Sorting through every new game on Steam so you don't have to.
(Image credit: Bandai Namco)
2023 games: Upcoming releases
Best PC games: All-time favorites
Free PC games: Freebie fest
Best FPSes: Finest gunplay
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 2023 games that are launching this year.
Life of Delta
Steam page
Release: March 14
Developer: Airo Games
Launch price: $18 | £15.29 | AU$26.55
Point and click adventures are a dime a dozen at the moment, but Life of Delta stands out for its rich, almost lush take on familiar post-apocalyptic visual tropes. In a world bereft of human beings, you play as a cute lil service robot called Delta, who lives a comfortably sheltered life before a friend goes missing. Suddenly, Delta is embarking on a dangerous quest through a brown-blanched, sand-blasted Japan. There’s danger, sure, but this is predominantly a puzzle-oriented affair, in the style of ye olde Lucasarts games, and you should expect to converse with some pleasantly odd fellow robots, too. Fans of vintage PC adventures are spoiled for choice at present, but Life of Delta is attention-grabbing for its gorgeous presentation.
Vernal Edge
Steam page
Release: March 15
Developer: Hello Penguin Team LLC
Launch price: $15.29 | £15.29 | AU$22.45
Nothing particularly fancy here, just another modern pixel-art Metroidvania that is an utter joy to look at. Set in an archipelago of floating islands, protagonist Vernal has embarked on a revenge mission—the best kind—related to her estranged father. You can expect the usual steady drip of map-expanding abilities, but Vernal Edge seems to promise a little more freedom than other Metroidvanias: via your airship, you can travel at leisure in glorious 2.5D between the floating islands. Vernal herself accumulates a very flexible range of combat maneuvers as well. I’m definitely adding this to my dozens-strong Metroidvania backlog.
Forklift Extreme
Steam page
Release: March 17
Developer: Last Man Gaming
Launch price: $6 | £4.79 | AU$8.39
I don’t doubt that there is a sizeable market for forklift-themed games, because there are actually a lot of them, including Forklift Simulator 2019, Best Forklift Operator, and Super Forklift 3000. Forklift Extreme describes itself as a simulator, with special attention given to physics, because what you’re carrying on those forks can dramatically alter handling, didn’t you know. That said, Forklift Extreme has a whiff of arcade fun to it, in the same way that Art of Rally walks that line, and the presentation is light and cheerful rather than sober. This originally released for Nintendo Switch last year, but finally comes to PC with all post-launch content included.
Backbeat
Steam page
Release: March 16
Developer: Ichigoichie
Launch price: $27 | £27 | AU$39.55
Backbeat is a tactical puzzle game about a funk band Battle of the Bands rivalry. It’s an instabuy pitch if you’re a funk fan, but for everyone else, Backbeat is a really clever take on the timeworn sokoban format. As you maneuver your eight-piece ensemble through the game’s 40 stages, the music will shapeshift according to your actions. Not only that, but each band member has their own approach to traversing the maps, and the way you get them to where they’re meant to go will ultimately have an effect on the music. Don’t worry too much: It’s all time-based, and you can easily rewind if things go too awry. It’s a little tough to summarize Backbeat, and it’s definitely the kind of game you need to play to get. Good news: there’s a demo, too.
Lovebirb
Steam page
Release: March 15
Developer: Anonymous Penguin Studio
Launch price: Free
I didn’t think the world needed more than one game about dating birds, but here’s the second (that I know of). Lovebirb is all about charming the feathers off “hot and single birbs” via rhythm-based challenges. It’s inexplicably free—i feel like there’d be an audience out there prepared to throw cash at this, but I’m no businessman.
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