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.
Night Security | 夜間警備
Steam page
Release: June 17
Developer: Chilla's Art
Launch price: $8 | £6.69 | AU$11.79
Chilla's Art is a tiny Japanese studio specializing in short and terrifying first-person horror experiences. Night Security is the latest, and as the name implies, you play as a security guard tasked with protecting a sprawling tower block at night. As you explore this surprisingly varied locale, increasingly terrifying things start to happen, to the extent that Chilla's Art claims their game "will drive you insane". Sounds promising! The studio has released countless short horror games, most of which have received glowing reviews from Steam users, as well as YouTube vids dedicated to unpacking their often cryptic storylines. Definitely one for Japanese horror fans, or anyone else in love with, or just curious about, the thriving indie horror scene.
Fall of Porcupine
Steam page
Release: June 16
Developer: Critical Rabbit
Launch price: $17 | £15.29 | AU$25.07
Fall of Porcupine is a narrative adventure starring Finley, a recently graduated doctor sent to work at a hospital in the small town of Porcupine (Finley is also a bird, by the way). You'll get the chance to speak to many of the anthropomorphic locals, but your main focus in working at the hospital, where you'll diagnose and treat your patients, and slowly begin to understand that this idyllic small town isn't quite as harmonious as it seems. This is a gorgeous game, but it comes bearing some pretty confronting messages, mostly to do with inequality and how that presents in the healthcare system.
Dordogne
Steam page
Release: June 14
Developers: Un Je Ne Sais Quoi, Umanimation
Launch price: $15 | £13 | AU$21.95
Here's another beautifully drawn narrative adventure, this time with an unapologetically nostalgic bent. Set in the French region of Dordogne, protagonist Mimi returns to the area to indulge in some reminiscing about her childhood, all the better to confront her "adult choices". What follows is a determinedly conflict-free affair: you'll explore a hand-painted interpretation of Dordogne, collecting "photos, sounds and scents" to store in your journal, and soaking in the wistful atmosphere.
Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow
Steam page
Release: June 15
Developer: Frozen Line
Launch price: $18 | £15.07 | AU$26.55
Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow is a 3D puzzle platformer with a lot of cinematic flair, translating as a modern take on Nintendo 64 and PlayStation 2 era exploration platformers. Set in a pastel-hued fantasy world, protagonist Griffin and his charming teddy companion traverse a world that looks very much like a child's imagination brought to life, where monsters roam and environmental puzzles await to be unknotted. The mood reminds me of the recent (and brilliant) Planet of Lana, though the tone here is slightly less severe; you could probably safely play this one with kids in the room.
Cyberside Picnic
Steam page
Release: June 15
Developer: Michael Luo
Launch price: $1 | £0.89 | AU$1.50
Here's a weird art game which serves as "a love letter to a lost future of alternative video games". Taking on the role of a kind of AI caretaker, you'll need to explore a digital library of unheimlich, alternative reality videogames, all of which you'll get to play. According to the deliberately cryptic Steam description, "Cyberside Picnic contains games within a game within games in this digital lethargy interlinked". At least one of the games looks like an apocalyptic, surrealist take on Flappy Bird, which makes this an insta-download for me.
