PC Gaming Show 2023 Rundown

Could we have one year, PC Gamer where you stop trying to be funny? Your green screen storytelling and choice of actors don’t enhance the experience. In fact, they often hinder a showcase full of games that at least someone wants to hear about. Let’s open up Steam (and Epic) and get to wishlisting everything we’ll be playing over the next two years, but will eventually return to the same four games.

This year’s show started early with a pre-show that was basically an ad for tinyBuild, which we all love for one reason or another. It was also to set up for the sub-par Elon Musk SNL skit that dragged over two hours. Mostly showing what we’re about to see from tinyBuild, we’ll skip what we saw in the main show later on which is most of it.

Slime3K: Rise Against Despot had a teaser, and is another game in the highly successful Despot series which plagues election cycles every 4-5 years depending on where you are. Coming later this year to Xbox Series X|S and One, Switch, PlayStation 4 & 5, and PC, you’ll control the gelatinous blob ready to kill all the humans you’d control in the last game.

Following on from the highly successful release of Kill it With Fire and its VR release from April (which was also featured in a reel of tinyBuild titles), Kill it With Fire 2 was announced. Coming to Steam early access in Q4 of 2023, the upcoming spider-infested title is heading to space. In 2024 Kill it With Fire 2 is coming to PS4 & 5 as well as Xbox Series X|S too. Now only if I could kill the script or the typewriter that is used to make these god-awful links between games with fire.

Last year I think I checked out when we got to I am Future: Cozy Apocalypse, because I’d sat through other shows that day and was done. This year’s showcase of the survival defense exploration game that is releasing into Early Access on August 8th actually looks sort of interesting. So much so that it was straight on my Steam wishlist this time. A much more relaxed and colorful sort of survival affair, Mandragora’s “last man alive” tale in a flooded post-apocalyptic city is one that I’m looking forward to.

Set to finally hit 1.0 on August the 3rd, Black Skylands is top-down pixel Guns of Icarus and I’m kind of into it. Colorful and interesting enough that I’m thinking about picking it up now, it is fair to say this latest trailer finally sold it to me. Coming to Switch, Steam, and what is just noted as PlayStation and Xbox in the new trailer, you’ll be able to play it just about anywhere, sort of. See tinyBuild, this is why we need press releases; so we can clear up what your trailers (and yet-to-be-updated website) gloss over.

The last game that got its own teaser (but didn’t appear in the main show) was Punch Club 2, coming to Steam, Switch, and once again just the logos for PlayStation and Xbox, on July 20th. I skipped over the original from 2016 for some reason or another. However, the trailer showed off a cool idea with interesting mechanics and made me care about boxing. Also, if you make a Piper reference as your Steam description and only your Steam description, I instantly love you forever because it is the stupid thing I’d do too.

Onto the main show and I won’t waste time on the Frankie-AI nonsense as I’ve got children to turn into soup and old people to burn for fuel. Oh yes, it must be Frostpunk 2 getting announced for Steam, Epic, GOG, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5, coming in 2024. There wasn’t any gameplay this side of the announcement, and on Steam the images seem exclusively to be from this very trailer too, leaving us in the dark. Given 2024 isn’t that far away, we might see more from 11-bit studios in the cold and bitter months to come. I can’t wait to kill everyone!

A creative mode where I can create anything I want and blow it up, you say? Well, Tuxedo Labs, you have invited a whole lot of cockerels to be created with explosives inside. Maybe after picking them up with a crane and running up and down on top of them, they will come to explode with joy. Or maybe I could just draw a bunch of penises. I think I’ll be doing that on the 15th, when voxel-explosion ‘em up Teardown gets its creative mode ahead of the Xbox Series X|S and PS5 release later this year.

A true highlight of last year’s dismal PC Gaming Show, Nivalis came back with its well-lit voxel-based Fifth Element-style game, and I love it. Coming to Steam and Epic in 2024, we got a highlight on some story elements to this cyberpunk life-sim dream possibly crossed with a hint of horror. Showing off the city, the fishing theme of this city crumbling into the ocean, some business management, the social element, and of course the serial killer on the loose, Nivalis looks to be a dream topped off with a photo mode. A couple of days before, we got a look at the behind-the-scenes from another showcase for Nivalis too.

