Steam] Did you miss out on anything?　These are the three new Steam games you should play in July!

How are you doing, Akiba Research Institute readers? This is Nero Hyakkabe, a writer who buys too many games. May has already passed a month ago, and the main event in May was the Golden Week holiday, but some gamers may have been too busy playing or going out to check out the new games on Steam during the holiday. Therefore, in this issue, we would like to introduce a selection of highly rated indie titles from the new games released at the end of April and in May.

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1. Experience the "dangerous" store management of a horrifying couple! Dark and black horror cooking simulator "Ravenous Devils

Do you like to cook?
I am ashamed to say that I am a person who rarely cooks, but only eats, so I am always impressed by people who are good at cooking. Ravenous Devils" is a slightly different kind of work that deals with such a theme of cooking.

This work contains many grotesque and violent expressions, so if this is not your cup of tea, please skip this section.

Ravenous Devils" is a game with an unusual genre name: a "horror cooking simulator. The word "Ravenous" is not a familiar one, but it means "greedy, rapacious, and hungry" as well as "to pillage and plunder. The title of the book could be translated as "The Greedy Devil" or "The Devil Who Plunderers. However, the devil does not appear as a character in the film, but a pair of people so extraordinary that even the devil might run away barefooted are the main characters. So let's get right to the story.

The protagonists of this film are a married couple named Percival and Hildred. They move to a town with dreams of becoming very rich, and open a new store in their new house, which was originally owned by a famous barber. The two stores, a "dressmaker and tailor" run by Percival and a "pub-restaurant" run by Hildred, are two separate businesses in one building, which sounds like the story of a hardworking couple running a business, but they have a big secret... You can read more about it at .......

In fact, Percival and Hildred are the most horrific murderous couple in the world!
Percival's M.O. is to murder customers who come in for measurements, strip them of the clothes they are wearing, apply fittings, and sell them in his store. Hildred's trick is to process the corpses of the customers Percival kills into meat (!!) and sell it in her shop. He then bakes meat pies and sausages using the meat (!!!) and sells them in pubs. ) and sell them in pubs. Thus began the outrageous store operation of a couple who could be called devils in human skin. ......

The setting of this film is reminiscent of the famous "Sweeney Todd" movie. In horror games featuring such terrifying serial killers, the player controls a civilian caught in the killer's trap and tries to escape or fight back, which seems orthodox, but the protagonists of this game are a couple of serial killers. However, the protagonists of this game are a couple of serial killers. The player gives them instructions and aims to manage the store smoothly, which is the so-called "villain" side of the gameplay. This is the biggest and most shocking feature of this work.

The player's objective in this game is to earn money by providing goods to customers who come to the store one after another in search of clothes and food. The basic operation of the game is a simple point-and-click system in which the player moves a glowing cursor and gives instructions to the couple by clicking on objects and locations.

Customers will leave if they are kept waiting too long, so quick and efficient instructions are required. The most important point in the game system of this title is that the player must manage two stores at the same time: a "tailor shop" and a "pub". Inevitably, the player has a lot of work to do, but let's start with the operations of the "dressmaker and tailor," which Percival is in charge of, in order.

Percival's store and work space is located on the second floor of the building where the event takes place.

The work process is,
Kill customers who come for measurements and strip them of their clothes.
Throw the corpse into a trapdoor
Clean up the blood splattered on the floor
The stolen clothes are then sewn on a sewing machine.
The clothes are then displayed on mannequins in the store space.

The five-step process is riddled with noisy words such as "kill," "murder," "kill," "kill," "kill," "kill," and "kill. Percival automatically moves and performs the tasks by clicking on the corresponding objects, such as clicking on a customer for "murder," a mop for "cleaning," or a mannequin for "display. The operation is simple and easy.

Note that the store space where the clothes are sold and the work space where you work on customers under the guise of taking measurements are separated by a door, and new customers cannot be invited in for measurements until the "blood cleanup" is completed. Well, if the floor of the room you enter is covered in blood, you will realize that this is definitely a bad idea and run away as fast as you can! I'd run away as fast as I could. ......

