Five new Steam games you probably missed (March 18, 2024)

On an average day, about a dozen new games are released on Steam. And while we think that's a good thing, it can understandably be difficult to keep up with. Potentially exciting treasures are sure to get lost in the sea of ​​new ways to play if you don't check out every single game released on Steam. That's exactly what we did. If there's nothing you like this week, we've rounded up the best PC games you can play right now, as well as a running list of 2024 games coming out this year.

CTRL Phreak

Steam‌‌page‌ ‌
Release:‌ March 11th
Developer:‌ Robot Satan

CTRL Phreak is a hacking sim in the style of Hacknet. The goal is to become the world's “LEET H4X0R,” which means scouring the shady chat rooms and data payloads of the deep web in search of the most desirable and impenetrable target among hackers. While it adopts a dark, retro terminal aesthetic, CTRL Phreak seems to have a sense of humor: some “encounters” require you to pound the keyboard violently, as if you were roleplaying like a real hacker. I love the art style and the Steam reviews suggest that hacking sim enthusiasts – a pretty ravenous demographic – love this.

pass

Steam‌‌page‌ ‌
Release:‌ March 13th
Developer:‌ Studio Windsock

Here is an adorable puzzle game about sailing in a hot air balloon. As Curly, you hop from floating island to floating island, solving bizarre problems, practicing easy platforming and meeting a lot of weirdos. There are also some light survival elements to keep you on your toes, because without collecting resources you won't be going on a long hot air balloon ride. The art style of the paper cutouts is a delight, and the mood throughout is light and airy.

Oh deer

Steam‌‌page‌ ‌
Release:‌ March 16th
Developer:‌Cozy Cabin Studios

Here's a pretty fun asymmetrical shooter-slash-survival game about deer hunting. A lone hunter must track down four real human players cast as deer. Essentially it's a game of hide-and-seek, as there are AI deer that are easy to get along with, but as a deer you also have to eat, meaning you can't just camp somewhere nice and wait. Deer players face a pretty tough opponent, as the hunter has a number of gadgets to help him find the right deer before nightfall. Oh Deer is in Early Access: completion is expected in about six months, with new maps and modes being added in the meantime.

Death of a wish

Steam‌ ‌page‌ ‌
Release:‌ March 11th
Developer:‌ melessthan three

Here's a delightfully dark action RPG about a child's efforts to bring down the cult he grew up in. The art style looks like the doodles of a madman, and the colors and exaggerated attack animations add to the oppressive atmosphere. Beneath the distinctive art style lies a complex combat system that seems to be inspired by both character action games like Devil May Cry and Hyperlight Drifter. More stylish kills are rewarded, and according to the Steam page, there are “limitless” opportunities to fight in style due to the many and varied upgrade paths.

Rebel transmutation

Steam‌‌page‌ ‌
Release:‌ March 12th
Developer:‌ Evan Tor Games

Rebel Transmute is a Metroidvania and is as orthodox as it gets. Developed by a single developer, it ticks all the Metroidvania boxes, including a sprawling map, the slow distribution of new abilities that lead to new opportunities for exploration, and a ton of exciting gunplay that's reminiscent of Metroid or, for PC gamers, closer to it Axiom Verge Remember. Sometimes you just need to play a beautiful pixel art Metroidvania that doesn't play by the rules. The next time there are hits, Rebel Transmute will be waiting for you.