There are too many good games coming out, I say. So many, in fact, that I do declare too many of the games that I follow aren’t getting their due time in the spotlight. Yes, yes, Hades II and Silksong are incredible, but what about these co-op games that are criminally underserved by the greater gaming discourse? Give them a fair shake, why won’t ya?
Tears of Metal is a rambunctious co-op musou-ish that caters to that most primal of video game urges: the power fantasy. Grab your nearest kilt and charge headlong into the fray alongside an army of button-mashing NPCs, clearing out stages and earning new skills as you go. It’s primed for Steam Next Fest glory, but the demo is out right now.
GODBREAKERS has no right to look this good. I wrote on Power Up Gaming that the algorithm actively pushed this game on me, and it wasn’t until the demo dropped that I finally bit. Give the trailer a gander—isn’t that absolutely, absurdly delicious? The ‘fragments’ that you earn also seem to offer an interesting variety of skills and effects with build potential beyond simple stats boosts, which is a sign of a very good roguelike. And that’s not even getting into the Mega Man-like power stealing mechanic, which is somehow the least fascinating thing about GODBREAKERS. This, too, has a demo that you can play right now.
Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core is Deep Rock Galactic but with roguelike elements. I’m curious why this warranted an entire standalone game, but the last time I doubted Ghost Ship Games, they gave us the excellent Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor, which I’m thoroughly addicted to. So I’ll just shut up and allow myself to be very, very excited for this game.
Isometric top-down shooters are near and dear to me, having spent far too much time playing the original Alien Shooter in college. More recently, I enjoyed The Ascent co-op, despite its persistent jankiness and questionable level design. Soon there will be SunderBound for me to unfairly compare with the nostalgic vibes of my favorite xenomorph blaster of yore. SunderBound is Steam-bound in 2026.
And that’s it. You may now go on your merry way.
