The Steam of the Crop: The Best of This Week's Steam Releases March 30

Back in the good old days of 2010, you could count on maybe two or three games to release on Valve’s Steam platform. Each new release had a little time in the limelight and gave PC gamers a chance to see what the fuss was about. Fast forward to today and the new release landscape on Steam is a bit different. Thanks to the growing popularity of PC gaming, the retirement of Valve’s Greenlight system, and a lack of active curation, there are more titles releasing on Steam every week than any one person can keep up with. There were 7,672 games released on Steam in 2017. Aint-nobody-got-time-for-that.gif

The good news for you is that your friends at Shacknews have taken the time to sift through the garbage and countless mobile ports in an effort to showcase the games that are actually worth giving a second glance to. No guarantees that these games are great, just interesting enough to rise above the mucky muck. This is the Steam of the Crop.

Flash Point: Fire Rescue

A product of the Fig.co crowdfunding project, Flash Point is a turn-based strategy game centered around firefighters. This is a digital version of the popular board game and supports local co-op.

Jalopy
Jalopy has been a hit with gamers for a while now. It first appeared on Steam Early Access and just this week graduated to 1.0 status. Part simulation, part adventure, Jalopy tasks you with maintaining an old beater through a procedurally generated world. Scavenge for the parts you need to keep your heap mobile. This one is full of that lovely Eastern-European charm.

Through The Ages

Another digital board game translation, Through The Ages brings one of the best board games of all time onto Steam. This version features full online support and cross-platform play. Fans of Civilization should give this one a closer look.

PC Building Simulator

The PC certainly didn’t need another mindless simulation game and thankfully, PC Building Simulator is anything but. You can experience all the excitement of tossing together your own gaming PC without any of the expense and without the chance to slice up your hands on a cheap, flimsy case. Surprisingly in depth, PC building simulator also features a full lineup of licensed parts from all the major manufacturers.

TT Isle of Man

The bike racing genre is not as prevalent as it once was back around the turn of the millenium, so any new offering is worth taking a second look at. This is the newest effort from Kylotonn, makers of the famous WRC series. Featuring a painstakingly recreated Snaefell Mountain course, TT Isle of Man might be just what the doctor ordered for bike nuts.

Empires Apart

This medieval RTS sports a colorful art style and promises to bring the magic of late-90s RTS games into the modern age with all the appointments and quality of life improvements the genre has picked up over the years. Fans of Age of Empires should give this one a closer look.

Ash of Gods: Redemption

A story-driven RPG with some impressive animation and art pushes Ash of Gods to the top of this week’s pile of new releases. Using turn-based gameplay with CCG elements, Ash of Gods promises to tell a dynamic story that can be adjusted based on what happens while you play. It also offers a deluxe edition to give players a copy of the soundtrack and digital art book. Check out the launch trailer below for more.

GL1TCH

GL1TCH is an action strategy banger. Built with the Unreal Engine, GL1TCH can give you world class looks, even on modest hardware. Even better, it is the creation of Shacknews Chatty member TickHeadDog. For $5, you can't go wrong and you'll be helping out a community member at the same time!

That wraps up this week’s Steam of the Crop. The offerings are a little heavy on turn-based gameplay, but if that’s not your bag, you can always spend your weekend murdering alt-right cultists in Ubisoft’s Far Cry 5. Happy Steaming and have a good weekend!

Chris Jarrard

Contributing Tech Editor

Chris Jarrard likes playing games, crankin' tunes, and looking for fights on obscure online message boards. He understands that breakfast food is the only true food. Don't @ him.