6 exciting upcoming Steam games to wishlist
October’s major releases may be arriving thick and fast, but the PC calendar is not slowing down. Independent developers continue to produce inventive games across every genre, giving Australian players plenty to watch between bigger launches.
This selection covers six unusual upcoming Steam games, from a rhythm platformer set in a record shop to a cooperative clown-themed puzzle game. If you enjoy discovering games outside the mainstream, these are worth adding to your wishlist.
For more gaming and industry coverage, browse the RETROCADE Arcade Blog and explore the latest arcade videos.
6. Mr. Records
Mr. Records combines running a record shop with rhythm-platforming action. Players jump and slide in time with an original soundtrack that moves across multiple genres. Anyone who enjoyed this year’s Rhythm Heaven Groove may find a similar appeal here, and a Steam demo is available to try.
5. Battle Vision
Capybara Games, the developer behind the 2019 Apple Arcade release Grindstone, is taking its puzzle expertise in a new direction with Battle Vision. This strategy roguelike has players recruiting creatures and positioning them on a board to defeat rival teams. Its straightforward structure could make it particularly easy to play for “just one more” round.
4. Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School
Coin Crew Games is returning with a larger follow-up to 2022’s Escape Academy, informed by the original game’s post-launch development. Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School keeps the cooperative escape-room format while expanding its setting and story. It is among the relatively small number of games currently scheduled for November, alongside Grand Theft Auto 6 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
3. Tanuki: Pon’s Summer
Tanuki: Pon’s Summer puts a biking tanuki in the role of a delivery rider. Its movement and trick-focused design appear to borrow some ideas from Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, giving the delivery premise a more playful edge. It follows the kind of arcade-style driving and momentum-based design that can work well in short sessions.
Fans of driving games can also compare it with RETROCADE’s racing simulators.
2. Clowntown
Multiplayer releases can be easy to overlook, but Clowntown deserves attention from anyone who enjoys chaotic cooperative games. It appears to blend puzzle-platforming in the style of Pico Park with the competitive party-game energy of Mario Party. The result could be a lively choice for groups looking for a game built around teamwork, mistakes and sudden reversals.
1. Australia Did It
Australia Did It stood out during the February edition of Steam Next Fest and remains one of the more memorable strategy games in this group. Its central challenge is defending a train through turn-based battles, where merging troops creates stronger units. Between those encounters are survival sections with a structure reminiscent of Vampire Survivors.
The combination of railway defence, troop upgrades and survival combat gives it a distinctive mix of strategic planning and immediate action. It is a particularly fitting wishlist pick for Australian players interested in games with a local title and a strong systems-driven focus.
If building and customising physical machines appeals to you, RETROCADE’s arcade machine buying guide is a useful companion read, while arcade machines bring a different kind of game-night centrepiece home.
Leave a Reply