Five new Steam games you probably missed (April 7, 2025)

The protagonist of Elroy and the Aliens stands next to a companion as they behold an impressive ocean view
(Image credit: Motiviti)
Best of the best

Two characters from Avowed looking to the left and standign in a jungle with a shaft of light piercing through it

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

2025 games: Upcoming releases
Best PC games: All-time favorites
Free PC games: Freebie fest
Best FPS games: Finest gunplay
Best MMOs: Massive worlds
Best RPGs: Grand adventures

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 2025 games that are launching this year.

Elroy and the Aliens

Elroy and the Aliens - Official Launch Trailer - YouTube Elroy and the Aliens - Official Launch Trailer - YouTube
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Steam ‌page‌
Release:‌ April 3
Developer:‌ Motiviti

Elroy and the Aliens is another harkening back to the simple days of pointing 'n' clicking, with an art style reminiscent of '90s cartoons (the protagonist is a dead ringer for Shaggy). It follows the zany adventures of rocket scientist Elroy and journalist Peggie as they investigate the suspicious disappearance of the former's father. This quest inevitably takes them into far flung space, which is naturally full of amusing aliens and taxing puzzles. This is a big adventure: with over 60 characters and 60 locations, it'll take you roughly 10 hours to complete. If you've got insatiable hunger for '90s nostalgia, this should help block out the present for a spell.

Gnomes

Gnomes: Tower Defense, Roguelike | Official Launch Trailer - YouTube Gnomes: Tower Defense, Roguelike | Official Launch Trailer - YouTube
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Steam‌ ‌page‌
Release:‌ April 5
Developer:‌ Dystopian

I adore the art style of this turn-based tower defense roguelike, which is all about gnomes decimating droves of goblins. Not just for fun: the gnomes need to protect their crops, ideally holding out long enough to warrant the attention of the goblin king, whose death is a requirement to win. Thankfully the gnomes are a wise bunch, because not only are they adept at exploiting the benefits of relics and the environment, but their plants have abilities of their own too. This looks debilitatingly more-ish; definitely something to investigate if you're ready to finally uninstall Loop Hero.

LiDAR Exploration Program

LiDAR Exploration Program | NEW HORROR GAME RELEASE | Horror Game Awards April 2025 - YouTube LiDAR Exploration Program | NEW HORROR GAME RELEASE | Horror Game Awards April 2025 - YouTube
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Steam‌ ‌page‌
Release:‌ April 3
Developers:‌ KenForest

LiDAR Exploration Program is about a poor soul stuck in a perfectly dark world. No biggie though, because this poor soul has a lidar scanner for some reason, which is a real world tool that uses light to measure the dimensions of spaces. Using the scanner, you'll substantiate the world as you explore, encountering mysterious structures and bizarre objects along the way. There are horror elements here, and the resemblance to Scanner Sombre is very obvious (the dev gives it a shout out), but there are some neat ideas wrapped in an eerie 'n' icy atmosphere.

Emperor of the Fading Suns Enhanced

Emperor of the Fading Suns Enhanced - Official Launch Trailer - YouTube Emperor of the Fading Suns Enhanced - Official Launch Trailer - YouTube
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Steam page
Release:‌ April 5
Developer:‌ Holistic Design, Inc.

First released in 1997 in a fairly buggy state, Emperor of the Fading Suns is a 4X strategy that has grown a small but passionate following ever since, mostly thanks to the remedial work of modders. It's easy to see why its players loved it: it's a strange hybrid of science fiction and fantasy that drastically tweaks a lot of the systems that had, by the mid-'90s, become rote in the 4X genre. This 'enhanced' edition has "new features, modernized gameplay, and immersive visuals designed to expand on the already treasured strategy game". There's a demo too, if the prospect of a '90s 4X feels a bit intimidating.

Vaporwave Pinball

Vaporwave Pinball Launch date Announcement trailer - YouTube Vaporwave Pinball Launch date Announcement trailer - YouTube
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Steam‌ ‌page‌
Release:‌ April 5
Developer:‌ Jamie D, Mixtape Games UK

It's vaporwave pinball.

Shaun Prescott
Australian Editor

Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.

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