(Image credit: Fuming)
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 hard to keep up with. Potentially exciting gems are sure to be lost in the deluge of new things to play unless you sort through every single game that is released on Steam. So that’s exactly what we’ve done. If nothing catches your fancy this week, we’ve gathered the best PC games you can play right now and a running list of the new games of 2019.
Zelle
Steam page
Release: October 4
Developer: Fuming
Price: $8.99 | £6.19 | AU$12.95
Described as an “occult adventure game”, a quick glance at Zelle’s trailer will put you in no doubt that this is a strange game. You play as Emerada, imprisoned by a reaper in a giant ye olde castle. As far as I can tell, most of the game is set in the surrounds of the castle, and perspective shifts from top-down view to first-person view when Emerada’s engaged in combat. The nitty gritty of how it plays seems a bit beside the point though, because the art style is fascinatingly grim and garish, with one Steam reviewer describing it as “terrifying and heartwarming”. Looks like one for fans of Yume Nikki and similar.
Neon Tail
Steam page
Release: October 5
Developer: Fei, Leo, Yang
Price: $9.99 | £9.20 | AU$16.50
As the name implies, Neon Tail is very neon, which makes sense: it’s an open world roller skating game not dissimilar in tone to Jet Set Radio, though it also takes cues from the Tony Hawk games. The Early Access title is all about fluid mastery of technique, so don’t expect to magically slow down with the press of a button, as the devs make a point of mentioning that this is the only skating game that requires turning to slow down. The game is around 25 percent finished according to the Steam page, though it’s certainly very playable. It’ll likely launch into 1.0 in “a little more than one year”.
The Sword and the Slime
Steam page
Release: October 4
Developer: Possum House Games
Price: $4.99 | £3.99 | AU$7.50
You’ve got to work really hard to find a novelty for your 2D platformer nowadays, but The Sword and the Slime has given it a red hot go. You play as a flying sword, and in collaboration with a blob of slime (hence the name of the game), you need to navigate levels and solve puzzles. It’s completely mouse controlled, and I love the art style. A nice, cheap curio.
Rain of Reflections: Chapter 1
Steam page
Release: October 4
Developer: Lionbite Games
Price: $18.99 | £14.49 | AU$26.95
Rain of Reflections is an episodic adventure game set in a grim dystopian future. This first chapter follows a scientist tasked with solving “the world’s sudden infertility” – no small feat. Of course, she starts to suspect something is up with these experimentations and seeks to free one of her live test subjects. It’s a choice-oriented adventure – every single decision is final and consequential – but there’s also an XCOM-esque tactical layer. The graphics are quite nice, too.
The Wild Eight
Steam page
Release: October 4
Developer: HypeTrain Digital
Price: $19.99 | £14.99 | AU$28.95
You’ve probably heard of The Wild Eight. After a while in Early Access it launched into 1.0 last week, and the isometric survival game definitely looks promising, if surviving in the “unforgiving frozen wilderness of Alaska” sounds appealing to you (can’t imagine why it wouldn’t!). It can be played alone, but up to eight players can collaborate online, which might make the whole “starving in the freezing cold with wolves pursuing you” thing a bit more tolerable.
These games were released between October 1 and 7 2019. Some online stores give us a small cut if you buy something through one of our links. Read our affiliate policy for more info.