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Reading: 20 hidden gems from 2024 to grab before the end of the Steam Summer Sale

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Epic Game Journey > Industry > 20 hidden gems from 2024 to grab before the end of the Steam Summer Sale
Industry

20 hidden gems from 2024 to grab before the end of the Steam Summer Sale

July 16, 2024 37 Min Read
37 Min Read
Beat Slayer art

Contents
Nidus – Twin-stick shooter(?) Berserk Boy – Mega Man-like platformer Ultros – Metroidvania Path Of Achra – Pseudo-retro roguelike Timemelters – Motion-RTS tower protection Astrolancer – Free-roaming/vertical shmup hybrid Decimate Drive – First-person experimental horror Mech Engineer – Diegetic UI technique hell 

Loads can change in six months, however the trajectory of the video games trade stays unaltered since my Steam Winter Sale roundup. The brakes have been lower and we’re rolling downhill at untenable speeds. Studios are imploding, publishers are burning expertise, and extra superb indie video games are being produced than anybody has the time to even observe, and but I strive. It’s time to assist your native indie devs and harm your financial institution steadiness as soon as once more with my high 20 picks of lesser-known however nice 2024 video games discounted within the Steam Summer season Sale.

And I could not resist together with 20 extra equally themed options as a result of there have been a mind-boggling variety of cool indie video games launched this yr.

Whereas I bend the principles a bit generally, most video games listed below are:

  • Launched, graduated from early entry or in any other case ‘accomplished’ in 2024
  • One thing I’ve personally performed and might vouch for the worthiness of
  • Real underdogs—most under 500 consumer evaluations, some near-total unknowns
  • Quirky, distinctive, offbeat and under-covered—we like these deep cuts
  • A minimum of 20% discounted—I’m nominally attempting to SAVE you some cash
  • As broad a variety of genres as doable. Therefore the choice mentions!

As all the time, I hope you uncover one thing new, funky and enjoyable to like right here. Let’s get began! 

Worth: $14.99 / £12.56 (25% off) | Developer: Ben Jungwirth

The swampy mutant spawn of Metroid Prime and Hole Knight, with all of the frogs you may eat. And be. You’re a frog with a gun, introduced into existence by a bizarre hen god. There are some issues that should be solved by capturing them with weapons. And leaping round. And consuming bugs. Therefore the frog half. In brief: Kermit homicide with an assortment of upgradeable weapons and magic spells that additionally double as emergency therapeutic.

This one hits totally different with a cool voxel aesthetic and unusual soundscape of noodly music and mouth-sound results. However when you’re acclimated to the swamp-water you’ll discover a dense Metroidy world with some enjoyable navigation powers, Hole Knight’s customizable improve system and dozens of excellent boss fights in a style the place you’re fortunate to get one per sport. Even within the early sport, there’s an ideal mixture of boss designs, assault patterns and Souls-ish part adjustments. It’s so much to chew on, and the developer retains including post-game problem bosses and new content material.

Alternatively: Bears in House (20% off) is Jazzpunk meets Ratchet & Clank. No Metroidy stuff right here, however a lot to discover—it’s half bullet-hellish FPS, half screwball gag supply system. Humorous more often than not (greater than most TV comedy exhibits can declare) and a strong shooter for all of it. 

Worth: $10.49 / £8.95 (30% off) | Developer: Akiragoya

Be not afraid of those biblically inaccurate angels, as a result of regardless of the terrifying clawed monster-women tearing one another’s guts out in a bullet hell fleshpocalypse, the sport is surprisingly accessible to newcomers. Angel At Nightfall begins on a delicate introductory run with ample tutorializing, and the core mechanics are easy, rewarding aggression and close-range capturing with further well being and sensible bombs, plus you’ve received a secondary assault to stall and even delete incoming assaults. 

Angel At Nightfall does an entire lot past the usual half-hour lengthy arcade mode, although. Most of my time has gone into the huge branching story mode with RPG components, the place you may improve your freaky bio-ships, gather weapons and slowly unfurl a (surprisingly compelling) high-concept sci-fi story explaining why the world is product of meat, bone and screaming faces, and why all these ‘angels’ are murdering the hell out of one another. Plus, it’s simply steel as hell.

