Islands of Nyne
Steam Page
Released: July 13
Developer: Define Human Studios
Publisher: Define Human Studios
Price: $24.99
In development for three years, Islands of Nyne is an Early Access battle royale shooter set in a lush, foresty, sci-fi world. While The Culling 2 may have attracted the most headlines last week, as far as new battle royale games go, Islands of Nyne had a quieter but more successful launch, largely due to the fact that it’s been in alpha for a while. It’s first-person only, and the gunplay is designed to appeal to skill-oriented players comfortable with CS:GO and the like. Currently there are three maps, and the game supports solo, duos and four-player squads. According to studio Define Human, the game will stay in Early Access for approximately a year, and thanks to the alpha, the team believes the game is in a stable and fun state. If you’re like me, and crave an FPS battle royale, this is probably worth looking at.
Rifter
Steam Page
Released: July 13
Developer: IMakeGames
Publisher: IMakeGames
Price: $11.99
Rifter is a stylish, neon-hued platformer with a focus on blistering speed and precision. Austin described it as a modern marriage of Sonic the Hedgehog and Bionic Commando, but for more modern parallels I’d position it next to SpeedRunners and Ori and the Blind Forest. As far as that latter reference goes: don’t come in expecting an exploration game, but do expect to spend more time in the air than on the ground, thanks to grappling hooks and other abilities. There are 90 levels of “hard-as-nails” twitch platforming, with 30 upgrades and unlockable skills up for grabs. We’ve been spoilt for great platformers this year, but if you’re eager for more this looks worth a go.
The Spectrum Retreat
Steam Page
Released: July 13
Developer: Dan Smith Studios
Publisher: Ripstone
Price: $12.99
The Spectrum Retreat is a first-person, narrative-driven puzzle game set in a mysterious art-deco styled hotel. Indeed, it’s the art style that’s most appealing about The Spectrum Retreat at first glance: the world is emphatically sci-fi, but the neon glow complements the ye olde architectural style wonderfully. “You awake at The Penrose hotel, a peaceful yet unsettling refuge from the outside world,” the description reads. “As a valued guest, your existence is embedded into the corridors and guest rooms of The Penrose.” Sounds spooky.
Indie Pogo
Steam Page
Released: July 10
Developer: Lowe Bros. Studio LLC
Publisher: Lowe Bros. Studio LLC
Price: $14.99
Indie Pogo is basically Smash Bros, except it’s populated with popular indie heroes rather than Nintendo’s gaggle of whimsical weirdos. The 2-4 player local and online multiplayer game boasts more than a dozen playable characters, drawing from Downwell, Shovel Knight, Freedom Planet, VVVVVV, Bit.Trip Runner, Rivals of Aether and more. Naturally, each of the characters have movesets that reflect their abilities at home: Shovel Knight can use his shovel as a pogo stick, Downwell thing can shoot downwards… you get the drift. It looks beautiful in action, too.
The Spiral Scouts
Steam Page
Released: July 13
Developer: Cantaloupe Kids
Publisher: Cantaloupe Kids
Price: $9.99
The Spiral Scouts is a whimsical puzzle game with a charming cardboard cutout aesthetic reminiscent of Paper Mario. As Remae, you’ll explore an open world, solving puzzles and guffawing at infantile jokes. There are 50 puzzles and 30 scout badges to earn, which you’ll use to help save other members of the Spiral Scouts, who have fallen afoul of some typically vague video game evil. According to the studio, The Spiral Scouts is “slam-packed with dozens of idiots to interact with, each with their own stupid problems to solve!” Sounds promising. No, I mean it.
These games were released between 07/10-07/17. The first page of this list is updated every Sunday and previous weeks are archived on the following pages. Some online stores give us a small cut if you buy something through one of our links. Read our affiliate policy for more info.
