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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 2021 games that are launching this year.
Rogue Spirit
Steam page
Release: September 2
Developer: Kids With Sticks
Launch price: $18 | £14.39 | AU$26.05
Here’s a colorful roguelite set in a fully 3D fantasy world, with third-person combat and some “light stealth elements”. You play as prince of the Kingdom of Midra, and one of the game’s chief novelties is that he can absorb the weapons and skills of his enemies. That, combined with the “dozens of essences and skills” available, means there’s probably a fair bit of variety in playstyle and approach here. Yeah, it’s another roguelite, but it’s rare for the genre to dip its toes into fully 3D design. Rogue Spirit is in Early Access and will likely stay there for around 7 months while the studio applies polish and adds new content.
The Big Con
Steam page
Release: August 31
Developer: Mighty Yell
Launch price: $15 | £11 | AU$21.50
Nostalgia for the 1990s is in full force at the moment, and The Big Con is not subtle in its mission to channel some of the more obvious markers of that period. It follows the exploits of a grifter teenager as she travels the United States, trying to raise funds to save her family’s video rental shop. Along the way you’ll get to choose whether you want to con people or help them, and yeah, expect to see malls, payphones and probably a lot of other sly references to the consumeristic orgy that was the ’90s. It’s a narrative driven point-and-click adventure that will likely appeal to anyone who wishes CD singles never went away.
Kitaria Fables
Steam page
Release: September 2
Developer: Twin Hearts
Launch price: $16 | £13.59 | AU$23.16
Here’s yet another post-Stardew Valley game that mixes tedious manual labour with high stakes and violent adventuring. So yes: there’s farming, there’s sword and bow combat, there’s crafting, and there’s an abundance of Nintendo whimsy. Set in Kitaria, you play as a cat who must not only tend to the earth, but also help their neighbours “face a rising tide of darkness.” The game supports local cooperative play, but you can use Steam remote play to play online. Looks worthy of investigation if you’ve poured hundreds of hours into Stardew and feel like a change.
Lake
Steam page
Release: September 2
Developer: Gamious
Launch price: $20 | £16 | AU$28.95
Here’s a narrative-driven adventure game set in the 1980s and starring Meredith, who has returned to her hometown to fill in for her dad as the local mail deliverer. It’s a break from her apparently high pressure “big city” career, which from the vantage point of 2021 seems funny, because delivering mail in the Amazon era does not look at all chill. But whatever the case, the focus of Lake is really on the smaller details: learning about the inhabitants of Providence Oaks, basking in the atmosphere, and watching as a subtle story about a small town unfurls.
Swallow the Sea
Steam page
Release: September 4
Developer: Maceo bob Mair, Nicolás Delgado
Free
Here’s a 15 minute sidescrolling action game starring a “lowly egg cell” who must avoid terrifying humanoid fish in its mission to one day hatch. In addition to avoiding these extremely ugly fish foes, the egg cell also needs to absorb power from lesser life forces in order to grow. It’s free, it’s weird, and you can play it in one sitting.
These games were released between August 30 and September 6 2021. Some online stores give us a small cut if you buy something through one of our links. Read our affiliate policy for more info.
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