Eco
Steam Page
Released: February 7
Developer: Strange Loop Games
Publisher: Strange Loop Games
Price: $29.99
This town building sim hit Early Access last week and has a really fascinating premise. Played from a first-person perspective (with clear elements of Minecraft featured), not only must you build a township and tend to it, you must also do so keeping the health of its eco-system in mind. So simply chopping (or punching) down trees isn’t always the answer to a building maintenance problem; every action, every removed or tampered with resource, will have a roll on effect. “Every organism in Eco exists as part of a detailed simulation; a disruption in one species can have cascading effects across the planet,” reads the description. “Chop down all the trees, and habitats for creatures will be destroyed.” Built on a “rich ecological simulation”, the game is expected to stay in Early Access for a year.
Desolate
Steam Page
Released: February 9
Developer: Nearga
Publisher: HypeTrain Digital
Price: $19.99
This is a first-person survival horror game set on a large and threatening island. It can be played both alone and with up to four others cooperatively, with players taking the role of “Volunteers”, folk who have taken it upon themselves to explore the paranormal activities of the island. Naturally, it’s a fairly combat-driven affair, though judging by appearances it’ll be more hands-on, more gritty, less aim-at-the-head-and-fire. The game has a planned six months in Early Access before it launches proper, but if you’re in the mood for a good survival horror game, this one is getting a “mostly positive” response on Steam.
Aegis Defenders
Steam Page
Released: February 9
Developer: GUTS Department
Publisher: Humble Bundle
Price: $19.99
This is a 2D platformer, one which “blends Metroidvania style combat with Tower Defense strategy”, so goes the official description. Either alone or with a friend (though the game only supports local multiplayer), you’ll traipse around the world of Elam in search of the nominal weapon Aegis, which will apparently solve some big existential problems for the protagonists (guns always do, you know). There are light RPG elements, such as the ability to upgrade items and weapons, and there’s a system which lets you fuse together different types of defense buildings. All in all, it looks fun, and the graphics are bright and beautiful.
Sprint Vector
Steam Page
Released: February 9
Developer: Survios
Publisher: Survios
Price: $29.99
This is a VR exclusive multiplayer running game, except you’re not just a boring person doing a boring sprint down a boring green field: you’re a highly agile cartoon character, leaping at high speeds through precision-oriented platforming gauntlets. Oh, and you won’t be using a controller to do this but rather your body, so don’t expect to find it relaxing. “Use your entire body to run, jump, drift, zip, climb, fling, shoot, dodge, and fly with intuitive motion controls,” so reads the description. As no expert on fitness, I won’t say that it’ll help you get exercise, but plenty of people in the Steam review section attest to getting a thorough workout playing it. Not to mention that it just looks really fun.
Slasher’s Keep
Steam Page
Released: February 10
Developer: Damian Schloter
Publisher: Damian Schloter
Price: $13.99
This week’s obligatory rogue-lite is Slasher’s Keep, a first-person dungeon crawler with a bold, comic book style presentation. It’s a first-person outing, with melee combat – particularly swords – being the main mode of attack, though bows and wands are in there too. The levels are randomly generated, strewn with traps and enemies, and there are four playable characters in total. This is in Early Access and will be from five to seven months, with more “content chunks” rolling out during that period. Definitely worth a look if you prefer your rogue-lites in 3D.
These games were released between 02/06-02/13. 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.
