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 2024 games that are launching this year.
Follow the Meaning
Steam page
Release: November 22
Developer: Hiking Mind Studio
This bonkers point ‘n’ click adventure follows the affairs of detective Paul Trillby, who has arrived in a strange town to investigate a mysterious hospital. This is no average hospital, because its patients come back out without their memories. What follows is the usual mix of pointing, clicking, exploration and puzzle solving, all couched in an oblique, Kafka-esque atmosphere. It’s inspired by the Rusty Lake series and Samorost, and runs for around an hour and a half.
Threshold
Steam page
Release: November 20
Developer: Julien Eveillé
While it looks like yet another PS1-styled horror game, Threshold seems a lot more patient and weird than the usual fare. Deep in some remote mountains you carry out your duty of keeping an “endless” train on schedule. This is complicated by the extreme elevation: there’s not much air available, so moving around the decrepit mountain station conducting your duties is a bit dangerous. Much needed air canisters are only doled out to compliant, incurious workers. In this choice-driven narrative the tension lies in the central mystery of what is inside this terribly long train. Is it wiser not to know?
Alaloth: Champions of the Four Kingdoms
Steam page
Release: November 22
Developers: Gamera Interactive
After a long stint in Early Access this isometric action RPG is now feature complete. Be warned, though: this isn’t an ARPG in the style of Diablo or Path of Exile. Instead, Gamera Interactive has taken inspiration from the much-more deliberate Dark Souls mould. It’s set in a massive open world with hundreds of quests, more than 500 NPCs, and 12 companions. It’s an impressive looking game, with full local cooperative support for up to three players tonnes of roleplaying potential.
ICBM: Escalation
Steam page
Release: November 22
Developer: SoftWarWare
Here’s a massive grand RTS focused on modern warfare. You’re basically working to dominate the whole world, so you’ll be stockpiling powerful weapons, researching ways to make ever more powerful weapons, and then occasionally using these weapons to decimate opposing militaries. There are a range of different technological eras ranging from early Cold War through to near-future, and four game modes to choose from including a campaign. This is definitely one for the hardcore RTS enthusiast: anyone less than obsessed with the genre may find it daunting.
Loco Motive
Steam page
Release: November 21
Developer: Robust Games
Loco Motive is a retro-styled whodunit set on a very fancy 1930s steam engine. After a fatal stabbing occurs on this train, three playable characters have to figure out who the killer is, which naturally requires talking to all the rich weirdos onboard. Despite the whole murder thing this is a lighthearted comedy, with rich and inviting pixel art and puzzles that won’t drive you bonkers.