Alternatively: Satan Blade Reboot (15% off) is a way more conventional quick n’ candy (and equally aggressive) spaceship shmup by one among Vanillaware’s founding artists. As such, it’s completely SPECTACULAR to take a look at. What’ll it’s? Angels or devils? 

Nidus – Twin-stick shooter(?) 

Worth: $5.39 / £5.01 (40% off) | Developer: Caleb Wooden

Had been it not for the whole lack of fluffy ungulates, this might cross for a Jeff Minter joint. A psychedelic bizarro enviornment shooter the place you play as a symbiotically paired cosmic flower and the offended wasp defending it. Both controlling each without delay or splitting roles in co-op, the delicate flower evades and debuffs enemies, whereas the invincible wasp eats bullets and rams targets, returning to the flower to recharge and deposit energy, permitting the flower to fireplace massive bullet-wave assaults. It’s like rubbing your tummy and patting your head in the midst of a firefight, on shrooms.

Nidus is an uncompromising short-and-focused arcade expertise with on-line leaderboards, however at the very least there’s a straightforward mode to make sure that most gamers will have the ability to battle by means of all of the (gorgeously and procedurally animated) alien fauna to see the top. However the actual bragging rights lie in finishing it on Regular and even greater settings.

Alternatively: Windowkill (25% off) is extra regular mechanically, however nearly as bizarre conceptually because it takes over your desktop with malicious home windows that may be rescaled with bullets, moved round as benevolent safe-spots or include malicious boss popups that should be closed. 

Worth: $19.49 / £16.24 (35% off) | Developer: Occasion Horizon

Successor to the oddball dungeon crawl RPG Tower Of Time, Darkish Envoy is extra of these slow-mo, cooldown-based squad ways. Set in a enjoyable science-fantasy world (so that you’ve received laser rifles and elven summoning magic), story takes a backseat to crunchy fight with a really customizable occasion. There’s some ethical choices to be made alongside the best way too, however don’t anticipate Witcher-scale repercussions.

With few restrictions past cooldowns, it desires you to make use of each character’s full set of skills on a regular basis, as fights might be lengthy and difficult, particularly on greater difficulties. In boss fights it may possibly really feel so much like an MMO raid, however you’re controlling the entire occasion , dodging assault patterns and on the lookout for openings. Darkish Envoy was fairly tough at launch in 2023, however will get into this record due to a serious ‘Director’s Reduce’ re-release this yr. Not fairly an early entry commencement, however shut sufficient.

Alternatively: Kingsvein (20% off) is one other party-building tactical RPG set in a world of dwelling stone, however this time turn-based and with mechanics closely impressed by Last Fantasy Ways. Successor to the superb age-of-sail RPG sandbox Horizon’s Gate. 

Berserk Boy – Mega Man-like platformer 

Worth: $14.99 / £11.19 (30% off) | Developer: Berserk Boy Video games

Cribbing from the Mega Man Zero collection and the newer Azure Striker Gunvolt video games (together with its tag-and-zap fight movement), Berserk Boy is extra linear than your common Mega Man, however nonetheless has that acquainted mixture of wall-grabbing, robot-smashing and gathering new weapons and strikes. It simply feels good to run round, air-dash and bounce off enemies’ heads, and whereas the aesthetics generally really feel a bit like Recreation Boy Advance-era also-ran, the soundtrack is a banger begin to end.

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Whereas Berserk Boy’s foremost marketing campaign is usually linear, buying new powers later within the sport means that you can discover beforehand locked areas, offering replay worth, rewards and unlocking bonus ranges. Plenty of bonus ranges. One per common stage of the sport, even. It’s not an enormous sport, however 100percenting this one feels satisfying.

It’s also possible to get Berserk Boy even cheaper if you happen to personal my private platformer choose of 2023, Gravity Circuit, one other closely impressed by Mega Man Zero.

