Five new Steam games you probably missed (September 2, 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. 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.

Minoria

Steam page
Release: August 27
Developer: Bombservice
Price: $19.99 | £15.49 | AU$28.95

Minoria is an action platformer by the creators of the Momodora series. In fact, it's a "spiritual sequel" to that series, and it looks like it hits some of the same beats albeit with a more modern, less pixel-y aesthetic. Combat is a Castlevania-esque mix of close-range combat and long-range magic, and you'll use a dodge roll to squeeze through i-frames. The Momodora series is beloved by many, and this new chapter in Bombservice's series looks like a neat (and not too radical) continuation of it.

Monster Sanctuary

Steam page
Release: August 29
Developer: Moi Rai Games
Price: $17.99 | £13.99 | AU$25.95

Launched into Early Access last week, Monster Sanctuary is a mix of Pokemon monster taming and Metroidvania. The combat is turn-based, and you'll be crunching numbers and deliberating over combat skill trees in 3v3 tactical battles. But the monsters you tame can also be used to reach otherwise inaccessible areas of the sidescrolling world, making their capture just as important to exploration as to self-defence. Moi Rai Games expects the game to stay in Early Access for over a year, with more monsters, areas and an improved skill tree planned, among other things.

Buoyancy

Steam page
Release: August 31
Developer: Devs on a Boat
Price: $12.99 | £10.29 | AU$18.50

Buoyancy is another waterborne game focused on survival, but unlike Raft its focused around building and managing a floating city. In addition to keeping your oceanic community fed and happy, you'll need to avert natural disasters and the attention of various pirates. The game is currently in Early Access and is expected to stay there for 8-12 months, while the studio adds "new mechanics and more features".

MicroTown

Steam page
Release: August 31
Developer: Snowy Ash Games
Price: $7.99 | £5.79 | AU$11.50

The studio responsible for MicroTown insists that this "village construction and management simulator" is meant to be relaxing. You'll mostly be keeping your villagers happy and managing production chains, and as time passes (and assuming you're not a lazy ruler!) you'll discover new technologies and materials, while also mining and farming and stuff like that. One thing notable for its absence is violence or conflict: this game is meant to be relaxing, after all. MicroTown is in Early Access and will stay there for up to six months while the studio adds a bunch of new features.

Until You Fall

Steam page
Release: August 27
Developer: Schell Games
Price: $19.99 | £15.49 | AU$28.95

Until You Fall is a VR sword fighting game set in a dramatic fantasy world. "Put your sword fighting skills to the test as you use both magic and melee to fight twisted enemies in an unforgiving environment," reads the description. "Battle, gather currency, and forge new weapons to grow stronger." It's in Early Access and will stay there until "at least into 2020", with more weapons, enemies, augments, environments and more to be added. It's compatible with Oculus Rift and Vive.

These games were released between August 26 and September 2 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.