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.
Despot's Game
Steam page
Release: October 15
Developer: Konfa Games
Launch price: $13.49 | £10.25 | AU$19.35
Despot's Game is a roguelike with an autobattler rhythm: You optimize the arsenal of a group of people who have found themselves suddenly in a strange murder labyrinth, and the goal is to ensure they're strong enough to smite the weird monstrosities they'll encounter along the way. These helpless people won't stay helpless for long, as you'll be able to equip them with all manner of lootable tools to turn them into, say, ninjas or cultists. Interestingly, reaching the end of the labyrinth will trigger an encounter with another real player's end game build. Despot's Game is in Early Access, and will stay there for "no more than a year" while it gets the usual polish and additional content.
Chasing Static
Steam page
Release: October 15
Developer: Headware Games
Launch price: $12.74 | £9.68 | AU$18.27
Chasing Static is a first-person horror game set in Wales, specifically in a rundown old roadside café where coffee has been replaced with scariness. Inspired by "80s sci-fi horror and contemporary surrealist cinema," Chasing Static definitely travels in the modern retro horror orbit: Its graphics look a tad more advanced than the usual PS1-inspired fare, but it still has that discomforting early 3D graphics vibe that makes this new subgenre so exciting. With a runtime of around two hours, it looks like something fun to add to your Halloween binge pile.
Negative Nancy
Steam page
Release: October 14
Developer: FEED
Launch price: $12.74 | £9.68 | AU$16.95
Here's a visual novel / adventure hybrid about saying "no" to things. You play as an employee at a soulless big box department store where, in keeping with the erroneous adage that "the customer is always right," you're expected to say "yes" all the time. But screw that! Negative Nancy is about the joy of not giving a damn. A customer wants you to fix a faulty product? Just say no. The game is a bit more complicated than that—there's a branching narrative and the opportunity to abstain from saying "no"—but it's all about the catharsis of subverting expectations.
The Good Life
Steam page
Release: October 15
Developer: White Owls Inc.
Launch price: $30 | £24 | AU$42.95
The Good Life is an RPG and life sim by Hidetaka 'Swery65' Suehiro of Deadly Premonition fame. Protagonist Naomi is a journalist who has just moved to a small English town in order to investigate why people are turning into cats and dogs. Sounds idyllic, but apparently some people don't want to be animals, so The Good Life is in part about solving that mystery with a trusty camera. But! Naomi herself can also transform into a cat or a dog, and she can also maintain a garden, and cook, and hang out with friends. Reviews are typically mixed on this one, as they always are for Deadly Premonition games.
Stolen Realm
Steam page
Release: October 15
Developer: Burst2Flame Entertainment
Launch price: $18 | £13.94 | AU$26.05
Another Early Access launch, Stolen Realm blends turn-based strategy with an action RPG, which seems oxymoronic if action RPG puts you in mind of Diablo. It's a gorgeous looking game though, with its bright hexagonic maps and low-poly art style, and there's a lot of opportunity to specialise here with eight skill trees and more than 240 skills. The game supports six-player online cooperative play, which features a "simultaneous team turn system" which should make encounters more brisk and enjoyable. The game will stay in Early Access for "around one year."
These games were released between October 11 and 18 2021. Some online stores givers. us a small cut if you buy something through one of our links. Read our affiliate policy for more info.