Alternatively: Bat Boy (40% off) is a number of months older, shares an analogous title, an analogous melee-heavy Mega Man-like design and a equally nice soundtrack. The place it differs is a extra NES-like aesthetic. 

Ultros – Metroidvania 

Worth: $14.99 / £12.74 (25% off) | Developer: Hadoque

If Nidus hasn’t sated your starvation for cosmic psychedelia, Ultros ought to. An overwhelmingly vibrant hand-drawn metroidvania that appears prefer it’s straight from the pages of a very intense Franco-Belgian comedian. A surreal, squishy and fleshy sci-fi setting the place you’re a mysterious masked hunter attempting to interrupt freed from a time loop aboard a lush and overgrown house palace.

Mechanically, what units Ultros aside is its story construction, collaborating over a number of time loops (though you carry again a lot of your information and equipment every time) and its concentrate on meals. You possibly can gather seeds to develop into harvestable vegetation at planting spots across the map, but in addition carve meat from enemies. Quite a lot of melee strikes, good parries and backstabs will present cleaner cuts of meat that present extra improve factors when consumed. Messy combating will simply offer you a handful of bloody scraps that’ll hold you fed and alive, however received’t confer a lot progress.

Alternatively: Enterprise To The Vile (20% off) is one other stab-happy metroidvania, this one buying and selling cosmic weirdness for a Victorian stiff higher lip. Nonetheless unusual, although, because it’s set in a (surprisingly open) world of mad science, fungal curse-blooms and animal masks being necessary always. 

Worth: $18.74/£14.99 (25% off) | Developer: Moonless Formless

A current early entry graduate, Withering Rooms is an fascinating mash-up of side-scrolling survival horror and roguelike. Feeling and looking a bit like SNES basic Clock Tower mashed up with a contemporary Resident Evil, you play as a younger lady in a Victorian psychological establishment. Or at the very least the shared dream-realm hooked up to it. Relying on which member of workers (or affected person) you speak to, that is both very therapeutic or one thing to be escaped ASAP.

Till you’ve received construct and a few gear going, fight is gradual and harmful and dying reshuffles the map. Fortunately alternatives to create everlasting stock gadgets are frequent, letting you carry extra development ahead with you every time. One significantly enjoyable facet is the magic system. Spells are highly effective, however utilizing them curses you slightly bit at a time. At excessive curse ranges, the world will get even weirder and extra unpredictable. Principally dangerous, however great things might be discovered, methodically, within the insanity.

Alternatively: The Tower On The Borderland (20% off) is much less roguelike, extra metroid, however nonetheless an offbeat tackle the survival horror style, with a stark Killer 7-ish aesthetic and a hazily advised story of a younger soldier combating her approach out of a cursed tower additionally linked to the realm of desires. 

Worth: $6.39 / £5.59 (20% off) | Developer: Raphael Bossniak

A tribute to the unique DOS System Shock, however not with out dropping its personal id, Sonar Shock is a lightweight and lo-fi immersive sim set aboard a haunted Soviet mega-sub. When the radiation and maddened/drunk crewmen aren’t attempting to homicide you, there’s an assortment of psychic lovecraftian beasties and even some critters from Japanese European folklore to deal with. Slightly than having fashionable FPS controls, you progress totally utilizing the keyboard and purpose utilizing a floating mouse cursor, giving this one a really old-school really feel. 

Much less old fashioned is the weirdly satisfying reloading system, the place you click on and drag elements of your gun on the UI to reload; pump that shotgun by clicking and dragging the slide. Regardless of the retro styling, Sonar Shock provides numerous crunchy im-sim character constructing choices and playstyles obtainable. On condition that the sport is comparatively quick, it feels properly constructed for replayability, with new stuff and routes prone to reveal themselves on return journeys.

Alternatively: Freakhunter (50% off) isn’t an immersive sim, however one other quirky FPS with a floating crosshair too. This one appears like a long-lost PS1 maze sport, shifting round prefer it’s a grid-based dungeon crawl, however fight is frantic button-mashing as enemies shut distance. 