Sort of FTL meets Theme Hospital/Evil Genius, Jumplight Odyssey thrusts you into the stars without the hint of a release date for its Steam release and only the hope of making the escape from the Zutopan Fleet. League of Geeks might not have a release date for its fantastic colony sim/management idea, but I do know I’ll be Star Trekking across the universe in search of the mythical Forever Star once it does come. Though in the meantime, those looking to take the helm will be able to do so in this colorful title from the 19th, as Jumplight Odyssey is part of the Steam Next Fest.

I’m not partial to the ultra-realism of hardcore survival games, they often bore the nose off of me. Road to Vostok might not have a date like many of the games we’ll see today, but the soon-to-be Early Access title set between Finland and that place we don’t talk of anymore does have a demo available right now. Set after the coming nuclear apocalypse, there wasn’t a lot of intense action to speak of in the trailer but the survivalist and heavily customizable gunplay somehow pulled me in.

Following another one of those “hilarious” jokes about AI, we got a look at a pure Metroidvania without all that Rogue-like/lite nonsense when we saw Ebenezer and The Invisible World. Coming to Steam, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5, a release date for this Christmas Carol-inspired title is yet to come. Though if you’re like me, you will be downloading the demo available on Steam right this second.

I’ve been happy and excited thus far, might as well ruin it. Warhaven is an upcoming 16-on-16 free-to-play PVP title with enough pauldrons to make Dark Souls blush. With a touch of fantasy to this team-based affair, I can’t help but point out that it has all the trappings to be quite popular. I also feel I have to point out the trailer doesn’t spike my interest as someone not typical to this type of gameplay. Big and explosive, you’ll be able to try out the action title between the 19th and 26th of June, as a demo will become available.

More my speed, D.O.R.F. Real-Time Strategic Conflict might not have a release date to speak of just yet, but I can’t help but point out that I’m a fan of a good RTS. D.O.R.F. Real-Time Strategic Conflict looks like your dad’s type of fun and I am all here for it. Looking a bit like a modern Total Annihilation, I can’t wait to see more from DORFteam. There is no demo to speak of at this time and I doubt we’ll see a console release mentioned at all.

Sulfur was up next with a showcase of its fast-paced classic FPS stylings with a modern twist graphically. No demo, no release, no press releases, and no website for the Swedish developer, Perfectly Random, so there is little in the way of factual details to mention outside of the trailer. A cool idea that blends survival-style inventories and Doom-based gameplay, the funny little game with a hint of desaturation to its color does enough to be memorable in such a long show. I also like the four-eyed Amazon delivery monster.

One of the few MMOs to capture my attention, Airstrafe Interactive’s Saleblazers is an open-world survival shopkeeper title that is about basically building a shop in a fantasy land with modern city-dwelling people. It is very strange, almost Final Fantasy in some of its styling, but also wildly inconsistent. In the trailer we saw shogun ninjas, fantasy monsters that are almost BOTW-esque, people in modern dress, and on Steam you’ll find a wild west town in the screenshots. Releasing in Early Access on the 29th of September, I’m hesitant but keeping an eye on this one.

Anime corruption for the win! Eternights is something that has been on my mind since I watched Day of the Devs, and I have fallen in love with this Persona, dating-sim, Devil May Cry, Suda51 crossover. Coming on the 21st of September, Studio Sai is bringing this strange and wonderful title to PS4 and 5, Steam, and Epic. Though if its madness doesn’t capture you just yet, there will be a demo available from the 19th of June. I can’t wait for September now.

From excitement to very boring men talking about making a very boring fantasy MMORPG, it must be the recently announced Pax Dei. Another MMO that wants to do everything, Pax Dei is a very ambitious project that was only announced back in March. The trailer, which focused on game director Reynir Hardarson and chief producer Sulka Hard talking about the ambitious project while wistfully looking at castles and forests. It was all about reinforcing that fantasy has gone too far into action and should be about ghosts and highly detailed folklore. Your game looks gorgeous, but it is very boring.

