Iron is becoming more powerful, but the "appetites" of blockbusters do not think to be reduced. In this compilation, we have collected 15 games released in 2022 that will easily launch on a PC five or even ten years ago. And do not rush to turn up your nose - the selected projects are among the highest-rated games on Steam, which means they definitely have something!
pentiment
- Xbox Game Pass: yes
- System requirements: 4 GB RAM, GeForce 650 Ti, and 12 GB hard drive
Let's start our selection with a casual text-based visual novel from Obsidian-Pentiment. This captivating story and the narrative that catches to the very end develops in the setting of 16th-century Europe. A friend of the protagonist, an infirm monk, is accused of murdering a noble baron. In an effort to prevent an unjust execution, the player converses with many characters, listens to the protagonist's reflections, and learns about the problems of the time.
You can’t do everything in a day, you need to carefully allocate time - with whom to talk, what to watch, where to look for evidence, or try to seduce someone. The passage will be influenced by the origin, education, and interests chosen when creating the character.
And although the visual style in Pentiment is, in fact, artistic drawing, it perfectly managed to convey the atmosphere of the era, revive the world, people, and their behavior, and show how life itself changes over time.
neon white
- Xbox Game Pass: Coming in 2023
- System Requirements: 6 GB RAM and any DirectX 11 capable graphics card
Indie, which became a sensation in the summer of 2022, is about Neon White. In terms of gameplay, it resembles Quake, only the weapons come through the cards - they need to be picked up as you move, and they are spent in a couple of tricks or completely disposable. The set includes not only firearms but also melee weapons and magical abilities.
Although the locations are pretentiously anime, they are quite beautiful with intensive running, and platforming with an abundance of “verticality” will not allow you to see the flaws. Opponents, although rendered, are not stereotyped, as are the options for eliminating them. But the main danger is time. You can’t hesitate, the more impossible methods of high-speed running the player invents, the better.
Neon White also has a visual novel-style storyline, though it's more about splicing the on-screen action than serious reflections on life.
Stacklands
- Xbox Game Pass: no
- System Requirements: Grandma's Calculator
For those who love calm mind games, we offer Stacklands, a card-based city-building strategy game where you build a prosperous village by collecting cards for food, equipment, buildings, and activities like hunting, researching, and fighting monsters. There are more than 300 of them in total, which opens up wide scope for creativity, even if it will be expressed by the movement of cards on a virtual board.
Unlike other card games, in Stacklands the player does not spend, but multiplies his cards, "directing" the inhabitants to the action he needs (card), as a result, there are surpluses. You can sell them, as well as unnecessary cards, buy a new deck and extract something from there that will allow you to advance the development of the settlement even further.
Every game day is summed up - for example, if the settler did not have enough food, then he will die. Stacklands does not yet have Russian localization, but the game is understandable without it, and it takes 8-10 hours to complete.
Strange Horticulture
- Xbox Game Pass: no
- System Requirements: Grandma's Calculator
And not to get up twice - Strange Horticulture. A kind of visual novel with original, colorfully designed text puzzles on the theme of fantastic plants. The player in the role of a local florist examines samples from NPCs entering his shop, solves increasingly difficult puzzles and riddles, collects information, and builds a big picture over time. He also travels around the game world, communicates with quest characters, and learns details and clues for the future.
Closer to the finale, it becomes clear that the gameplay and art are just an addition to the plot, which most players praise a lot, but complain about excessive spoilers. It is better to go through it yourself, fortunately, it will take 6-8 hours. The game is designed for memory and attentiveness, but it has a low entry threshold. You can't even lose - every game day is summed up and if the number of errors is too high, the day simply rolls back.
Cult of the Lamb
- Xbox Game Pass: no
- System requirements: 4 GB RAM, GeForce 560 Ti
If you have long wanted to try yourself in the roguelike genre, then Cult of the Lamb is the best option. The punishment for death in it is small, the combat is simple, the difficulty is moderate, and therefore the game is played quickly and without nerves. You need to establish your cult, strengthen it and defeat all other cultists.
