The games we’re getting into this holiday weekend — and summer

This week is kind of a turbulent one IRL, so we’re looking for something cozy and chill — or ready to burn everything piece by piece, like a sadistic fourth grader with a magnifying glass aimed at an anthill. Here are our choices for some new games to check out, old favorites to score a deal on, and one to just try our best to unwind a little.

New Release of the Week: A duo of (very different) city builders

We’ve found that in gaming, we’ll frequently see trends of similar games releasing at similar times. In this case, while the broad outline of these two games released this week is the same, everything else — from the gameplay to the visuals to the vibes — is wildly different.

Synergy is a very cozy, relatively slow-paced city builder with a hand drawn art style. It emphasizes community overall, as a reflection of the health of the society as a whole. The vibe is one of hope and perseverance over shared challenges. It released in Early Access, so it does need a little polish, but it provides a relaxed, low-pressure way to unwind while staying true to much of the core of city building gameplay.

By contrast, The Tribe Must Survive is a creepy, high-stakes city builder. It emphasizes community, not in a wholesome way, but because even though each individual is unique, they’re expendable as long as there is someone else to continue on. In addition to the typical city builder management hooks, your people also have to contend with disasters, crises both internal and external, and of course, being abducted in the night by the thing that lives in the dark.

Which of these two titles piques your interest more?

Get Synergy for $22.49 for PC on Steam.

Get The Tribe Must Survive for $19.99 for PC on Steam.

A favorite from the backlog: Brotato (bullet heaven roguelite)

It’s a holiday weekend in the US, school is winding down, and it’s starting to get truly hot out, so this is my current go-to game for a little bit of mindless fun, because that’s what I’m after right now. To start a round, choose your favorite potato, a weapon to equip, and a difficulty level. A roguelite with plenty of options to unlock, from in-game weapon and stat synergies to potato character choices, this entry into the genre has more depth than you might expect from a game called freakin Brotato. If you’re just in the mood for something to pass the time while you wait for the kids to be done with their summer sports practices, or if you’re in for a long road or camping trip, Brotato is also available on mobile platforms and Switch.

And if you have any favorite games that check these boxes, let us know. It’s about to be a long summer.

Get Brotato for $4.99 for Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Playstation, iOS, Google Play, and PC on Steam.

Steal of a deal: Elder Scrolls (RPG) Franchise Sale

Hey, you’re finally awake. We were torn on not mentioning Epic Games Store’s free offering this week (it’s Farm Simulator 22, just in time to get prepping for the next season of Farm Simulator League in July), this deal truly caught our eye. While we all have Skyrim for Samsung Fridge at this point, the older games don’t get nearly as much love. If you haven’t delved those iconic dungeons yet, as we celebrate 30 years since the release of the first Elder Scrolls game, Arena, Morrowind is currently $3.74 and Oblivion is $2.99. There’s also a deep discount on Elder Scrolls Online, all the timeless soundtracks, and there are also several bundles up for grabs where the prices are slashed even further.

My favorite mechanic in the whole series is in Morrowind, where you can just murder people in order to take their houses for your own. It’s literally free real estate. Yes, I should probably tell my therapist about that.

Get a deep discount on The Elder Scrolls Franchise on Steam.

Now tell us, Watchers — what are you playing this weekend? Share in the comments below, and we’ll feature your new interest in next week’s round-up!

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