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Whatever Schedule 1 is, it’s currently the top game on Steam While it's not always easy to keep up-to-date, the fact that there are so many games being released all the time means we're living in a golden age of the industry. Even indie titles can make it in this cut-throat gaming world, but some seem to come out of nowhere. Take Schedule 1 (stylized as "Schedule I"), for example. Having recently taken a quick look at Steam's Top Sellers list , I was anticipating seeing something like R.E.P.O. retain its position, or Atomfall to have seized the top spot. So I was surprised to see this new release has immediately shot to number two (which makes it the top release, just behind the Steam Deck). https://twitter.com/ScheduleOneGame/status/1904292142035743200 Don't worry if you don't know what Schedule 1 is. I must admit, I wasn't aware of it until a couple of hours ago. It only released yesterday, but it's already getting some pretty good reviews on Steam . So what actually is Schedule 1 ? With its low-polygonal assets and cartoony visuals, you could be mistaken for thinking it was a somewhat cutesy indie game at first glance. However, I'll let the description on the Steam page fill you in: You're a small-time drug dealer rolling into a fresh town with no cash, no product and no connections. Build your drug empire from the ground up in the grungy west-coast city of Hyland Point. Contend against intensifying law enforcement and deadly cartel competitors to expand your empire and reach the peak of the underworld. It's essentially a sim game, but possibly for fans of Breaking Bad . It's clearly gained enough hype for it to hit the number two spot on Steam. In fact, when I checked earlier on, Schedule 1 had actually knocked the Steam Deck from the top position it so vehemently holds onto. Here's proof: Screenshot via Destrcutoid According to SteamDB , the game reached a concurrent player peak count of 68,662 within the last 24 hours. To put that into perspective, Avowed was showing just over 2,000 players in the same time frame. Of course, this doesn't necessarily mean Schedule 1 is the next big thing. We've seen trends like this in the past, but it is interesting to see that small games from new studios can seemingly knock down some of the industry's biggest releases. For a brief period, at least. The post Whatever Schedule 1 is, it’s currently the top game on Steam appeared first on Destructoid .

Steam Archives – DestructoidMar 25

New anime souls-like game breaks into Steam’s top 5 while still in advanced access Souls-like games are always popular if done correctly, and a new one with an anime theme is already a top seller a few days before coming out. Steam's global top sellers list organizes games by total revenue over a given week. Sous-like hits like Elden Ring and Black Myth: Wukong are often in the top 100, sometimes due to sales propelling them up and other times simply because fans people keep coming back to them. They rank highly in revenue despite fighting big free-to-play games filled with microtransactions, like Apex Legends and Counter-Strike 2. Now, this new game is already joining the ranks of these classic souls-likes. The First Berserker: Khazan is one of the most sold games on Steam today As of March 24, The First Berserker: Khazan is ranked fifth on Steam's Global Top Sellers list, just below the Steam Deck and ahead of the co-op hit Split Fiction . It's also beating every other souls-like game in the platform. The game is part of the Dungeon & Fighter universe (also known as DNF) and takes place 800 years prior to the events in the first release of the game series, Dungeon Fighter Online . It's a 3D-action RPG with anime art and the usual dark style of souls-like games. Screenshot by Destructoid. The game releases in Steam's Advanced Access—not to be confused with early access—on March 24, with its complete release coming on March 27. Advanced access simply means people who paid more for the game, usually a deluxe edition of some sorts, get to play it a few days before anyone else. It's not a development method like early access, and games in advanced access are ready to play and fully developed, but paywalled for players who paid more than the rest. The game released to a score of 80 on Metacritic, with positive early reviews from players on Steam. While these are great numbers, they aren't even close to the 97-percent positive reviews that Sledders had on launch . The post New anime souls-like game breaks into Steam’s top 5 while still in advanced access appeared first on Destructoid .

Steam Archives – DestructoidMar 24

Assassin’s Creed Shadows goes portable, will be playable on Steam DeckUbisoft has doubled back on its previous statement about Assassin’s Creed Shadows‘ compatibility with the Steam Deck. Go ninja go The somewhat rocky road that Assassin’s Creed Shadows has had to get to launch is almost over. The latest release in the long running series, Shadows is about to roll into a full retail release … The post Assassin’s Creed Shadows goes portable, will be playable on Steam Deck appeared first on BrutalGamer .