The game was praised for its distinctive demonic setting, high replay value, and role-playing option for bad guys that is far from frequent in video games. Each campaign for resources takes place in randomly generated locations, where hordes of enemies with a fierce boss can wait, as well as food for needy settlers.
A good half of the game is management and the construction of a base, in which the resources obtained in the campaigns are spent and the followers found find their occupation. From time to time they come with their own quests and requests, which can be accepted or rejected, which will affect the relationship.
Norco
- Xbox Game Pass: yes
- System requirements: 4 GB RAM and DX 10 graphics card
Next in line is Norco's text-based adventure game with a point-and-click interface and pixel art graphics. The action takes place in Louisiana, and the narrative is filled with surrealism, cyberpunk, and robots. Returning after a long journey, the heroine discovers that her mother has died and her brother has disappeared. Leading an amateurish investigation, she will have to learn the terrible secrets of this place, and fight fantasy monsters, global corporations, and mysterious cultists.
The gameplay of Norco is a mix of first-person quest and rpg, it has a lot of puzzles, mini-games, and dialogues. The latter are perhaps the main feature of the project - well-designed, witty, leaving a lot of clues and details. Yes, and they are pronounced by well-written characters, reflecting the world of the game in different ways.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
- Xbox Game Pass: yes
- System requirements: 8 GB RAM, GeForce 750 Ti, 40 GB hard drive
We know, we know, LEGO games are something original, not everyone perceives them. But if you have never played cute and good-natured stereotypical projects of TT Games, then you have missed a lot! The Skywalker Saga is a visual comedy that includes the classic trilogy, sequel, and prequels to the Star Wars movie saga.
Over 300 characters, 100 vehicles, and 20 planets! Authentically recreated iconic scenes and dialogues, of which there are unusually many compared to other LEGO games. Gameplay that features lightsaber and magic controls, while still being a simple 3D platformer. The ability to assemble your squad and change party members for each mission, taking into account their and enemy's abilities. Well, isn't it great?
If you're a Star Wars fan, the lack of a political or romantic context can be an added bonus.
Ravenous Devils
- Xbox Game Pass: no
- System requirements: 4 GB RAM, GeForce 750, Core i3 4th series
How do you like the idea of managing a married couple who want to get rich quick on cannibalism? The tailor and the cook who invented the waste-free principle of work - to process the poor fellows who came to them into ingredients useful for the restaurant, and alter their personal belongings and sell them as new. Welcome to Ravenous Devils, a management simulator with horror elements!
The player's task is to make the enterprise as profitable as possible by buying improvements and hiring staff, overcoming the difficulties that arise every day. The gameplay and levels are based on the concept of Fallout Shelter, but the visual implementation is in a 19th-century England setting. The plot is not intricate, but the game itself is fleeting - 3-5 hours.
SIGNALIS
- Xbox Game Pass: yes
- System requirements: 2GB RAM and DX11 graphics card
Sci-fi survival horror SIGNALIS will appeal to those who perceive games as art. In the role of the android Elster, the player travels to a distant and surreal future, where he will visit both space and a distant planet in search of his partner.
Gameplay is a classic point-and-click action game with puzzles and mini-games, as well as deep storytelling. Moreover, the same techniques are not used more than 2-3 times. The use of 2D and 3D graphics, an isometric camera, and a first-person camera, allows you to smoothly flow from one narrative approach to another.
The plot is the fundamental principle of SIGNALIS, it is also presented in different ways, so you have to read the notes, peer into the details and build theories. Together with several endings, the game will leave a feeling of understatement and ambiguity. For this, she fell in love with many players, receiving a fantastic 97% on Steam.
Lunistice
- Xbox Game Pass: no
- System Requirements: Father's Calculator
Lunistice is a cute platform game in the style of games from the PS1/SEGA Saturn era, in which we control Hannah, an anthropomorphic raccoon dog. She goes on a long journey for her dreams.
