Not sure what to play this weekend? We’ve got music, fighting, and hard sci-fi stories this week in games

We’re back in the full swing of new releases every week, and this week we had some great games come out! We’ve got the newest Necrodancer title (Rift of the Necrodancer, which looks like Guitar Hero!), a new indie roguelike (SWORN), a 3d beat-’em-up (Big Helmet Heroes), and the sequel to an absolutely amazing indie title (Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector).

Here are our gameplay suggestions for the weekend.

Musical Challenges: Rift of the Necrodancer

The Necrodancer titles have always been musical challenge games in a genre that has fallen out of favor in recent years. While the previous two titles were both musical dungeon crawlers (one of which was set in the Zelda universe!), Rift of the Necrodancer appears to be taking on a different direction, tackling a title we haven’t seen in quite some time: Guitar Hero. Step into the shoes of Cadence as you fight monsters using the power of music, challenge difficult bosses, oh, and play some really cute mini games.

Get Rift of the Necrodancer for $18 on Steam. Honestly, just grab the Crypt and Rift of the Necrodancer bundle for $1 more ($18.88) here.

1-4 Player Roguelike: SWORN

Let’s get this out of the way: This is an Early Access title. Now that we’ve said that, SWORN is an action roguelike for 1-4 players with an art style that’s very reminiscent of indie-darling Hades. King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable have been corrupted, and it’s your job as a soulforged knight to bring them down. Swear fealty to fae lords, pick weapons and powers that make your own unique builds, and prepare for a final battle against the King himself. Oh, and you can become friends with Merlin too.

Get SWORN for $20 on Steam.

Big Headed Heroes: Big Helmet Heroes

Games like Big Helmet Heroes don’t seem to come around much anymore; the last title of this vein that I can think of off the top of my head is Castle Crashers which came out back on the Xbox 360 (gosh I’m old). That said, Big Helmet Heroes has you picking one of four knight types — the Warrior, the Brute, the Rogue, and the Monk — each with their own playstyle and appearance. Once you’ve picked your class, you march out into the world to take on enemy knights, monsters, robot scorpions (???), and bands of stampeding sheep. Each hero class has their own special ability as well, which always feels good to press at just the right moment.

Get Big Helmet Heroes for $20 on Steam.

Narrative Cyberpunk: Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector

Citizen Sleeper was an indie hit when it released back in 2022; a dice-based, story-driven sci-fi RPG that has roots in not only tabletop roleplaying games but also visual novels and series like The Expanse. Citizen Sleeper 2 takes everything that made the original Citizen Sleeper an amazing game and polishes it, adding a unique “Push” mechanic that lets you attempt to turn the tides of difficulty — but beware, as the dice aren’t always in your favor, and quickly you could find yourself spiraling wildly out of control. With a branching story, decisions you make can change the course of what happens, and only you can decide where to go while you fight for your freedom.

Get Citizen Sleeper 2 for $22.50 on Steam. Or get both Citizen Sleeper 1 + 2 for $25 on Steam.