BrutalGamerMar 17

Move over Lethal Company, R.E.P.O. is the new king of multiplayer horror Team-based horror games have really come into their own over the last few years. The likes of Phasmophobia and Lethal Company have set new standards for multiplayer survival tactics. But now R.E.P.O. is set to become the new darling of the genre (if it isn't already). At the time of writing, the game has claimed the number two spot on Steam's Top Sellers list. Given that the Steam Deck at number one is pretty much always number one – and is a piece of hardware anyway – that basically means R.E.P.O. is the top-selling game on the platform, ahead of Counter-Strike 2 , Split Fiction , and Baldur's Gate 3 . https://twitter.com/ZeekerssRBLX/status/1900698647391776993 On top of that, the third-party website SteamDB has recorded a peak concurrent player record of 230,645, achieved within the last 24 hours. To put that into perspective, Content Warning – a similar game with a focus on team survival horror – had an all-time peak of 204,439 players. So what is R.E.P.O. ? If you haven't played it yet, now might be a good time to give it a go. In a nutshell, R.E.P.O. is an online multiplayer game that tasks players with working together in horror environments to achieve goals; in this case, retrieving valuables. Visually, it looks kind of goofy, with oodles of humor thrown into the mix as players collaborate using the game's physics, all while avoiding the spooks that await. To that end, it's kind of similar to Lethal Company , which was also the talk of the indie horror community for a while. In fact, the developer of Lethal Company has recently played R.E.P.O. , referring to it as fun. Their experience of working in a group of other players to "move a grand piano through a cramped old mansion without scraping it" is the "most funny objective for a horror game," apparently. It will be interesting to see how much longevity R.E.P.O. has. Typically, these types of games often enjoy brief but lucrative stints in the limelight before fading out, which is unfortunate. Developer semiwork is said to be working on an update. It's also worth noting that the game is in early access, so it's pretty cheap at the moment. The post Move over Lethal Company, R.E.P.O. is the new king of multiplayer horror appeared first on Destructoid .