During the journey, the heroine will visit a bizarre water park, a world of food, an old Buddhist temple, and many other locations, go through hundreds of trials (some difficult) and defeat many strange but cute monsters. The gameplay is analogous to games about Sonic or Crash (Crash Bandicoot), so it's not difficult to figure it out.
We Were Here Forever
- Xbox Game Pass: no
- System requirements: 6 GB RAM, GeForce 750 Ti, and Core i3 4 series
Forever is the fourth game in the We Were Here series of puzzle games. The action takes place in the sinister kingdom of Castle Rock. This time, a couple of heroes strive to get out of a terrible underground dungeon, but most of the time they are apart, coordinating efforts on the radio.
You have to recreate the complete environment around in your head, asking your partner (and vice versa) about levers and mechanisms, pictures and notes, dangers, objects, and objects. All this is necessary to jointly solve puzzles and overcome obstacles on the way to long-awaited freedom.
Nightmare of Decay
- Xbox Game Pass: no
- System Requirements: Grandma's Calculator
Let's continue the list with the classic hardcore horror - Nightmare of Decay. As in the old-school Resident Evil, we wake up in the basement of a huge estate, and zombies, crazy cultists are teeming around, and other horrors are happening. There is also a dismemberment with bodies flying to bits and fountains of blood.
If you, looking at the screenshots, think that the game was made for a couple of bucks - it's not. In fact, it's deeper than it seems. Shoot and crush enemies, look for keys (there are thousands of them), fight mini-bosses, open the right doors, solve puzzles and get secrets - the passage will take 3-4 hours.
I Was a Teenage Exocolonist
- Xbox Game Pass: no
- System Requirements: Father's Calculator
As you know from Hollywood blockbusters, "the deeper space, the dumber the colonists." Therefore, in the distant future, humanity, instead of sending mature professionals, trusts small children and, at the age of 10, dumps them on a suitable planet. The player's task is to choose the right character, educate and mentor him, explore the world with him, build relationships with other teenagers, and even find a profession.
After a while, you need to evaluate the result. Who became who? Who didn't make it and why? Did you manage to start a romance? I Was a Teenage Exocolonist has over 800 story events and every choice the player makes will affect the ending (29 in total). This is a beautiful visual novel with card game elements and endless replays.
Vampire Survivors
- Xbox Game Pass: yes
- System Requirements: Grandma's Calculator
And at the end of our top - Vampire Survivors - a game that was released in December 21, but gained wild popularity in 2022, which is why we added it to the list. The player is required to survive as long as possible, and he is confronted by real hordes of demonic creatures, and the gameplay is casual to the limit.
Enemies press on the player in a dense ring, and he fights back, choosing the right equipment, perks, and passives. There is no need to fuss in Vampire Survivors, the character is protected by auto-attack and auto-activation of active skills. Auto-leveling is responsible for the balance, the character should develop a little faster than the environment. Failed - again!
Pumping is also linear - crystals accumulate in battles, treasures come across at locations, and they give a reward for killed bosses. All the accumulated resources are used to improve the parameters of the hero, but even if you make a mistake with the build, you can always easily rebuild it.
Soulstone Survivors: Prologue
- Xbox Game Pass: no
- System requirements: GeForce 580 and Core i3 6th generation
In short, Soulstone Survivors are Vampire Survivors of the "healthy man". Colourful, bright, more dynamic, and long-lasting. Yes, and 2 people are doing it at once, not 1. They do it, because Soulstone Survivors is in early access, and Prologue is a free demo that has all the basics, but not all the content.
There will be several dozen characters in the game (5 are available so far), each one is upgraded separately and has a unique set of skills and weapons. During battles and just in the game world, the player collects resources that can be spent in the forge to create new weapons. You will have to run after the runes, but they provide especially powerful buffs.
The gameplay is the same - we run around the location, destroy mobs, which are divided into ordinary and elite ones, defeat mini-bosses, loot, and call the lord. After its destruction, we get back to the base, and in case of failure at any stage of the raid, we lose part of the experience and collected swag.
Friends, these were the exciting games of 2022 that everyone can play without a costly PC upgrade. You can offer even more options in the comments - write!
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