Watch dogs
Developer: Partition
Publisher: Team17
Platform: Steam Early Access (Windows). Available on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S in 2028
Price: $40 in early access
A new tactical first-person shooter is released. Watch dogs got off to a strong start after selling over a million copies and climbing the concurrent user rankings on Steam, peaking at 340,171 players on its first day.
Rather than taking the beaten path of battle royale or pull shooter, Bulkhead opted for a “king of the hill” approach. Each match can bring together 100 players, divided into three teams. Teams fight for control of a 2 square km area that can appear anywhere on any of the three maps they play on. The more players your team has in a control zone, the more points you earn. The first team to 100 points wins.
Watch dogs features local voice chat (so you can talk to enemies as well as your teammates), as well as building and destroying bases. The most interesting aspect for me is the economic system. Every time you appear in a match, you will spend money on your loadout. You will earn more by controlling the area, transporting allies there, reviving downed teammates, eliminating enemies, etc. Your remaining money carries over to the next match, so if you splurge on a vehicle to help your team win while you’re short on cash, you may need to start your next match with basic equipment.
Valheim
Developer: Iron Gate
Publisher: Coffee Stain Publishing
Platforms: Steam (Windows, Mac, SteamOC/Linux; Steam Deck verified), Humble, Mac App Store, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox for PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch 2
Price: $30
After five years of early access, a fully formed version of Valheim is here. The Norse mythology-inspired survival game also debuted on PS5 and Switch 2 this week. Crossplay supports up to 10 players on all platforms.
Update 1.0 brings a whole bunch of additions to Valheimfeaturing a Great North biome as well as new weapons, armor sets, tools, creatures, buildable items, crafting materials, locations, events and much more. The new animated intro is also interesting.
Valheim was an early access success, and it has now sold over 17 million copies. I spent a few hours dabbling in the procedurally generated sandbox when it debuted in 2021. A few of my friends were much more into it – one of them put about 600 hours into the game. It’s not really my favorite genre, but maybe I should return to it to get a feel for what it’s like. Valheim It’s like after the last patch.
Mewgenism
Developers/publishers: Edmund McMillen, Tyler Glaiel
Platforms: Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X/S. Already available on Steam
Price: $40
Another successful indie game has expanded to more platforms, like Mewgenism (which sold a million copies in its first week earlier this year), is now available on consoles. The long-in-development RPG involves breeding cats to combine their attributes and abilities. You then take a team of kittens into a series of turn-based battles. After a successful race, a cat can only be used for breeding.
It is a strategy game with life simulation elements and complex systems. You can experiment with combinations of powers, mutations, and items for your cats, and you’ll probably never see the same one twice. “There are currently 74 sextillion (baseline) cats in Mewgenism“, Edmund McMillen said last year. “If you take into account mutations, classes, abilities and voices, it’s a lot more.”
Mushrooms and sadness
Developer: Team Lazerbeam
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Platform: Steam Early Access (Windows, Mac)
Price: $15
Dungeon Crawler deck builders with turn-based battles aren’t usually my type, but the art direction of Mushrooms and sadness caught my attention. I’m glad I tried, because there are some interesting ideas here.
This is actually a double deck builder. In addition to the cards you use in battle, there is another deck for exploration. You will use it to rest, modify cards and unlock new abilities.
I’ve only played one run so far, but I’m already starting to see how the mechanics fit together. I loved being able to turn an enemy into food if I was able to kill them with fire. Consuming this can turn another card into a weapon that has no casting cost. While Mushrooms and sadness is not verified by Steam Deck yet, it works quite well for me on the system. I’ll probably stick with this one for a while.
RPG Effulgence
Developer/publisher: Andrei Fomin
Platform: Steam (Windows; playable on Steam Deck)
Price: Usually $20, with 25% off until September 24
On the subject of games with striking art styles, god yes RPG Effulgence look neat. Andrei Fomin used ASCII characters to create the 3D characters and objects. I don’t remember seeing anything like it.
This is a party RPG that has just left Early Access. Enemies are your resources because defeated enemies break down into particles that you can collect and feed into a matter printer. You can use it to unlock more weapons and equipment, even during combat. The mechanics seem almost as interesting as the visuals. The game also doesn’t require a significant commitment, as Fomin says a playthrough will take around five to seven hours.
