5 Must-Play New Steam Games to Try This Weekend
Polygon has rounded up five newly released or notable Steam titles worth playing this weekend, spanning action RPGs, horror, MMOs, cosy simulation and visual novels. The recommendations highlight a busy week for PC gaming, with several sequels and remasters improving significantly on their predecessors and offering something for a broad range of tastes.
The headline release is Mortal Shell 2, a Soulslike from Cold Symmetry praised for refined combat and a more explorable map, following a middling original. The Sinking City 2 pivots to survival horror in a Resident Evil-inspired style set in 1920s Arkham, while Stars Reach is an ambitious early-access sandbox MMO simulating a reactive galaxy, albeit still rough around the edges. Starsand Island offers a 3D cosy farming sim with fishing, ranching and exploration, and Steins;Gate Re:Boot remasters the acclaimed 2016 visual novel for its tenth anniversary with updated visuals and new story content.
- Polygon picks five standout new Steam games for the weekend.
- Mortal Shell 2 and The Sinking City 2 improve markedly on their predecessors.
- Stars Reach, Starsand Island and Steins;Gate Re:Boot also feature.
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Mortal Shell 2, The Sinking City 2, Stars Reach, Starsand Island and Steins;Gate Re:Boot have all launched or been updated on Steam recently, each aimed at a different type of player. They range from tough action combat and horror survival to a large online world, a relaxed farming game and a story-driven visual novel, reflecting how varied PC gaming releases can be in any given week.
Several of these are follow-ups to earlier games. Mortal Shell 2 continues a demanding fantasy combat series, The Sinking City 2 follows an investigative horror game now leaning further into survival horror, and Steins;Gate Re:Boot is a refreshed version of a well-regarded 2016 visual novel marking its tenth anniversary. Stars Reach and Starsand Island are newer titles, with the former an early-access online game still being developed and the latter a more low-key simulation game.
This kind of story matters mainly to PC gamers deciding how to spend their time and money, since it gathers scattered new releases into one place rather than reporting a single event or controversy. It reflects ongoing coverage of the games industry rather than breaking news, giving readers a snapshot of what is currently available and considered worth trying on the Steam platform.