Path Of Achra – Pseudo-retro roguelike 

Worth: $7.99 / £6.8 (20% off) | Developer: Ulfsire

Don’t be fooled by the DOS-era pixel artwork. Path of Achra is a really fashionable roguelike, designed to seize the texture of these absurd Binding Of Isaac runs the place all of your merchandise synergies kick in and your complete universe explodes round you. Set in a world of primordial barbarian fantasy, you construct your character from a tradition, class and faith (extra unlocking nearly each run) after which battle by means of a branching map of single-screen battles, choosing new skills and equipment alongside the best way.

It’s shockingly compelling enjoyable. Quick to study the fundamentals, and inside a pair runs I had a personality that would clear entire dungeons with out shifting—simply passively summoning allies psychically blasting something that got here close to. And if you happen to lose a personality to an unfortunate roll of the cube, you may mud off that save and attempt to have them battle their approach out of the underworld, if their construct was robust sufficient.

Alternatively: The Land Beneath Us (20% off) is one other turn-based dungeon crawler, this one a lot prettier, and with the gimmick of equipping one weapon per motion path, making for very positional fight. Has a cool (and foolish) sci-fi tackle Welsh mythology, too, as you delve by means of the realms of Annwn. 

Worth: $15.99 / £13.40 (20% off) | Developer: Maxi Molina

Over seven years within the works and eventually completed this yr, The Hayseed Knight is an astonishingly polished and well-produced visible novel with a full skilled voice forged, some beautiful artwork and extra animation than you’d anticipate from the style. It’s a fantasy story (with the occasional alternative and department to be explored) a few one-eyed nation bumpkin and his dream to grow to be a knight in a furry fantasy metropolis.

Misadventures, wacky hijinks and even some queer and unusually structured romance are on the playing cards, however it’s primarily a narrative of discovered household. The Hayseed Knight additionally ceaselessly goes off on tangents that the straightforward premise may not have you ever ready for. That, and the occasional journey by means of the fourth wall to remind us that it’s best to assist artists, however piracy is morally high-quality if it’s a wealthy company (or jerk) you’re screwing over.

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Alternatively: The Mildew Kids (25% off) is a darker, grimier and considerably much less furry narrative journey, this time a few mediaeval village populated by kids and supported by grim pagan rituals. Witchcraft is dangerous, bloody enterprise, and there’s numerous tempting [LIE] dialogue choices as conversations flip uncomfortable. 

Timemelters – Motion-RTS tower protection 

Worth: $11.99 / £10.05 (40% off) | Developer: Autoexec Video games

Much more witchcraft, this time in third-person action-RTS type. Timemelters just lately left early entry and is a really refreshing third-person motion twist on tower defence, enjoying a bit like a fusion of oddball technique gem Sacrifice and the developer’s earlier (and now free) Sang-Froid: Story Of Werewolves. Each of these are fairly deep cuts, so perhaps simply strive the demo? It’s good.

Most missions in Timemelters have you ever wizarding round, attempting to intercept a military of demons earlier than they’ll hurt townsfolk or different goals. However you’re under-staffed. Each time you die, you loop again in time, along with your earlier iteration finishing up all of the actions they did beforehand. Sync up with your self/selves and hold animating bushes, summoning spikes or simply throwing fireballs till you win. Timemelters additionally options full on-line co-op, and just one participant must personal the sport due to its Buddy Go system.

Alternatively: Sentry (10% off) provides solely a small low cost, however that is on high of a decrease early entry value. Primarily Orcs Should Die in house with a persistent roguelike marketing campaign construction. You possibly can’t defend each location, so choose rigorously which elements of the ship you may afford to lose to invaders. 

