Hello, gamers. It’s a new week, which can mean only one thing. Okay, it means a lot of things, but for our purposes, it means there are a bunch of new games to check out and others you can claim for free or almost free.
There aren’t too many blockbusters this week, but there are definitely some games that are worth your attention. Especially if you’ve been waiting for Stray to come to Xbox.
This won’t be a completely comprehensive list — new indies fly under the radar on Steam, Switch and mobile all the time. If I’ve missed anything worth including, let me know!
New Releases
Tuesday, Aug. 8
I’m posting this roundup a little later than I usually would, since I wanted to include brief impressions of WrestleQuest (out Tuesday on PC and consoles, as well as iOS and Android via Netflix) now that the review embargo has lifted. As the name suggests, it’s a fantasy RPG in which turn-based battles typically play out in a wrestling ring.
I’m a bit of a wrestling nerd and I hoped that passion would help ease my brain into the mindset of playing a turn-based RPG, which isn’t usually my kind of thing. Unfortunately, I haven’t had much time to dig into WrestleQuest to properly review it. What I can say is I’ve enjoyed what I’ve played. WrestleQuest is well-constructed and beautifully animated. Getting some assistance from ringside managers during battles is a fun touch.
It feels like the kind of game you can easily sink dozens of hours into, even if you aren’t a big wrestling fan (afficionados will appreciate the many references and in-jokes, though). If you’re into turn-based RPGs, it’s worth checking out, especially if you have a Netflix subscription since you can try it at no extra cost on your phone or tablet. In any case, I’m going to stick with it for a while.
There are some other intriguing games arriving on Tuesday. Deathbulge: Battle of the Bands (PC) is a colorful indie RPG that’s all about a deadly battle of the bands contest, oddly enough.
I Am Future: Apocalypse Survival (PC early access) “is a relaxing survival game about building a cozy rooftop camp amid a flooded post-apocalyptic city,” according to its Steam description. That sounds charming and it could make for a neat one-two punch with Highwater, one of my favorites of the year so far. I’m definitely into the idea of having robot helpers giving me a hand.
Gord (PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Steam) is a single-player strategy adventure game. You’ll have to construct defenses to survive while taking on enemies that lie outside of the gates. It seems like the kind of thing Diablo IV fans might want to check out when they need a break from that game.
Wednesday, August 9
Roguelike action-platformer 30XX exits early access on PC at the same time it arrives on Nintendo Switch on Wednesday. The Mega Man-inspired sequel to 20XX includes co-op play.
Who could resist a game with a name like Fluffy Milo (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Switch)? It’s a cute-looking, tile-based puzzle game in which you push cartons of milk onto bowls.
Thursday, August 10
Looking for a different kind of cat game?
Thursday is a day that many Xbox gamers have been waiting for. That’s when former PlayStation and PC exclusive Stray will be available on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. The adventure title, in which you play as a lost cat in a dystopian future, was one of my favorite games of last year.
Oh, shoot. That’s the wrong video. Let me fix that…
Atlas Fallen (PC, Xbox and PlayStation) is one of the bigger new games to arrive this week. The latest project from the team behind The Surge is a third-person ARPG. In this one, you wield an ancient gauntlet that lets you manipulate sand, including turning it into weapons.
One I’m certainly interested in checking out is Stray Gods: The Role-Playing Musical (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Switch). Unsurprisingly, it’s a roleplaying musical with branching narrative paths. It has an all-star cast featuring many actors from the The Last of Us games along with Rahul Kohli and other recognizable voices.
This isn’t a new game per se, but as the Overwatch guy around here, I do have to mention Overwatch 2: Invasion (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Switch). This is easily the biggest update to the game in a very long time. Among many other things, the Invasion season will add a new hero, a fresh PvP mode and something players have been long waiting for: co-op story missions that will really push the game’s narrative forward, though you’ll need to pay for those.
I’ll have lots more coverage of Invasion later this week. You can read more about what’s coming up here:
Friday, August 11
On Friday, Turbo Overkill comes out of early access on PC. I’ve been meaning to check out this high-octane first-person shooter for ages — the idea of playing as a character with dual chainsaw arms is very appealing to me.
Game Pass Additions
We’ve got a few titles coming to Game Pass on Xbox consoles, as well as cloud and PC this week. Broforce Forever builds on the previous version of side-scrolling run-and-gunner Broforce with an expanded campaign, four new challenge levels and “six new ultra patriotic bros.” It hits Game Pass today.
Playdead’s brilliant, atmospheric Limbo is coming to Game Pass on August 9. The former Xbox 360 exclusive is one of the most memorable games of this young century. I’d recommend it to anyone who doesn’t mind when things get a little creepy.
Starting on Wednesday, you’ll be able to check out Airborne Kingdom via Game Pass. It’s a city builder and management game that takes place in the skies.
Free Games On Prime Gaming
Amazon Prime subscribers can snag two more PC games this week. The self-explanatory Farming Simulator 19 (Epic Games Store) and 2D roguelite platformer Blade Assault (Amazon Games app) can be yours at no extra cost as of August 10.
Free Games On The Epic Games Store
Over on the Epic Games Store, there will be two fresh games to claim for zero dollars starting on Thursday: strategy sim Europa Universalis 4 and Orwell: Keeping an Eye on You, in which you use surveillance to find the perpetrators of terror attacks.
Don’t forget: you have until 11AM ET on August 10 to grab the current free games, Bloons TD 6 and Loop Hero.
For more gaming news, analysis and insight, follow my Forbes blog. You’ll get a weekly round-up email that includes everything I publish. You’d be doing me a solid, too — it’s a great way to support me and my work at no cost. Follow me on Twitter, Bluesky and Mastodon as well.
Read the full article here
