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 new games of 2019.
Lightmatter
Steam page
Release: January 16
Developer: Tunnel Vision Games
Price: $19.99 | £15.49 | AU$28.95
Lightmatter is a first-person puzzle game reminisicent of Portal and The Talos Principle. Basically, you're manipulating light in order to traverse a facility designed to showcase a new renewable energy project called 'Lightmatter'. For whatever reason shadows and darkness in this facility will kill you, so you'll want to avoid those, and there's an omnipresent antagonist voiced by David Bateson. This story-driven puzzler is definitely tonally and aesthetically familiar, but if you love the genre it's well worth investigating – and it's free to try.
Red Bow
Steam page
Release: January 18
Developer: Stovetop, LLC
Price: $4.99 | £3.99 | AU$7.50
Red Bow is a short top down adventure game staring Roh, who is "stuck in a bizarre nightmare of dark and eerie creatures". So far, so videogame. It has a pleasant ye olde pixel aesthetic, and is designed to feel like a modern Gameboy game. Most of your time will be spent solving puzzles and investigating, and it looks pretty appealing if you're into narrative games that don't overstay their welcome.
Star Fetchers: Pilot
Steam page
Release: January 17
Developer: Svavelstickan
Price: Free
Here's the first episode of a serialised game about a bunch of sword-wielding gangsters trying to make their way up in the world of crime. It's an adventure game, but a whole lot of time is spent massacring fellow criminals in the most bloody ways possible, and the general tone of misanthropy is matched by the gritty neon-drenched aesthetic. "Star Fetchers is an adventure huffing on the fumes of 90's midnight TV, delivering a story paved with bizarre scenarios, ugly characters and high paced action," so reads the description. This opening episode is free.
Juken Jigoku
Steam page
Release: January 16
Developer: W&H Game Systems
Price: $2.99 | £2.09 | AU$4.50
Here's a short first-person horror game with a "Japanese theme" (it was developed in Spain). The title translates to 'Examination Hell' and the game itself is "inspired by the fears, anxiety and doubts that students have to go through during their school life and the exams time". So naturally you'll be exploring a school, rifling through its secrets and presumably, occasionally, being scared. Short and snappy horror games are sometimes what the doctor ordered, so it's probably worth a playthrough.
Coffee Break
Steam page
Release: January 18
Developer: Jasonario, Jason Lovett
Price: $4.99 | £3.99 | AU$7.50
Launched into Early Access last week, Coffee Break is about working in a busy café. You'll be decking your café in trendy decor, "crafting delicious beverages", and dealing with a handful of other logistical necessities. Of course, you'll want your café to be a success, and Coffee Break appears to be a whimsical tycoon game above all else. The game will be expanded with more interior decorations, recipes and customisation options when it launches into 1.0, which is expected to happen in between six to twelve months.
These games were released between January 13 and 20 2020. Some online stores give us a small cut if you buy something through one of our links. Read our affiliate policy for more info.
