2023 games: Upcoming releases
Best PC games: All-time favorites
Free PC games: Freebie fest
Best FPSes: Finest gunplay
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 best PC games you can play right now and a running list of the 2023 games that are launching this year.
Book of Hours
Steam page
Release: August 18
Developer: Weather Factory
From the creator of Sunless Sea and Cultist Simulator comes this RPG about operating an occult library. Following the destruction of a 1500-year-old library specialising in "grimoires and arcana", it's your job to somehow rebuild, which means not only sourcing all those obscure tomes but also studying, acting tour guide, and re-constructing the building itself. This is a narrative-driven affair with a refreshingly unrushed atmsophere: there's no combat, just a slow unfolding of ancient mystery. It has an ornate and colourful art style that seems inspired by real books of hours.
En Garde!
Steam page
Release: August 17
Developer: Fireplace Games
Here's a lighthearted third-person action game with a focus on stylish swashbuckling swordplay. First impressions suggest Nidhogg crossed with Yakuza, and I mention the latter because in En Garde! you get to utilize objects in the environment mid-combat. Kicking big containers at a group of three foes looks really satisfying, actually. But while kicking is a welcome—and too oft overlooked—feature, the focus here is on technical sword fighting: parrying, riposting, and maintaining your cool for long enough to unleash special moves. In addition to a varied campaign, there's an arena mode if mastery is your bag.
Voidborn
Steam page
Release: August 19
Developers: Xekvery
Voidborn is a boomer shooter roguelite in a setting that looks like Dark Souls remade in the Quake engine. In addition to randomised environments you'll also get to experiment with a bunch of movement modifiers, with wall-jumping and wall-running both in the cards. Developer Xekvery and many Steam reviewers make note of Ultrakill as a clear inspiration, but generally speaking if you love unrealistically fast FPSs and the giddying thrill of non-stop circle strafing, this emphatically ticks those boxes. It's an Early Access affair: it'll launch into 1.0 in about a year, during which time it'll receive its fifth and final area.
Little Man Has a Day
Steam page
Release: August 17
Developer: Mosman
This is a free narrative game about a "little" man wandering aimlessly, steeped in ennui, seeking distraction in random encounters with friends. It'll take you about fifteen minutes to complete this game, so there's no reason why you shouldn't, unless you have zero concern for the plight of little men.
An Ankou
Steam page
Release: August 18
Developer: Alkemi
Another Early Access roguelite, An Ankou looks like Diablo with resource foraging thrown in. You play as a "servant of Death" who must adventure around depressing landscapes, felling baddies en masse, while also gathering resources for crafting bigger and better weapons. Difficulty can be customised, and there are different game modes offering bite-sized or more lengthy campaigns. An Ankou will be in Early Access for up to a year while new content is added; right now there are two large maps, two classes, and more than 30 items.