Astrolancer – Free-roaming/vertical shmup hybrid 

Worth: $4.79 / £3.99 (20% off) | Developer: Studio Hexeye

A incredible tribute to previous NES basic The Guardian Legend, Astrolancer is half overhead run-and-gun shooter, half vertically scrolling shmup, all good. As a remodeling android despatched in to clear up a Von Neumann Probe infestation, you spend half the sport exploring buildings for upgrades, chatting with the native employee bots, after which looking down the area’s boss. Difficult, however slower-paced. As soon as a boss is on the ropes, you flip right into a spaceship and chase it by means of a vertical shmup stage. Not fairly bullet hell, however fairly demanding, and an thrilling shift in gears.

Clocking in at seven ranges every with floor and air segments, Astrolancer isn’t an enormous sport, however it’s a replayable one, with cleverly balanced greater difficulties (together with a problem mode that remixes so much) giving it some further life. Don’t miss out on the in-game handbook too—a digital NES booklet you could flip by means of, notes pages on the again and all.

Alternatively: Go Mecha Ball (50% off) is one other short-but-sweet arcade sport about remodeling mecha! I wrote about it earlier within the yr, and beloved it then. My one actual gripe—its lack of a extra structured score-chasing mode—has since been addressed. 

Worth: $18.74 / £15.74 (25% off) | Developer: Child Robotic Video games

Seems that Nintendo’s Splatoon has an entire lot of excellent concepts that tackle new life in different genres. Ereban: Shadow Legacy is a sci-fi stealth ‘em up the place you play as a mystical house ninja that may flip right into a blob of dwelling darkness everytime you’re standing in shadow. When you’re in blob type you’re invincible, invisible, and capable of slide up and follow even vertical surfaces. Good for getting the drop on the various robotic guards patrolling every map.

There’s the standard choice to play the sport stabby or pacifist, with a number of endings and energy units obtainable relying on the way you wish to play. Ereban additionally just lately acquired an enormous replace including straightforward and arduous modes, for many who discovered the default unsatisfying. Simple mode removes loss of life by falling and arduous makes it so stamina solely refills within the shadows and enemies are extra perceptive. Good for a second run.

Alternatively: Uncooked Metallic (20% off) is extra shadowy sci-fi sneakytimes, however this one’s been taking notes from Sifu as a substitute of Splatoon. When Metallic Gear-ish infiltration fails, improv-heavy martial arts is the reply to life’s issues. And when that fails, strive once more—it’s a roguelite too. 

Worth: $9.09 / £8.39 (30% off) | Developer: Empty Head Video games

Whereas each nation (irrespective of how small and distant) has a sport improvement scene, gory gothic journey platformer Saviorless has proudly proclaimed itself as Cuba’s first main indie sport. A daring assertion for a visually daring sport. It’s a sharply illustrated 2D platformer with a concentrate on narrative and ambiance, plus a few fascinating mechanical twists.

The sport is offered as a well-recognized story retold by means of rival narrators, every of which has their very own protagonist to regulate. Antar, a fragile child with no fight skills by any means (and a strong alter-ego generally known as The Savior), and Nento, a horse-headed demon that pummels stuff that will in any other case one-shot his smaller counterpart. Not a straightforward one: PCG’s Joshua Wolens criticised its stingy checkpoint placement, regardless of having fun with its vibes in any other case.

Alternatively: Anomaly Agent (40% off) is a success in its native Turkey however lesser identified elsewhere. It’s a scrappy sci-fi platform brawler about an company that tracks down and neutralises reality-bending anomalies. Its oddly free spritework belies a sensible fight engine, with numerous room for parries, dodge rolls and combos utilizing something you may seize. Whereas linear, it was just lately up to date with a roguelike dungeon mode, remixing all the sport’s encounters. 

Decimate Drive – First-person experimental horror 

Worth: $5.99 / £5.01 (25% off) | Developer: Some Random Designing

Decimate Drive appears like an precise nightmare. Not particularly coherent, however the type of factor that has you bolting upright at 4 am in a chilly sweat and politely asking your mind ‘What the hell?’. Your objective is to reply telephones, ringing out in deserted parking tons and industrial parks at night time, whereas seemingly driverless (Tesla?) vehicles try to run you over, sliding and skidding on snow and ice. It’s genuinely nerve-wracking, as you continually go searching for bushes and bollards that you simply may have the ability to lure a automobile into, stalling it briefly and providing you with an opportunity to alter path. 

