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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. If nothing catches your fancy this week, we've gathered the you can play right now and a running list of the that are launching this year.
Studio System: Guardian Angel
Release: February 5
Developer: alreti circle
Studio System: Guardian Angel is a surreal horror game that seems to borrow some stylistic quirks from Atlus. It's set in a school, for one, though more specifically, it's set in a secret film studio that just happens to be directly beneath the protagonist's school. Just as soon as this weird truth is brought to light, all students disappear and the protagonist finds themselves in this bizarre subterranea where disturbing creatures lurk. Interestingly, Studio System uses its fixed camera perspective as a tool for both combat and problem solving. Come for the dread-inducing atmosphere, stay for some interesting mechanical twists on the genre.
Slender Threads
Release: February 8
Developer: Blyts
Slender Threads follows travelling salesman Harvey Green as he becomes embroiled in a small town's paranormal dramas. If I happened upon a creepy, dilapidated small town full of unutterably weird people, I would probably just leave, except Green [[link]] can't: something is holding him there. Don't be fooled by the kinda-whimsical character design, because Slender Threads is a seriously unsettling psychological horror point 'n' click adventure, with some extremely sus-looking locations to explore.
While Waiting
Release: February 6
Developers: Optillusion
While Waiting is a game about waiting that rewards doing nothing at all. It's a series of set pieces tracing typical "waiting" situations like waiting for the toilet, waiting for a meeting to end, or waiting in a joyride queue. It's possible to interact with all environments in granular ways, but nothing you do will rush along the thing you're waiting for. A pointless game, then? No: it's got a very obvious comedic tone, and the whole thing is wrapped up in "a thought-provoking narrative". It's probably the only game on Steam with "Easter Eggs Hidden in Boringness" listed proudly as a feature.
World End Diner
Release: February 4
Developer: Andymente
World End Diner is a post-apocalyptic management game about running a diner at the end of the world. Don't be fooled by the premise though, because this is as cosy as they come, with lush 16-bit style graphics that inevitably put me in mind of Stardew Valley. Once you've gathered ingredients, whether by farming or just foraging in the woods, it's time to cook meals for the various cute animals and robots that make up your customer base. New recipes unlock as the game progresses, and there seems to be an abundance of progression paths towards making your diner the [[link]] best in the world, assuming there are any other diners in the world.
Looney Landers
Release: February 6
Developer: pixel games SARL-S
I was drawn to the graphics of Looney Landers: it kinda looks like something Amstrad Action would have raved about in the early 1980s. It's a local multiplayer party game about falling through a series of zany colourful obstacles without dying. The objective is to land safely, but to be competitive you'll need to land safely while taking some stupid risks. It's part of the studio's Class of 1983 arcade series, which also includes and .