14 unusual video games to discover in 2024 | Games

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14 unusual video games to discover in 2024 | Games

Once Human

PC, smartphones; Starry Studio; Release: 9 July

Post-apocalyptic epic … Once Human. Photograph: Starry Studio

The market is already crammed with open-world multiplayer survival games, but this post-apocalyptic epic adds cosmic horror to the mix. Its huge world is crammed with grotesque Lovecraftian monsters – including a living bus like the benevolent catbus in My Neighbour Totoro, but just horrible. You have been warned.

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Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn

PC, PS5, Xbox Series X; A44 Games; Release: 18 July

Antipodean action … Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn. Photograph: A44 Games/Kepler Interactive

A role-playing action game from New Zealand with intriguingly Bloodborne-like combat. You use an axe, dodges and a ******* to interrupt your powerful enemies’ attacks and gain the upper hand – but this animated world is much brighter and less bleak, inspired by its developers’ antipodean surroundings.

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Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess

Xbox, PC, PS4/5; Capcom; Release: 19 July

Protecting a priestess … Kunitsu-Gami Path of the Goddess. Photograph: Capcom

I have never seen anything quite like this forthcoming game from Capcom: you control a warrior protecting a priestess as she slowly dances her way through monster-infested ********* mountain scenes, purifying her surroundings as you go. During the day you rescue people and station your troops; at night you ******* the monsters, hoping to keep her safe. It’s like tower defence meets Onimusha.

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Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure

PC, PS5, Switch; Furniture & Mattress; Release: 25 July

Geographic conundrums … Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure. Photograph: Furniture & Mattress

Genre mashups are popular in the indie scene and this is one of the most interesting – a block-sorting puzzler crossed with a role-playing game. You play as Jemma, a young adventurer whose every move also shifts the row or column she’s standing on, so that exploration becomes a series of geographic conundrums.

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SteamWorld Heist II

PS4/5, Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox; Image & Form; Release: 8 August

Pirate robots … Steamworld Heist II. Photograph: Image & Form

The SteamWorld games are all lovable variations on a theme: Dig is a Spelunky-style puzzle-platformer, Quest is an RPG, Build is a city-management game and Heist is a characterful turn-based strategy battler where you control a team of amusing pirate robots. Between bouts you zoom around in a sputtering submarine, exploring the seas.

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****** Myth: Wukong

PC, PS5; Game Science; Release: 20 August

A wealth of monsters … ****** Myth: Wukong. Photograph: Game Science

Sixteenth-century ******** novel

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has inspired countless anime, movies and video games, and this is the latest adaptation: an action role-playing game with definite Souls-like leanings, it pits players against a wealth of monsters from ******** folklore in a sumptuous ancient landscape.

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Phoenix Springs

PC; Calligram Studio; Release: 16 September

New wave animation … Phoenix Springs. Photograph: Calligram Studio

A point and click detective game for the 21st century, in which the player collects concepts and conversations rather than objects, and the inventory is a mind map rather than a bottomless suitcase; you use the words and ideas you’ve come up with to question people for more information. The visuals have the bold, hyper-stylised beauty of a weird pop video or new wave animation.

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UFO 50

PC; Mossmouth; Release: 18 September

From sports sims to ******-’em-ups … UFO 50. Photograph: Mossmouth

A collection of 50 self-contained games made by a real who’s who of indie developers. Designed to resemble the software library of a fictitious 8-bit console from history, UFO 50 has everything from sports sims to ******-’em-ups. Bringing modern game design sensibilities to an imagined alternate gaming history is a fascinating idea.

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Slitterhead

PS4, PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X; Bokeh Games; Release: 8 November

Gallons of gore … Slitterhead. Photograph: Bokeh Game Studio

Red-eyed children, parasitic brain worms and deserted city streets: it can only be the latest horror adventure from Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama. Early footage suggests gallons of gore and a currently very chic PS2-era aesthetic.

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Wanderstop

PC, PS5; Ivy Road; Release: TBC

Out of retirement? … Wanderstop. Photograph: Ivy Road/Annapurna

The latest project from The Stanley Parable creator Davey Wreden sees retired warrior Alta abandoning her broadsword in order to run a cosy tea shop. You’ll be serving customers and growing all your own ingredients – but trailers suggest Alta’s past isn’t going down without a ****** …

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Critter Cafe

PC, Switch; Sumo Newcastle; Release: TBC

Wholesome … Critter Cafe. Photograph: Sumo Nottingham

When developer Sumo Newcastle held its own in-house game-jam, Critter Cafe was such a popular entrant that it was picked up for a full release. It’s all about saving cute creatures from a magical rift and then allowing them to roam your sweet little cafe, charming the guests and making friends. Likely to be one of the wholesome hits of the year.

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Neva

PC, PS5, Switch, Xbox; Nomada Studio; Release: TBC

Emotional adventure … Neva. Photograph: Nomada Studio

From the team behind the ethereal, melancholy Gris comes another emotional adventure, this time about a young girl and her wolf wandering a beautiful yet dying world. Drawing parallels between ecology and parenthood, and featuring some sublime natural environments, Neva looks set to be a poignant yet hopeful experience.

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Unknown 9: Awakening

PC, PS4/5, Xbox; Reflector Entertainment; Release: TBC

Young warrior … Unknown 9: Awakening. Photograph: Reflector Entertainment/Bandai Namco

Starring Witcher 3 actor Anya Chalotra, here’s an epic fantasy adventure following young warrior Haroona, who has the ability to access a mysterious dimension and supernatural powers – earning her the attention of an evil secret society. It reminds us of both Dishonored and The Darkness, which is no bad thing.

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***** the Spotlight

PC, PS4/5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch; Cozy Game Pals; Release: TBC

Ill-advised seance … ***** the Spotlight. Photograph: Cozy Game Pals

The low-poly mid-90s PlayStation 1 aesthetic is back in a big way, and it really plays into the creepiness of this unusual horror game from a tiny two-person team. Two teen ****** hold an ill-advised seance in their school library at night, and what happens next is predictably alarming – solving tactile puzzles as you creep around the school in the darkness really brings to mind the brilliant early days of survival horror.

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