Every automobile has its personal AI, dealing with and character—some are extra bloodthirsty than others, giving it some fascinating wrinkles. The solo developer reckons they’ll get slightly extra mileage out of its murderous motors too, just lately updating with a brand new limitless rating assault mode. A second replace can be deliberate, that includes extra story and a few extra vehicles.

Alternatively: Flathead is the one sport not discounted right here, however will get a point out as a result of it’s solely $2 and one other nightmarish experiment in dreamlike horror crammed with restricted management and unsettling machines in the dead of night. Good horror vibes could make one thing so simple as fundamental over/below betting right into a recent hell. 

Worth: $5.59 / £4.79 (20% off) | Developer: Hitreg Studios

Breakout and biblical apocrypha? A match made in bullet hell. Combine in some roguelite development and also you’ve received a fairly weird mash-up of genres and themes, however it someway works. Dodging enemy bullets is as necessary right here as hitting the ball again. Moreso, even—there’s little penalty for dropping your photographs, except for dropping some harm output. Each couple seconds, your chosen pagan (attempting to ascend to heaven, in fact) spits out an extra ball to bounce round, and you may have as a lot of them in play as you may deal with, after a number of upgrades.

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This one leans much more in direction of the twitchy arcade facet of issues. construct of things and perks provides you with an edge, however dodging and realizing when to fireplace off a bullet-clearing bomb are arguably extra necessary expertise. A weirdly refreshing tackle Breakout, all advised.

Alternatively: Tiny Breakers Camp (15% off) is proof that ideas are available waves. Two brick breaker roguelikes inside a month of one another? Tiny Breakers Camp is a slower, cuter, extra strategic tackle the idea. Hold that ball in play and summon plenty of little pixel buddies to clear every map. Each (plus one different, Whackerball) might be picked up at a good steeper low cost on this bundle on Steam. 

Worth: $15.99 / £13.59 (20% off) | Developer: Simon Fredholm

A trendy and exceptionally technical rhythm FPS within the vein of Metallic: Hellsinger or BPM. Simply capturing to the beat isn’t sufficient. There’s schmoovement right here, dashes and slides and double-jumps, plus a posh combo system the place you may buff your weapons by parrying and reloading in particular on-the-beat patterns, relying on which weapon it’s. It’s so much!

There’s some roguelite stuff too, full with a mysterious story revealed little by little. Actual spectacular for a recent early entry debut, and there’s extra to come back but. Curiously, you may swap what music is enjoying at any level to alter the sport’s beats per minute if you would like a better or tougher beat to comply with. Or you may simply import your personal music, assuming it’s rhythmic.

Alternatively: Beat Slayer (30% off) was launched only a month earlier than Robobeat, and is one other motion roguelike about rhythmically rumbling with robots, this one set in alt-universe post-wall Berlin. This one’s received an isometric perspective and extra concentrate on crowd management over accuracy, and a few Hades-inspired development. The much less intense of the 2. 

Worth: $7.99 / £6.80 (20% off) | Developer: Unepic Video games

Pampas & Selene is a superb massive cozy lo-fi tribute to The Maze of Galious, the 1987 MSX sport that impressed La-Mulana and plenty of extra. Regardless of some fashionable results (like widescreen assist) it feels authentically retro, even providing an alternate FM synth soundtrack if you wish to get actually ‘80s. There’s a lot to chew on due to an enormous map to discover, two characters (Pampas the close-combat knight and Selene, the ranged witch) to tag-team between, and even some sidequests assigned to you by the greek gods.

When you can play the sport solo, it’s much more fascinating to play with a good friend, both splitscreen or on-line. In addition to additional contrasting their separate skills, the 2 heroes can discover totally different rooms individually, with slightly picture-in-picture window if enjoying on-line so you may observe the place your buddy is at. However the two work greatest collectively, with Selene capable of forged from behind Pampas’ defend. Nice for constructing belief. Or breaking it.

