This is Niche Early Access. In this column, we regularly showcase various promising games that are currently in some form of early access or development, and haven’t reached full release. Please let us know if there’s a game you want us to showcase!
After a lengthy break due to internet issues, I’m back with another batch of promising games that recently entered Steam Early Access. Even if you don’t like buying games in Early Access, remember to wishlist any games that catch your eye so you’ll be notified when they get a full release.
Here’s 5 Early Access games that might be worth your attention:
Monster Sanctuary
Developer: Moi Rai Games
Publisher: Team17 Digital
Platforms: Windows PC, Mac, Linux
Price: $17.99 (Price will increase)
First up this week is Monster Sanctuary, a monster-taming platformer with Metroidvania elements. Travel around a 2D world collecting and raising monsters to fight in 3v3 turn-based battles. Many monsters feature skills that have uses outside of combat, allowing you to reach new areas by jumping higher, gliding, or destroying obstacles. If you’d like to know more, you can check out a preview I wrote during the game’s Kickstarter campaign.
Monster Sanctuary is expected to remain in Early Access for around a year.
Arcade Tycoon
Developer: Squidpunch Studios
Publisher: Vincent King Studio
Platforms: Windows PC
Price: $18.99 (Price will increase)
Arcade Tycoon is a management sim about building your dream arcade. Design your arcade from scratch and stock it full of cabinets, attractions, concession stands, and anything else that can draw in and retain customers. Running all those electronics will also take a lot of juice, so power management is another big aspect of the game.
Arcade Tycoon will stay in Early Access for about a year.
Age of Grit
Developer: IQ Soup
Platforms: Windows PC, Mac, Linux
Price: $19.99
Age of Grit is an RPG set in a Steampunk Wild West world full of massive airships. Become a bounty hunter, smuggler, trader, or outlaw. Take on whatever jobs you can find to keep your ship flying and upgrade it with new weapons and parts to take on greater challenges.
Age of Grit is expected to leave Early Access late next year.
M.A.S.S. Builder
Developer: Vermillion Digital
Publisher: Sekai Project
Platforms: Windows PC
Price: $24.99 (Price will increase)
M.A.S.S. Builder is a mecha combat RPG where players use the game’s titular mechs to fight a race of mysterious aliens called Quarks that have brought humanity to the edge of extinction. The game promises to offer an extensive customization system, allowing players to build mechs that look awesome without having to worry about what impact the parts they choose will have on their performance and playstyle.
M.A.S.S. Builder is still fairly early in development, and won’t get a full release until around 2021.
Last Regiment
Developer: Boomzap Entertainment
Platforms: Windows PC
Price: $19.99 (Price will increase)
Finally, we come to Last Regiment, a strategy game that blends simultaneous turn tactical combat on grid-based maps with deck building. Raise an army of heroes and units and support them in battle with a deck of power cards as you fight across the ravaged lands of Kothia.
Last Regiment will be in Early Access for around six to nine months.
Which of these games are you interested in? Are you playing any recent Early Access releases that we missed? Tell us more in the comments below.
