On an average day, about a dozen new games are released on Steam. And while we think that’s a good thing, it can be understandably difficult to keep up. Potentially exciting gems are sure to get lost in the deluge of new things to play unless you search every game released on Steam. So that’s exactly what we’ve done. If nothing interests you this week, we’ve rounded up the best PC games (opens in new tab) you can play now and a running list of the 2022 games (opens in new tab) that will start this year.
Escape the backrooms
Steam page (opens in new tab)
Release: August 12
Developer: Fancy Games
Introductory price: $9 | £6.47 | AU$13.05
Hey look, it’s another game based on The Backrooms viral horror concept (opens in new tab)born of a creepy, uncanny photo of a desolate office. There have been several, and I’ve covered one before (opens in new tab), but this latest four-player co-op version is gaining a lot of popularity. An Early Access affair, Escape the Backrooms looks like a pretty conventional survival horror quest – it has bad guys – but it also has eight discrete levels, some of which seem to deviate quite dramatically from the source material. When playing cooperatively, you use proximity voice chat, which fits nicely with the labyrinthine level design: if you lose your friends, you won’t be able to talk to them. If you can’t get enough of this fascinatingly scary environment, and have a few equally fascinated friends, it seems like a scary way to spend an evening.
moondrop
Steam page (opens in new tab)
Release: August 12
Developer: Moonroof Studios
Introductory price: $9 | £6.47 | AU$13.05
Here’s a whimsical farming game with glorious pixel art, which might remind you of Stardew Valley. However, this is a roguelite version, so it may not be as relaxing. The farm you need to plan and nurture is on top of a “shifting mountain” that is plagued by a supernatural fog: when this fog arrives, your farm disappears. The idea is to grow and harvest enough produce between these fog visits to earn some money in the nearby village. As the game progresses, you’ll learn some ways to keep the fog at bay. Moondrop is in Early Access and will stay there until early next year, during which time it will get new content and the usual optimizations.
The Mangotronics Employment Collection
Steam page (opens in new tab)
Release: 14 August
Developer: Miscellaneous
Introductory price: $8 | £5.75 | AU$11.60
Here is a collection of nine games on the theme of employment. Each game is short and sweet, ranging from first-person physics puzzles around production lines to visual novels about dreaded job interviews. There is also a game about working behind the counter in a fast food restaurant, and a game about throwing projectiles at supposedly annoying customers. It is not without violence, but what? is work except violence on our desire for real freedom (and more time to play games about work)?.
The Tyrant’s Blessing
Steam page (opens in new tab)
Release: August
Developer: Mercury Game Studio
Introductory price: $20 | £15.49 | AU$28.95
Last week I pointed out that we are living in a golden age for tactical RPGs. And here’s another, with all the elements you’d expect: cute fantasy pixel art, a slew of characters to recruit and customize, and tough decisions at every turn. According to Mercury Game Studio, Tyrants Blessing isn’t just about min-maxing: “your ability to plan, adapt and strategize” is apparently more important, so expect to have to think as you explore the colorful world of Tyberia to quell the tyrant. rowing.
Pud Pud in Weird World
Steam page (opens in new tab)
Release: 10 August
Developer: Ocean Software
Introductory price: $1.79 | £1.52 | AU$2.65
Old and forgotten retro games are often unceremoniously re-released on Steam, and Pud Pud in Weird World is the latest. You may not have heard of it, but it’s an Ocean Software affair that was originally released for ZX Spectrum in 1984. It’s a platformer in name, but it’s damn weird. You are a yellow ball with wings who has to survive in a crazy and surreal world. How is this achieved? By discovering hidden scales, of course! See, lore and cohesive world-building weren’t big video game concerns in the early ’80s, but if you want to try something outlandish for just over a dollar, this could be fun.
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