Five new Steam games you probably missed (January 21, 2019)

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.     

Meeple Station

Steam page
Release: January 18
Developer: Vox Games
Price: $19.99 | £14.99 | AU$24.95 

Meeple Station is a space station building game with charming and detailed pixel-art. The station is populated by "Meeple" (it rhymes with people!) who need looking after, but they'll also prove helpful when it comes to research, exploration, engineering and the rest.  It's not just about building a station: you'll also "explore distant galaxies and take on daring missions". The game launched into Early Access last week and will likely stay there for around six to nine months. Once the 1.0 version comes out, a campaign mode, online cooperative mode and other features will be added.

YIIK: A Postmodern RPG

Steam page
Release: January 18
Developer: Ackk Studios
Price: $19.99 | £17.99 | AU$30.00 

Styled in the fashion of PS1-era JRPGs, YIIK is set in the '90s and follows the adventures of Alex, who's investigating a mysterious phenomenon haunting his town. It boasts turn-based combat, but attacks and defensive moves take the form of small rhythm-oriented mini-games, with weapons ranging records, keytars and cameras. It's definitely an oddity: the art style is great, ranging vibrant town hubs through to bizarre and psychedelic dungeons. The writing can fumble at times, and the combat occasionally feels a bit laborious, but it's definitely worth checking out if you're after a narrative-driven RPG that strays from the usual fantasy / science fiction templates.

She and the Light Bearer

Steam page
Release: January 17
Developer: Mojiken Studio
Price: $9.99 | £7.19 | AU$14.50

She and the Light Bearer is a point-and-click adventure which, according to the Steam page, is styled in the fashion of storybooks and fairy tales. Little Firefly is the playable character, and the player is tasked with guiding it towards The Mother. This mostly involves solving "riddles, challenges and puzzles" in a manner that'll feel familiar to fans of the genre. It's the art style that really stands out though: the hand drawn graphics are lushly coloured and beautifully animated. 

Breach

Steam page
Release: January 17
Developer: QC Games
Price: $24.99 | £19.49 | AU$35.95 

Launched into Early Access last week, Breach is an ambitious co-op RPG with a focus on elaborate third-person combat. The game boasts dozens of classes and "endless" customization, and while online play appears to be the focus, Breach supports solo play and versus missions too.  "Seventy thousand years ago, humanity was on the verge of extinction until a group of Immortals created the Veil, splitting Earth into two realities: one that has the Earth we know, and an alternate Earth where all that we have come to know as mythology thrives. Now the Veil has been shattered and the two worlds are collapsing into each other with catastrophic consequences." The studio predicts the game will leave Early Access in Summer 2019 (Winter in Australia).

Feudal Alloy

Steam page
Release: January 18
Developer: Attu Games
Price: $16.99 | £13.49 | AU$23.95 

Feudal Alloy is a strange platforming adventure starring a fish-operated robot. So you're playing as a fish, really, not a robot, but let's not get into existential riddles this early in the week. The combat is fairly simple, focused on observation and stamina management, and there's loot, character / robot customization, and secrets aplenty. The art style is the most immediately appealing aspect of the game, with quite a striking resemblance to Adventure Time. If you're after an oddball Metroidvania it's definitely worth investigating.

These games were released between January 14 2019 and January 21 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.