On an average day, around 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. Potentially exciting gems are sure to get lost in the rush of new things to play unless you rank every game that releases on Steam. So that’s exactly what we’ve done. If nothing catches your eye this week, we’ve rounded up the best games on PC. (opens in a new tab) you can play right now and updated list of 2022 games (opens in a new tab) which are released this year.
Incision
Steam page (opens in a new tab)
Release: September 16
Developer: SmoothBrainDev
Introductory Price: $12.74 | £10.19 | AU$17
Joining the hordes of modern shooter boomers this week is Incision, which unsurprisingly cites Doom, Quake, Shadow Warrior and Blood among its influences. Quake seems to be the most prominent influence here, although expect a much more challenging version of the game. old first-person shooter, because its one-man studio describes it as “ruthless in its difficulty” and “no nonsense” (presumably, in this context, nonsense is times when you’re not murdering things). There are eight guns to aim and shoot things at, and the world is gloriously bleak in its polygonal 1990s excess, though note that this is an early access affair – you’ll get an episode now, with more to come. during the development. period.
rebel beach
Steam page (opens in a new tab)
Release: September 15
Developer: ghost pattern
Introductory Price: $18 | £13.94 | AU$26.05
On a starkly different plane from Incision is Wayward Strand, a narrative adventure game set in a midair nursing home. I’ve been excited about this once since I saw it at PAX Australia (opens in a new tab) in 2019, and based on the couple of hours I’ve played so far, the wait was worth it. Protagonist Casey has been recruited by her mother to help out at the nursing home, and though the bookish teen is reluctant at first, a slowly unfolding mystery, as well as the various charms of the hospital’s inhabitants, eventually they attract her This is definitely a game about her characters first and foremost: listening to the stories and anecdotes of the airship cast is genuinely engaging, thanks to the strong, often very funny writing. The gorgeous art style of the comic strips also helps.
night at the gates of hell
Steam page (opens in a new tab)
Release: September 15
Developer: Black-Eyed Priest, Henry Hoare
Introductory Price: $10.79 | £8.36 | AU$15.25
If you like extremely edgy retro horror games, you probably already know this, but: Night At the Gates of Hell is developed by Jordan King, whose Bloodwash (opens in a new tab) It was a bit of a cult hit. That and this new game are published by Torture Star Video, which is a publishing imprint run by Puppet Combo, best known for modern classics like Nun Massacre and Murder House. All of that is worth telling because it means fans of slasher-style PS1 survival horror can be sure it’s going to be great. Night At the Gates of Hell is inspired by Italian zombie movies as well as early Resident Evil games, but it’s a first-person affair. Playing as David, the main order of the day is to escape from a city infested with zombies. He expects to engage in some very tense and deliberate combat, as well as solve some puzzles, on his mission to do so. If original 90s horror games are your thing, you simply can’t go wrong.
king of retail
Steam page (opens in a new tab)
Release: September 15
Developer: Freaking Games
Introductory Price: $25 | £23 | AU$35.95
King of Retail has been in Early Access for quite some time, but last week it was 1.0. As the name suggests, it is a tycoon game about running a retail store. First, you’ll decide what kind of store you want it to be (a tech store? A sneaker store? A convenience store?), then you’ll plan and after will undertake the comparatively arduous task of executing it. While there’s the usual number crunching and micromanaging to deal with, you’ll also need to pay close attention to employee-customer relationships and do things that will “humanize your brand.” If your store becomes a success, you can even turn it into a chain. It all sounds like a waking nightmare to me, but I know people love these business simulators and all the power to them.
technicality
Steam page (opens in a new tab)
Release: September 15
Developer: Osaris Games
Introductory Price: $14.39 | £11.59 | AU$20.76
On paper, Technicity sounds like a dream come true: it’s a city builder like Cities Skylines, except in first person. Not so fast, though, because Technicity eschews many of the management aspects of a regular city builder, adding in their absence a bunch of automation features and a focus on mapping out the city of your dreams. But that’s basically Minecraft in creative mode., I hear you say, and you’re partly right, except that Technicity really focuses on urban design and deep customization: you can build your own furniture and items, then trade the schematics in the Steam Workshop. Online play also allows you to connect your city with your friends via huge open world maps (or collaborate on a city, if you so choose).