Steam Archives – DestructoidMar 17

Review: Atelier Yumia Is What I Wanted Tales of Arise to Be Having not played an Atelier game since the first Ryza , I will admit this series from Gust and Koei Tecmo has never quite grasped me. Outside of my first game Atelier Rorona , which I still adore to this day, I haven’t completed a single game in this series. Well, until now, with Atelier Yumia , which is by far the best game in the series I’ve played yet. While it takes some bold steps in unique directions, it still retains its core alchemist ideas while also being what I had hoped Tales of Arise would be. For starters, this is an almost true open-world experience. There are four key regions the player is able to explore. Though most regions are locked at the start until you progress later on, they are seamlessly connected to one another. In addition, loading times when fast traveling is nearly instantaneous, even on the underpowered Steam Deck where I reviewed this title. Image via Koei Tecmo Atelier Yumia opts for a fascinating open-world experience that feels similar to survival games in some ways like Valheim , which directly inspired it . Instead of sprawling cities and towns to explore, it is a vast, diverse, and often beautiful land that is customizable to the player’s liking in many areas. I will say the lack of true explorable cities with loads of NPCs and vendors is one of the few major gripes I have with the experience. It takes some adjustment, but this is not the type of experience Gust seems to be going for. Instead, Atelier Yumia is all about building out your own bases. While you can’t build anywhere, you frequently unlock home bases and campsites where you can customize to your heart’s content. You might want to turn one location into a three-story mansion. In another place, it might be the custom headquarters for your party. There is a lot of freedom in the building system to make what you want. However, it is welcoming to newcomers to this type of gameplay as well. There are blueprints you can create instantly for various types of places. Or, you can do what I did and just create your own home from scratch. The UI is intuitive, snappy, and easy to use. The best part is how the building ties into the rest of gameplay. You use the materials you gather all throughout the world to build. This adds a neat dual nature to the materials that would normally just be for the alchemy. Speaking of which, alchemy is back and with a new system. It is a bit daunting and confusing at first, but it is actually quite simple. You can use almost any material to make any type of item, but there are bonuses for using preferred materials. This leads to an alchemy system that is far more welcoming and open. While I prefer some of the older games’ alchemy still, it is certainly better than Atelier games in recent memory. Image via Koei Tecmo When not synthesizing weapons and recipes or building your dream fantasy home, you’ll be exploring the four regions that is full of content. Fortunately, there is something interesting to do every few feet. I had a lot of fun doing the side content in Atelier Yumia , such as little minigames to restore a terminal or an optional boss battle. There are also welcome side quests as well. Some of them are short and sweet gather or battle sequences, while others are story quests with your party members that lets you learn more about them. The battles in Atelier Yumia are also radically different and another example of the more mainstream approach this title takes. I would fully describe this as a true action RPG now, even more than the Ryza games . Battles take place in essentially a circular arena. There is a circle you can rotate 360 degrees around the enemy target. You use this to dodge AOEs and the like. You can spam various skills in succession to create combos to deal damage to enemies. However, you are only able to use the skills on your face buttons (if using a controller) a few times before they run out. This then requires you to switch to the weapon items you craft. You basically have two hot bars of four skills each to constantly use to consistently be dealing damage. In addition to this, there are two ranges within the circle. You can switch at a moment’s notice between close range attacks and long range ones. These two ranges even come with their own set of skills to boot. Image via Koei Tecmo Then there is the ability to switch between party members, who all control radically different. For instance, Viktor is the dedicated tank, Rutger is the powerful scythe-wielder with underrated gun attacks, and so on. Without a doubt, Atelier Yumia has one of the most unique action RPG systems I’ve seen and it takes time to master. However, the depth is incredible and, while I still prefer traditional turn-based gameplay, it justified itself and felt far more enjoyable than Ryza’s battles. That said, the standout, most surprising parts about Atelier Yumia are the characters and story. This is not your usual friendship is magic, happy-go-lucky storyline right here. The backstory of the ancient empire that you’re exploring the ruins of is immense and at the heart of the experience. Alchemy is forbidden in this world and the titular character Yumia has to combat this discrimination head-on. The plot goes in some shocking directions that don’t get too grim, but are far more serious and emotional than I expected. This is especially true with a couple of the party members. Yumia herself is the best protagonist in the series hands down; she is not overly positive, but is still passionate about the alchemy her mother taught her and her dreams. Then there is Rutger and Nina whose writing really surprised me with how well done they are. The party members interact with one another so well, too. With the six party members and action combat, this game reminds me quite a bit of Tales of Arise , but it addresses all of my problems with that game. Instead of the six party members pairing up and really only having solid interactions with their “love interest,” you see everyone have a relationship with one another. For instance, Rutger understands and respects Nina, bonds over shared circumstances with Yumia, has a healthy rivalry with Viktor, and constantly pisses off Isla. And this character depth is true for nearly all six party members, too. Image via Koei Tecmo Better yet, this rich character development even goes to the villains. The villains in this story are some of my favorites, both in design and writing, in a long time. I won’t dare spoil them, but just know they make a tragically solid case for why they do what they do. In fact, there is at least one boss battle that was painful plot-wise for both myself and the main characters. Overall, Atelier Yumia is an extraordinary and highly surprising direction for the series. It retains the core alchemy and strategic combat, but builds upon everything in fascinating ways. While the world doesn’t have enough civilizations, it makes up for that with worthwhile content around every corner and a remarkable yet optional building system. The combat might switch fully to action, but it stands out with how uniquely deep and enjoyable it is. And then there is the story and characters, which is far and away better than anything Gust has done up until this point. This all comes together to make Atelier Yumia the best game in the series and the most widely appealing at the same time. Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land releases for Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on March 21, 2025. The post Review: Atelier Yumia Is What I Wanted Tales of Arise to Be appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraMar 15

