Five new Steam games you probably missed (December 16, 2019)

(Image credit: Good Shepherd Entertainment)

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 new games of 2019

Transport Fever 2

Steam page
Release: December 11
Developer: Urban Games
Price: $39.99 | £31.99 | AU$64.95

Here's a sequel to the quite popular (and quite good) 2016 transport sim, and it looks like a must for anyone who sank hundreds of hours into Transport Tycoon in the '90s. Of course, nowadays it's not just trains and roads you need to look after: Transport Fever 2 features buses, trucks, ships and planes, and managing the logistics of all of these across three continents (on three seperate continents) is the name of the game. The game has over 200 vehicles, a free play mode, three landscape types and all manner of cool customisation options, such as a map editor.

Virgo Versus The Zodiac

Steam page
Release: December 13
Developer: Moonana
Price: $19.99 | £15.49 | AU$28.95

Inspired by Mother and the Mario & Luigi games, Virgo Versus The Zodiac is a turn-based sci-fi-fantasy JRPG which casts you as the nominal Virgo. She's "bringing mayhem to the Zodiac Realms and leaving a trail of stardust on the way, all to fit her excessively righteous worldview". In other words, yes, she's the villain, but the art style does have a charming whimsy about it, so don't expect Tyranny. The game has a shoot 'em up mini-game and ridable alpacas, too.

Knight Swap 2

(Image credit: Minimol Games)

Steam page
Release: December 14
Developer: Minimol Games
Price: $0.99 | £0.79 | AU$1.50

The name of the game says it all: this is a chess hybrid focused entirely around knights, and the objective is to swap their placements on the board. In other words, "the goal in each level is to move the white knights to where the black knights are placed (and vice versa) using the features of the board." This is a sequel, but the developer claims it's just as suitable for newcomers as it is for those who played the original.

Not For Broadcast: Prologue

Steam page
Release: December 12
Developer: NotGames
Price: Free

This is a free prologue to the forthcoming Not For Broadcast, which is all about taking control of an influential news program. You're tasked with deciding what goes on air, how it's framed and edited, what stays in and what gets cut out. In other words: you're pretty powerful, and it's your job to be the arbiter of "public interest" while also making sure the station never goes off air. This prologue is basically a demo for the full game, which comes out January 30.

Divination

Steam page
Release: December 13
Developer: Mojiken Studio
Price: $1.99 | £1.69 | AU$2.95

Here's a short and surreal visual novel casting you as a fortune teller in a bleak cyberpunk future. As far as I can tell, three individuals have sought your services, and with the aid of some cryptic runes, you'll need to offer them some guidance. Given the general mood of the trailer above, I'm not sure you'll be necessarily saving their lives or giving them hope. Definitely worth a look if you're into fascinating short experiences.

These games were released between December 9 and 16 2019. Some online stores give us a small cut if you buy something through one of our links. Read our affiliate policy for more info.  

Shaun Prescott

Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.