Hildred, on the other hand, has two floors to work on: the kitchen space in the basement of the house and the pub space on the first floor.

The process,
Carry the dead bodies that have fallen through the trap door and put them in the machine to make meat.
The ingredients are placed on trays.
The trays are then taken to the oven to be baked.
The baked food is taken to the pub space and displayed.

The process is a total of four steps, which is too scary. The order in which the tasks click is crucial, as in "corpse -> mincing machine" or "meat -> tray -> flour -> tray -> oven." Also, the oven and mincing machine take a certain amount of time to complete their tasks, and it also takes a bit of time to bring the food downstairs, so there are many tasks that are not quick and easy on the Hildred's side.

The game also features equipment upgrades that can be done by spending the money earned.

By increasing the number of products that can be displayed or reducing the working time of sewing machines and ovens, it is possible to earn money even more efficiently. Thinking carefully about which tasks to upgrade first with the limited amount of money you have is truly an interesting management simulation.

The dark and shocking splatter-movie-like production and setting of this title are eye-catching in any case, but in fact, the author believes that the true appeal of this title lies in the "busyness of work" and "trial-and-error for efficiency.

As mentioned earlier, in this work, the player alone must perform the work of two people: Percival on the second floor and Hildred in the basement and on the first floor. The first thing you have to do is cook the meat in the basement, then you have to go upstairs and fuck the customers and drop the corpses down the hole before cleaning ......, then you have to go ahead and do the sewing machine work ...... because you don't have enough clothes in stock, then the food is ready. The food is ready and I have to take it downstairs ......! I haven't cleaned yet!" And so on and so forth, during opening hours, players are in a veritable up-and-down frenzy.

This sense of panic with no time to rest is exciting and fun, but at the same time, it also naturally leads players to develop a knack for working efficiently, such as "Let's go upstairs and clean while the pies bake," or "It's going to take a while to finish the clothes, so let's move the sewing machine first and then take care of the customers. It is also interesting to learn "how to work efficiently" as you play. What is being done is a horrific criminal act that even the devil himself would be surprised by, but as you play, the surprise at the act gradually fades, and the sense of being addicted to a "time-dissolving work game" grows stronger.

Ravenous Devils" combines a dark setting and black storyline unique to games, an overly unique game system that makes the most of its peculiar setting, and a stable production as a management and work simulation game. The grotesque nature of the game makes it a game for a very selective audience, but those who get into it will inevitably lose track of time and become completely absorbed in the game. If you are interested in this work, please check it out.

2. Create a beautiful village by connecting hexagonal tiles!　Dorfromantik" is a relaxing puzzle game that you can enjoy alone.

Many people are tired from their daily work and housework, and deep down inside they wish to be healed by looking at beautiful scenery. I am sure that there are many people who are tired from daily work and housework and deep down inside wish to be healed by looking at a beautiful scenery. However, when you are tired, you may not have the energy to go outside. Dorfromantik" is a game that allows you to fully enjoy such beautiful scenery in a game.

This is a puzzle game for one player, in which the player creates the scenery of a village by placing tiles. The first thing that catches the eye is the beautiful graphics. The graphics are not realistic and beautiful, but have a rustic, picture-book feel, which makes you feel relaxed just looking at them. Furthermore, although the text does not convey it, the music in this work is also of very high quality. The relaxing and soothing sound relaxes the player's mind.

The game is very simple to play. The basic rule is to expand a village by spinning hexagonal tiles depicting various landforms such as plains, forests, residential areas, railroad tracks, rivers, and so on, and placing them in the right places.

However, please note that not all tiles can be placed anywhere, and certain landforms, such as rivers and railroads, can only be placed in such a way that the tiles are connected to each other. If you say that the game feels similar to the analog board game masterpiece "Carcassonne," it may ring a bell if you are a bodge game lover. Incidentally, Carcassonne was born in Germany, and this game was also born in Germany. Perhaps the reason why the visuals and playability of this work have a certain board game-like flavor is because it was born in Germany, which is known as one of the world's leading board game countries.

Tiles must be placed in order from the top of the dealt deck, and the game ends when the deck runs out. Scores are added as tiles are placed, and players can aim for a high score by matching the terrain and connecting the tiles well.

