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 2020.
Death Come True
Steam page
Release: July 17
Developer: IzanagiGames, Too Kyo Games, Esquadra
Price: $15.99 | £12.39 | AU$22.95
The full motion video renaissance continues with Death Come True, a science fiction adventure by the creator of the Danganronpa visual novels, Kazutaka Kodaka. Naturally, the aesthetic here is entirely different: a man wakes in a strange hotel room with an unfamiliar captured woman. Weird stuff happens obviously, and as the name suggests you’ll be dying a fair bit, but deaths aren’t a fail state so much as a crucial part of the narrative. If you’re a Danganronpa fan you’re probably already over this: if you’re not, it looks like an FMV game with some seriously impressive production values.
Dead Age 2
Steam page
Release: July 17
Developer: Silent Dreams
Price: $17.99 | £14.99 | AU$25.95
A sequel to the well-received 2016 original, Dead Age 2 is a unique blend of RPG with survival, horror and roguelike elements. Viewed mostly from a sidelong perspective, studio Silent Dreams cites Final Fantasy X and Darkest Dungeons as touchstones for how combat plays out, and these encounters play out in an open world harried by zombies. There are factions to coddle or anger, a base to build and customise, and plenty of nail biting choices. The game launched into Early Access last week and will grow between now and its proper launch, which is expected in “four or five months”.
Neon Abyss
Steam page
Release: July 15
Developer:Veewo Games
Price: $19.99 | £15.99 | AU$28.95
Neon Abyss is a pixel art roguelike that looks like a combination of Enter the Gungeon and Flinthook. Like most recent games in the genre, it’s more of a ‘roguelite’ in the sense that individual runs have permadeath, but certain progression systems remain intact. Most excitingly, buffs stack endlessly, so it’s possible to have runs that basically wreck the game’s balance. I’ve played the game a little bit and the moment-to-moment running and gunning is super fun and satisfying, which is absolutely essential in a roguelike like this.
Before I Forget
Steam page
Release: July 16
Developer: 3-Fold Games
Price: $7.99 | £5.99 | AU$11.50
Before I Forget is a first-person narrative game about “dementia and what happens when you can’t hold onto the things you’ve done or the people you’ve loved.” You play as a woman alone in her house, which is strewn with objects that, once investigated, substantiate the environment and flesh out the details of the protagonist’s life. It’s a fascinating and melancholy premise, and doesn’t outstay its welcome with a runtime of around an hour.
Dave-Man
Steam page
Release: July 16
Developer: Lou Bagel
Price: $2.99 | £2.09 | AU$4.50
Dave-Man is basically a Pac-Man clone, which wouldn’t normally interest me in the slightest except for one fact: it’s a game about avoiding your co-workers. All the nominal Dave wants to do is walk to the coffee machine and walk back to his desk, but no: people he doesn’t care about want to engage him in frivolous conversation, which simply won’t do. When you’re not avoiding your wretched co-workers you’re at home, eating dinner and buying stuff online. Sounds brilliant.
These games were released between June 13 and July 20 2020. Some online stores give us a small cut if you buy something through one of our links. Read our affiliate policy for more info.