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.
Wobbledogs
Steam page
Release: January 29
Developer: Animal Uprising
Launch price: $13.49 | £10.25 | AU$19.35
When a game called 'Wobbledogs' releases on Steam you have to sit up and take notice. And take notice I have done, which is lucky, because everyone needs a digital pet simulator with amusing physics in their life, with sim elements so detailed that you can even micro-manage your Wobbledogs' gut flora. "The dogs start out relatively normal," so reads the Steam description, "but mutate and behave in surprising ways as the game progresses and their evolutionary lines advance." The game launched into Early Access last week and is expected to stay there for a year. It'll receive content updates, AI improvements and "more mutations."
Nox Archaist
Steam page
Release: January 29
Developer: 6502 Workshop
Launch price: $19.99 | £15.59 | AU$28.76
Just look at this thing: it's a retro-styled 8-bit RPG created with a real dedication to authenticity, evidenced by the fact that it was developed on an Apple II. You can even buy and play this on an Apple II, and it's been available physically since December. But this Steam edition is probably an easier sell for the rest of us. It seems to be a fairly conventional fantasy RPG: it has tactical combat or "quick combat" and all the exploration and stat deliberations you'd expect from a 60+ hours RPG. But... just look at it. It's beautiful.
Dragon Creek
Steam page
Release: January 30
Developer: Rekkeld
Launch price: $12.74 | £9.68 | AU$21.50
If one of your dreams is to rear a dragon, then you're crap out of luck, because dragons aren't real. Thankfully, this dragon raising simulator has come along to at least simulate the process. Each dragon is procedurally generated, and once it's brought kicking and screaming to life you'll need to feed it, wash it and "make sure they are inside when they go to sleep," among other things. If this all seems a bit too benign for you, never fear, because there are dragon battles too. The game will stay in Early Access for "no longer than half a year," during which it'll get more features and dragon varieties.
Disjunction
Steam page
Release: January 29
Developer: Ape Tribe Games
Launch price: $14.39 | £11.69 | AU$20.65
Here's a cyberpunk-themed game that seems to mix careful stealth action with a kill-them-if-you-fancy attitude, all wrapped in a retro-RPG package. There are three playable classes, and each will alter the way you proceed through Disjunction's grim future New York environments. On top of those starter classes you've also got an array of cybernetic upgrades to bolt on. "In the United States, natural resource scarcity and severe climate change have led to massive urbanization," so reads the Steam description, "with millions of Americans forced to seek new lives among the sprawling steel and concrete of America's cities." Seems depressing, but it's probably fun too.
Tohu
Steam page
Release: January 29
Developer: Fireart Games
Launch price: $13.49 | £10.79 | AU$19.35
...and for something completely different, Tohu is a point and click adventure game set across a variety of fish-themed planets. You play as The Girl (that's her name!) who is investigating a Sacred Engine responsible for keeping this weirdly fishy world afloat. Naturally, this is achieved by solving lots of puzzles, all with the help of her "mechanical alter-ego" Cubus. The art style is gorgeous, and the music comes courtesy of Christopher Larkin, he of Hollow Knight fame.
These games were released between January 26 and February 1 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.
