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.
Moth Lake
Steam page (opens in a new tab)
Release: December 3
Developer: Stefano Mazzotta (Il Sui)
Launch price: $7 | £7 | AU$10.15
Moth Lake is a horror point-and-click adventure set in a small town during a solar eclipse. It follows the misadventures of six teenagers as they explore this creepy little town and face some of the grim truths about their lives. This is emphatically a horror game – the 90s-style pixel art does a surprisingly good job of capturing an eerie, oppressive atmosphere – but don’t expect vicious jump scares or gore, but rather a more slow-burn approach to psychological horror. Throughout the adventure, you must manage the group’s energy and mood, which can not only affect their interactions with the other characters, but can have roll-on effects on how the narrative as a whole unfolds. Modern takes on the point-and-click adventure abound these days, but this one looks pretty peculiar.
Dwarven Skykeep
Steam page (opens in a new tab)–
Release: December 2
Developer: Hack the Publisher
Launch Price: $14.44 | £12.14 |AU$21.20
Dwarven Skykeep is a strange mix of base and deck building. Across five worlds with different environmental challenges, you will play as a wizard tasked with building and defending an enchanting castle. This means equipping it with important things like workbenches and forges, as well as strengthening the defenses and keeping the dwarven helpers happy (mostly with beer). This is all done via cards: each session brings a new deck, and the way these cards are used and combined will play a role in the success (or failure) of your build. There are a large number of fun characters and enemies to interact with, all wrapped up in cheerful ‘n’ chunky pixel art vaguely reminiscent of Terraria.
Knight witch
Steam page (opens in a new tab)–
Release: November 30
Developer: Super Mega Team
Launch Price: $18 |£14.39 | AU$26.95
The Knight Witch is a fast-paced shoot ’em up action Metroidvania. Taking control of the titular knight-witch, you’ll explore the world of Dungeonidas, shoot the crap out of baddies from the back of your broom, and gradually become more powerful thanks to powers granted by (wait for it) unique spells card spread across the country. Yes, it’s short. These apparently allow quite a bit of freedom with how your witch evolves: Is your desired playstyle skmup-centric, or would you prefer to use “Witch Magic”? I’d like to do both, and according to the Steam page I can. Some early Steam user reviews point to some uneven difficulty levels here, which may or may not be patched in the coming weeks.
Football history
Steam page (opens in a new tab)–
Release: November 30
Developer: PanicBarn
Launch Price: $18 |£13.94 | AU$26.05
From the creators of Not Tonight (opens in a new tab) comes Soccer Story, a similar dystopian game, albeit with a much lighter tone. In the cruel world of Soccer Story, soccer has been banned globally. In the middle of this darkness, the main character is visited by a sentient soccer ball, and is tasked with saving the soccer ball. In a similar vein to Golf Story – which still isn’t on PC – Soccer Story wraps sports game action around an adventure role-playing game. As you explore, you’ll use your trusty ball to solve most problems, but you’ll also get the chance to play the forbidden game. Early Steam reviews suggest this had some teething problems at launch, but studio PanicBarn has already released at least one major patch (opens in a new tab).
Drink drinks!
Steam page (opens in a new tab)
Release: December 4
Developer: Rockwell Studios
Launch Price: $7.19 | £6.02 | AU$10.61
As Lauren correctly noted in September, there are so many potion games (opens in a new tab) right now. There are Potion Craft, Potionomics, Potion Permit and Potion Tycoon. The latest to join this list is simply called Potions!, which not only includes the word “potion” – a well-observed genre rule – but doesn’t even include any other words. Like some of its elk-oriented siblings, this is a management game. You will brew potions, sell potions, unlock new abilities to make better potions, and you can even consume potions yourself. Not only that, but you’re a traveling potion merchant, so expect a colorful pixel art adventure through a varied world that’s absolutely crazy for your potions.