Speaking of the boring, let’s continue on with Mario Kart but battle royale, though without cheese. Set to release into Early Access on Steam, Sumo Leamington’s free-to-play Stampede: Racing Royale looks like a nightmare if you actually want an arcade racing game. With up to 60 players on track at a time, it will be like Formula 3 on the streets of Monaco. No specific release date is noted yet, though we do know that it is expected to come to Early Access sometime this year according to the newly released FAQ on Steam.

My type of boring people, Auroch Digital’s Mars Horizon 2: The Search for Life is set to blast off into the outer reaches of Steam sometime next year. That said, the trailer with people too eager to get their Atlantis Shuttle crew cosplay on, mentions that if you sign up to the mailing list, you could be one of the few to play the game first as there is an alpha on the horizon. Oh, I see what you did there.

Diablo is certainly getting a lot of work out of some people’s mouths of late. Not only has Blizzard released footage of what it is like to work inside their den of miscreant behavior, but Grinding Gear Games’ upcoming Path of Exile 2 also got another showing. Still nothing with great detail, but those of us that care will get more detail on July 28th.

Right, I am an ideas guy, so hear me out money people. What if we made a game that is all the things? Yet to get a release date, tinyBuild and OMYOG’s Ferocious is a mix of ARK, Far Cry 3, Crysis, and The Forest as far as I can tell. Downright breathtaking in those screenshots and trailers, it is surprising to see Unity used to such a potential instead of an endless runner that is re-skinned.

Maybe one day we’ll escape the clutches of Myst and those that still believe it is somehow the greatest thing since sliced lesbians with Chorizo filling. Islands of Insight is an upcoming puzzle game akin to The Witness. Here is hoping that when I can’t find any more puzzles to finish the game I won’t be told that I don’t understand its greater meaning. Passive aggressiveness aside, Lunarch Studios’ first-person open-world puzzle title doesn’t have a release date, though you can wishlist Islands of Insight on Steam now.

Dropping THE from the title once again, Lords of the Fallen (the new one) showed off a little bit of gameplay and cinematics for the upcoming Souls-like. Four months away from the release of HEXWORKS’ dark fantasy game, the short trailer didn’t really show us anything we didn’t already know. Set to release on the 13th of October, I’m excited to see how this one shapes up given the state of the last one almost a decade ago.

Similar to the Steamworld franchise, the Naheulbeuk series is branching out. It is now delving into the Theme Hospital/Dungeon Keeper realm for plunder. Naheulbeuk’s Dungeon Master is set to release this summer with its comedy/fantasy take on the dungeon management sims that we old people like from our childhood.

I’m not completely sold, I’ll admit. It caught me off guard for it to be another Naheulbeuk title. With a demo available from the 19th (through the 26th), it might be a good time to give it a go and see if we might be interested once a release date is given for the Epic and Steam release.

Following the fantastic looking 9 Years of Shadows, Halberd Studios’ next title is a Metroidvania with a Japanese voice-over in the trailer and heavy Mexican folklore from the developer’s homeland. Mariachi Legends is set to hit Steam and Epic in 2024 but I just don’t want to wait that long for this gorgeous mystery title. Playing as detective Pablo Cruz while he hides among the Mariachis during the Day of the Dead festival in Santa Mascota, you’ll take Lady Death by the hand to take down Don Emilio Obregon. I am in love!

Possibly one of the longest titles of the showcase, Frontier’s Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin is a very brown-looking fantasy action-RTS. Another one of them pauldron hoggers, the single-player campaign and PVP multiplayer title doesn’t have a release date at the moment, nor a demo on the 19th. Instead, an open beta will be running between the 7th and 10th of July. Set to release on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, and Epic, I’m in two minds on getting excited here. I like an RTS game, but fantasy I’m iffy on.

This right here is why I hate the PC Gaming Show: Earlier in the showcase it was announced that there would be an announcement for Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector. So a sequel to a beloved game of last year is to be announced, and you throw it in like it is part of the TV listings. Are you on meth? A cinematic story-focused trailer for the upcoming narrative-driven cyberpunk RPG didn’t give us much to talk about. Effectively it mentioned that Jump Over The Age is working on a sequel, we’ll hear about this one in the next year or two to come.

