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.
Wenjia
Steam page
Release: October 18
Developer: Dilemma Studio
Price: $8.99
Wenjia is a China-developed puzzle platformer with hand-drawn graphics and, most importantly, a cat protagonist. There's a superficial resemblance to Ori and the Blind Forest: both are set in a richly detailed 2D forest environment, and both have a quiet and meditative mood. Wenjia appears to be a much simpler game though, or at least, a less complicated one. While Wenjia can switch between two parallel worlds with the press of a button (think Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams), the cat is otherwise limited to moving and jumping. It's not often we see games like this coming from China, and the trailer above is undeniably beautiful.
Atomic Society
Steam page
Release: October 15
Developer: Far Road Games
Price: $14.99
Launched into Early Access last week, Atomic Society is a post-apocalyptic city builder with a whiff of Frostpunk about it. Because there's a lot more to this than plonking down houses and making sure they've got (irradiated) water: decisions must be made about what's legal and what isn't, and the shape of this post-nuclear society will ultimately be shaped by the player. "Act as judge over a range of social issues including abortion, murder, vegetarianism, drug use, cannibalism, and several other controversial topics," the Steam page reads. You'll also be deciding how to address crime, whether by imprisonment, exile or death... your choice. Sounds like a recipe for anxiety. The game will remain in Early Access for 12 months.
Executive Assault 2
Steam page
Release: October 18
Developer: Hesketh Studios Ltd
Price: $24.99
Like its predecessor, Executive Assault 2 mixes real-time strategy with first-person shooting. In other words, you can either be commanding your fleet from a top-down perspective, or taking a more hands-on approach either as a foots soldier, or as the pilot of a starship. There's also a third mode which allows one player to be the RTS-mode CEO and the other a first-person war machine. It's a neat spin on both genres, and the first Executive Assault has a sizeable cult following. This sequel is currently in Early Access, where it will stay for up to 12 months. The final build will feature a single-player campaign.
Infliction
Steam page
Release: October 18
Developer: Caustic Reality
Price: $19.99
Infliction is a first-person horror game which, like many others in this post-P.T. world, is set in an ominous suburban house. Described by studio Caustic Reality as "an interactive nightmare", the bleak story unfolds via traces of evidence left throughout the house: letters, diaries, photos. "The story is grounded in real-world domestic tragedy, the fears and hurts that we all know: broken hearts, betrayed trust, grief, and loss," reads the Steam description. But it's not all about wandering a poorly lit house reading letters: there's something else roaming the house, too. Definitely one to check out for fans of eerie horror.
Viviette
Steam page
Release: October 18
Developer: DYA Games
Price: $9.99
Here's another horror game, but as the trailer above demonstrates it's a little different to Infliction. Set inside a mansion, Viviette is a pixel-art puzzle game with "a touch of classic horror". I'm guessing it's "a touch" because you won't be getting eviscerated by the undead: Vivette is more focused on unsettling mystery and meditatively paced exploration. I'm a sucker for the gothic-styled pixel art. You can get this on itch.io as well.
These games were released between October 15 and October 22, 2018. Some online stores give us a small cut if you buy something through one of our links. Read our affiliate policy for more info.
