New Games We’re Hyped For: Demos, VR Feels, and Point-and-Click Murder Mysteries

Listen up, gamers, our “to-play” lists are already longer than a JRPG cutscene, but August and September are dropping some serious temptations. From alien-blasting chaos to nostalgia-fuelled VR magic, a retro murder mystery, and a gravity-defying platformer with claymation flair, here’s what’s got us way too excited right now.

Star Fire: Eternal Cycle – New Steam Demo Out Now

Ethereal Fish Studio and Indie Herb Games clearly want to ruin our productivity, because the Star Fire: Eternal Cycle demo has landed on PC via Steam and it’s basically pure roguelite adrenaline.

This isn’t your average side-scrolling shooter. You’re a decisive striker in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, armed with weapons that range from the rapid-punch Lightning Fist to the glorious Cyclone Cannon. You can even level up mid-fight, unlocking upgrades on the fly, perfect for when “subtle strategy” just means “hit harder, faster.”

The demo gives you two of the eight planned weapons (Flamethrower and Lightning Fist) and lets you play mad scientist with the BugCores system. Think Frost Aura to freeze enemies, Absolute Shield for defence boosts, and Thunder Orbs for close-range zaps. Throw in sci-fi biomes like the Desert of Death and Lava Volcano, and you’ve got the makings of an alien-smashing good time.

TL;DR: Mix weapons, upgrade in combat, obliterate zombies, cyborgs, and anything else breathing in your direction. 

Hidden Memories of The Gardens Between – VR Heartstrings Available Now

Remember The Gardens Between? Well, it’s back… and this time, it’s in VR. Hidden Memories of The Gardens Between is here on Meta Quest and SteamVR, and it’s like slipping into a pastel dream where time bends, memories sparkle, and your inner child gets a well-deserved hug.

Set 20 years after the original story, best friends Arina and Frendt reunite in a magical, floating world sparked by entries in Arina’s enchanted diary. You’ll solve over 40 puzzles, manipulate time with your hands, and unlock constellations that slowly tell a bittersweet new chapter of their lives.

And because it’s VR, you’re not just solving puzzles, you’re making friendship bracelets, painting, stacking toys, and watching them come alive. It’s whimsical, it’s emotional, and it might just have you ugly crying into your headset

Casebook 1899 – The Leipzig Murders – Launching September 4

For those of us who like our games slow-burning, cerebral, and dripping with atmosphere, Casebook 1899 – The Leipzig Murders is about to be your obsession. From solo developer Gregor Müller (via Homo Narrans Studio), this retro-inspired point-and-click detective adventure drops September 4 on PC via Steam.

You play Detective Joseph Kreiser, working the gritty streets of turn-of-the-century Leipzig, Germany. Four murder cases. Dozens of suspects. Clues to examine, alibis to dismantle, and secrets to drag into the light. It’s history-meets-noir in a setting gaming barely touches, and we’re so here for it.

1000 Deaths – Out Now on Steam, PS5 Coming Soon

If platforming games had an artsy, chaotic love child with a choose-your-own-adventure novel, it’d be 1000 Deaths. It’s out now on Steam, with a PS5 version on the way.

You follow four characters, Vayu, Maxie, Terry, and Boga, from birth to death, making choices that branch the story into dozens of endings. Those choices also change the game’s overworld hubs, unlocking levels with unique mechanics for each protagonist.

But here’s where it gets spicy: there’s TeeVee, a CRT television you literally control through gravity-defying platforming, plus jetpacks, speedrunning tricks, and hidden Broadcasts in claymation, pixel art, and 3D animation. Arcade Mode packs over 45 levels, so yeah… clear your weekend.

Whether you’re freezing cyborgs in Star Fire, crying in VR with Hidden Memories, sleuthing your way through Casebook 1899, or jetpacking through 1000 Deaths, August and September are basically a buffet of gaming goodness.

Now excuse us while we pre-install, pre-order, and prepare to kiss our social lives goodbye.