Five new Steam games you probably missed (October 15, 2018)

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.    

The Light Keeps Us Safe

Steam page
Release: October 11
Developer: Big Robot Ltd
Price: $19.99  

Launched into Early Access last week, The Light Keeps Us Safe is a first-person, open world survival horror game centred around the use of light to—you guessed it—stay safe. Developed by Big Robot, the studio responsible for The Signal From Tolva and Sir, You Are Being Hunted, the game blends stealth and exploration, with the primary threat coming from "horrifying and aggressive alien-machine enemies". These enemies are repelled by light, with the primary wielded device used to shine it at foes and to solve puzzles and complete challenges. This can be upgraded by the sound of things, though don't worry about the usual survival game busywork: there's no crafting. Definitely one worth looking at, and the studio expects it to leave Early Access around March next year.

Shortest Trip to Earth

Steam page
Release: October 10
Developer: Interactive Fate
Price: $19.99  

Another Early Access game, Shortest Trip to Earth is clearly inspired by FTL, described by studio Interactive Fate as "a roguelike spareship simulator featuring exploration, ship management, game-influencing decision-making and real-time tactical battles". Oh, and by all reports it's quite difficult, according to Tom Hatfield when he went hands on with the game a few weeks back. There's a seemingly insatiable appetite for stuff just like this, and the game has already won a "Very Positive" rating on Steam. The studio expects it to stay in Early Access until January.

September 1999

Steam page
Release: October 11
Developer: 98DEMAKE
Price: Free

Released on Itch.io earlier in the year, September 1999 is a free, found footage-style horror game that's both free and very short. On that latter note: the game runs for precisely five minutes and 30 seconds. The trailer above will give you some idea about the mood September 1999 trades in, but the less said about the game the better. You just have to try it. Life is short but this game is much, much shorter (and free).

Dreadnought

Steam page
Release: October 14
Developer: Six Foot, Yager
Price: Free

To paraphrase one Steam reviewer, Dreadnought sounds very similar to World of Warships, except it's in space. The free-to-play shooter focuses on team-based combat both in outer space as well as above the surfaces of various planets. In addition to blowing up opposing spaceships with the usual array of weaponry, captains will also need to manage their crew and resources, shifting things depending on the situation. I haven't tried Dreadnought so I can't vouch for its free-to-play model, but if you're into thoughtful, sci-fi vehicular combat it looks worth a shot.

My Memory Of Us

Steam page
Release: October 10
Developer: Juggler Games
Price: $17.99  

My Memory of Us is a side-scrolling, narrative driven adventure game starring two young friends "who complete each other". In other words, each has their own abilities which they'll need to share in order to survive a sudden war. So you'll be controlling both, swapping between them instantly, while interacting via a unique symbol-driven dialogue system and solving logic puzzles. While the art style might not suggest it, My Memory of Us doesn't look for the faint of heart: according to the studio "the events shown in the game are based on actual stories from war". Probably one for fans of Limbo and Never Alone. 

These games were released between October 8 and October 15, 2018. Some online stores give us a small cut if you buy something through one of our links. Read our affiliate policy for more info.   

Shaun Prescott

Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.