Published 2 October 2026
Six striking Steam games worth watching
Visual style can be enough to make an upcoming game stand out. This collection covers six unreleased Steam titles whose hand-drawn animation, bold presentation or carefully crafted worlds immediately demand a closer look.
There is a varied mix here, from a cosy small-town adventure and precision platformer to a Metroidvania, a first-person shooter, a cooperative puzzle game and a compact top-down experience. If you enjoy discovering unusual projects before launch, these games are worth adding to your wishlist.
For more gaming and arcade coverage, explore the RETROCADE Arcade Blog, or compare ideas for your own setup with the Arcade Machine Buying Guide.
1. Vivarium
Vivarium is a cosy small-town game with hand-drawn visuals designed to resemble an animated film. Its natural environments and anime-like presentation give it a warm, storybook quality, with an aesthetic reminiscent of the naturalistic work associated with Hayao Miyazaki.
2. Rebounder
Shown at this year’s Tribeca Fest, Rebounder is a 2D platformer presented with the heavy outlines and inky colour palette of a comic book. Its visual identity is only part of the appeal: the game also appears to be a demanding precision platformer aimed at players who enjoy the challenge of Celeste.
3. The Eternal Life of Goldman
The Eternal Life of Goldman is a hand-drawn Metroidvania centred on an older man attempting to defeat a deity. Its trailers showcase fluid animation and an expressive world, while developer Weappy Studio describes the side-scrolling adventure as both challenging and approachable.
Wishlist The Eternal Life of Goldman on Steam
Metroidvania fans who like playing with physical controls may also enjoy browsing RETROCADE’s arcade machines for a dedicated home gaming setup.
4. Cybrlich and the Death Cult of Labor
Cybrlich and the Death Cult of Labor first drew attention at this year’s Game Developers Conference. This Doom-like first-person shooter combines fast, violent action with an art style resembling an Adult Swim cartoon. Its demonstrated gameplay includes blood, skeletons and oversized blunts.
Wishlist Cybrlich and the Death Cult of Labor
For players who prefer physical shooting games, RETROCADE also offers dedicated arcade light guns for compatible home arcade projects.
5. Reason and Rhyme
Reason and Rhyme is a two-player cooperative puzzle game in which a pair of angry birds work together to solve problems. It is scheduled to launch on 15 October and uses an art direction inspired by the Nintendo 3DS application Flipnote Studio. The hand-drawn animation looks particularly effective in motion.
Wishlist Reason and Rhyme on Steam
6. Lelu
Lelu follows a clockwork toy seeking freedom in a compact top-down adventure. Its monochrome presentation recalls the Game Boy era without simply copying it, giving the game a distinctive identity. The result looks like a bite-sized choice for fans of concise exploration-focused adventures.
Six different ways to stand out
These upcoming Steam games cover very different genres, but they share a strong visual hook. Whether your preference is cosy animation, comic-book platforming, hand-drawn fantasy, cartoon violence, cooperative puzzles or monochrome adventure, each title has a clear reason to keep it on your radar.
Compact gaming spaces can make distinctive indie releases easier to enjoy, too. Browse RETROCADE’s bartop arcades for a smaller cabinet option, or consider DIY arcade kits if you want to build a project around your own PC setup.
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