by On an average day, about a dozen new games are released on Steam. And while we think that’s a good thing, it can understandably be difficult to keep up with. Potentially exciting gems are sure to get lost in the deluge of new things to play unless you sort through every single game released on Steam. So that’s exactly what we’ve done. If nothing grabs your attention 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 the 2022 games (opens in a new tab) which will be launched this year.
Choo-Choo Charles
Steam page (opens in a new tab)
Release: December 10
Developer: Two Star Games
Launch Price: $20 |£16.75 | AU$29.50
Choo-Choo Charles is a survival horror about a nasty train. A train, I should add, that has giant spider legs. I’d assume it’s inspired by the many Thomas the Tank Engine mods available for games spanning Elden Ring (opens in a new tab) for Kingdom Hearts 3 (opens in a new tab), and while Choo-Choo Charles as a concept is pretty fun, it also looks scary. Set in a bleak open world, you’ll be navigating your own engine (a peaceful, non-creepy looking one) most of the time, but you’ll also spend some time on foot as you upgrade your engine to be better prepared for a final showdown with the bastard Charles. As far as I know, there is no other horror game about a frantic, murderous train, so full marks for originality. The early Steam reviews are also “very positive”.
Turbo sloth
Steam page (opens in a new tab)–
Release: December 9
Developer: RainStyle Games
Launch Price: $18 |£16.87 | AU$26.55
Turbo Sloths is a post-apocalyptic arcade racer with vehicle combat, extensive customization, and sloths. Yes, for some reason all the characters in this fast-paced racing game are sloths, but far be it from me to complain: sloths are great. The wasteland circuits are full of obstacles and opportunities to catch air, but there are also Arena and Survival modes that seem to share a lot in common with the classic Twisted Metal outings. From the gameplay footage I’ve seen, this is one very fast game indeed, reminds me a bit of the very underrated Onrush. This one has sloths though, so it comes out of the gate with a clear advantage.
NecroBouncer
Steam page (opens in a new tab)–
Release: December 9
Developer: Alchemy Sheep
Launch Price: $11.89 | £10.19 | AU$16.95
We’ve had angry trains and racing sloths, now it’s time for a necromancer security guard. NecroBouncer is a roguelite dungeon crawler about dispensing vigilante discipline to wasted monsters in an underground nightclub. Aside from the new narrative dressing, NecroBouncer is a fairly orthodox top-down action game: you’ll kill bad guys, upgrade skills, chain them together, and inevitably die a lot. Since this is a roguelite, there is a macro progression system that allows you to transfer certain powers and weapons. File next to Enter the Gungeon, Binding of Isaac and games about magical security guards.
Trains
Steam page (opens in a new tab)–
Release: December 8
Developer: Usual Studio
Launch Price: $18 |£15.29 | AU$26.05
The most striking thing about this 3D platformer is the art style. Clear, bright and colorful cartoon landscapes are not new to the genre, but Togges has a particular style that looks beautiful in action. Developers Regular Studio describe it as a “non-linear classic Collect-A-Thon 3D platformer”, but it also has some light puzzle elements, mostly involving stacking and manipulating blocks (the playable character looks a bit like a hockey puck ). There are seven large levels to explore and master, as well as 30 bonus levels. Even better, it’s a demo.
Surrealidade – Definitive Edition
Steam page (opens in a new tab)
Release: December 9
Developer: Dimitri Kozma, Orbe Filmes
Launch Price: $6.39 | £5.35 | AU$9.43
Here’s a bizarre point-and-click adventure originally released in 1999. As the name suggests, it’s concerned with the Surrealism art movement, and tasks you with exploring a world heavily inspired by famous works in that tradition. “Your mission in search of Supra-Reality will be difficult,” reads the description from Steam. “You must follow the path trodden by the artists and philosophers of the surrealist universe. Be careful, you may end up in places that are not so welcoming.” Sounds ominous! Definitely worth checking out if you like weird video games.
