NBA The race
Developer and publisher: Play by Play Studios
Platforms: Steam, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Price: $30
Basketball fever has set in for many as the New York Knicks are just one game away from their first NBA title since 1973. If you’re a Knicks (or San Antonio Spurs) fan looking for a way to kill time until Game 5 tonight, NBA The race might have you covered.
It’s a 3v3 streetball game and the spiritual successor to NBA The Street, from a team including some developers who worked on that series. It features more than 30 real NBA players – including LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Luka Dončić and Kevin Durant – and leans more on arcade action rather than the simulated approach of the NBA 2K series. I don’t like basketball as much as I did when I was a kid, but NBA Jam has a permanent place in my heart, so I’m definitely interested in trying NBA The race.
Solarpunk
Developer: Cyberwave
Publisher: Rokaplay
Platforms: Steam, Epic Games Store, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2
Price: $23 (available on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass)
Solarpunk is a game I’ve had on my radar for a while. This is a relaxing crafting game set on a group of floating islands that you can travel between using airships. Cyberwave’s two-person team has come up with “light survival mechanics”, although it’s considered an uplifting game you can play with friends.
Given the title, it is perhaps not surprising that sustainability is a key objective of Solarpunk. You’ll build devices that can draw power from renewable energy sources and use it to automate systems on your farm and home.
It looks charming and many other people are interested in this one. Solarpunk saw over 500,000 demo downloads during a previous Steam Next Fest. More than a million people also wished it.
Crushed in time
Developer and publisher: Draw me a pixel
Platform: Steam (coming to Switch and mobile later this year)
Price: Usually $25, with 20% off until June 24
As a fan of LucasArts’ point-and-click adventures, Crushed in time is a game that speaks to my soul. It is a spin-off of There is no play: wrong dimension. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson return as they travel through time and space in search of a missing character from their own video game. You will explore the game’s development pipeline to find this missing NPC.
Aside from the highly meta concept, what helps Crushed in time What stands out is that it takes place in an elastic universe. You’ll shoot objects and environments to help you solve puzzles (so it’s more of a click-and-drag game). That sounds a lot like me. Ironically, I haven’t had time to jump in yet, but I plan to play Crushed in time as soon as my schedule eases up.
Bound to the Void
Developer and publisher: Hatchery Games
Platforms: Steam, Epic Games Store (coming to consoles later)
Price: $25, with 10% off until June 23
Bound to the Void comes from a studio that includes former Skylanders developers, so perhaps it’s not too surprising that it’s a creature feature. It’s basically a creature taming game where you’ll breed, feed, and evolve creatures using skill trees and such.
You will then take control of said creatures in battle as this is also a third-person shooter. This looks like an interesting take on the creature taming format.
33 Immortals
Developer: Thunder Lotus
Publishers: Thunder Lotus, Kepler Ghost
Platforms: Steam (previously on Xbox Series X/S and Epic Games Store)
Price: $10 until June 17 on Steam. It is also for sale on the Epic Games Store and Xbox. It is available on Game Pass Ultimate and Premium, as well as PC Game Pass
33 Immortals is a fun game that I can’t wait to get back into. I played some of it in Early Access and now Thunder Lotus has released the full version, which is also debuting on Steam.
33 Immortals 1.0 features three playable worlds, other new content, more customization options, and a new final boss encounter to properly conclude a game. It’s a cooperative action roguelite that brings together 33 players to battle hordes of enemies and towering bosses. There are miniboss rooms that you can conquer with a few of your teammates (after calling for help with emotes) and earn upgrades for the crew. It’s a good time!
