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.
Papetura
Steam page
Release: May 7
Developer: Petums
Launch price: $10.79 | £8.36 | AU$15.25
Papetura is a point and click adventure set in a world made entirely out of paper—real paper. Protagonist Pape (also made out of paper, hence the name) is a prisoner who's just managed to escape, but perhaps Pape was better off in prison because the world they've escaped into is ravaged by "dark and flaming monsters"—a big deal for creatures made of paper. According to studio Petums, Papetura is inspired by Neverhood, Machinarium and Studio Ghibli films. It's definitely gorgeous to see in motion, and you can definitely see the influence Amanita Design has had on this one.
Distant Kingdoms
Steam page
Release: May 5
Developer: Orthrus Studios
Launch price: $21.24 | £18.43 | AU$30.55
This Early Access city builder is set in the fantastical land Ineron, so you'll be plotting, maintaining and optimizing settlements for not only humans, but also dwarves, elves and orcs. As you'd expect, it's not just about building: you'll need to manage most of your society's affairs, and you'll also need to send travelling parties out to deal with the usual gaggle of fantasy foes (dragons, imps, wraiths and trolls). These actions take place in a choose-your-own-adventure format, but prepare also for some chin-scratching as you untangle "a deep web of production lines." Distant Kingdoms is expected to launch into 1.0 in a year, during which time it'll get a full campaign story mode, modding support and more.
Nongunz: Doppelganger Edition
Steam page
Release: May 8
Developer: Brainwash Gang
Launch price: $11.69 | £9.26 | AU$16.65
Nongunz is a roguelite with a nigh-monochrome art style that straddles the line between gritty and cute. In a nice change for roguelites the action here is entirely twitch and reflex-based: it's an action platformer complete with run and gun shenanigans and a heck of a lot of jumping. There's a card based perk system, a ton of different weapons and items to find, a kill-chain combo to incentivise never stopping, and "the everpressing guilt of your past wrongs," which puts this into the No Buy list for me. Sorry, Brainwash Gang.
Farm Manager 2021
Steam page
Release: May 7
Developer: Cleversan Software
Launch price: $18 | £13.94 | AU$26.05
If "nihilistic roguelites" ain't your thing then maybe you'd like to do a spot of farming. Actually, Farm Manager 2021 is less about planting and harvesting than it is about managing the grander logistical concerns of keeping a farm. Sure, you'll lay out your farm and plan production based on your knowledge of weather patterns, but you'll also need to maintain your gear and employ human beings to help run the thing. Also, it has bees. If you're a fan of the series you probably already own this, but newcomers should take a look: it looks kinda relaxing.
Cloud Cutter
Steam page
Release: May 6
Developer: Just Two ltd.
$19 | £14.49 | AU$26.95
Not much to say about this one: it's a damn good looking schmup of the vertically scrolling variety. Unusually for the genre, the team at Just Two ltd. are going for a realistic approach when it comes to the art style, but don't worry, there are still "arcade style power-ups" and lasers. Vehicles are upgradable, there are 13 stages, and best of all it has local cooperative play—meaning you can play it online using Remote Play.
These games were released between May 3 to 10 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.
