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

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The blue aliens, more Warhammer, and a treatise on landlord-tenant conflict.

Elder Na'vi looking directly into camera
(Image credit: Ubisoft)

December tends to be a pretty quiet month for game releases. It's a time to look backwards—like at The Game Awards on December 7—and forwards at what's coming in the new year and beyond. The big news in the latter respect, of course, is that December kicked off with the first GTA 6 trailer. We expect to see a lot more upcoming games at The Game Awards, too.

Later this month, we'll be looking back on the year ourselves with our usual GOTY Awards, and looking ahead with previews of what's to come in 2024. But December isn't barren, especially early in the month. Below, find all the PC game releases we're paying the closest attention to this month.

For more about what's ahead for PC gaming, see our current list of 2024's upcoming PC games. Also keep in mind that the next Steam sale starts on December 21—the Winter Sale is always a big one—and other storefronts like GOG and The Epic Games Store will have end-of-year sales, too.

December's big PC release dates

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora | December 7

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora | December 7
Ubisoft put the blue people from the movies into an open world game like Far Cry, which is one of those special phrases that can elicit completely opposite reactions from people who otherwise seem to have similar tastes.

The Day Before (early access)| December 7

The Day Before (early access)| December 7
One of the most wishlisted games on Steam has a somewhat strange backstory. "Curious" might be a better word than "excited" to describe how we feel about this zombie survival MMO, but who knows? It could be the next big thing.

Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader | December 7

Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader | December 7
A "story-rich" CRPG from the developers of Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, and yep, another Warhammer game. No matter how many they release, our hunger for gloom shall never be sated.

The Sims 4: For Rent | December 7

The Sims 4: For Rent | December 7
Finally, proper multifamily homes in The Sims! But also: deadly mold and eviction anxiety. The latest Sims expansion doesn't shy away from the realities of tenant/landlord conflict.

House Flipper 2 | December 14

House Flipper 2 | December 14
The sequel to the hit house restoration sim will introduce a sandbox mode where you can just straight up build a house from scratch. And then, if you want, you can fill it with trash for your or your friends to clean up. PC gaming is about making your own fun, sometimes.

More games releasing in December

  • December 1 — SteamWorld Build - Steampunk robot city-builder (Steam)
  • December 5 — A Highland Song - Scottish side-scrolling survival (Steam)
  • December 5 — Blood West - Haunted Wild West FPS (Steam)
  • December 7 — Arizona Sunshine 2 - Zombies in VR (Steam)
  • December 13 — Pioneers of Pagonia (Early Access) - Fantasy colonies (Steam)
  • December 14 — Cookie Cutter - Techno punk Metroidvania (Steam)
Tyler Wilde
Tyler Wilde
Editor-in-Chief, US

Tyler grew up in Silicon Valley during the '80s and '90s, playing games like Zork and Arkanoid on early PCs. He was later captivated by Myst, SimCity, Civilization, Command & Conquer, all the shooters they call "boomer shooters" now, and PS1 classic Bushido Blade (that's right: he had Bleem!). Tyler joined PC Gamer in 2011, and today he's focused on the site's news coverage. His hobbies include amateur boxing and adding to his 1,200-plus hours in Rocket League.

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