Five new Steam games you probably missed (December 4, 2023)

Pluto's Island
(Image credit: Valentino Quijano-Moeckel)
Best of the best

The Dark Urge, from Baldur's Gate 3, looks towards his accursed claws with self-disdain.

(Image credit: Larian Studios)

2025 games: Upcoming releases
Best PC games: All-time favorites
Free PC games: Freebie fest
Best FPS games: Finest gunplay
Best RPGs: Grand adventures
Best co-op games: Better together

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 2023 games that are launching this year. 

Pluto's Island

Steam‌ ‌page‌ ‌
Release:‌ November 30
Developer:‌ Valentino Quijano-Moeckel

Pluto's Island is a game adaptation of the solo developer's indie comic book, adopting the same surreal, disarranging art style. It's a third person adventure RPG with a mood that kinda puts me in mind of a nightmarish, hauntological Ocarina of Time. The art is probably the chief thing going for Pluto's Island but there's a fun-looking collect 'em up in there too: you'll need to collect souls to feed to a volcano in order to develop the protagonist's strength. The combat looks fairly rudimentary, but the baddies at least look like they deserve it. There's a talking pig, too.

The Exit 8

Steam‌ ‌page‌ ‌
Release:‌ November 29
Developer:‌ Kotake Create

Here's a disturbing game about being stuck in an endless underground passageway beneath an unspecified Japanese city. The objective is to escape, of course, but you'll probably be traumatised by some bleak / horrifying images before you make it. Think P.T. via the Backrooms. It's a short one hour experience, which is probably for the best. In the words of Steam user DRsamael666: "IT WAS TORTURE, I FEEL NOTHİNG MORE THEN PAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!! nice game dough".

Reaver

REAVER - Early Access Launch Trailer - YouTube REAVER - Early Access Launch Trailer - YouTube
Watch On

Steam‌ ‌page‌ ‌
Release:‌ December 1
Developers:‌ Mad Trio

This Early Access boomer shooter presents itself as "fast" and, well, aren't they all? But Reaver is super fast. If the trailer is anything to go by, it puts the running speeds in turn of the century shooters to absolute shame. But wait! There's more than legs here, pal. There's grappling hooks, tether beams, crouch-sliding, recoil-boosting... there are many and varied ways to go fast in Reaver. I myself am, alas, too old for this bullshit, but it's fun to watch at least. This Early Access build has eight levels, an endless arena, ten weapons and eleven enemy types, but that will increase before the game hits 1.0 some time in 2025.

Brush Burial

Brush Burial - Official Launch Trailer - YouTube Brush Burial - Official Launch Trailer - YouTube
Watch On

Steam‌ ‌page‌ ‌
Release:‌ December 1
Developer:‌ Knife Demon Software

Brush Burial is another woozy revisiting of early 3D first-person games, and like a lot of recent similarly styled titles, it has immersive sim elements reminiscent of Thief. Honestly though, what appeals to me most about Brush Burial is that it lets me be a "knife-wielding swamp devil" with an insatiable lust for gold. That desire will need to be put by the wayside though, because the swamp devil's more pressing task is to slaughter the Witch God Yenneloch. Thankfully, some bizarre and powerful abilities are at your disposal towards these ends. A bizarre and beautiful looking game.

Wizordum

WIZORDUM | Early Access Launch Trailer - YouTube WIZORDUM | Early Access Launch Trailer - YouTube
Watch On

Steam‌ ‌page‌ ‌
Release:‌ November 30
Developer:‌ Emberheart Games

I love it when a retro FPS has an art style closer to ye olde Apogee platformers than to Wolfenstein or Doom, and that's the case with Wizordum. No coincidence, perhaps, that it's published by the recently exhumed Apogee Entertainment. This Early Access build comes bearing the first of three planned episodes, in a manner recalling the glory days of shareware.  While Heretic is referenced on the Steam page, Wizordum actually looks more like first-person Hocus Pocus: its bright, easy going pixel art does not look scary at all, though there's still a lot of blood. 

Shaun Prescott
Australian Editor

Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.

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