In a move that makes one wonder where the year 2021 has gone, Amazon has announced the "free" PC games that will be offered to Prime members at the start of December, eight days later. Once again, the selection is strong, with an average Metacritic score of 74% for the nine titles offered, with EA's games being.

Perhaps the most exciting game for many readers is the highly rated strategy title Frostpunk. With an 84% rating on Metacritic, the game is so popular that it justifies a sequel currently in development.

EA's Football Manager 2021 has a slightly higher average score of 85%, but is definitely an acquired taste that requires a love and knowledge of both soccer and spreadsheets. 2022's updated version has just been released, but the latest It remains a great free software for those who don't need a roster.

Next up is Journey to the Savage Planet (76%), a quirky first-person adventure game in which players must catalog alien flora and fauna in a strange alien world. Speaking of adventure games, players will also enjoy the complete version of "Tales of Monkey Island," Telltale Games' episodic reboot of the LucasArts classic point-and-click adventure. Although not considered a classic in the same way as the original pirate-inspired production, the five episodes have averaged ratings of around 80%.

There have also been several remasters. The more successful is Need for Speed Hot Pursuit (75%), but there is also Stubbs the Zombie (58%), which is more controversial for those who missed the 2005 original.

Rounding out the list are Morkredd (a physics-based cooperative puzzle game - 74%), Spellcaster University (a wizard's college management game - 71%), and YouTuber's Life (roleplaying the carefree life of a streamer - 63%)

In addition to these games, Prime members also have access to additional content for EA's Apex Legends and Battlefield 2042.

All of these games will be available in December, which means there is still more than a week to purchase the November games. If you have not yet purchased "Control Ultimate Edition" and "Dragon Age Inquisition," you should fix that immediately.

Amazon Prime Gaming is a perk of being an Amazon Prime subscriber; Amazon Prime is a $119 annual membership package that includes free shipping, access to Prime Video, and other benefits.

The gaming section was added last year after Amazon's late acquisition of Twitch in 2014. Essentially, members are granted a number of free PC games each month that can be claimed via Good Old Games, EA Origin, or Amazon's own gaming app. In addition to this, there are usually free cosmetic in-game items to claim for other titles as well.

Overall, this is a nice addition that helps justify the annual cost of Amazon Prime, assuming your PC is capable enough to run the more desirable titles.