The PC game releases we're most excited about in July

Shadow of the Erdtree continues to dominate the minds and fingers of the world's PC gamers, but we're slowly emerging from the desert of new releases that followed its launch. There's nothing quite as highly anticipated as last month's big expansions (Destiny 2: The Final Shape was also good), but July includes some exciting wild cards like Dungeons of Hinterberg, pictured above.

For a more zoomed-out view of what's coming out on PC this year, check out our big list of 2024's upcoming PC games. 

July's big PC release dates

The First Descendant | July 2
A new free-to-play looter shooter from Nexon. The first impression from PCG's Morgan Park, who's tried it, is that it's "fine"—not the glowingest of praise, but it is free-to-play, so fine might cut it if you're looking for a new distraction.

Zenless Zone Zero | July 4
The latest from Genshin Impact developer miHoYo. Mollie says that the combat is fun, but she worries that the lack of exploration could cap its appeal.

Once Human | July 9
A sci-fi survival game from a new Netease studio. It's a crowded genre that can be pretty formulaic, but the cool monster designs we glimpse in the trailer give me hope that there's something unique here.

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn | July 18
They're calling this one a "souls-lite." Pretty sure I never approved the creation of a new offshoot genre descriptor, but I'll let it slide, because I do like the idea that gods can be defeated with antique guns.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess | July 18
The 18th is a crowded launch day, with this from Capcom being the biggest launch on paper. But it's an odd one: a mid-budget blend of action and tower defense. Wes thought it played like a PS2 throwback (in a good way).

Dungeons of Hinterberg | July 18
A cute and stylish action adventure game set in a world where dungeon crawling is a tourist activity. Variety seems to be the name of the game here: there's snowboarding, sword combat, puzzles, and NPCs to chat up.

Norland | July 18
A colony sim with what sounds like some Crusader Kings-style family dynamics: "Each family member has their own strengths, weaknesses, and ambitions that drive them as they build complex relationships amongst themselves and with foreign rulers."

July gaming events

• Farmcon, a Farming Simulator fan event, is July 6-7 in Germany
• Concord is getting an early beta on July 12, and an open beta July 18
• TennoCon 2024, the annual Warframe fan event, runs July 19-20 in Ontario 
• BitSummit Drift 2024, a Japanese indie festival, starts on July 19 in Kyoto
• San Diego Comic-Con runs July 25-28 this year
• SIGGRAPH 2024, a computer graphics event, starts July 28 in Denver

More games releasing in July

• July 8 — Ark of Charon - Fantasy colony sim (Steam)
• July 11 — Anger Foot - First-person shoeter (Steam)
• July 16 — Cataclismo - LEGO-like tower defense (Steam)
• July 16 — EvilVEvil - Vampire co-op shooter (Steam)
• July 16 — Flock - Co-op bird wrangling (Steam)
• July 16 — Magical Delicacy - A culinary platformer (Stream)
• July 17 — Nobody Wants to Die - Sci-fi detective game (Steam)
• July 18 — Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus - Japanese folklore platformer (Steam)
• July 18 — Schim - Stylish shadow jumping (Steam)
• July 18 — Space Prison (Early Access) - Tactical sci-fi RPG (Steam)
• July 18 — Vampire Therapist - The title says it all (Steam)
• July 24 — Farlands - Stardew in space (Steam)
• July 25 — Earth Defense Force 6 - Classic alien shooter seires (Steam)
• July 30 — The Garden Path - Reflective gardening sim  (Steam)
• July 31 — Sword of Convallaria - Final Fantasy Tactics-like (Steam)