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 2024 games that are launching this year.
Oddada
Steam page
Release: August 15
Developer: Sven Ahlgrimm, Mathilde Hoffmann
Oddada is about using a range of strange toys to compose music. Each toy needs to be approached or “played” differently, and each has its own distinct sonic flavour. For example, one instrument takes the form of a simplified isometric town builder, with each object placed on the grid modifying the overall melody or rhythm. Don’t mistake it for some arcane take on a DAW: it’s definitely a game, albeit one that wants to capture the exploratory fun of music creation. During each playthrough the order of instruments switches, encouraging a wide range of results, and once you’ve created a bunch of tracks you can create digital mixtapes which can be exported into audio files. First Oddada-composed IDM album when?
The Crimson Diamond
Steam page
Release: August 16
Developer: Julia Minamata
Whenever I see the familiar color schemes of the EGA era my heart skips a beat and I want to go back. Plenty of modern adventure games mimic resplendent VGA chunkiness but few aim for EGA and get it right like The Crimson Diamond does. It’s a point ‘n’ click detective adventure starring “reluctant detective” Nancy Maple, who has arrived in the barren Ontario township of Crimson to investigate a giant diamond. Expect a mix of exploration and puzzle-solving, which is good enough to have earned an endorsement from Sierra co-founder Roberta Williams.
Arco
Steam page
Release: August 16
Developers: Franek, Max Cahill, Bibiki, Fayer
This tactical RPG swaps out the usual fantasy trappings for hard-boiled supernatural western. Players take on a rotating cast whose varied perspectives shed light on a conflict between colonizers and incumbents, but into this gritty mix is monsters and a more varied approach to environment design than “western” might imply. It’s the combat that looks really fun, though: You’ll choose your moves in advance and watch them play out, but Arco foregoes the usual grid-placed gameplay for a more flexible line-based approach. It looks like a lot of fun, and deeper than meets the eye.
Intravenous II
Steam page
Release: August 16
Developer: Explosive Squat Games
Like its 2021 predecessor, Intravenous 2 may look like Hotline Miami but its approach is pretty much the opposite. It’s a slow-paced tactical shooter with a big emphasis on stealth. That’s not to say you can’t just bowl through doors and gun down miscreants loudly as possible, but it would probably be missing the point. This sequel has a branching narrative following the adventures of Sean and Steve who, despite their amusingly boring names, are embroiled in a hectic kidnapping affair which can only be solved with tactical thinking and guns. There are tonnes of weapons and gadgets at your disposal, and a lot of options to personalize.
Feed the Deep
Steam page
Release: August 17
Developer: Luke Muscat
At first glance Feed the Deep looks a bit like Wario Dave the Diver: you’ll navigate subaquatic mazes looking for stuff, but instead of cheerfully vibrant greens and blues these waters are murky and foreboding. To keep humankind’s now-necessary airborne cities afloat, the protagonist must feed a mysterious creature inhabiting the ocean floor. Along the way you’ll chance upon upgrades and items that in roguelike fashion will change the course of your procedurally generated run. It’s inspired by Spelunky and Dome Keeper, and made by the creator of Jetpack Joyride, so you know it’s going to have the exquisitely more-ish movement that can turn a good idea into a great game.
