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On average, a dozen new games are released on Steam every day. And while we think that’s a good thing, it can be hard to keep up. Potentially exciting gems are sure to be lost in the deluge of new things to play, unless you sort through every game released on Steam. So that’s exactly what we did. If nothing appeals to you this week, we’ve rounded up the best PC games (opens in a new tab) you can play right now and a running list of 2022 games (opens in a new tab) which start this year.
Cats and Other Lives
Steam page (opens in a new tab)
Released: November 21
Developer: Culstic Games
Introductory price: $16 | £13.40 | AU$23.60
You are a cat in this game, hence its appearance in this week’s column. Cats and Other Lives is a point-and-click adventure set in the home of wealthy and recently deceased Bernard Mason. When he dies, his family moves into the house, and as adorable ginger cat Aspen, you’ll navigate this whimsical old mansion and witness the conversations and reactions of your deceased owner’s family. It’s not a superpowered cat or a talking cat; Aspen is a good old-fashioned normal animal (think Stray (opens in a new tab) rather than Cat Quest) so that you take advantage of its natural instincts. Nonetheless, as the story unfolds, you will play an important role in how the dysfunctional family reacts and copes with Mason’s death.
ship of fools
Steam page (opens in a new tab)
Released: November 23
Developer: Fika Productions
Introductory price: $13.49 | £11.69 | AU$20.65
Take Sea of Thieves, give it a top-down perspective, apply a Saturday morning cartoon art style and make it a roguelite, and then you have Ship of Fools yourself. With support for up to four cooperative players, online and locally, you’ll take command of the Stormstrider. In addition to maintaining this ship’s upkeep, your team will also need to fend off sea monsters, which have spawned from having an impending “Aquapocalypse.” There’s also an Eternal Storm that you’ll obviously need to dodge. Along the way, you’ll find treasures, including over 100 “trinkets and artifacts”, and there are vendors scattered around the Lonely Sea. Although Ship of Fools was clearly designed as a cooperative game, single-player modes are also available.
Gungrave GORE
Steam page (opens in a new tab)
Released: November 23
Developer: Iggymob Co., Ltd
Introductory price: $50 | £45 | AU$69.95
Gungrave GORE is a third-person action game – a character action game, as some would call it – featuring Grave, a restless, buff guy with awesome oversized guns. Given the importance of guns, you could consider this a shooter, and while it definitely shoots (a lot!), it’s closer to Bayonetta than Gears of War. It has a lot to do with Grave’s relentless aggressive approach: cover isn’t an option here, as the focus is on reflex-oriented balletic movement rather than long-range skull smashing. It’s a linear, story-driven action game that probably would have felt right at home on the Xbox 360, though the graphics are obviously prettier.
Spring blades
Steam page (opens in a new tab)
Released: November 26
Developer: Sokpop Collective
Introductory price: $8 | £6.69 | AU$11.79
The latest missive from Sokpop Collective is an action-RPG set on “a fantasy island filled with fun characters.” Combat is played from a third-person perspective, while navigating the island itself is a top-down affair akin to you old CRPGs like Wasteland. There’s loot, special gear, a range of over 200 enemies, and plenty of distinct biomes to explore. There are also bees. Unlike many bite-sized gems from Sokpop, Springblades has an advertised “7-9 hours of play time” and plenty of potential to mix and match items and gear. I haven’t played it yet, but Springblades could very well be the perfect entry point into the weird and wonderful world of Sokpop (opens in a new tab).
Opaloid Kingdom
Steam page (opens in a new tab)
Released: November 23
Developer: JohnPeppermint
Introductory price: $5.39 | £3.71 | AU$7.77
Opaloid Kingdom is an old-school dungeon crawler with an art style that will appeal to anyone who actually lived through the 1980s (hello, oldie). This dungeon crawler is all about fast-paced action and sharp reflexes, and in fact, the Steam blurb positions Opaloid Kingdom as an antidote to “slow games with multiple story cohices at every turn.” It’s not all hacking, slashing, and shooting, as you’ll also visit towns and converse with “strange wizards” (the name of my new dungeon synthesizer project). This is an early access affair: developer JohnPeppermint intends to add new story chapters, areas, villains and more during his six months with EA.
