Steam New Game Recommendations for June, from Exit 8 Sequel to Mystery Adventure!

How are you doing, Akiba Research Institute readers? This is Nero Hyakkabe, a writer who buys too many games. With hot and rainy days, many of you may be spending most of your time at home, but this time we would like to introduce a selection of indie titles released in May that we would like to recommend for your home time.

In "No. 8 Noriba," players experience a variety of strange happenings on a realistic train while enjoying a trial-and-error process to escape from a running train. The unique and strange atmosphere and the unique game system are interesting, and moreover, the game is reasonably priced at less than one coin. Players who enjoyed the previous title "Exit 8" will of course have no problem starting with this title, so players who are interested are encouraged to play and get lost in the strange train full of oddities.

• Exit 8" (KOTAKE CREATE)
• Genre: Adventure
• Release date: May 31, 2024
• Price: 470 yen (as of June 23, 2024)
• Copyright: (C) KOTAKE CREATE

2, Grow and ship antennas in the field! Mysterious farm simulation adventure "Denpato".

Do you like farm games?
The genre is attractive for its relaxing and time-saving experience of farming and taking care of animals, but "Denpato," the title we will introduce to you, is a slightly different farm-style title.

This title is a farm simulation adventure game in a 2D side-scrolling style.
The first thing that catches the eye is, of course, the visuals. The graphics and colors have a retro atmosphere, and the addition of dots creates a unique worldview. The graphic effects, which look as if you are watching a CRT TV, are also very tasteful.

The story of this game is very unique as well as the graphics.
The game begins when the main character, who for some reason has lost his memory, wakes up in a strange "antenna farm.
In order to regain his lost memory, the protagonist must help the farm's inhabitant, a mysterious talking TV, to grow antennas at the antenna farm. This unique worldview, which is unparalleled in novels, movies, and manga, let alone video games, attracts players with its mysterious charm.

Antenna cultivation, the main part of the game, consists of several steps.

First, antenna seedlings are planted in rows in the field. Antennas have various characteristics, such as orthodox ones that grow easily and ones that can be cut down in the middle of the field to earn more aluminum (a kind of currency in this world). Furthermore, the placement of each type of antenna also changes the growth speed and other factors. You can plant them strategically to improve their growth efficiency, or you can grow them as you like, depending on your own mood.

Antenna seedlings must be nourished to grow. And that nourishment is, of course, a " denpa. Where are these "dampers" located? In order to collect these invisible dampers, you need to walk around equipped with a parabola and collect them by locating where they accumulate, just like dowsing. When you think you have found a cloud of dampers, press and hold the button to activate the " parabola boost," and aim to collect a large number of dampers at once. The game's "search for the unseen" feel is similar to that of slow-life games such as fishing or digging for ore, and I found it addictive enough to make me want to play it over and over again, even though it is a slow-life game.

You feed the antennae with a daily dose of denpa, and when they grow, you harvest them. When you cut down the antennae with a machete, a vendor on a truck will come to pick them up and ship them out. When the shipment is completed, you will receive aluminum as a reward, and if you ship at the right time for the recipient, which is determined for each type of antenna, you will receive a bonus reward as well. It is quite surreal to see the antennas loaded on a truck being carried away, but shipping gives you a sense of accomplishment, which is one of the most exciting parts of the game. The game also allows players to upgrade their equipment and tools with aluminum, so they can enjoy shipping more and more to improve the efficiency of their work.

As a reward for successful shipments, a talking TV will let you watch a TV program. The content of the broadcast, which is reminiscent of nostalgic programs, may make some of you grin. In the course of watching such programs, you may obtain information necessary to awaken the protagonist's memories of the past, and progress may be made in the story surrounding the mystery of "who I am. There are three story endings available, so you may want to try to complete the story.

The retro dot graphics, the farm simulation with its unique worldview of "growing and harvesting antennas," and the mysterious story of the main character who has lost his memory are all intertwined in "Denpato," offering a unique and mysterious game experience. With no difficult controls or complicated elements, this title can be played with ease by those who are not familiar with video games.