The player's ultimate goal in this game is to place tiles until the deck is depleted, and to score more and more points in order to achieve a high score. The game's stoicism is reminiscent of retro games, but the overall atmosphere of the game is very laid-back and idyllic. Although there is a limit to the number of remaining cards in the deck, there are no antagonists or time limits that interfere with play, making this a very relaxing and enjoyable game overall.

Placing as many tiles as possible is the shortcut to a high score, but the number of tiles in the deck is limited. Then, we need to increase the deck somehow! This is why "quests" are so important.

In rare cases, a tile with a balloon icon will appear from the deck, and by placing this tile and completing the quests written on it, you can earn additional tiles. The quests are to place "xx or more trees" or "xx or more houses," and the key to accomplishment is to be conscious of the fact that the topography is not interconnected. Since the third tile from the top is visible in the deck, it is important to place the tiles with an eye toward the future, and the game offers a unique puzzle feel that is a fusion of a jigsaw puzzle and a strategy game.

The main Classic mode of this title has a "Challenge" system. These are quests with special content, such as "connect 10 or more train tracks" or "reach a high score of 2500 points," and are displayed in the upper right corner of the play screen. New tiles are released by completing these quests. In addition, new challenges are also released by connecting tiles toward the transparent spots that appear during play and adjacent to the special tiles that appear.

The puzzle-like playability of this game is highly addictive to begin with, but it is also highly motivating in the sense that the player is motivated to "complete challenges and release new landforms! This is what makes the game so addictive and keeps you playing it over and over again, losing track of time. Once you get hooked, it is inevitable that you will not be able to get out of the game. What a dangerous game it is, even though it has such a dusty appearance. ......

Dorfromantik" offers a wide range of options: you can play leisurely with the intention of creating your own box garden, or you can go for the high score. The game offers a variety of modes: Quick mode for quick play, Hard mode for puzzlers with high difficulty, Monthly mode with rules and seeds that change monthly, and Creative mode where you can immerse yourself in creating landscapes with unlimited tiles. This title is highly recommended not only for puzzle lovers, but also for those who like boxyard games and analog board games.

3. "Life" or "Power" is your choice? Gamebook-style multi-ending RPG "Inochino Tsuyokata" (How to Use Your Life)

Have you ever read a game book?　Although they are books, gamebooks are like games in that the story unfolds and the ending changes depending on the choices you make during the story. I remember being addicted to the "Nyatan" series of game books when I was a child, and "How to Use Life" is a work that reminds me of such game books.

Inochino Tsuyokata" is a multi-ending RPG in the style of a gamebook. The first thing that catches your eye when you start the game is the anthropomorphic rabbit character. The rabbit, drawn with a unique touch that is both cute and cool, is the protagonist of the game. Not only the main character, but many of the characters in this work are anthropomorphic animals, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a picture book or animated film.

Let us begin by introducing the story of this work.

The main character, Gosh the rabbit, is the new head of his family, following in his father's footsteps. On the memorable day when the protagonist is about to become the new head of his family, a serious incident occurs. Suddenly, a huge dragon appears and kills the protagonist's family and all his compatriots living in the village. This shocking introduction ...... is like a war story or a heavy fantasy, even though the characters are cute animals!

The protagonist, who survives, is battered and bruised and faints. When he wakes up, he finds himself in a cramped prison with walls and iron bars. According to Misha, a Rabbit woman who was also trapped in the prison, she had stopped by a Rabbit village on her journey, only to find that it had been destroyed and that bandits who had come to scavenge the village had grabbed her and thrown her into this prison with the hero. Amidst the sounds of the bandits mocking them, a strong emotion arose within the protagonist. Thus began the long and arduous journey of the hero, the sole survivor of the village. ......

The game consists of two main parts. One is the "adventure part. This involves exploring the map, making choices within the events that occur, and playing a roulette of numbers reminiscent of a die roll. The fact that the game is not handled automatically by determining the probabilities behind the scenes, but rather by interspersing analog effects in the style of a dice roll, makes it very much like a game book and an RPG (table talk role-playing game).

