The Epic Games Store is throwing caution to the wind this week with its free games — it is keeping the next title under wraps. Although not new to the store, this approach to the weekly free game is a rare one. Interestingly, using this tactic fits into the slightly unusual selection of games and products the Epic Games Store offered throughout the last few months. This "mystery game" launches on May 20, and follows indie darling The Lion's Song. It seems likely that this stunt aims at a massive hype build for the store, as CEO Tim Sweeney has remarked on the store's current business moves being aimed at getting as many people using the store as possible.

Regarding the "mystery game" strategy, the last time Epic did this it made Grand Theft Auto 5 free. This was such a popular decision that the store temporarily overloaded due to the huge number of downloads. It seems likely that whatever game Epic has planned for May 20, it could be big. By building all this hype with the imposing "mystery game" image, alongside the second-accurate countdown timer, the Epic Games Store has set expectations incredibly high. So, what game could possibly live up to this hype? Looking to some of the most popular games on the Epic Store might provide some clues.

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The Lion's Song is currently free on the Epic Games Store until May 20. This story won many game awards for writing in 2017, and stands as a solid entry in the resume of Mi'pu'mi Games. Mi'pu'mi is a veteran of porting AAA titles onto different consoles, but also sports a strong history of creating narratively and aesthetically gorgeous independent games. Its most recent original release, The Flower Collectors, takes place in 1970s Barcelona, with particular attention to the culture and political makeup of the time.

Likewise, The Lion's Song also takes place in Europe in the 20th century. Rather than being the detective story of The Flower Collectors, The Lion's Song is a weaving narrative of four creatives trying to make their way through Austria during the era of innovation. Not only does the game look stunning, but its story is wonderful, and really takes advantage of the episodic video game format.

While some months cohere to a particular theme or type of game, Epic Games' free releases are often sporadic in nature. One week, the store could be offering three different story-driven games at a combined value of over a hundred dollars. The next it could offer a hundred dollars in microtransactions in an already free-to-play game. Sometimes it uses its "Discover: Free Games" platform to debut an entirely new title onto its storefront — as was the case with 3 Out of 10: Season 2. Considering the hugely generous offering Epic made with its last "mystery game", the storefront will likely err on the side of a big release.

Of all the free games ever released by Epic Games Store, Grand Theft Auto 5 is the elephant in the room. This title was leagues bigger than nearly any other game the store had made free at that point, perhaps apart from Alien: Isolation. Speaking of Alien Isolation, that game was made free again recently for the second time in April. As such, this huge mystery game announcement may be a blast from the past.

The free games initiative is one of the many reasons that Epic Games is losing so much money, along with the huge push for exclusive games. Tactics like these are all part of Epic's customer retention plan to make the store profitable in the future. Since the free Grand Theft Auto 5 download crashed the Epic Game Store due to its popularity, making it free once more would not be a surprising move.

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Grand Theft Auto is not the only Rockstar franchise that dominates the "Popular Now" section of the Epic Store frontpage. Since its release, Red Dead Redemption 2 has dominated the storefront, and is an obvious choice to make free. Rockstar's cowboy simulator is one absolutely beloved by gamers, and would no doubt fetch as many downloads as Grand Theft Auto 5.

If Epic are looking to retain gamers on its platform, pulling a whole new group of players into its immersive world alongside fan favorite Arthur Morgan would be savvy. In particular, Red Dead Redemption 2 boasts a vast open world full of fascinating stories that its fanbase cannot get enough of. Even three years after its debut, fans still plunge the game for lore and story. In terms of a game that keeps player attention, Red Dead Redemption 2 is a perfect choice.

Elite Dangerous, while considerably less popular than the titanic Rockstar games mentioned above, still has an impressive playerbase. More than just a large fanbase, however, Elite Dangerous as a free game would capitalize on considerable hype. With rumors and leaks of high profile sci-fi games like Starfield, the popularity of the genre is evident. Elite Dangerous came to PC in 2014, only a year after GTA 5.

Epic has been generous recently with its free offerings, and it is hard to imagine a more generous gift than over 400 million planets and galaxies in a massively multiplayer online game. While it may not spawn as many fascinating player stories as its more complex counterpart Eve Online, the game is more accessible as a result. It would be an interesting move to make an MMO free, and it could certainly work well for Epic.

The final game that Epic could be keeping under wraps is Ruined King: A League of Legends Story. Very little is actually known about Ruined King's official release date, only that it is listed as "coming soon" on the Epic Store. This RPG reimagining of Riot's League of Legends is set to fill the ultimate fantasy for a MOBA player: being able to control who's in any given team. Most games that are releasing soon on Epic have a specific release date, so the "coming soon" label might make it a perfect fit for Epic's mystery game.

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