For anyone who doesn't know, Epic Games is giving away a free game every day like they usually do this time of year. It's an excellent time to try games you were on the fence about. For me, this was 20 Minutes Till Dawn.

I was on the fence because I had tried the mobile game and really didn't like it. Small screen, hard to control, and the difficulty was way too high. I couldn't last 10 minutes on the first level. But you can't beat free, and I love the Vampire Survivor genre, so I decided to give it another shot.

I'm pleased to say my PC experience was much better. Bigger screen. Better controls. I almost beat the first level my first try, which in my mind is the sweet spot. Not frustrating but not to easy. It also let me earn enough resources for a few upgrades.

Meta Progression

There are a couple of basic meta progression paths. As you play the game, you'll earn at a fairly decent rate. Beat a level will give you enough for several unlocks.

The first progression system is character unlocks. I haven't unlocked any yet, but these are likely more in the side-grade genre. Different ways to play the same game. However, as with most of these games, there's probably one or two OP characters in there hiding.

Next comes the guns! This lets you mix and match characters and guns. Some characters prefer close combat, so a shotgun would be a solid choice for example. The first character and pistol actually work pretty well as you'll see, though.

Runes! This is the main source of power progression. I learned the hard way that you can only have 1 rune chosen per rank. You can see I wasted 2 points into the attack speed rune, but my "E" (equipped) is on the strength rune.

Some of the runes, like Aftershock, provide game-changing mechanics. Once I got this, I went all in on reload effects on my second run and blasted through the level like cake (gameplay below).

The progression system is super simple and easy to understand. As long as you like the core gameplay, it's enough to keep things interesting and provide some meta goals.

Gameplay 1

My first play through wasn't too impressive. I include the vid here mainly so you can get a feel for some of the upgrades I was offered. Stick it on 2x speed. It gives a good feel for the game.

Gameplay 2

On my second run, I had a strategy in mind based on reload effects. I had no idea there was a powerful upgrade that would limit your ammo to 1! Once I found it, I was a reloading machine! This was a really fun surprise that made me feel powerful!

This was a blast!

Conclusion

I'm really glad I gave this a shot on PC. Much better than mobile. For a free game on Epic, I'm going to get hours of enjoyment from it. Even if you missed it for free, it only costs $5. Worth it if you like the genre in my opinion.