On an average day, around 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. Potentially exciting gems are sure to get lost in the rush of new things to play unless you rank every game that releases on Steam. So that’s exactly what we’ve done. If nothing catches your eye this week, we’ve rounded up the best games on PC. (opens in a new tab) you can play right now and updated list of 2022 games (opens in a new tab) which are released this year.
Midnight Fighting Express
Steam page (opens in a new tab)
Release: August 24
Developer: Jacob Dzwinel
Introductory Price: $20 | £16 | AU$29.95
Midnight Fight Express is a beat ’em up crime saga about Babyface, a reformed criminal whose quiet, rehabbed life is thrown into chaos by a drone warning of impending city-wide disaster. A group of rogues plan to take over the entire city and Babyface has until dawn to stop them. This involves, of course, always lovingly pummeling said rogues, be it with your fists, ax or knife, or with the many and varied environmental objects scattered about. All of Babyface’s abilities can be upgraded, so there’s a bit of freedom when it comes to developing your own fighting style, and there are skill trees, a range of cosmetic customization, and an online leaderboard. This looks great if you like combos, gratuitous cartoon violence, and crime fighting.
islets
Steam page (opens in a new tab)
Release: August 24
Developer: Kyle Thompson
Introductory Price: $20 | £15.49 | AU$28.95
Islets is a beautiful Metroidvania with a Ghibli-esque art style reminiscent of the recent Greak: Memories of Azur. (opens in a new tab). The protagonist Iko needs to unite a handful of floating islands, which involves visiting them in an airship and completing their dungeons. Once they’re conquered, they’ll come together, which is a neat twist on Metroidvania’s sprawling map formula. Otherwise, it’s a fairly orthodox affair, with the usual upgrades, enemies, and boss battles. Islets is described as “surprisingly wholesome” on its Steam page, and it certainly seems like a “warm blanket” type of game, something to take the dread out of Sunday night.
fast lap league
Steam page (opens in a new tab)
Release: August 24
Developer: Ultimate Studio
Introductory Price: $9.89 | £7.51 | AU$14.19
Someone on Steam reviews of Hot Lap League writes, “Nice game, but why would I play this when I can play Trackmania?” I guess that’s a decent question, but one answer that comes to mind, and one I can relate to, is: “because some people just can’t get enough of Trackmania”. If you love arcade racing games with big jumps and gravity-defying loops, this is probably the best you’ll find this side of a new Trackmania, and there’s a lot to sink your teeth into here: over 150 tracks, loads of customization, global leaderboards and daily challenges.
BROK the Investigator
Steam page (opens in a new tab)
Release: August 27
Developer: Cowcat
Introductory Price: $18 | £16.19 | AU$26.05
The Steam page describes BROK: The InvestiGator as a “hit and click” adventure, which is great for those of us averse to adventure games without a bit of biff. Brok is the protagonist: he is an alligator on a mission to discover the truth behind the tragic death of his wife. It has a “light cyberpunk” setting, though the tone is more of a Saturday morning cartoon, and while there is a mode to play Brok as a point-and-click adventure, the real innovation here is being able to solve the puzzles. to the end, instead of solving them. This adventure is fully voiced and has multiple endings to work on during its 20 hours of playtime.
Tuin
Steam page (opens in a new tab)
Release: August 26
Developer: Sokpop
Introductory Price: $5 | £4 | AU$7.50
The latest from microgame specialists Sokpop is an idle game (think Cookie Clicker) about tending a farm. You’ll buy a plot, choose your crops, set up all sorts of useful farm equipment, and then play another game, watch YouTube videos, or whatever. There’s a bit more “thinking” here than in your average idle game, because farming isn’t as easy as building a cookie empire, but it can all be automated if you’re smart enough, and you can even buy lovely animals. companions to roam your land. As usual, the beautiful simplicity of Sokpop’s art style is a big part of the appeal here.
