2024 games: Upcoming releases
Best PC games: All-time favorites
Free PC games: Freebie fest
Best FPS games: Finest gunplay
Best MMOs: Massive worlds
Best RPGs: Grand adventures
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 2024 games that are launching this year.
Flathead
Steam page
Release: May 31
Developer: Tim Oxton
Published by indie horror imprint DreadXP, Flathead is a disturbing take on over or under. Kept at a terminal and monitored by a deplorable entity, you're tasked with guessing whether the correct number is—wait for it—over or under. Thankfully it's not quite as simple as a blind guess, because there are a "variety of tools" allowing for more strategic approaches. The stakes are unbearably high, and the atmosphere overwhelmingly bleak. It kinda reminds me of the recent Buckshot Roulette, which also applied a horror veneer to an age worn game of chance. A new micro-genre? In the extremely busy world of indie horror, anything is possible.
Nine Sols
Steam page
Release: May 29
Developer: Red Candle Games
Best known for brilliant horror games Detention and Devotion, Taiwanese studio Red Candle Games takes a different tack with this "taopunk" metroidvania heavily inspired by both Sekiro and Hollow Knight. The Sekiro comparison isn't just a vibe: that FromSoft classic is explicitly referenced on the Steam page due to the fast-paced combat having a big focus on parrying and deflection. I've been really excited for this and its release has taken me completely by surprise. For anyone keen on lush combat-centric exploration platformers, it's probably the one to prioritize in June.
Selaco
Steam page
Release: June 1
Developers: Altered Orbit Studios
Selaco is a boomer shooter like many others, though it has the distinction of running on GZDoom—a heavily modified version of the engine that powered the 1993 id Software classic. Considering how amazingly well that older game has held up, it's a smart move, though the actual moment-to-moment feel of Selaco is closer to F.E.A.R. than OG Doom. It's a set piece laden experience with destructible environments, smarter-than-average AI, and some RPG elements. It's also an Early Access affair: there are currently 30 maps, with more to come between now and late 2026.
Soulmask
Steam page
Release: May 31
Developer: CampFire Studio
Launched into Early Access last week, Soulmask is a unique take on the sandbox survival format (aka the tree puncher). With a focus on gruelling authenticity, you play as an entity blessed (or perhaps cursed) with a mysterious mask, which confers various "chosen one" abilities and traits to your playable character. As your star rises and your tribe becomes more populous, you'll be able to inherit the unique skills of your subjects, and you can even become your tribespeople if you want. Combat looks fast and fluid, which is a rarity in this genre, and the open world looks sprawling and varied. Soulmask will stay in Early Access for at least a year.
Trans-Siberian Railway Simulator
Steam page
Release: May 30
Developer: Pentacle
As a train lover I've always wanted to ride the Trans-Siberian Railway. Now I can do so from the confines of my gamer dungeon, thanks to Trans-Siberian Railway Simulator. It's a first-person affair, though—as far as I can tell based on the trailer and the screenshots—perhaps not an altogether serious one. Sure, the central objective is to commandeer a train along the famous route, but it's far from a reliable train, and there are bears, beer and, for some reason, the ability to shoot your train engine until it explodes (the gun may be put to better use against the mafia, which also features in the game). If you love bonkers "simulators" I reckon this is worth a look.
