Five new Steam games you probably missed (October 1, 2018)

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.

Timespinner

Steam page
Release: September 26
Developer: Lunar Ray Games
Price: $19.99

This Kickstarter funded 2D platformer borrows heavily from the Castlevania format, with lush-and-chunky pixel art and the usual interconnected world. You play as Lunais, who's seeking revenge after her family was murdered and an "ancient Timespinner device" was destroyed. The Lachiem Empire was responsible for these atrocities, and you'll be exploring their land with time on your side. And by that I mean, you can manipulate time in order to vanquish enemies and navigate the world. Timespinner has been eagerly anticipated by its funders, and the game has already amassed a "very positive" rating on Steam. If you're into old school Metroidvanias, you're living in a golden age. Timespinner appears to be a welcome addition to the canon.

Wandersong

Steam page
Release: September 28
Developer: Greg Lobanov
Price: $19.99

If you're into singing and puzzle solving, Wandersong is a game about both. You play as a pleasant looking man with a fondness for singing from the bottom of his heart. As you navigate the unusually colourful world, you'll be indulging this passion all the time. In fact, that's the only means with which to interact in Wandersong, and not everyone in the world will be pleased with your singing voice. But it doesn't bloody matter, because that's the only tool at your disposal. And anyway, it makes you happy. You can dance, too. Is this worth playing? Hell yes.

Depth of Extinction

Steam page
Release: September 28
Developer: HOF Studios
Price: $19.99

Here's a roguelike RPG set in a pixelated futuristic world, with more than a whiff of old school XCOM. Once you've chosen from one of ten classes, and equipped your character with one of upwards of 150 weapons, you'll be engaging in turn-based tactical battles against opposing factions and, also, I assume, killer robots. "Explore an emergent storyline filled with random encounters and turn-based tactical battles as you traverse an underwater world," reads the Steam description. This definitely isn't one for the faint at heart, but if you played XCOM in the '90s, that wasn't either.

ZeroRanger

Steam page
Release: September 29
Developer: System Erasure
Price: $11.99

ZeroRanger is an old school-styled vertical schmup featuring spaceships shooting at other spaceships: sincerely a formula that never gets old. There's meant to be an element of mystery at the heart of ZeroRanger, which is only hinted at in the Steam description. Other than that though, this seems like a pretty straightforward affair: you'll be fighting through four stages of "enlightenment and relentless action", and you'll be needing to use your reflexes and cunning in order to do so. It boasts a colourblind mode, scanline options and, uh, lots of shooting. Good for when the craving hits.

Catastronauts

Steam page
Release: September 28
Developer: Inertia Game Studios
Price: $15.99

Here's a local multiplayer game which, despite the name, doesn't appear to heavily feature cats. Instead, it looks more like a space faring Overcooked, except instead of cooking dishes in zany scenarios, you'll be protecting your ship against "unrelenting disaster". This will require collaboration of course, and while it's possible to play Catastronauts solo, the emphasis is undeniably on playing with friends. "Repair systems, extinguish fires, arm the torpedoes, avoid deadly solar flares, destroy your friends and clone them back again; it's all in the life of a Catastronaut!"

These games were released between September 24 and October 1 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.

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.