Steam 2024 Year in Review shows off a remarkable list of wins for Valve In a staggering surprise to absolutely nobody, Valve has announced that Steam did quite well for itself in 2024, actually. The grand Steam Year in Review 2024 is now out and about, summarizing all the key updates, upgrades, and milestones for PC gaming's biggest platform. It's a doozy. Though I've got nothing against other PC gaming storefronts, like the Epic Games Store or GOG, there's something to be said about the sheer scope of support provided to Steam. Steam is, of course, more of an ecosystem for gaming than anything else, with all the fancy hardware and advanced features you can access using it. This means Valve's efforts need to be spread across numerous different avenues, but that doesn't appear to have caused much trouble at all. The highlight of 2024's Year in Review for Steam is the sheer number of entirely new users on the platform, almost 2 million in total. Picture by Destructoid Steam continues trucking on, reaching previously unprecedented milestones According to Valve, a grand total of 1.7 million entirely new users have joined Steam in 2024 alone. This number is remarkable especially because of Steam's age: simply not having an account on the platform is practically unthinkable if you do any amount of PC gaming. Steam is downright ubiquitous yet it still finds room to grow, which is the really impressive part. In a practical, financial sense, these users have been rather productive for Valve and Steam: "The 1.7 million customers who originated from a top 2023 release went on to enjoy more than 141 million hours of playtime in additional games, on top of any playtime from the game that brought them onboard. And they weren’t just playing games — they were buying new ones, too. That cohort of players has gone on to spend $20 million on in-game transactions across hundreds of other games — plus another $73 million on premium games and DLC across thousands more products," says the blog in question . Compared to Steam's statistics from 2014, the revenue attained from entirely new game releases has increased about tenfold: "In 2024, more than 500 new titles exceeded $250,000 in New Release revenue (up 27% from 2023)," says Valve, adding that "more than 200 new titles exceeded $1 million in New Release revenue (up 15% from 2023)." Valve has also highlighted the fact that 2024 has been the company's most successful and prolific year when it comes to themed game sales, too. We already have a list of the first six months' worth of themed sales jotted down, on that note, so check them out if you're intrigued . Let's not forget about Valve's darling piece of hardware, either: the Steam Deck. "All of [Valve's work on the Deck and SteamOS] is paying off in terms of games and playtime. Our Deck Compatibility program has about 17,000 "Playable" or "Verified” games (and remember- customers can still install and launch any of their Steam games, plus other game launchers and stores, as they see fit). Steam Deck generated an incredible 330 million hours of Steam playtime in 2024 alone — a 64% increase over 2023," says Valve. If you're interested in learning more about how Steam operates and what makes it such a successful business, I highly recommend reading through the full Year in Review blog . There's a wealth of information to be found in the document, and though much of it is just stats, it should help illustrate the point rather well. Let's see what 2025 might bring in this respect. The post Steam 2024 Year in Review shows off a remarkable list of wins for Valve appeared first on Destructoid .

Steam Archives – DestructoidMar 14

Take flight for the Empire, with the reveal of Hot Toys’ TIE Fighter PilotClad all in black and ready to deck out collector’s shelves with some classic Star Wars cool, Hot Toys’ TIE Fighter Pilot is coming up. In the Navy… The backbone of the Imperial Navy, Star Wars’ TIE Fighter Pilots have always been a special kind of neat. Before the Disney era especially, TIE Pilots stood … The post Take flight for the Empire, with the reveal of Hot Toys’ TIE Fighter Pilot appeared first on BrutalGamer .

BrutalGamerMar 4

Full Pokémon TCG Pocket Triumphant Light Expansion Deck ListFull Pokémon TCG Pocket Triumphant Light deck list including all special illustrations, immersives, and ex cards.