Critter Cove was shown off in the pre-show as a teaser, but it wasn’t until now that we got a proper look at the chibi farming and life sim aiming straight at Animal Crossing with colorful precision. Once again showing only the logo for the brand, Critter Cove is set to come to PlayStation, Xbox, and Steam at some point in Early Access. Checking in on Steam, the latest news on the announcement says that Early Access will be coming “later this year.”

With a show aimed at lampooning the prophets proselytizing the uses of AI and AI-generated material, it was surprising to have an ad (that is what it was) for Hidden Door. Not found on Steam or Epic, later this winter you’ll be able to go onto the Hidden Door website and play AI Dungeon with an ultra-modern UI making its random number generators and fancy ChatGPT-like parameter box look appealing. All to give you the chance at playing make-believe in someone else’s copyright. Star Wars was a particular choice to attract ill-minded fans.

We’ll skip the Miasma Chronicles ad as it was for the physical release on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S and move on to what was next. A cinematic trailer for Undead Inc., which basically showed it as an Umbrella Corp simulator. In truth, it is more of a Sim Tower/Project Highrise-like management game with the trappings of an ethically grey bio-medical company. There was no release date for the Steam release, nor a demo in sight. We’ll have to keep an eye on what is next from Team17 and Right Sized Games.

Another cinematic trailer that eventually got to gameplay showed off a cyberpunk Metroidvania RPG with dating sim elements from the people over at 2Awesome Studio who previously made Aeon Drive and Split-Screen Mindbenders. Altered Alma is coming to PC, Mac, and Linux, and is set to bring Neo-Barcelona to light in this colorful and pixel-heavy title. The press release also wants to highlight Antony Johnston who is noted for his non-linear storytelling, previously working on Resident Evil Village and Dead Space. There is no release date, but the game is certainly getting on a few wishlists in the last few days.

I don’t understand these space-based rhythm games, but following the death of Swedish DJ and producer Avicii, the Invector series will continue as Warner Music publishes Invector: Rhythm Galaxy. Featuring PinkPantheress, Charlie Puth, Duran Duran, and more, you’ll hit the buttons at the right time to do something that fires out lots of particles. Releasing with 40 songs, Invector: Rhythm Galaxy will come to Steam on the 14th of July. One presumes due to the press release that consoles will follow at a later date.

Starward Industries, I understand that you are trying to adapt Stanislaw Lem’s work, and you are trying to both do it justice and show it off, but your trailers are very boring. I will probably play The Invincible when it releases later this year on Steam, Epic GOG, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5, but the 70s retro-futurism sci-fi title doesn’t do well when you are showing it off. Meant as a mystery you’ll enjoy fully at some point, this in medias res thing doesn’t work.

Sort of an ad was next with Park Beyond, which releases on the 15th of June for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. It was also part of this year’s competition which is better than those very ugly PCs from a while back. I don’t care what the box under my desk looks like, I care that what is in it can run these games at a minimum of 60 on ultra. It is another one of those RollerCoaster Tycoon, Parkitect, and similar titles, AI Frankie went to great lengths to avoid comparing Park Beyond to Planet Coaster.

I am just going to copy over my notes for this one because there is no better way to convey what this next one is. A Vampire Survivors-like bullet Hell with all the heart of a Flappy Bird clone; Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors is little else. Following on from making Sunday Gold last year, the Canadian studio that is BKOM Studios will be releasing Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors later this year on PC. If I must be nice, the art department deserves a raise.

I’ve come over all peculiar all of a sudden, I want to play a very pretty 2D 2v2 fighter, what is wrong with me? Set to release later this year, Diesel Legacy: The Brazen Age is coming to PS4 & 5, Xbox Series X|S & One, Switch, and Steam, the latter of which has an open beta available right now. Focused on multiplayer, I’m concerned it is another example of a Steam page inaccurately showing single-player for something that would otherwise be interesting.

