find utterly convenient and efficient, but which I loathe in my bones despite having zero complaints as a customer. Ahem. It's probably because I have kids. For whom I am little more than a mid-man to Mr. Bezos shiny and reasonably priced goods.

Yes, I'm one of those suckers with an Amazon Prime membership. The number of Prime members is over 200 million, which makes the free shipping seem more reasonable. One of the benefits of Prime is its monthly game offerings. These titles are 'free,' but you have to claim them in the time period that is available. While they're generally decent, this month's offer is without a doubt the best Amazon has ever had.

The October 2024 "Prime Gaming' lineup is themed around Halloween. Let's say, horror, gore, flamethrowers. It's important to note that this list is a series of hits, with a few obvious fillers.

• Hive Jump 2 Survivors - The clue is in the title, this bullet heaven roguelike is about blowing endless waves of bugs away. I haven't tried it, but the Steam reviews are positive and the art style is colourful. What's not to love?
• SCARF--No idea. The user reviews for this adventure platformer are positive, but let's move on to the blockbusters.
• Tomb Raider Legend--This game was the reboot before the real reboot. Lara went off in search of Excalibur, and Crystal Dynamics really hit its stride by creating some fantastically intricate tombs. This is an old school game with some rough edges, but it's a goodie.
• The Eternal Cylinder - I can't do any better than PC Gamer, who gave it a generally positive review. "A vivid yet slightly unfulfilling escape story from the pundrunk creators behind Zeno Clash. The Eternal Cylinder combines moments of frenzy and indefinite periods contemplation".
• Spirit of the North -- Haven't played it yet, but it looks very nice. It's about a young fox who travels around Iceland looking for a lady fox, and, presumably the meaning of his life as a Icelandic fox. Steam players seem to like it, and it's free.
• No Straight Roads - A rock vs EDM game with a little bit of distortion. There were many things we liked about this game, but not everything. "Everything--outrageous characters, grand boss fights, wacky humor, animated cutscenes and dynamic music----all crackles with eccentricity." Now it's time for the meat.
• BioShock Remastered is a must-have if you've never played Bioshock. The first half of the game is my favorite singleplayer shooter ever. I'm not saying that the second half is bad. An all-timer.
• DOOM Eternal -- Homina homina Jeff baby, you know how to push me buttons! This is a straight up riot, and if you enjoy gibbing demons, then there's nothing to dislike. A smooth, elbow buckling, and deliciously gory meal.
• Have you ever played Fatal Frame before? This is the Indonesian version of Fatal Frame. Snap spooks and get scared.
• Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed Ecto Edition -- Sony saw Phasmophobia and thought, "we can do this with Ghostbusters". This is a fun asymmetrical coo-op game, but it lacks the magic that the movies had (which, to be fair, everything post-Ghostbusters 2 does).
• Priest Simulator Vampire Show - I'm going to give this one to Chris Livingston. "More highlights - A bus is picked and thrown through a roof of a house, though I'm not sure if the priest was responsible or merely a witness. There's some more punching. This time, it could be a demon or just someone wearing a demon mask. Metal music is played throughout." The Gap - I haven't heard about this one, but the Steam reviews are very positive and call it a hidden gem. It seems worth a gamble. First-person, psychological exploration type thing.
• Killing Floor 2-An absolute classic of the shooter PvE, the magic in Killing Floor 2 lies in the intensity that it reaches later waves and the sheer exhilaration it brings to the table when you play with so many players (standard is six but there is also a 12-player versus mode).
• Zombies Ate My Neighborhoods and Ghoul Patrol are the best games LucasArts has ever made. I'm not kidding. Brilliant top-down cooperative blasting with outstanding visuals, a great soundtrack, lots of laughs and a surprising challenge.

All of the above is available now as well as Vlad Circus: Descend Into Madness and Through the Darkest Times. Add them to your account right now because the offers will be rolling over on October 24: Pumpkin Jack, Bone Totem Gargoyles Remastered The Gunk, and Morbid: Seven Acolytes. This second group is dominated by Monster Train. It's an Slay the Spire-inspired deck builder which had me and many PCG team members utterly enraptured a few months after its release.

Wait, there's more. A Plague Tale Innocence is a beautiful, creepy singleplayer game with some of the most amazing swarming animations. It's available on October 31. There are also a number of horror-themed games: Death's Door and Haunted Hotel Personal Nightmare. Scorn, an atmospheric first-person adventure horror game set in a nightmare universe of odd shapes and somber taffeta, and Coromon.

Let's be clear about this. One day, we'll be locked inside our VR tubes paying Amazon weekly fees for our nutrient feeds and the (ad supported) life experiences that are being beam into our brains. Amazon Prime's gaming deal is too good to pass up. According to my calculations, there are four classics (Bioshock Killing Floor 2, Doom Eternal, and Zombies ate My Neighbors), and many other games that are just Extremely Good. If you already have Prime, it's a no-brainer. Add them now and they're free forever.