Them’s Fightin’ Herds
Steam Page
Released: February 23
Developer: Mane6, Inc
Publisher: Humble Bundle
Price: $14.99
Them’s Fightin’ Herds is an Early Access 2D fighting game with ponies in it. Or maybe they’re not ponies? Whatever the case, the fighter roster comprises four-legged creatures that bear a close resemblance to ponies, and the animation style is very fluid and beautiful, reminiscent of the work Arc System Works does. The studio Mane9 describes it as “serious and mechanically deep” (an assurance that’s welcome, since the thing is full of bloody ponies), and there are some neat touches, including a top-down multiplayer lobby that looks like an 8-bit RPG. The studio expects this to stay in early access for a “couple of months”. Upon launch, it will feature a Story mode which will get ongoing free updates.
Bytepath
Steam Page
Released: February 23
Developer: SSYGEN
Publisher: SSYGEN
Price: $1.99
Bytepath is an arcade shooter with a focus on optimising your build, described by the developer as “a mix of Bit Blaster XL and Path of Exile”. Basically, there’s a huge variety in skills, classes and ships (more than 900 passive skill nodes, 40 classes and over 10 ships) so the core of the game is experimenting with different builds in order to “achieve ever increasing high scores and eventually beat the game”. Movement is simple: your ship accelerates and shoots automatically, so the game is all about dexterity and a smart approach to optimising your spacecraft. Definitely worth a look, especially at this price.
Gleaner Heights
Steam Page
Released: February 22
Developer: Emilios Mandolidis
Publisher: Emilios Mandolidis
Price: $9.99
It’s basically Stardew Valley, except your farm is in a town that is very odd, very mysterious, and according to some Steam reviews, very reminiscent of Twin Peaks. You’ll be plotting and maintaining a farm, tending to animals, fishing, crafting, making friends and exploring. But in addition to all of that, you’ll also be getting to the bottom of the town’s mystery, confronting its “supernatural horror” and fighting creatures with a combat system which features dashes, rolls and archery (I mention this, because it seems the combat is a bit more fleshed out than a farming sim might usually feature). If Stardew Valley was just a touch too whimsical for you, Gleaner Heights looks worth a shot.
Orwell: Ignorance is Strength
Steam Page
Released: February 23
Developer: Osmotic Studios
Publisher: Surprise Attack
Price: $9.99 / full season $19.98
This is the first episode of the second season of Orwell, a narrative driven social media stalking sim with a title which pretty much sums up the tone of proceedings. We’ve covered this a tiny bit, and positively reviewed the first season, with this new season featuring fewer but longer (and more complex) episodes, released in quick succession. The studio recommends you play them as they arrive, but if you’d prefer to wait, the whole season will have released by March 22. “Inducted into ‘The Office’, a top-secret department of the government’s Orwell security program, you’ll take on the role of an investigative agent during a time when civil unrest threatens to become a major political crisis between the Nation and neighboring country Parges.”
Vagante
Steam Page
Released: February 22
Developer: Nuke Nine
Publisher: Nuke Nine
Price: $14.99
This week’s rogue-like is a big one: Vagante was Kickstarter-funded back in 2014 and has been in Early Access for nearly as long. But it’s now launched into 1.0, and in my opinion, it’s one of the most substantial, complex modern rogue-likes out there. Or at least it is if you prefer platformer rogue-likes, which is what this is. It features both local and online cooperative play, procedurally generated levels, consequential class distinctions and all the secrets you’d expect. Oh, and it’s really, really hard, obviously.
These games were released between 02/19-02/26. The first page of this list is updated every Sunday and previous weeks are archived on the following pages. Some online stores give us a small cut if you buy something through one of our links. Read our affiliate policy for more info.