Praise be, it is someone who understood the assignment to be funny and likable. Thank you lycra-man (director, Will Barr) from Billy Goat Entertainment for showing off Parcel Corps, a somewhat Tony Hawk-like with bikes (not Dave Mirra) with an almost Jet Set Radio sense of color and art. Set to make its Uber Eats, DoorDash, GrubHub, Postmates, and Deliveroo-like satired delivery in 2024, we’ll ride through the open world of New Island on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

Out now in Early Access, Fabledom from Swedish developer Grenaa Games showed off the chubby little people in this city-builder full of character. On May 30th, the fairytale kingdom saw its The Art of Soldiery update. With it, we got a press release showing off the road map. The trailer only mentioned what is next, the Gallantry and Bartering update, but following that will be The Elixir of Love, and the A Wedding in a Chateau update. Further progress on the roadmap is yet to be revealed.

Game Pass ad aside, we got a short look at the sequel Rogue-lite/like Platformer with a heavy dose of Mega Man in mind, 30XX. A sequel to Batterstaple Games’ 20XX that has been in early access since early 2021, the action Rogue-like/lite side scroller is finally heading out of Early Access with a 1.0 release coming on August 9th on PC and Switch.

I’ll complain about it here and don’t mistake my love of Frostpunk 2’s announcement for excusing it with its Steam page too, but using cinematic trailer screenshots for your Steam page images shouldn’t be allowed. Chimera is a first-person sci-fi open-world, survival crafting, base-building, action immersive sim with single-player and up to 4-player multiplayer. Which is to say that it is all the games, but we haven’t seen a single shot of the actual game. I get it Creepy Jar, making all the games is difficult, but why was this announced to be coming to Early Access without so much as some pre-alpha footage?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UyRbDN2jhI

Releasing August 17th, I’ll be playing Mimimi Games’ Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew on PC (via Epic and Steam). The Commandos-like tactical stealth RPG is also releasing on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. As I’ve said in multiple articles now, I am excited to head into the Lost Caribbean this August. Though as I noted recently, if you’re interested in Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew, a demo featuring the first act will be available from the 19th through the 26th during the Steam Next Fest.

I didn’t understand the point of Exbleative’s 2021 game, Exo One: Looking from the outside more like a desktop wallpaper that you play passively than anything else. Jumping from floating alien spacecraft to rovers, the next game Exo Rally Championship is about the most dangerous off-road race in the galaxy. Now if only the trailer conveyed this a little bit better. Again, we have screenshots directly from a cinematic trailer on the Steam page, but I have reason to believe at least the onboard camera featured in the trailer might be gameplay minus the hud. No release date just yet though.

Remember that Command and Conquer Mobile gameplay demo from EA Play a few years back? The almost 2015 PC Gaming Show-like interview for Stormgate gave those vibes. The pre-alpha footage for the upcoming free-to-play RTS looked like a worse version of that mobile game. I don’t know how, but they made it look and sound so boring. If this was in front of a live audience I’d have half expected a brick to come flying on stage, or a Bottom Live reference to be shouted in the silence. Frost Giant Studios hasn’t given a release date yet for this nonsense.

Looking older than some of the discs in my office dating back to the 90s, Fortune’s Run looks like Deus Ex stretched to 1080P and heavily modded to smooth over the issues. Noted for its sci-fi (almost space cowboy) elements by saying it is Star Wars mixed with Deus Ex, I am sure Team Fortune has seen a massive increase in wishlists. Myself included. Releasing on September 1st, the immersive sim sealth FPS RPG also has a demo currently available to try out on Steam.

Shown with a cinematic trailer, Team17’s 100-player World War 2 Call of Duty multiplayer-like, Hell Let Loose, is basically an American democracy simulator. For the most part, it seemed to be an ad, which I would normally ignore but a detail worth noting did come up. Coming on July 18th, the Devotion to Duty update will be released. This actually was the point of the cinematic trailer with the 101st Airborne but you wouldn’t know that unless you got a press release or already play Cover 6 Studios’ FPS. I like the idea of the game, it was just a bad trailer to convey information.

From a VR puzzle title to a 4-player co-op action Rogue-like shooter, BitCake Studio does like the niche. Coming soon to Steam, Atomic Picnic looks like an anime action release with the aforementioned 4-player co-op focus. Personally, I can’t see the appeal here at all, as anything with people makes me want to hit my face off of my desk. Though if you want to get a hands-on feel for the title right now, there is a demo available. No release date as far as I’ve been able to ascertain though.