The narration text inserted during events also has a nice flavor, and uses the so-called "second-person" style, in which the text speaks to the player in the manner of "You are..." or "You're...". This second-person text is a very reminiscent of TRPGs. The narration, which speaks to the player as the "protagonist = player," allows the player to enjoy a highly immersive experience.

In this work, two parameters, "attachment to life" and "attachment to power," change depending on the choices made during events. For example, choosing "crush the enemy from the front" will increase "attachment to power," while choosing "surprise attack" will increase "attachment to life," and so on. In contrast, "attachment to life" tends to increase for those who value their own lives.

This is precisely what the title of this work, "How to Use Life," refers to. The ending of the game changes depending on these two parameters, making it a game that can be enjoyed over and over again.

The other of the two major parts of the game is the "battle. Battles in this title are turn-based battles in which players select commands such as "swordplay" and "magic. This may sound like a fairly orthodox RPG, but in fact, the battles in this title are not orthodox at all, but rather quite unique. First, the player selects not one but three commands at once. First, the player chooses a "sword technique," then a "tool" to heal, and finally a "magic" command to attack (......). This allows for a very strategic approach to battle, with recovery in the middle of the battle to avoid damage from enemies.

This alone is special enough, but another special feature is a system that allows players to evade or guard against enemy attacks by pressing the corresponding button. This is a quick time event, or "QTE," as it is called, and if the wrong button is pressed, or if the button is not pressed before the display disappears, the player will suffer heavy damage. Furthermore, the amount of damage depends on the timing of the evasion button press, so it is unique in that it is not simply a matter of pressing the button quickly. This simple but action-packed evasion system, which requires accurate and well-timed presses of the corresponding buttons, makes for a tense battle experience.

The tension is not limited to battles. The game also has a constant sense of tension in the exploration part of the game.
For example, in a situation where you have to hide and listen in on the enemy's conversation, you will succeed if you can stop the roulette with a number above 30, but if you get a number below 29, you will fail and the enemy will find you and a battle will be forced to start.

In this way, the chosen action is not always successful, and risk is also present, which is the appeal of this work's exploration. Rambling through both battles and exploration can be fatal, so you can enjoy thrilling gameplay that will keep you hooked and absorbed. The fact that there is a limit to the number of times you can retry after a game over is also a good system to increase the thrill of the game, I felt.

The combination of a number of systems reminiscent of game books and TRPGs, tense battles, and a profound storyline makes "How to Use Life" a unique and distinctive work. At the time of this writing, the game is an Early Access game, so expect to see additional elements and power-ups when it is officially released, so RPG and adventure fans, and of course game book and TRPG fans, should definitely check it out.

Did you find any recommended Steam titles released in May that caught your attention?

So, we have introduced three recommended new Steam titles for release in May.

We had a wide variety of titles, including a simulation game with an unusual horror flavor, a puzzle game for one person that can be enjoyed in-depth, and a gamebook-style RPG. All of them have received favorable user reviews on Steam, so they are all guaranteed to be fun. If you find a title that strikes your fancy, by all means, give it a try!

• Ravenous Devils" (Bad Vices Games)
• Genre: Simulation
• Release date: April 30, 2020
• Price: 520 yen (as of June 13, 2022)
• Copyright: (C) 2022 Bad Vices Games
• # # (title)

• Dorfromantik" (Toukana Interactive)
• Genre: Puzzle
• Release date: April 28, 2022
• Price: 1,420 yen (as of June 13, 2022)
• Copyright: (C) 2022 Toukana Interactive
• #1

• How to Use Life (Daraneko Games)
• Genre: Adventure
• Release date: May 21, 2022
• Price: 1,780 yen (as of June 13, 2022)
• Copyright: (C) 2022 Daraneko Games
• #: (C) 2022 Daraneko Games

Author: Nero Hyakkabe

Freelance writer who buys too many games. Currently has a stack of more than 300 games. Also a novelist. His works include "Yubisaki Kaidan: 140 Scary Stories" (PHP Kenkyujo) and "Goa-ken: Unrated Edition" (Kodansha).

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/KINGakiko

Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/nero100kabe

about.me: https://about.me/nero100kabe/