Alternatively: Surmount: A Mountain Climbing Journey (33% off) is a extra arcadey and physics-driven approach of ruining friendships, however this mountaineering sport have been you spin and fling your self between handholds nonetheless has loads of potential for belief to be betrayed if you happen to play (optionally) in co-op. 

Worth: $9.74 / £8.31 (35% off) | Developer: Mastodonte

Darkest Dungeon minus the darkness? Break The Loop takes the fight of the favored despair simulator and wraps it in a bouncy, foolish cartoon journey. Your crew of time-travelling weirdos must cease three separate apocalypses, beginning with an eldritch tentacle-beasts and getting weirder from there. 

Slightly than blindly exploring dungeons, you get to (partially) choose which encounters occur alongside the timeline, choosing while you’ll get to relaxation, battle or choose bonuses, so that you’ve solely received your self responsible while you place an Elite enemy earlier than a relaxation cease. Whereas it’s brighter and cuter than Darkest Dungeon, it’s nonetheless fairly robust. Count on to get flattened at first, however every run provides you a gentle assortment of unlocks and everlasting buffs, bringing victory simply that tiny bit nearer.

It’s also possible to get Break The Loop even cheaper if you happen to personal the equally beautiful (and French) Aetheris, beforehand featured on this very roundup collection.

Alternatively: Anomaly Collapse (10% off) is barely barely discounted, however an much more sturdy (and brighter) tackle Darkest Dungeon’s components. Eldritch hellbeasts abound once more, this time in a furry cyberpunk metropolis. The fight is surprisingly cell, with enemies attacking from each side, and items capable of stack up on one another at the price of a debuff for overcrowding. 

Mech Engineer – Diegetic UI technique hell 

Worth: $11.99 / £9.11 (20% off) | Developer: KiberKreker

No sport is ‘for everybody’, however Mech Engineer is particularly tuned for a small variety of retro technique freaks. A diegetic UI nightmare the place you click on buttons, flip switches and switch dials to handle mankind’s final holdout (a huge strolling metropolis) on a kaiju-infested Earth. You’re anticipated to do EVERYTHING, from assigning assets to metropolis districts, to individually tuning mech reactors. The one factor you don’t do is piloting, as you’ve received to depend on AI pilots with their very own personalities and thresholds for panic.

It’s a bit like an much more esoteric, DOS-styled tackle Highfleet. My first try on the marketing campaign ended nearly instantly as I failed to carry off the ‘tutorial’ assault. Just a few extra tries and I feel I perceive the fundamentals, however this can be a sport of trial, error, and thumbing by means of the (digital) paper handbook, which might get buried below literal paperwork in-game. I prefer it. It hurts so good.

Alternatively: 9-Bit Armies: A Bit Too Far (25% off) is the alternative, if you happen to’re not up for UI hell. Command & Conquer with the serial numbers filed off and developed by ex-Westwood crew Petroglyph, who’ve been producing nearly nothing however variants on the components for many years now. It’s protected, satisfying, cute and nostalgic. 


I sincerely hope this has opened some eyes to simply what number of bizarre, great and wacky video games are dropping on Steam each week. That is simply my gross sales shortlist from the previous six months. When you’re after even steeper reductions, take a look at my earlier deep gross sales dives, most of that are on sale once more, and going even cheaper this yr. 

To all of the builders behind these video games: Thanks for maintaining issues bizarre, and will you discover success enough to maintain doing what you like. And to everybody who’s purchased one thing off one among these lists: You’re an enormous hipster nerd and that’s simply nice. Till subsequent time!

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Intel is “selling defective CPUs” says game dev in brutal smackdown
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Editor Choice

New AMD Radeon RX 8800 XT gaming GPU matches Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080, says leak
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Dragon Age: The Veilguard Sees Over 70,000 Concurrent Steam Players on Launch Day
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Reading: 20 hidden gems from 2024 to grab before the end of the Steam Summer Sale
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