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.
Death Note Killer Within
Steam page
Release: November 6
Developer: Grounding Inc.
Death Note has had a handful of game adaptations, mainly for Nintendo’s portable systems, but Killer Within is the first time this cult manga series has made it to PC. It adopts the online social deduction model made famous by Among Us and which, according to people familiar with the manga, suits the source material well. The objective of each match is to “either eliminate L who threatens Kira’s power or seize the Death Note”. Each match accommodates up to ten players across two teams, and, as in Among Us, there’s a nice variety of roles and a handful of maps. The game also released for PS4 and PS5 as a “free” PlayStation Plus game last week, so hopefully the servers will be busy for a while yet.
The Matchless Kungfu
Steam page
Release: November 6
Developer: HuanMos Game
This wuxia open world adventure launched into 1.0 last week after a stint in Early Access, and while it looks a bit rough around the edges, it’s also appealingly unique. It blends Kenshi with Animal Crossing with a turn-based combat system that lets you hybridize heaps of different types of martial art. Movement through the open world—which, as far as I can tell, is generated as its explored in a similar way to Minecraft—looks like fantastical high speed parkour. NPC relationships and romances, of course, are in. The Matchless Kungfu looks like one of those bizarre mash-ups of zeitgeists that will appeal to a dedicated hardcore and push everyone faint of heart well away. Definitely one to check out if you love deep, systems-first sandboxes.
The Smurfs – Dreams
Steam page
Release: November 8
Developers: Ocellus Studio
Hear me out: The Smurfs – Dreams is basically Super Mario 3D World that you don’t have to emulate. And of course, instead of plumbers, princesses and goombas we have the Smurfs. As the name suggests, Smurfs has you and up to three local co-op buddies invading Smurfs’ dreams, which gives Ocellus Studio a lot of freedom when it comes to level themes, though of course you can expect all to be very colorful and whimsical. This being Smurfs, there is also some vague conflict happening between the blue troll-looking things and perennial bad guy Gargamel, and a lot of Smurfy wordplay.
Zephon
Steam page
Release: November 9
Developer: Proxy Studios
This 4X strategy comes from the team responsible for Warhammer 40,000: Gladius. It has an unrepentantly bleak post-apocalyptic setting where abhorrent mutated animals and free-roaming military mechs rule the roost, leaving the isolated pockets of remaining humanity very much on the back foot. Zephon adopts the usual build-and-battle loop of many a 4X strategy, with more than 50 unique units, a big world to explore with varied (though invariably bleak) landscapes, and more than 150 technologies to unlock. It’s early days, but players seem to be taking to it: there are nearly 250 “very positive” reviews on Steam.
The Happyhills Homicide
Steam page
Release: November 5
Developer: Copperbolt
This is a creepy puzzle horror game about murdering people as a horrific clown. Across 20 levels you’ll need to figure out the bloodiest way to dispose of various archetypal horror movie innocents, using a mix of stealth and action. Instead of simply stabbing someone, perhaps you can drop a chandelier on them? Or ride a mower over the top of them? This would have caused a big moral outrage in the ’80s and ’90s, but now it just waits inconspicuously in the darkest reaches of Steam with the countless other horror indies keeping the tradition afloat. It’s free too.