I’m not writing this one out fully, I’m copying it because it is ridiculous. Jorel’s Brother and the most important Game of the Galaxy releases on the 15th of June on Steam, Apple App Store, and Google Play Store. This is another point-and-click adventure that thinks it is funny. Unless you know the Brazilian Cartoon Network show it is based on, there is very little chance you’ll be interested in what is to be had here.

Moving on to something with an 80s vomit look, Mullet Mad Jack is a fast-paced FPS that looks like what it is like to do a tab of acid and watch They Live through a kaleidoscope. Few details were given as this is the start of that typical “here is a grab-bag of games you’ll possibly enjoy, all at high speed so you don’t know what everything is” segment. It looks cool but doesn’t have a release date, you’ll see more in the future I bet.

Gaucho and the Grasslands was also bungled in here like it is nothing, but it is an isometric/third-person (God of War distance) farming sim with a lot of color and a mythical twist. I’ve been excited about Epopeia Games’ upcoming title for a while now. It is interesting to see it now that it has a September release window.

A demo is available now for HeroCraft PC’s upcoming turn-based 4X strategy, Revival: Recolonization. That said, if you are already into the Civilization-like as I was when I first saw it, you don’t have to wait long for a release. It is coming to Steam Early Access on June 28th. Though if you were at all put off by the controversy surrounding Atomic Heart, it might be worth noting that the action-adventure title from Mundfish is part of a crossover that was announced back in May.

Similarly releasing within the next couple of weeks, we have BEHEMUTT’s resource management automation base-building title, Nova Lands. Similar to other trailers that annoy people like me who want to convey detail, Nova Lands is coming to Steam, Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox on June 22nd. It would be nice to know which PlayStation and Xbox, but I guess that doesn’t matter when we’re between generations. That was sarcasm, if it wasn’t obvious.

The next person that makes me watch an Alienware ad is getting put in the ground. I’d rather look at the design document for BKOM’s Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors. Available now on Steam, iOS, Android, and Xbox Series X|S and One, the 1.5 update brings “DLC,” according to Plott, to Vampire Survivors. I don’t understand this one, so I think we’ll move on before I say something stupid.

A comedic animated cinematic trailer for Balder’s Gate III isn’t going to help, as that is something for established fans to chuckle at. My notes point out that the pointy-eared one is doing a Spock moment. That said, the follow-up trailer showcasing developers talking about the beautiful world (and particularly the city) almost makes me want to play the fantasy CRPG when it releases out of Early Access on the 31st of August on PC, Mac (Whoopi will be happy), and PS5. I’m sure I’ll be just as confused as when I looked at the screenshots saw a ginger bloke playing music to a massive badger.

Also releasing out of Early Access, we have Doom Turtle’s action Rogue-like/lite RPG with up to four players, Ember Knights. With the 1.0 patch coming on the 18th of July on Switch and Steam, I am sure it will fill the gap between all these Rogue-like/lite releases that totally aren’t happening. With overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam, I’m surprised as to why we haven’t heard too much about this one, particularly from Alexx.

Next up is a survival crafting title that I want to play, TerraTech Worlds. A sequel to Payload Studios’ 2018 release with a similar bent to it, the new release (which doesn’t have a date yet) seems to be a massive graphical upgrade. Having little knowledge of either release, I’m left without much to say other than it is a survival crafting title with RC cars, which sounds amazing if you ask me.

I don’t understand this next one though, as Macabre promotes itself as a “Co-op stealth extraction horror,” which gives me about as much information as an Australian patting their stomach and rubbing the top of their head. What really put me off Weforge Studio’s first game was the trailer ending on the very obvious jump scare before returning for the obvious time travel wake-up moment. If you want to get me interested in your Early Access release on Steam later this year, you need to do a much better job than that.

