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 2021 games that are launching this year.
Mutropolis
Steam page
Release: February 19
Developer: Pirita Studio
Launch price: $19.99 | £16.49 | AU$28.95
Mutropolis is a point and click adventure set in the year 5000, but a fairly optimistic kind of 5000 given how pretty it is. Based on Mars—where humanity has fled to—Protagonist Henry Dijon is an archaeologist on a mission to discover humankind's long lost Earthbound feats. This expedition takes place, of course, on a "wild and inhospitable Planet Earth" which is also home to the city of Mutropolis. Expect puzzles and lots of amusing misinterpretations of contemporary human life ("who was this Sony Walkman?").
TasteMaker: Restaurant Simulator
Steam page
Release: February 19
Developer: Jelle Booij
Launch price: $8.49 | £6.37 | AU$12.32
Launched into Early Access last week, TasteMaker is a tycoon game that lets you build and manage your very own restaurant. Once you've laid the joint out you'll need to keep it hygienic, hire and manage staff, decorate it, create the menu, and when you get around to it, actually make some food. The game will stay in Early Access until early next year, and forthcoming additions include gardening, barbeque, "more elaborate staff management" and mod support, among other things.
Buddy Simulator 1984
Steam page
Release: February 19
Developer: Not a Sailor Studios
Launch price: $8.99 | £6.28 | AU$13.05
As the name implies, this 1980s period piece involves chatting with an AI in a manner kinda reminiscent of ELIZA. Budy Simulator's interface is reminiscent of ye olde 1980s systems like the Amstrad CPC 464 or indeed the Apple IIe, though it's really a fictional OS called Anekom. It may just be me, but this game seems to be about more than just chatting with an AI: I think something weird may be afoot, though the game's Steam page certainly isn't giving anything away. There's a free demo, if you want to try it first.
30XX
Steam page
Release: February 18
Developer: Batterystaple Games
Launch price: $17.99 | £13.94 | AU$26.05
Released back in 2017, 20XX was a roguelike take on the Mega Man formula. 30XX is that as well, only this sequel adds online and local cooperative play, so you can leap and shoot through its randomly generated platforming gauntlets with a friend. If it's anything like its predecessor this outing has beautifully finessed controls and really gorgeous graphics. It's in Early Access and will stay there for about a year, during which time it'll receive two new level styles and a bunch of tweaks and fixes based on player feedback.
Ronin: Two Souls
Steam page
Release: February 18
Developer: M11 Studio
Launch price: $13.49 | £10.25 | AU$19.35
Another Early Access launch, Ronin: Two Souls is a story-oriented RPG starring budding samurai Kenji. According to the Steam page, the current game is only episode one of a growing game, and mostly concerns Kenji's ascent to samurai status. In other words, you're definitely not getting "the full game" if you buy into the Early Access build right now, but the project seems ambitious and could blossom into something great.
These games were released between February 16 and 22 2021. Some online stores give us a small cut if you buy something through one of our links. Read our affiliate policy for more info.
