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.
Headliner: NoviNews
Steam page
Release: October 24
Developer: Unbound Creations
Price: $9.99
Headliner: NoviNews is a game about controlling the news, and witnessing the effects of your decisions firsthand. Set in Novistan, you'll be tasked with shaping public opinion via the news the Novistan public consumes. But it's not about bars and charts and circulation figures: overall, Headliner feels closer in spirit to a visual novel. There are "multiple permutations of unique endings", and a handful of characters who can be interacted with on a more personal level. Once a playthrough is completed, which can be done in around three hours, it's possible to share results with the Headliner community. A fascinating concept, and worthy of a look.
The Mirror Lied
Steam page
Release: October 26
Developer: Freebird Games
Price: Free
Unusually for this column, The Mirror Lied actually released ten years ago. But now, the classic 30-minute horror game by Kan Gao, creator of To The Moon, is available on Steam. It's difficult to explain what happens in The Mirror Lied, just as it's difficult to describe what it might be about. On the surface, it's about a "faceless girl stuck inside a house with no door to the outside", but there's also a bird, and the music is disorienting and strange and, to be honest, slightly annoying at times. Though this is definitely worth playing once, especially if you like weird and inscrutable fiction.
Lethal League Blaze
Steam page
Release: October 25
Developer: Team Reptile
Price: $19.99
A sequel to the wildly popular Lethal League, this new iteration features the same hook: it's basically 2D cartoon tennis, except you can use the ball to murder your opponent. "You can manipulate the ball to get the perfect angle and use your character's special moves to surprise them," the Steam description reads, "but every strike speeds up the ball or even doubles its speed, up to shatteringly extreme velocities." With support for up to four players online and locally, Blaze features new progression systems and, according to Wes when he wrote it up last week, a tad more depth than the original.
The Colonists
Steam page
Release: October 25
Developer: Codebyfire
Price: $24.99
Here's a settlement building game about helping self-replicating, human-made robots thrive on a planet they've escaped to. Aside from how terrifying that concept is, The Colonists looks really great: the robots will advance through three different ages in their efforts to become human (or as close to human as little box-lite bots can be). All the usual beats are here: resource gathering, farming, research and, inevitably, fighting for dominance. The game also looks really beautiful, too.
Monster League
Steam page
Release: October 26
Developer: Render Cube
Price: $15.99
If you love kart racers and are not scared of monsters, Monster League is among the more polished-looking I've seen for quite a while. An Early Access title, the racer currently boasts six game modes – ranging from traditional power-up oriented racing, through to what appears to be a Rocket League-inspired mode. Split screen offers support for four players, while online can handle up to eight. Studio Render Cube expects the game to stay in Early Access for "about" six months, with more maps, characters, weapons and emotes forthcoming.
These games were released between October 22 and October 29, 2018. Some online stores give us a small cut if you buy something through one of our links. Read our affiliate policy for more info.
