IllFonic
This weekend will be full of new game trailers and content shown at Summer Games Fest and other gaming showcases, but don’t let the new announcements distract you from the great games that just came out. While the waiting time between new console game releases can seem to drag on forever sometimes, new games are always released on Steam.
If you need a game to jump into between showcases this weekend and want to try something new, here are three recently released games on Steam that are worth checking out based on initial reviews. The first game is a retro platformer with a challenging but fun twist. The second entry is a modern asymmetrical survival horror game based on a cult classic sci-fi film from the ’80s. And lastly, we’ve got an online sandbox survival title that’s making waves in early access.
Splodey
Mad Mushroom
Inspired by speedrunning-friendly platformers like Super Meat Boy and Celeste, Splodey is a new retro platformer with a twist: You cannot jump. Instead of hopping from platform to platform, players must throw potion bombs to propel themselves forward (which is obviously a bit more complex than jumping). The game follows a character who struggles to make potions that don’t explode at the Academy of Potion Making, so he decides to take down the entire establishment.
The levels progressively add new elements and dangers, making the later stages of the game feel more like a puzzle than a platformer at times.
“As the levels progressed and I went to new worlds, new mechanics such as a leaf glider, portals that would transport me to a different part of the level, platforms that regenerated after being destroyed, switches, and more emerged,” wrote Digital Trends’ Tomas Franzese in his recent breakdown of the game. “Like the best platformers, Splodey makes each level feel like a puzzle meant to be solved, even if it doesn’t feel much like games such as Limbo that get the puzzle-platformer moniker.”
Splodey is available now on PC. It’s $9.75 on Steam during its launch week; after that, it will cost $13.
Steam
Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game
IllFonic
Killer Klowns from Outer Space is a 1988 sci-fi horror-comedy that sounds like an absolute nightmare if you’ve never watched it. The cult classic follows a small town as they fight back against a group of clown-like aliens that are dead set on hunting down citizens with goofy gadgets like popcorn guns and sentient balloon dogs before storing them in cotton candy cocoons and draining their blood. Full stop.
Nearly 40 years later, developers at IllFonic (the team behind Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed) decided to turn that haunting trip to the circus into an asymmetrical survival horror game. Players choose to either be on a team of three murderous Klowns with unworldly abilities and zany weapons or seven humans trying to survive with less exciting tools at their disposal.
If you’ve ever watched the film, this game is going to be a must-play just for nostalgia’s sake. If you haven’t seen the film, jump in with some friends and experience a new level of whimsical fear. Fans of other asymmetrical multiplayer titles like Dead by Daylight, Left 4 Dead 2, or Secret Neighbor will have a blast (if they don’t immediately develop coulrophobia).
Soulmask
Qooland Games
Soulmask is a new survival title that, while it hasn’t received a lot of mainstream interest, is making quite a splash in the niche survival fanbase. The game doesn’t look top of the line — but if you can look past that, early access enjoyers say it’s a serviceable survival crafter that’s worth checking out.
Players to take on the role of a character who has stumbled upon an ancient mask after escaping from a human sacrifice ritual. They’re then tasked with gathering resources, building primitive bases, and beating back enemies to survive. An oddball mish-mash of games like Valheim, Rust, Ark, and Palworld, Soulmask is still in the early goings, but developers have big plans for the future.
If you and your friends are survival title considers, this is definitely one you’ll want to check out in early access.
Steam
Editors’ Recommendations
