Five new Steam games you probably missed (October 14, 2019)
Sorting through every new game on Steam so you don't have to.
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.
Fallback
Steam page
Release: October 11
Developer: Endroad
Price: $9.99 | £7.99 | AU$14.99
Fallback is a 2.5D action platformer with a grimy, subterranean sci-fi aesthetic. You play as a rebel soldier bearing a sword and jetpack, negotiating labyrinthine perspective-shifting environments, and taking down robotic monstrosities. The roguelite has "more than 50 different skills and abilities" with a persistent skill tree, meaning the permadeath is just a light slap on the wrist rather than a kick in the face. Definitely one for folk who want a new roguelite but are averse to the usual pixel-art stylings.
Ghoul Britannia: Land of Hope and Gorey
Steam page
Release: October 10
Developer: Binary Space
Price: $14.99 | £11.39 | AU$21.50
Launched into Early Access last week, Ghoul Britannia is a point-and-click adventure set in a rundown post-Brexit United Kingdom. For lack of people willing to do certain unappealing work, the government has resorted to raising the dead. Naturally, raising the dead turns out not to be such a great idea, but that doesn't stop protagonist Hope Andrews from befriending one, in their mission to reach London and get to the bottom of the matter. The game is set to launch into 1.0 by early 2020.
Space Robinson
Steam page
Release: October 8
Developer: Luxorix Games
Price: $9.99 | £7.19 | AU$14.50
Another roguelike, Space Robinson is a topdown action RPG with lots, and lots, and lots of shooting, coming across as a more graphically ornate Nuclear Throne. As is fairly essential nowadays, there are progression systems that carry over with each death, such as repairs and upgrades to Colony units, with all manner of permanent stat buffs to work towards. But it's the moment-to-moment frenetic gunplay that looks fun here. "You’ll die," the Steam page reads. "You will die. YOU WILL DIE!!! A million times. Then tutorial ends and you’ll get a chance to fight real Monsters." Apparently you will die.
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Worse Than Death
Steam page
Release: October 8
Developer: Benjamin Rivers Inc.
Price: $9.99 | £7.19 | AU$14.50
Worse Than Death is the latest sidescrolling pixel horror game from the creator of Home. The art style and mood isn't a far cry from that earlier game, but it has a neat premise, especially if you absolutely dread the thought of high school reunions. "Run for your life, hide in the shadows, and use your wits to avoid shadowy creatures and uncover the terrible truths of your wretched home town," reads the Steam description. If you consider your home town "wretched" you'll probably have some good cathartic fun with this.
Spirits Abyss
Steam page
Release: October 8
Developer: Anthony Case
Price: $3.99 | £2.89 | AU$5.95
It's another one of those weeks when a lot of roguelikes released on Steam. Spirits Abyss looks like another recent highlight, especially if gorgeous (and slightly creepy) pixel-art is your bag, and especially if you prefer your platformer roguelites to play more like Spelunky than, say, Risk of Rain. It's in Early Access, mainly so the devs can figure out the best way forward for content updates, and a 1.0 release will likely happen early next year.
These games were released between October 7 and 14 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 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.