On average, a dozen new games are released on Steam every day. And while we think that’s a good thing, it can be hard to keep up. Potentially exciting gems are sure to be lost in the deluge of new things to play, unless you sort through every game released on Steam. So that’s exactly what we did. If nothing appeals to you this week, we’ve rounded up the best PC games you can play right now and a running list of 2023 games launching this year.
Slime Life 2
Steam page
Released: June 28
Developer: Terri Vellmann, Doseone
Introductory Price: $15 | £12.79 | AU$21.95
Chris enjoyed the first Sludge Life, and why not you? It was a simulation of photography and vandalism on a shitty little island surrounded by mud. This sequel follows the same format, with surreal first-person exploration and plenty of bizarre interactions with apathetic NPCs. In Sludge Life 2, you’re tasked with finding Big Mud, a rapping frog, in the “sprawling” Ciggy City Suites, so sprawling they even have their own beach (Ciggy Beach!). If Sludge Life 2 is for you, you’re almost certainly sold already, but to make things better, this installment has a double jump and portable launcher, to better launch you through the majestic Ciggy Suites with ease. A weird game. A bit like Hubert Selby Jr and Todd Solondz collaborating on an Adult Swim cartoon.
Pekoe
Steam page
Released: June 29
Developer: Kitten Cup Studio
Introductory price: $14.39 | £12 | AU$21.20
If Sludge Life 2 has too many benefits for you, why not make up for it with the stuffy cheerful fantasy of Pekoe? It’s a “cat-filled tea making simulator” that allows you to run a tea house. In addition to brewing tea and concocting new experimental tea combinations, you will be able to build and equip your very own teahouse. As you meet new townspeople (all of whom are cats, by the way), you’ll have to work hard to brew the type of tea that best suits their palette. It’s a game of making tea for cats, okay? Incomprehensible that this has never been done before. Pekoe is in early access and will launch in 1.0 in early 2024, and it will get new modes, ingredients, recipes and more in the meantime.
SlavicPunk: Oldtimer
Steam page
Released: June 29
Developers: Red Square Games
Introductory price: $17.49 | £14 | AU$25.54
Here is a stylish isometric shooter based on the novels by Polish author Michał Gołkowski. SlavicPunk is a gritty sci-fi affair following the puzzles of Yanus, whose work as a private detective sees him come into regular conflict with mobsters and corporate minions. Fortunately, Yanus knows how to handle a firearm. The action looks satisfying, but the studio’s attempts to dream up an Eastern European equivalent to “Blade Runner’s LA or Akira’s Neo Tokyo” seem particularly interesting (Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, more?).
Shogun showdown
Steam page
Released: June 27
Developer: Robatino
Introductory price: $9 | £9 | AU$13.05
These days, the words “rogue-like” and “deck-building” in the same sentence make me lose my eyes, but Shogun Showdown seems to have found a decent following in a completely saturated market. Launched in early access last week, studio Roboatino isn’t afraid to mention Into the Breach, Darkest Dungeon, and Slay the Spire on its Steam page, but this game has its own style, with beautifully detailed pixel art and music. atmospheric. The early access period is expected to last for a year, while lots of new things are being added, including new playable characters, skills, locations, and more. Sure, the genre is saturated, but it’s also very rich, so it looks like a worthy contender for enthusiasts.
A long journey towards an uncertain end
Steam page
Released: June 29
Developer: Crispy Creative
Introductory price: $21.24 | £17.84 | AU$31.02
This is a story-driven management space opera where you play as a spaceship – not its pilot, not its crew, but the spaceship itself. The problem is that sentient spaceships are frowned upon in this fictional universe (probably in this one too), so it’s important to have a good, friendly crew on your side. As a result, a big part of A Long Voyage… is gathering and coordinating your crew. It would appear that sentient spaceships may also have relationships: “Take whatever job you can to stay one step ahead of your abusive ex and keep flying to freedom,” reads Steam’s description. It sounds fascinating.