: Upcoming releases
: All-time favorites
: Freebie fest
: Finest gunplay
: Massive worlds
: 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 you can play right now and a running list of the that are launching this year.
Fumes
Release: July 29
Developer: Fumes Team
The '90s and early 2000s were the golden era for vehicular combat, and Fumes isn't shy about its indebtedness to the tradition. And yet, despite being glazed in polygonal PS1 murk, it strikes a very different tone to Twisted Metal. It's set in a varied and often quite pretty open world for a start, and Mad Max feels like a reference point, at least on the level of atmosphere. The premise is pretty simple: you roam a huge wasteland [[link]] blowing up other cars, and finding upgrades for your own. Once you're strong enough you can go and obliterate the surreal, oversize bosses that litter the map. This is an early access affair: more of everything will be added during the year-long dev remaining, but early Steam reviews suggest it's in really good shape already.
Dead Take
Release: July 31
Developer: Surgent Studios
Dead Take is a creepy first-person horror splicing FMV found footage with more conventional in-engine exploration. You've arrived at a mansion the night after a fancy party thrown for actors and other film industry bigwigs. A friend of yours has gone missing, and this is their last known location. Of course, the place is eerily empty, and as you explore the increasingly disturbing premises a dark story unfolds, mostly told via USB sticks featuring the FMV monologues of struggling actors. Expect puzzles and frights, but don't expect combat: this is a story-centric experience.
One-Eyed Likho
Release: July 29
Developers: Morteshka
Here's another first-person horror, but this time we're in an aberrated version of a 19th century Slavic fairytale. Likho is, according to , "an embodiment of evil fate and misfortune" in Slavic mythology. The protagonist in One-Eyed Likho is on the hunt for this one-eyed feminine figure who, judging by the trailer footage, inhabits a very strange and frightening realm indeed. This is an exploration-heavy affair with some gorgeous-looking puzzles that kinda remind me of the weirdo horror point 'n' clickers from the '90s, like or .
Time Flies
Release: July 31
Developer: Playables
Here's [[link]] a charming low-stress puzzler about being a [[link]] fly. Flies may be annoying, but they're living creatures just like us, with one chance to make the most of their time on this earth. Time Flies is all about living a fulfilling life as a Musca domestica. You fly around ticking off items on a must-do checklist, some of which are destructive to humans, others helpful, but watch out because there are very many strange and creative ways to die.
Earthion
Release: August 1
Developer: Ancient Corporation, Bitwave Games
This retro-styled horizontal schmup is retro-styled because it was developed for Sega's 16-bit Mega Drive (or Genesis) by a studio who actually made 8- and 16-bit games during the '90s. You can buy a cart for Earthion via Limited Run Games, but if you don't have a 36-year-old console lying around this is the best way to experience it. It's a pretty straightforward shooter, but if you're an appreciator of pixel art it's a must-play. Blast processing at its finest.