May is a relatively quiet month when it comes to new PC games. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, of course. The first half of 2022 has been unusually stuffed with great things to play, and I’m sure a lot of us will be thankful for the opportunity to spend some time with the few bits and pieces that were overshadowed by your Elden Rings and your Dying Light 2s earlier in the year.
For those looking for something new, however, May still has a lot of interesting stuff to offer those hungry for an indie game or two. Think of me this month as a waiter in a fancy restaurant, offering you a carefully curated selection of bite-sized delights as part of our tasting menu. What we have on offer is both nutritious and delicious, a journey through genres that is sure to excite the palette.
Bone apple tea.
If you like moving images set to words and music, you can have a watch of the video above. But, if you prefer text, then read on.
Loot River (May 3rd)
Who's it by? straka.studio
Where can I get it? Steam
Let’s begin this culinary experience with some water for the table. Loot River is an isometric roguelike that combines traditional real-time RPG combat with shifting block puzzles. Each procedurally generated dungeon contains shifting platforms that can be moved by the player to avoid hordes of horrible monsters, access new areas and even avoid dangers by moving you out of reach of enemy attacks. The game looks gorgeous, with water effects a particular highlight as your character flings themselves across the water-logged labyrinth on platforms of various shapes and sizes. Loot River releases on May 3rd.
Citizen Sleeper (May 5th)
Who's it by? Jump Over The Age
Where can I get it? Steam | GOG | Epic Games Store
Our first course is a silicon chip placed gently onto a bed of perfectly cooked rice. Citizen Sleeper is a narrative RPG inspired by cyberpunk tabletop role-playing games. As an advanced AI living on a decaying space station located on the fringes of civilisation, it’s up to you to attempt to survive by forging relationships, hacking into the station’s archives and upgrading your physical form. The developer’s last game, the hypnotically wonderful In Other Waters, was an overlooked gem. Based on that pedigree alone, Citizen Sleeper is one to keep an eye on.
Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters (May 5th)
Who's it by? Complex Games
Where can I get it? Steam | Epic Games Store
Next, a still-pulsating demon heart covered in bulbous puss-filled boils. Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Deamonhunters is a turn-based tactical strategy game set in Games Workshop’s ever-popular dark sci-fi universe. An XCOM-like, Daemonhunters is all about commanding a squad of heavily armoured Grey Knights as they attempt to rid the galaxy of a horrible plague that makes everything look all minging and slimy. Unlike XCOM, the trick here is to play aggressively. Your hulking space lads have a 100% chance to land every single hit they deliver, and certain special finishing moves can refresh their action points entirely, allowing them to dive right back into the fray once they’ve finished severing a few limbs with a big spear. It all looks suitably grim, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the final release.
Evil Dead: The Game (May 13th)
Who's it by? Saber Interactive
Where can I get it? Epic Games Store
Sticking with gore, our third course is a severed human hand, freshly chainsawed off this morning. Evil Dead: The Game is one of those asymmetrical multiplayer horror games that are all the rage these days. Think Friday the 13th or Dead By Daylight, only with more Bruce Campbells than you can shake a boomstick at. Four players will team up to complete objectives, fighting off hordes of Deadites while they attempt to secure the Necronomicon. Meanwhile, a sole player will control a Kandarian Demon, possessing trees and even other players in an attempt to foil their plans. Fans of Sam Rami’s iconic trilogy are sure to find a lot to love here, but equally, those looking for a new PvEvP horror game may want to check this out for a fresh dose of chaotic co-op. Hail to the king, baby. Etc.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong (May 19th)
Who's it by? Big Bad Wolf
Where can I get it? Epic Games Store
A palette cleanser, before we move on. A shot of blood, crimson and warm. Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 may have been delayed indefinitely, but thankfully there are still plenty of bloodthirsty adventures available for fans of the masquerade. Swansong, for instance, is a narrative-focused third-person RPG that revolves around three unique player characters, each with their own skills, abilities and alliances. It’s your job to make sure Boston remains unaware of your species' existence, uncovering mysteries and conspiracies all while trying to negate your desire to snack on delicious human goo. With an emphasis on choice and consequence, Swansong looks very intriguing indeed.
Crossfire: Legion (May 24th)
Who's it by? Blackbird Interactive
Where can I get it? Steam
We enter the metal portion of our meal. A bowl of loose screws marinated in engine oil. Crossfire: Legion is a spin-off from the hugely popular Korean FPS Crossfire, a classic real-time strategy game that sees players farming resources and building bases before hurling streams of infantry at their opponents in an attempt to come out on top. Featuring both a narrative-driven campaign mode and a competitive multiplayer suite, Crossfire: Legion looks kind of amazing. If anything, after the disastrous launch of Crossfire X on Xbox, Legion may be the first Crossfire game to finally find an audience on western shores. We’ll find out when the game enters early access on May 24th.
Hardspace: Shipbreaker (May 24th)
Who's it by? Blackbird Interactive
Where can I get it? Steam
The chef’s favourite. A single bit of rusted metal with the word “UNIONISE” scratched onto its surface. Hardspace: Shipbreaker was a source of great respite for me when it originally entered early access in 2020. Meticulously and methodically deconstructing decommissioned starships while listening to banjo-heavy country music soothed those early-pandemic anxieties like nothing else at the time. Since then, Hardspace has continued to go from strength to strength, the developers implementing new characters, storylines and - most importantly - different ships for you to rip apart using your various space-age tools. 1.0 will add a conclusion to the game’s story alongside various progression tweaks and the ability to save your progress. Don’t sleep on Hardspace: Shipbreaker. It’s a truly brilliant thing.
My Time at Sandrock (May 26th)
Who's it by? Pathea Games
Where can I get it? Steam | GOG | Epic Games Store
Some copper ore with a dusting of, uh, dust. My Time At Sandrock brings farming and crafting to the dessert in this sequel to 2018’s My Time At Portia. Once again taking place in a post-apocalyptic community that’s struggling to thrive, Sandrock sees you mining, crafting and growing crops to bring life back to the titular town. Featuring a brand new open world to explore, 30 new characters to befriend and an overhauled combat system that lets you swap between ranged and close-quarters combat, My Time At Sandrock looks set to deliver another enjoyable life-sim when it enters early access on May 26th.
Sniper Elite 5 (May 26th)
Who's it by? Rebellion
Where can I get it? Steam | Epic Games Store
For dessert, a single bullet, shot from a mile away into a Nazi’s skull. Sniper Elite 5 is… well, more Sniper Elite. That’s not a bad thing, of course! The Sniper Elite games are grand and get better with every new instalment, but they all largely follow the same formula. As Karl Fairburne, you travel to expansive recreations of real-world European locations before popping a lot of lead into a bunch of awful Nazis. There’s a whiff of Hitman to the way each scenario can be completed in multiple ways, and the returning co-op mode will allow you and a pal to spend a delightful evening or two shooting Hitler in the knackers. Wonderful stuff.
Dwerve (May 31st)
Who's it by? Half Human Games
Where can I get it? Steam
Before we present you with the bill, a hot cup of mud to aid with digestion. I recently hailed Dwerve as my favourite game from PAX East, enamoured as I was by its compelling blend of both the tower defence and adventure genres. Playing as the titular Dwerve, you must place down various traps and turrets to defend yourself against swarms of enemies as you explore a ruined kingdom. I found the rhythm of combat super engaging and can’t wait to try out the full game when it launches on May 31st.
So there we have it, 10 delicious games coming to PC in May 2022. What are you snacking on this month? Something hot out of the oven, or leftovers from the fridge? Let us know in the comments below.