The co-developer of Minecraft Legends, as well as the developer of Hardspace Shipbreaker, Blackbird Interactive were up next showing off their 2024 Early Access title coming to Steam. Published by Team17, Earthless was shown off with a cinematic trailer telling the backstory of this Rogue-like/lite deck-builder about humanity escaping Earth as our sun dies. The few gameplay screenshots on Steam show a nice-looking game, but we’ve yet to see it in action.

One of the games I don’t talk about enough despite loving it is Lion Shield’s Kingdoms and Castles, a bare minimum city-builder from 2017 that I adore. Well shifting from the medieval architecture to that of the Imperium Romanum, Nova Roma has you building and protecting the glory of Rome. This time focused on the most precious of resources, water, you’ll look to build systems from your dam to points throughout the city. Though be careful as dams are fragile and dangerous things. Coming in 2024 to Steam, I am very excited.

Mostly shown off in a cinematic trailer, Ashborne Games and THQ Nordic highlighted a point in history that isn’t talked about too often. Set in the aftermath of World War I, Last Train Home is a squad-based RTS about the soldiers that were heading home to Czechoslovakia via armored train but were caught in the middle of a civil war that led to the country becoming part of the Eastern Bloc until 1989. My enjoyment of The Great War: Western Front and other mentions of historical games like this means that Last Train Home went straight onto my wishlist. No release window is in sight sadly.

We’re in a good few games of excitement now, including a horror title that is not only releasing soon but also looks very interesting. My Friendly Neighborhood is a play on Sesame Street puppets that have come to life and want to kill you. The minute we saw the gameplay I was so happy to see a horror game that isn’t boring. Releasing onto Steam on the 18th of July, it brings a whole new meaning to Miss Piggy getting nailed.

Unlike Miss Piggy, no one is smashing my doors, especially if it is the door to my office in a multi-million dollar motorhome thing. My editor is going to be so confused about that reference, but I won’t care on July 31st, when F1 Manager 2023 releases on PS4 & 5, Xbox Series X|S and One, and Steam and Epic. The F1-themed micro-management title from Frontier puts you in the hot seat of everyone’s favorite Italian or one of the other ones. Also, if you pick the Austrian or Legal Spice, you are boring.

Next is a sequel I wasn’t expecting so soon. RedRuins Software came out of the gate with a sequel announcement for 2021’s open-world space survival crafting title Breathedge. Just an announcement with no release date, press releases to add detail, and nothing about other platforms. All we got was just a Steam wishlist direction and some planetary gameplay for Breathedge 2. Though this time with a mysterious woman whose face is always obscured.

Bloomtown: A Different Story is coming to PC and as yet unannounced consoles at some point. Looking for all intense purposes like another Stardew Moon-like before the reveal of the underlying horror, this turn-based RPG (with JRPG inspirations) has a twisted 60s feel about it only to be capped off with a twinge of monster taming too. Interesting conceptually and visually, I’m interested to see more, though there isn’t much to be said right now.

We’re at the penultimate game of the showcase. We got a glimpse of it in the pre-show, but Ukranian-developed Sand is another one of those MMORPGs that want to do open-world, base-building, and PVPVE to top it all off. Both trailers failed to really show gameplay, but the screenshots on Steam showcase a very pretty-looking Mad Max crossed with Philip Reeve’s Mortal Engines. Again, there is no release date, so we’re left with not much to say here for the tinyBuild title.

So what was the last reveal, the big thing to end it on and send everyone home happy? Another long interview segment about an MMORPG that is at least a year away, and it is based on a sci-fi epic. Dune: Awakening was shown off by some men who look like they watched far too much Star Trek in the 90s, hate the new stuff, and found comfort in Frank Herbert’s very boring world. Spending a whole 13 minutes saying the same ambitious lines over and over, I’m surprised they kept themselves awake.

The PC Gaming Show 2023 was a decent collection of games from the beginning and almost to the end. It was once again a slog to get through because it is a charisma vacuum. If you are somehow criminally insane enough to watch all the bits between these trailers, first I commend you. Second I’ve linked it below and time stamped for when the pre-show starts. The only highlight of this year’s show that wasn’t a trailer or announcement, was the mention of that time Frankie was in that shark costume. I stand by that Maneater joke, and it is the only one that has ever landed at these showcases.