Let’s start this year on a positive note. A whole bunch of games to watch in 2021 that will probably launch this year. What’s in store?
1. NUTS (Apple Arcade/PC/Switch)
You’re in the forest for a nature study. All you need to do is set some cameras to track squirrels, get footage of their habits. How hard can it be?
Some weird happenings and strange events later and you’ll be uncovering mysteries all over as those squirrels run circles around you.
With a stylish saturated art style, and very physical seeming gameplay, NUTS looks delightful. NUTS will be coming out on January 22nd for Apple Arcade and February 4th for PC and Switch.
2. Manor Lords (PC)
I do love a good ambitious indie game. So an indie game that sells itself on being a cross of Banished (one of my favourite city builders) with Medieval Total War (one of my favourite strategy games) was right up my alley.
Run a small settlement, engage in petty conflicts against other minor lords of the region. Small scale, big stakes.
Manor Lords is ambitious. Especially for being the dream of one person. I’m excited to see what happens with it as all the early information seems promising.
3. Lake (PC and Consoles)
As Meredith Weiss, leave your 80s office job in the city and go be a postal worker in your small American hometown by the lake. It’s a new take on the pastoralism simulators that make up your Stardew Valleys and Animal Crossings.
An open ended narrative where after two weeks of a small town slice of life, you’ll decide whether Meredith will go back to the city or stay by the lake.
Available Q1 2021
4. Humankind (PC)
There’s been some competition for the throne that Firaxis’s Civilization sits on, but no one seems to be getting closer than Amplitude Studios. Humankind is putting more of a focus on the development of your society over time, merging cultures and deciding the cultural path for your people.
In addition, a more developed combat layer for the game offers a significant change for fans of the Firaxis games. Maybe these changes in focus will help Humankind stand out from the other historical 4X games?
5. Darktide (PC/Xbox)
Fatshark have already shown they can make left 4 Dead style co-op gameplay fun with Vermintide. They’ve also shown they know how to adapt a setting, with Vermintide 2 being one of the high marks for licensed titles in recent years.
But can they do it again? With more of a focus on guns this time?
Most importantly though, this is a 40k game and there is really only one litmus test. Can they get the boltgun right?
Launching sometime before the 41st Millennium, Darktide will be coming out on Xbox Consoles and Gamepass during 2021.