Once a Man
PCs, smartphones; Starry Studio; Release: July 9
The market is already crowded with multiplayer open-world survival games, but this post-apocalyptic epic adds space horror to the mix. His vast world is crammed with grotesque Lovecraftian monsters – including a living bus like the benevolent catbus in My Neighbor Totoro, but only grapes. You have been warned.
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Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn
PC, PS5, Xbox Series X; A44 Games; Release: July 18
RPG action game from New Zealand with interesting combat similar to Bloodborne. You use an axe, dodges and a pistol to interrupt the attacks of your powerful enemies and gain the upper hand – but this animated world is much brighter and less gloomy, inspired by its developers’ Antipodean setting.
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Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
Xbox, PC, PS4/5; Capcom; Release: July 19
I’ve never seen anything quite like this upcoming game from Capcom: you control a warrior protecting a priestess who slowly dances her way through monster-infested Japanese mountain scenes, cleansing her surroundings as she goes. During the day you rescue people and deploy your troops; you attack monsters at night and hope to keep her safe. It’s like tower defense meets Onimusha.
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Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure
PC, PS5, Switch; Furniture and mattresses; Release: July 25
Genre mashups are popular in the indie scene, and this is one of the most interesting – a block-sorting puzzle crossed with an RPG. You play as Jemma, a young adventurer whose every move also moves the row or column she’s standing on, making exploration a series of geographical puzzles.
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SteamyWorld Heist II
PS4/5, Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox; Image & Form; Release: August 8
All SteamWorld games are cute variations on a theme: Dig is a Spelunky-style puzzle platformer, Quest is an RPG, Build is a city management game, and Heist is a signature turn-based strategy battler where you control a team of fun games. pirate robots. Between matches, you zoom in on a sizzling submarine and explore the sea.
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Black Myth: Wukong
PC, PS5; Game Science; Release: August 20
The sixteenth-century Chinese novel Journey to the West has inspired countless anime, movies and video games, and this is the latest adaptation: an action role-playing game with clear soul-like tendencies, pitting players against a host of monsters from Chinese folklore. in a sumptuous ancient landscape.
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Phoenix Springs
computers; Calligram Studio; Release: September 16
A point and click detective game for the 21st century, where the player collects concepts and conversations rather than items, and the inventory is more of a mind map than a bottomless suitcase; you use the words and ideas you have come up with to ask people for more information. The visuals have the bold, hyper-stylized beauty of a weird pop video or new wave animation.
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UFO 50
computers; Mossmouth; Release: September 18
A collection of 50 standalone games from a who’s who of true indie developers. Designed to resemble the software library of a fictional 8-bit console from history, UFO 50 has everything from sports simulators to shooters. Bringing modern game design into an imaginary alternate gaming history is a fascinating idea.
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Slitterhead
PS4, PS5, PC and Xbox Series X; bokeh games; Release: November 8
Red-eyed children, parasitic brain worms and deserted city streets: this can only be the latest horror adventure from Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama. Early footage hints at gallons of gore and the PS2’s currently very sleek aesthetic.
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Wanderstop
PC, PS5; Icy Road; Edition: TBC
The latest project from The Stanley Parable creator Davey Wreden sees retired warrior Alta abandon her broadsword to run a cozy teahouse. You’ll be serving customers and growing all your own ingredients – but the trailers suggest that Alta’s past won’t go down without a fight…
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Creature Cafe
PC, Switch; Sumo Newcastle; Edition: TBC
When developer Sumo Newcastle held their own game jam, Critter Cafe was such a popular participant that it was picked up for full release. It’s all about rescuing cute creatures from a magical rift and then letting them roam around your sweet little cafe, charming guests and making friends. It will probably be one of the healthiest hits of the year.
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Neva
PC, PS5, Switch, Xbox; Studio Nomad; Edition: TBC
From the team behind the ethereal, melancholic Gris comes another emotional adventure, this time about a young girl and her wolf as they journey through a beautiful but dying world. The parallels between ecology and parenting and the sublime natural setting make Neva seem like a poignant yet hopeful experience.
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Unknown 9: Awakening
PC, PS4/5, Xbox; Reflector Entertainment; Edition: TBC
Starring The Witcher 3 star Anya Chalotra, here’s an epic fantasy adventure about young warrior Haroona, who has the ability to access a mysterious dimension and supernatural powers – gaining the attention of an evil secret society. It reminds us of both Dishonored and The Darkness, which is no bad thing.
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Fear the Spotlight
PC, PS4/5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch; Cozy Game Pals; Edition: TBC
The PlayStation 1’s mid-90s low-poly aesthetic is back in style and really plays to the creepiness of this unusual horror game from a small team of two. Two teenage girls hold an ill-advised seance in their school library at night, and what happens next is predictably alarming – solving tactile puzzles as you sneak around the school in the dark really does remind you of the great early days of survival horror.
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