SiliconeraFeb 28

Review: Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection Brings Back Classic Titles The Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection brings back some of the oldest video game adaptations from the beloved card game’s past with some impressive value. There are 14 different, distinct games available from the Game Boy and Game Boy Advance. While there are some filler games not worth playing much these days, there are a handful of incredible titles that still hold up well even now. The true value comes from the sheer amount of content available here. It is a like a trip down memory lane or an interactive museum. You can see how the Yu-Gi-Oh! video game adaptations started and where they ended up as they began to build towards some similarities to more recent titles, at least in the gameplay and UI. Image via Konami I had a blast going through every single game and playing them for a few minutes before hopping into the next one. Overall, I would say that this is not a collection where you will likely pour dozens of hours into each game. This is especially true with the earlier titles that are extremely simplistic and barebones. That said, the first game that really stood out to me was the original Duel Monsters title. With the exception of one game, every title in the collection is now available in English, including this one. There is something so charming about this particular game with the various filters and graphical options that aren’t as available in the others. The card gameplay is as straightforward as it gets, but there was something beautiful about the accessibility of it. From there, it was a while in the collection before I found a game that really stuck with me. After all, most of the games boil down to the same formula of battle the same NPCs over and over to get new cards to then unlock more areas and fight more NPCs. There are far too many games like this and once you've played one, you’ve played them all. The real standout games are the ones that take the Yu-Gi-Oh! card formula and translate it into a unique genre. For instance, there is the fascinating Monster Capsule title. This one is essentially a grid-based tactical RPG with a bit of exploration. You use your monsters to move around the grid and defeat others with just enough Fire Emblem -like strategy. The progression is fun and while the graphics leave something to be desired, it is a nice change of pace from the usual card battles. Image via Konami In a similar fashion is Dungeon Dice Monsters , which was pure nostalgia for me. I played this game a ton back in the day on the GBA and while it doesn’t hold up super well, the great designs of the dice monsters make it worth a look for a bit. The same goes for the board game-inspired Destiny Board Traveler . This one is a bit overwhelming in its complexity, but there is some great arcade fun to be had rolling dice, moving around the field, and using unique mechanics to get an edge over the competition. With all of that said, though, there are three games that make the Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection worth it. Those titles are The Sacred Cards , Reshef of Destruction , and 7 Trials to Glory . I would say these three alone make this collection worth it. All three are essentially 2D JRPGs with the Yu-Gi-Oh! card battle mechanics. There are some odd gimmicks here and there in the first two RPGs, but they work. For instance, there is an elemental system akin to Pokemon . If you use a certain elemental monster against one it is super effective against, it will win every time. This is quite different from the official rules, but it adds this extra level of strategy. It feels like it is possible to win almost every duel if played right. I adore the ability to be able to explore the Yu-Gi-Oh! world in these games, talk to popular characters like Joey and Kaiba, battle against foes, and progress through a lengthy storyline. These games do get a bit grindy, but they are far more enjoyable than the other titles. It is a joy to have a starter deck that is weak and gradually get more cards for defeating each NPC. By the end of the game, you truly feel powerful with the Egyptian God cards and 4-star monsters that have 2000 attack or more. Image via Konami In fact, I appreciated these three RPGs so much, even though this was my first time playing them, that I completed all three from start to finish. They hold up extremely well, and part of this comes from the enhancements. Every single game in the Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection has various enhancements that are basically cheats. You can put a copy of every card in your deck, unlock special bosses, get unlimited currency, and more. These enhancements make the grind in some of these games less intrusive. It lets you focus on customizing however you like and enjoying the pure gameplay. In addition to that, there are save states, a rewind feature, and fast forward one. These all help to reduce the frustrations with these games. Some of the battles in some titles can be quite slow, so having a fast forward option helps. In addition, the save states and rewind features, while completely optional, can make having to start over a duel because of a single card mistake obsolete. And then there is the instruction manual part. Every single game has an instruction manual that recreates what it originally looked like in gorgeous fashion. You can pour over each manual, and they are pretty helpful, too. In the aforementioned RPG The Sacred Cards , for instance, I constantly referenced it for the elemental chart. It is so smooth and easy to access. Overall, the Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection is a brilliant example of how to present older titles to a newer audience or platform. Sure, most of the 14 titles on display here are only fun for a couple minutes and that’s it. However, the five or so games that are well worth your time feel even better than they did back in the day. The RPGs, board games, and other neat riffs on the Yu-Gi-Oh! formula feel great to play even now because of the rampant enhancements, improvements, and quality-of-life features. This is a collection that is lovingly crafted for fans of all levels and is well worth a look for a peek at the simpler, arguably more thrilling days of Yu-Gi-Oh! That said, it is missing some of the best games in the series like The Duelists of the Roses and the Nintendo DS World Championship titles, so here’s hoping this collection is only the start. Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection releases for Nintendo Switch and PC on February 27, 2025. The post Review: Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection Brings Back Classic Titles appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraFeb 28

Some Good And Bad News About Assassin's Creed Shadows On PCAssassin’s Creed Shadows , the next mainline game in Ubisoft’s long-running historical fiction franchise, is nearly here after a few delays , a leak , and a lot of online yelling . And if you were planning to play the game on Steam, well, I’ve got some good news and also, some bad news for Steam Deck owners. Read more...

KotakuFeb 28