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 2020.
GOHOME
Steam page
Release: June 16
Developer: 市松製化
Price: $14.99 | £11.39 | AU$21.50
If you prefer your horror utterly bizarre, rather than "set in a decrepit mansion / hospital / asylum," then GOHOME looks like a must play. It's set in a "residential area in 2000s Japan," where the young protagonist has become separated from her parents. To make things worse, she's being pursued by someone (or something). GOHOME is apparently a greatly expanded edition of a free version that released last year, and the studio has the audacity to claim that "even kids can enjoy it," but, uh, you'd probably want to have pretty resilient little ones if that screenshot above is anything to go by. Whatever the case, this looks like a mindbending trip for adults.
Alwa's Legacy
Steam page
Release: June 18
Developer: Elden Pixels
Price: $17.99 | £13.99 | AU$25.95
This is a sequel to the 8-bit Metroidvania Alwa's Awakening, which was a fun albeit fairly conservative take on the genre. But sometimes that's exactly what you need, and Alwa's Legacy looks to be a gorgeous 16-bit continuation of the first. The protagonist appears to have considerably more powers at her disposal this time around, and the map has been much improved (a big deal - the map was the only thing I hated about Alwa's Awakening). A perfect Sunday arvo game, I reckon, and the pixel art makes me weep.
My Beautiful Paper Smile
Steam page
Release: June 20
Developer: Two Star Games
Price: $11.99 | £14.99 | AU$21.50
Launched into Early Access last week, My Beautiful Paper Smile is a horror game with possibly one of the most horrific premises yet: you're a child in a dystopian kingdom ruled by a king who insists that every child wear a permanent smile. Mercifully, actual smiling isn't necessary because you're forced to wear a garish mask instead. The game has a surreal pencil-drawn art style, and mixes stealth, puzzling and evasion. It'll stay in Early Access for "roughly six months." Note that the current version doesn't have all four story chapters that will ship with the 1.0 version.
Curious Expedition 2
Steam page
Release: June 17
Developer: Maschinen-Mencsch
Price: $16.99 | £14.99 | AU$23.95
Here's a sequel to the popular adventure rogue-like about 19th century exploration. You'll need to manage your entourage and their needs in-between encounters with various things that want to hurt or kill you. The first game has been on my wishlist for some time, but this sequel (which is in Early Access) seems to raise the bar in every respect: it's prettier, there is more variety in the regions you'll explore, and you can choose what kind of expedition you want to embark on.
Summer in Mara
Steam page
Release: June 16
Developer: Chibig
Price: $24.99 | £19.49 | AU$35.95
Summer in Mara is another relaxing, freewheeling exploration and farming game. There's a bit of Stardew Valley, a bit of Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles, and a lot of very pleasant pastel-hued vistas. There are 20 islands, and one of them is yours: you can build on it, farm on it, and you can fish on it. There's a vague corporate scourge that wants to purchase the islands in order to exploit them, but I'm not sure whether you'll be taking the fight to them or not. Overall a pleasant looking game if 2020 is pushing you into escapism.
These games were released between June 15 and June 22 2020. Some online stores give us a small cut if you buy something through one of our links. Read our affiliate policy for more info.
