Hello! Welcome to the latest Games Release Roundup!

This week, Gollum, Star Trek and…how is there yet another Warhammer game?!

Well this week is a busy one for new releases, although there aren’t many massive ones. The big releases of the week are either curious licensed games or quirky spin-offs of bigger games, along with a new entry in a long-running puzzle game franchise. However, not all of these are great, so be warned.

It’s also another week where I debated the Game of the Week quite heavily. Interestingly, I was torn between two sweet little indie games about the clash between technology and nature. However, After Us eventually won out over Planet of Lana. I blame the whale ghosts.

It’s an interesting week, but each game is a niche taste.

New Releases

Let’s kick things off with some Early Access games on PC. Inkbound is a turn-based online roguelike set in a fantasy world written in the pages of mystical books, while Diluvian Winds is a cosy management game set in a hamlet near a lighthouse manned by an otter.

Oh, we’re not done with management games though. Blooming Business Casino (PC) sees you running a…uh…blooming casino business. Imagine if Tom Nook actually run a money racket and you have an idea of this game’s aesthetic. And then there’s Above Snakes (PC) which sees you managing a settlement in the Ol’ West by building the world around it out of tiles.

End of Lines (PC, Switch) is a visual novel where you play as a family seeking somewhere habitable following a climate disaster.

Bat Boy (PC, PlayStation, Switch, Xbox) is, sadly, not a game about the infamous Weekly World News character. Instead, it’s a tokusatsu themed game about a boy with baseball superpowers fighting his way through Shovel Knight style levels.

Sunshine Shuffle (PC, Switch???) is a cute narrative adventure game with poker and animal friends. The solo developer trolled social media so hard that he got the game blocked on Switch (and banned in Korea) so I can’t even be sure if it’s out there yet. Should give you some idea of the game’s sense of humour though, I guess.

Glitch Busters: Stuck on You (PC, PS4, Switch) is a quirky little co-op shooter set in a virtual world. Also everyone has magnet powers.

Miasma Chronicles (PC, PS5, Xbox X/S) is a tactical game set in the not-too-distant future where a force known as Miasma has wreaked havoc on the world. You play as a guy named Elvis who can control the Miasma with his power glove.

Planet of Lana (PC, Xbox) is a cinematic platformer with hand-painted visuals, set on a distant world where humans lived in harmony with nature. This peace is shattered by the arrival of a robot army that begin to wreak havoc on the natural order. You play as a girl accompanied by an adorable lil buddy as they fight to maintain their idyllic life.

Puzzle Bobble Everybubble! (Switch) is the latest in the long-running Puzzle Bobble franchise. If you’ve never heard of it, yes you have, but you might know it as Bust-a-Move. This new addition to the series adds new challenges and a side mode combining the bubble popping gameplay with Space Invaders. Because sure, why not?

Star Trek: Resurgence (PC, PlayStation, Xbox) is what happens when someone decides to make their own Telltale Star Trek game while Telltale are too busy working on a different sci-fi franchise (The Expanse, coming in July). It’s a wholly original story set in the Star Trek universe with a new crew, although it does feature appearances by Spock and Riker. Sadly I don’t think Riker asks you about the tallest man you’ve ever seen, so that’s disappointing.

Convergence: A League of Legends Story (PC, PlayStation, Switch, Xbox) is the latest from Riot Forge, where characters from League of Legends are handed over to indie developers, who are then allowed to do whatever they want. In this game, you play as Ekko in a 2D platformer full of time powers.

Only three things in this life are certain – death, taxes and the existence of Warhammer video games. Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun (PC, PlayStation, Switch, Xbox) is the latest one and it’s Doom. No really, it’s a big, brash 2.5D boomer shooter starring a Space Marine. It’s Warhammer Doom. If that hasn’t already sold you, there’s nothing more I can say to convince you.

If you’ve ever felt the need to crawl about on the floor while shrieking about The Precious (no judgement), then The Lord of the Rings: Gollum (PC, PlayStation, Xbox) should be the game for you. I say “should” because its Metacritic score is firmly planted in the 30s and 40s. One site couldn’t even provide a review because their assigned copy simply didn’t work. Looks like you’ll have to go elsewhere to live out your inner Andy Serkis for the time being. Sorry.

Game of the Week

Game of the Week this week is After Us (PC, PS5, Xbox X/S), a quiet little game about the world after the end.

Set in a world long after the death of the planet, you play as Gaia, a spirit who is travelling through the ruined world with the task of restoring nature and freeing the souls of the deceased. Expect a lot of platforming challenges and I imagine plenty of tears.

I love the look of this game. It has heavy Journey vibes and some gorgeous surreal visuals. And getting to restore the spirits of bees who all happily fly up to their giant hive is such a great little visual in the trailer that I feel I need to play this ASAP.