It’s nearly April. Where does the time go? Whether this year is flying or crawling by for you, we’re looking at another four weeks of new game releases. April arrives with a number of familiar releases landing on new platforms, some interesting new exclusives, and the video game adaptation of the late Akira Toriyama’s single-volume manga, Sand Land.
Read More: Tributes Pour In After Dragon Ball Creator Akira Toriyama’s Passing
So let’s dig into what games you can look forward to in the next 30 days.
Dave the Diver – Some point in April
Releasing on: PS5, PS4
Indie darling (or is it?) Dave the Diver is making its way to PlayStation this month with versions designed for both PS4 and PS5. In our review of Dave the Diver’s original release, Kotaku contributor John Walker said:
Dave The Diver very much deserves the enormous success it’s received in its first month, selling over a million copies, and hopefully making developers Mintrocket enormously rich. They’ve created something really special, an RPG-meets-Diner Dash-meets gentle SCUBA sim, that manages to feel utterly crammed to the gills with things to do, yet joyfully relaxing to play.
Planetiles – April 3
Releasing on: Windows, Linux, Mac
Planetiles bills itself as “a serene city builder with roguelike elements.” You’re not only responsible for building cities on a planet, but will craft its ecosystem with biomes and natural habitats.
Freedom Planet 2 – April 4
Releasing on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Windows
Featuring fast-paced, side-scrolling action with delightfully retro-inspired pixel art, Freedom Planet 2 offers four unique characters, a large world map to explore, and a dedicated boss battle arena.
Children of the Sun – April 9
Releasing on: Windows
Children of the Sun casts you as THE GIRL, a woman on a mission to take out THE CULT. With gameplay described as “tactical sniping, puzzle solving, and light stealth,” you’ll be asked to make pin-point accurate shots with a too-cool-looking bullet cam that follows a single bullet you must guide to take out each member of the opposition.
Turbo Kid – April 10
Releasing on: Switch, Windows
A BMX-themed metroidvania with hack ‘n slash gameplay set in a retro-inspired pixel art world, Turbo Kid is a video-game sequel to the 2015 movie of the same name.
Loretta – April 11
Releasing on: PS5
Psychological thriller Loretta is making its way to PlayStation this month. Following the story of a woman burdened with an unfaithful husband and the challenges of 1940’s society, Loretta takes inspiration from the likes of Alfred Hitchcock and Stephen King in its branching narrative tale that leaves the titular character’s fate up to you.
Harold Halibut – April 16
Releasing on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Windows
Harold Halibut is set in a massive spaceship sunk beneath an ocean on an alien planet. Featuring stop-motion style animation and narrative gameplay, Harold Halibut looks like a compelling interactive claymation experience.
Grounded – April 16
Releasing on: PS5, Switch
Grounded is making its way to PlayStation and Nintendo Switch this month. Featuring its Honey I Shrunk the Kids-inspired gameplay, Grounded offers first-person multiplayer action set in an open world of large-yet-tiny proportions.
Planet of Lana – April 16
Releasing on: PS5, Switch
Following its exclusivity period on Xbox, Planet of Lana is finally making its way to Switch and PlayStation. This side-scrolling puzzler follows the story of Lana as she makes her way through a strange and hostile alien world.
Final Fantasy XVI: The Rising Tide (DLC) – April 18
Releasing on: PS5
Final Fantasy XVI’s next and final DLC, The Rising Tide, arrives this month. Focused on Leviathan, an Eikon who was not featured in the main game, The Rising Tide will take you to a new location that thankfully isn’t plagued by the gray skies blanketing so much of the world. In addition to purchasing the DLC, you’ll need to have completed the “Priceless” quest in FF16’s main story to access the new expansion.
No Rest for the Wicked – April 18
Releasing on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows
Made by the folks who brought you Ori and the Blind Forest and its sequel, No Rest for the Wicked is an action RPG focused on delivering a dark fantasy tale that you can enjoy solo or with as many as three other players.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes – April 23
Releasing on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Windows
Hope you like games with lots of characters, ‘cause Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes has a whole mess of them. With more than 100 playable characters, this spiritual successor to the Suikoden series features turn-based RPG combat, 2.5D graphics, retro-inspired visuals, and mini-games.
Tales of Kenzera: Zau – April 25
Releasing on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Windows
A single-player metroidvania game, Tales of Kenzera features side-scrolling action and a heartfelt story set in a beautiful Afrofuturist-inspired world.
Megaton Musashi W: Wired – April 25
Releasing on: PS5, Switch, Windows
Megaton Musashi W: Wired fuses massive mech-fighting action with RPG mechanics and hack ‘n slash gameplay. You’ll be able to customize your mech and choose among different kinds of melee and ranged weapons to take the fight to an alien force that’s nearly wiped out humanity.
Another Crab’s Treasure – April 25
Releasing on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Windows
If you enjoy soulslikes but have always felt there weren’t enough crabs in the genre, then Another Crab’s Treasure might be just what you’re looking for. You’ll take on the role of Kril, a hermit crab equipped with trash for weapons and armor to defend himself against all kinds of threats on the sea floor.
SaGa Emerald Beyond – April 25
Releasing on: PS5, Switch, Windows, Android, iOS
With six main characters, a branching narrative, and a combat system new to the SaGa series, Emerald Beyond promises an epic fantasy adventure built on the decisions you make.
Sand Land – April 26
Releasing on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows
An adaptation of Akira Toriyama’s manga originally released in the 2000s, Sand Land is an open-world action RPG that places players in the role of Beelzebub as he and his companions endeavor to take on hostile forces.
Stellar Blade– April 26
Releasing on: PS5
Stellar Blade is set on a post-apocalyptic Earth where humanity has been nearly wiped out by strange, malicious creatures. Players will take on the role of Airborne Squad member Eve in swift, hack ‘n slash gameplay fused with ranged attacks.
Braid: Anniversary Edition – April 30
Releasing on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows
Originally released 16 years ago, Braid: Anniversary edition brings this classic indie title’s time-bending platforming and puzzling action to modern consoles. In addition to 35 new levels, Braid: Anniversary Edition also features developer commentary and entirely redrawn environments to ensure the game looks great on 4K screens.
Sea of Thieves – April 30
Releasing on: PS5
Another Xbox exclusive jumps ship (see what I did there?) to PlayStation with developer Rare’s Sea of Thieves. If you’re new to this pirate sim, Sea of Thieves is a first-person, open-world, multiplayer game where you can team up with friends to hunt for treasure, engage in ship battles, and explore what else the open waters have in store for you.
And that’s our rundown of game releases you should keep an eye out for as we head into April 2024.