• Denpato" (Toroyamai Batteries Fried)
• Genre: Adventure
• Release date: May 17, 2024
• Price: 980 yen (as of June 23, 2024)
• Copyright: (C) 2024 Troyamai Batteries Frides

3. Become a reaper and find the murderer!　Rogue-lite mystery adventure with randomly generated questions, "Detective Shinigami invites you."

Do you like detective stories?
Last year, I published a detective mystery novel, and the game I would like to introduce to you, "Detective Shinigami invites you", is a game that allows you to easily experience the feeling of being a detective.

This game is a combination of a mystery adventure game in which you deduce the culprit of a crime from testimonies, and a "rogue light" game in which the story changes every time you play. This game is a unique genre that did not seem possible, but the graphics are also very unique. The tasteful dots, reminiscent of retro games, lead the player into a mysterious world.

The protagonist of this work is the newly appointed "Detective Shinigami. His job is to execute murderers. The player, the Detective Reaper, must deduce the murderer at the scene of the murder, which is represented by a board, panels, and cards, and then find the culprit and execute him. Mistakes incur a penalty, and the game is over when the player runs out of energy. The unique storyline, in which the protagonist is a reaper, and the setting of "Detective Reaper" are interesting and draw you into the world view even before you start playing.

In the mystery part, which is the main part of the game, multiple suspects appear and give their testimonies.
There are two important rules in this game. The "culprit must lie" and "the innocent must tell the truth.

For example,

Mr. X: "The culprit must be Y.

Mr. Y: "I am not the culprit.

Mr. Z: "I and Mr. X are not the culprits.

and so on. If X and Z are innocent and Y is the culprit, there is no contradiction. In this way, we can detect the culprit = the person who is lying, in the manner of a so-called "logic puzzle".

Incidentally, since the game is called "Rogue Lite," the cases in this game are all randomly generated. The game is not over once solved, but rather, new puzzles can be played over and over again, so puzzle lovers are guaranteed to become completely addicted to the puzzles.

The game also includes information such as "location" and "time," which can be compared with testimonies to find the culprit.

However, there are some suspects who do not give their first testimony, or who testify about things unrelated to the case.
In such cases, you can use the cards displayed at the bottom of the screen to elicit further testimony. Cards have a variety of effects, including those related to testimony, such as eliciting new testimony or eyewitness testimony from a specific time, as well as supportive ones, such as executing a suspect without penalty.

Nevertheless, the cards are not unlimited and require money to use. However, if you use cards too recklessly, you may find yourself in a situation where you cannot narrow down the culprit when a difficult question arises, so the basic strategy is to find the culprit with the least card consumption possible.

By the way, you can get a bonus if you find the culprit quickly, so you can use your cards sparingly and aim for the bonus by solving the puzzles as soon as possible. I felt that these money and card systems added just the right amount of spice to the logic puzzle.

When you finish a case, you have to choose your next action. The stages in this title are hex-shaped, and you choose one square at a time to move forward. In addition to "Normal Reasoning" and "Difficult Reasoning," there is a boss-like " Difficult Reasoning " that awaits you at the end of the board. The game is designed to be completed in order to see the story through to the end.

In addition to the deduction squares, there are "store" squares where cards and items can be purchased with money, "treasure chests" where good items and items with negative effects can be obtained, and "random event squares" where what will happen depends on luck. The choice of squares is very important, as which squares you advance to will determine whether or not you will succeed in your subsequent deductions. Among them, the stores where cards can be purchased are especially important. You can choose not only to buy what you want, but also to choose "demerit cards" or "cursed items" that have negative effects to get money, but be sure to use them systematically.

Detective Shinigami invites you to enjoy logic puzzles as many times as you like by using the random generation system in this innovative mystery adventure. This is a must-play title not only for those who enjoy quizzes and puzzles, but also for those who enjoy wargames.

• Detective Shinigami ha Inuiu (SHIZU KANO UMI)
• Genre: Adventure
• To be released on May 25, 2024
• Price: 1,250 yen (scheduled)
• Copyright: (C) 2024 SHIZU KANO UMI

Did you find any new recommended Steam titles that you are interested in?

So, we have introduced our recommended new Steam titles.

This time, we chose mainly titles that can be played quickly in a short time, rather than gutsy titles. If you find a title that interests you, please check it out!