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 new games of 2019.
Blaster Master Zero
Steam page
Release: June 15
Developer: Inti Creates Co. Ltd
Price: $9.99 | £8.99 | AU$13.00
Originally released exclusively for Nintendo systems, Blaster Master Zero is an 8-bit throwback by the studio responsible for Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon and Mighty Gunvolt. Based on the original Blaster Master for NES, it flits between simple shooting and light puzzling: you're controlling a tank called SOPHIA but it's also possible for its driver, Jason, to jump out and navigate on foot for limited times, which is where the puzzle element comes in. It's not the most challenging game in the world, but if it's a handful of hours of breezy retro charm you're after, Blaster Master Zero is a good time.
Devolver Bootleg
Steam page
Release: June 10
Developer: doinksoft
Price: $4.99 | £3.99 | AU$7.50
Revealed during Devolver's typically unhinged E3 briefing last week, Devolver Bootleg is a collection of cheap knock-offs, with the likes of Hotline Miami (Hotline Milwaukee), Enter the Gungeon (Enter the Gun Dungeon) and Absolver (Super Absolver Mini) all getting affectionately ripped off. These are mini-games and some of them appear actually quite fun: Catsylvania (elsewhere listed as 'Cat Game') is a sidescrolling Ninja Gaiden-like starring a cat in a space suit (see: Gato Roboto). It's unlikely you'll have your mind utterly blown by these games but... they're cheap.
Riverbond
Steam page
Release: June 10
Developer: Cococucumber
Price: $24.99 | £18.99 | AU$35.95
Riverbond is a loot-oriented action RPG with a cheerful voxel aesthetic, designed to be played cooperatively. Supporting up to four players (but only locally–there's no online functionality), you'll roam about the colourful and fully destructible maps, chopping away at foes and collecting stuff. It's a lot of fun and it's fairly breezy too: most of the fun is in discovering the next weapon or seeing the next world, rather than mastering the (quite shallow) combat.
Chippy
Steam page
Release: June 15
Developer: Facepunch Studios
Price: $14.99 | £11.39 | AU$21.50
Developed by the studio behind Gary's Mod and Rust, Chippy is comparatively simple: it's a retro-styled twin stick shooter. But there is a twist, of course, because as the name implies Chippy lets you "chip" whole sections of large, screen-filling bosses off. In other words, you whittle foes down into nothing, and the results are often spectacular. There are 14 bosses, "a variety of powerups" and leaderboards.
Online Simulator
Steam page
Release: June 13
Developer: Rosalie Vile
Price: $2.99 | £3.99 | AU$7.50
In the vein of Hynospace Outlaw, Online Simulator explores the garish underbelly of pre Web 2.0–back when the likes of Facebook, YouTube and Twitch hadn't yet tamed the internet. "Explore the depths of an unknown computer, finding clues along the way to solve a psychosexual mystery: the story of an unconventional relationship, a drug with shocking power, and a very special monkey," the description reads.
These games were released between June 10 and June 17 2019. Some online stores give us a small cut if you buy something through one of our links. Read our affiliate policy for more info.
