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.
First Class Trouble
Steam page
Release: April 9
Developer: Invisible Walls
Launch price: $15 | £11 | AU$18.49
Here's a social deduction game with more than a whiff of Among Us about it, albeit with a completely different art style. The multiplayer game is split into two factions: the Residents and the Personoids. The former want to shut down the rogue AI of a luxury ship, while the latter want to access the AI in order to collaborate with it. The luxury ship itself is sprawling, and it looks like there's a ton of novel ways to dispense of your enemies, in a way that seems reminiscent of the Hitman games. First Class Trouble is in Early Access, but is fully playable—the goal is to make it completely stable while adding new stuff over the next 6-12 months like themed events, perks, and more.
Across the Obelisk
Steam page
Release: April 8
Developer: Dreamsite Games
Launch price: $15.29 | £11.89 | AU$25.95
Another Early Access release, Across the Obelisk is a deckbuilding roguelite that seems fairly reminiscent of Slay the Spire and Monster Train, though unlike those games this one supports online cooperative play with three other people. There are a total of 16 characters, though you'll need to unlock most of them through play, and there are 500 cards and 200 items to use and abuse. The cooperative mode has players taking turns in combat, though they'll need to "work together" when it comes to decision making. It looks like a nice twist on the format, and during the Early Access period new content will be added.
Colony Ship
Steam page
Release: April 6
Developer: Iron Tower Studio
Launch price: $22.49 | £17.54 | AU$35.95
Here's a pleasant rarity: a single-player isometric RPG set on a sprawling, dystopian spacecraft, inspired by the Robert A. Heinlein novel Orphans of the Sky. Basically, this spacecraft was once a thriving community gathered to colonize a planet "centuries" away, but thanks to its owning government falling apart, it's now a bit of a mess—you'll need to negotiate (or wage war against) the factions that have emerged in the wake of its decline. Reminiscent of the Wasteland series, it's a party-based affair with ten recruitable companions and turn-based tactical combat. The game is in Early Access and will remain there for 18 months: it's currently incomplete as far as the story goes, so if you want to binge this thing to the end, you're probably better off waiting.
In My Shadow
Steam page
Release: April 9
Developer: Playbae
Launch price: $8.99 | £7.20 | AU$13.05
Here's an interesting puzzle platformer starring a young girl who must shift objects and wield their shadows in order to progress. There is a story and a reason this is happening: protagonist Bella is a young woman remembering her younger self (the playable character), and through exploring her old childhood memories she's hoping to understand her feelings so she can "let go of her past." But basically, the puzzles revolve around moving furniture and other objects in order to cast shadows that can be traversed towards each level's conclusion. If that doesn't sell you, watching the gameplay trailer above surely will if you dig the genre.
Carnal
Steam page
Release: April 10
Developer: JG Roos
$1 | £0.79 | AU$1.50
Here's another retro FPS (or boomer shooter, as the kids are calling them) that seems to nod heavily to old Build Engine (Duke Nukem 3D) games. It's reportedly a short affair, but then it's only a buck, with eleven missions spread across two episodes, though the amount of enemies you'll end up slaying no doubt hits the triple digits. The developer JG Roos wants you to think of Carnal as "a fast food cheeseburger" which probably sums it up well, but also makes me hungry.
These games were released between April 5 to 12 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.
