Ohhh, so Outersloth wanna publish weird shit! I’m here for it. Despite its absurd, stupid surface, a thought-provoking and unsettling game marked by ambiguity and authenticity: the character is right in front of us, but distant and twisted. In a world of games vying for our attention, here’s a unique, memorable and ridiculous experience. *click*

It’s another survival horror MMO set in a post-apocalyptic world infested with monstrous creatures! Once Human has something, though - the world is wonderfully creative and its crafting and base-building are intuitive and satisfying. Great visuals and an atmospheric setting, but it feels typically grindy and repetitive over time. Definitely worth checking out for fans of the genre.

SCHiM is a unique puzzler where you navigate exclusively on shadows while solving puzzles. Its minimalist design and core mechanics are fresh, progressing creatively. It’s a delightful and refreshing take - and at times has quite poignant moments - but it’s hard to not feel like it peaks quite early, despite it’s short playtime.

[Early access] The Rogue Prince of Persia revitalises the classic with a fresh roguelike twist, brought to you by Evil Empire of Dead Cells fame. Procedurally generated levels keep runs exciting, and the fluid parkour and combat stay true to the franchise’s roots while making use of modern sensibilities. Gorgeous visuals and challenging gameplay make it a promising early access title, but we’ll see how the roadmap progresses…

DROS is a puzzle-platformer blending exploration with relatively light challenge. You’ll control two characters with unique abilities, each with strengths and weaknesses. The art style is charming, but the gameplay can feel repetitive - it’s engaging up front, but may lack depth for some people. Casually, it’s a light and satisfying experience though.

HoYo’s latest gacha has all the tropes and systems you’d expect, this time in a retrofuture urban setting and excelling in presentation, fast-paced combat and quality-of-life improvements. The combat is fluid, satisfying and addictive (albeit never particularly challenging), the story isn’t the deepest but has its moments (even if the pacing could use some work), and the whole thing has great visual design, sound design and music. Smaller than Genshin, its minor flaws are easy to overlook if you’re willing to ignore or accept the predatory gacha foundation.

The First Descendant is an almost aggressively pedestrian looter shooter - neither exceptional nor terrible. It combines ideas well but is held back by shameless drive toward microtransactions and apparent lack of identity: part Destiny, part Warframe, lots of fanservice. While the visuals and cooperative systems are strong, its gunplay and movement feel pretty average, and overall inconsistent quality and monetisation model won’t appeal to everyone. Worth a quick go if you wanna turn your brain off for a while.

An intriguing clicker game with an immediately captivating, minimalist aesthetic and subtly unsettling story. Number-goes-up satisfaction is at the forefront, but there are definite nods to factory automation, which rewards optimisation. Love the sound design, music, and unique take on the genre - but wish it leant harder into automation.

Please don’t. Rumours started last week about an Elden Ring TV show or film adaptation, and George R. R. Martin has added fuel to the fire in his ‘not a blog’.

Oh, and about those rumors you may have heard about a feature film or television series based on ELDEN RING… I have nothing to say. Not a word, nope, not a thing, I know nothing, you never heard a peep from me, mum mum mum.   What rumor?

As much as I’d love to see this done well, I think it’s more likely it won’t be… if it even can.

11 Bit Studios has delayed Frostpunk 2 from July 25 to September 20. They report needing more time to implement key features based on beta feedback.