Epic Games Store has kicked off another holiday-season surprise, and it’s a good one for anyone who loves quick strategy games with high replay value. While the store continues its 2025 mystery free game giveaways on PC, there’s also a limited-time bonus freebie available right now on mobile. Android and iOS users can claim Shotgun King – The Final Checkmate for free, but only for a short window.
Shotgun King – The Final Checkmate first launched in 2022 on PC before making its way to consoles and mobile devices. The concept is instantly attention-grabbing: it takes the familiar rules of chess and flips them into a turn-based tactics roguelike where firepower matters as much as positioning. Instead of commanding an entire army, you play as a single piece—the black king—armed with a shotgun, trying to survive and dominate the board.
Every turn forces a meaningful choice. You can move like a king to reposition, or you can fire your shotgun to remove threats. Movement isn’t just about getting closer to your goal or slipping away from danger; it also serves a practical purpose, because moving onto empty tiles lets you reload. Shooting, on the other hand, empties your weapon and costs a turn, so blasting your way out of trouble can be effective—but risky—if it leaves you exposed on the next move.
The game unfolds across multiple stages, and each run asks you to reach a final objective: take down the white king. On mobile, the experience has been adapted with touch-friendly controls for aiming and movement, making it feel natural to play on a phone. Runs can be short and intense, which is exactly why many players find it so easy to jump back in “one more time.” That loop of quick attempts, hard decisions, and escalating pressure is where the game’s addictive replayability comes from.
It also earns praise for how satisfying it feels moment to moment. Strong visual feedback helps wins feel earned and losses feel instructive rather than random. That said, it’s not without flaws. The level-up system isn’t considered as polished as what you’ll find in some other top roguelike games, and the later ranks can introduce a noticeable difficulty spike that may catch new players off guard.
Normally, Shotgun King – The Final Checkmate sells for $6.99 when it’s not discounted. If you want to add it to your mobile library for free, it’s available to claim on the Epic Games Store for Android and iOS until December 25, 2025.
