Farlands seems to have a long way to go before it leaves Early Access and becomes a full game. However, I think it has a lot of promise. If the game interests you and you want to support the developers as they continue to flesh out the game, purchasing it in Early Access definitely isn’t a bad idea. Otherwise, I would give the game time, but I recommend keeping a close eye on it as it evolves throughout its development. [Early Access Review]

Lost Castle 2 is already at a great state in its Early Access release, and should prove to being a co-op favorite among Roguelike fans. [Early Access Review]

The Star Named EOS is heartwarming, heartwrenching, beautifully designed, and pleasantly short. It tells a great story with clever puzzles and never overstays its welcome. Fans of puzzle games or those just looking to experience this game’s incredible story will find a wealth of enjoyment from The Star Named EOS and may be left wanting more.

CONSCRIPT is incredibly atmospheric, with great ideas and loving homages to the survival game genre. While the tension wasn’t quite there for me, I’m sure others will find it in this otherwise incredible game.

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is an incredibly unique title, with a remarkably interesting world and great twists on classic gameplay to keep you captivated as you gun down (or chop apart) the undead horde.

Norland is in a really solid place, even in its Early Access release. It has a solid grasp on what makes games like RimWorld, its main inspiration, fun, and adds to the formula with interesting diplomatic and lineage-building systems. It has cool, unique lore, nice graphics, a robust economy system, and well-polished, if not incredibly deep, combat mechanics. For anyone looking for a new colony sim, Norland certainly serves as a worthy contender on the market. [Early Access Review]

SCHiM is a relaxing and artistic little game. With a clever take on platform puzzles, a cute little shadow frog, and a surprisingly heartwrenching story, this charming title is sure to find a cozy spot in the pond you call your Steam library.

Governor of the West is a clever, strategically satisfying board-game-type title that is food for killing ten to twenty minutes fast. However, the game would shine with the addition of multiplayer, which it sorely lacks at the moment.

Anger Foot is a gem. It’s got a superbly unique setting, and it feels simple and creative gameplay that gets your blood running, as well as a fantastic score to wrap it all up. That’s really all there is to say about Anger Foot. It’s great, fun, and one of my new favorites, but I know for a fact that nothing I could say could sell you on the game quite like screenshots from the game itself.

Kaku Ancient Seal feels nostalgic for PS2 area adventure games featuring fantastic world-building and strong action-adventure mechanics. The game will take you in, invest you in its diverse and interesting world, and provide satisfying ways to grow your strength as you balance the elements and save the world from destruction.

Ark of Charon is an interesting title. While still in Early Access, I think a lot of what it needs to fix can easily be buffed out before the game’s full release, making for a truly great colony sim/tower defense combination. [Early Access Review]

What Kingdom, Dungeon, and Hero lacks in strategic complexity, it makes up for in storytelling, classical RPG mechanics and an interesting wargame added almost as a cherry on top of it all.

Stuffed is an interesting take on the “Zombies” wave-defense style game. However, despite its great presentation and potential, the state of the game itself could use some work. With the state of weapon balance, performance optimization, and map design, I’d say Stuffed feels more like an Early Access title than a full release.

Dystopika is a small, relaxing game about building an aesthetically pleasing cyberpunk city with no restraints on where or how many buildings you can place. While your time with the game may be short-lived, you’re bound to enjoy it and feel utterly relaxed, which is exactly what Dystopika wants to do.

Shadow of the Erdtree is more of everything you love about Elden Ring, expanding on the award-winning game with a bigger arsenal, tougher enemies, a brand-new story, and even more beautiful landscapes.

With its lonely, other-worldly setting, interesting sci-fi and fantastical elements, and puzzling puzzles, the remake Riven is a game that feels incredibly faithful to the era in which it was created and should be a fantastic title for fans of the series and newcomers alike.

Though the concept of a survival craft game based on Norse mythology has certainly been done before, ASKA stands out with its emphasis on immersion and village building. With amazing stylized graphics and a good balance between survival gameplay and city building, ASKA is a title that’s as fun to play as it is beautiful to look at. [Early Access Review]

The coziest of cozy visual novels, Tavern Talk is sure to win you over. With a huge cast of delightful and interesting characters and intriguing fantasy stories, no cozy afternoon can be complete without serving these adventurers their drinks.

Horror Tales: The Beggar is a nicely portioned, exciting, and interesting game that is well worth checking out. While not exactly what I’d call horror, the game offers plenty of interesting ideas and world-building at an incredibly fair price.

Workers and Resources: Soviet Republic is one of the most in-depth economic simulators on the market, offering an excellent experience for the management-enthused player. However, poor placement tech means that players interested in the game’s building side will surely miss out.

Still Wakes The Deep stands out as a triumph in horror games, blending thrilling gameplay with a unique, inspired, and haunting atmosphere, with a compelling story and characters to boot. It’s a must-play for horror enthusiasts and anyone looking for a game that pushes the boundaries of the genre. Still Wakes The Deep is not just a highlight of the year; it might very well be a benchmark for future horror games.

You’ll probably never see me saying this again, but Drug Dealer Simulator 2 has too much story...Drug Dealer Simulator 2 wants to sell you on the narrative of becoming a drug kingpin in a small archipelago nation, going from rags to riches as your small-time dope business grows into an all-drug-encompassing criminal empire. It’s an exciting fantasy, and it could easily be sold to a player through nothing more than the game’s basic tycoon-progression mechanics and a little imagination. Drug Dealer Simulator 2, however, has an almost campaign-like story alongside it. [Early Access Review]

The roadmap for Bodycam promises bug fixes, more maps, and a zombie mode, of which I’m personally the most excited. Though I feel like the gun play could be improved and the game should allow for weapon progression and selection, I can safely say that even in Early Access, Bodycam will certainly have a dedicated player base, though $30 may be a bit too steep for what the game is offering. Also, if the devs are reading this, get rid of the Discord server launch prompt when you open the game. It feels invasive and will definitely put off potential players. [Early Access Review]

Kristala already seems to be an exciting and unique entry into the Soulslike genre. With its unique setting and twists on the genre’s gameplay mechanics, the game has real promise. Though there are still bugs to be polished, optimization to be implemented, and tweaks to the controls and gameplay to be made before Kristala is ready to launch, Kristala has a lot to offer fans of Soulslike games, but it should be equally appealing for newcomers looking to make this cat-based world their first experience with the genre. [Early Access Review]

If your tribe has multiple clans or “units,” there is no reminder at the end of your turn to move them or an easy way to cycle between selecting multitudes of them. Sometime, the game will outright refuse to allow you to select your other clans, and you just have to watch them slowly die of starvation or predator attack as they are left defenseless and without direction. [Early Access Review]

Nine Sols feels like a love letter to Sekiro and the Metroidvania genre as a whole. Though slow at times, the game’s focus on storytelling pairs well with its great visuals, presenting a narrative experience paired with some challenging but fair gameplay.

I think Soulmask has some good ideas but needs more work, especially on the non-mechanical side of things. The UI, menu navigation, building, and localization need some improvement before this game can shine as the ambitious survival craft the developers want it to be. [Early Access Review]

RIPOUT is a horror extraction shooter based enjoyed with friends. With a terrifying setting, a great aesthetic, deeply replayable levels, and living guns, RIPOUT is something you and your buddies will surely bond over… as you’re bonded into one giant flesh colossus.