LOST IN STEAM
PC Gamer US Edition|May 2023
RETRO GAMES are added to Steam every month - so why is no one buying them?
Kerry Brunskill
LOST IN STEAM

Dwarf Fortress sold almost half a million copies in under a month when it launched on Steam last December. Bubbly 2D farming/life sim Stardew Valley currently clears 30,000 concurrent users a day even at off-peak times. Carrion, a small Metroidvania where you play as a faceless monster trying to escape a secret facility, has garnered over 17,000 positive reviews. There are indie hits on Steam all the time, yet the classics they’re often inspired by – some of the best, most timeless games ever made – keep arriving on Steam to less fanfare than a new piece of Euro Truck Simulator DLC.

The passage of time has made crystal clear just how truly great some of these ’80s and ’90s games are. No game in Taito’s Puzzle Bobble series has ever surpassed Puzzle Bobble 2X’s sublime Tetris-like balance between simplicity and complexity. Realms of the Haunting is pretty much first-person Resident Evil years before first-person Resident Evil existed. Twinkle Star Sprites is a wild sugar rush of a cute/competitive puzzle-shmup that’s exactly as brilliantly bananas as it sounds.

But these oldies are swiftly lost to the depths of Steam and only found by a few people like me who already know what to look for. A recent example is Elevator Action Returns. The only other PC release for this action-platformer bursting with Die Hard-level setpieces was 17 years ago. At its peak on Steam, Elevator Action Returns hit ten concurrent players. 

Bu hikaye PC Gamer US Edition dergisinin May 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye PC Gamer US Edition dergisinin May 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

PC GAMER US EDITION DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
Special Report- Stacked Deck - Monster Train, a deckbuilding roguelike that firmly entrenched itself as the crown prince to the kingly Slay the Spire back in 2020, was the kind of smash success you might call Champagne Big.
PC Gamer US Edition

Special Report- Stacked Deck - Monster Train, a deckbuilding roguelike that firmly entrenched itself as the crown prince to the kingly Slay the Spire back in 2020, was the kind of smash success you might call Champagne Big.

Monster Train, a deckbuilding roguelike that firmly entrenched itself as the crown prince to the kingly Slay the Spire back in 2020, was the kind of smash success you might call Champagne Big. Four years later, its successor Inkbound’s launch from Early Access was looking more like Sandwich Big.I’m not just saying that because of the mountain of lamb and eggplants I ate while meeting with developer Shiny Shoe over lunch, to feel out what the aftermath of releasing a game looks like in 2024. I mean, have I thought about that sandwich every day since? Yes. But also, the indie team talked frankly about the struggle of luring Monster Train’s audience on board for its next game.

time-read
5 dak  |
September 2024
SCREENBOUND
PC Gamer US Edition

SCREENBOUND

How a 5D platformer went viral two months into development

time-read
5 dak  |
September 2024
OLED GAMING MONITORS
PC Gamer US Edition

OLED GAMING MONITORS

A fresh wave of OLED panels brings fresh options, greater resolutions and makes for even more impressive gaming monitors

time-read
6 dak  |
September 2024
CRYSIS 2
PC Gamer US Edition

CRYSIS 2

A cinematic FPS with tour de force visuals.

time-read
5 dak  |
September 2024
PLOD OF WAR
PC Gamer US Edition

PLOD OF WAR

SENUA’S SAGA: HELLBLADE 2 fails to find a new path for its hero

time-read
6 dak  |
September 2024
GALAXY QUEST
PC Gamer US Edition

GALAXY QUEST

HOMEWORLD 3 is a flashy, ambitious RTS, but some of the original magic is missing

time-read
6 dak  |
September 2024
FAR REACHING
PC Gamer US Edition

FAR REACHING

Twenty years ago, FAR CRY changed the landscape of PC gaming forever.

time-read
10+ dak  |
September 2024
THY KINGDOM COME
PC Gamer US Edition

THY KINGDOM COME

SHADOW OF THE ERDTREE is the culmination of decades of FromSoftware RPGs, and a gargantuan finale for ELDEN RING

time-read
9 dak  |
September 2024
KILLING FLOOR 3
PC Gamer US Edition

KILLING FLOOR 3

Tripwire Interactive's creature feature is back

time-read
6 dak  |
September 2024
IMPERFECTLY BALANCED
PC Gamer US Edition

IMPERFECTLY BALANCED

Arrowhead says HELLDIVERS 2 balancing patches have 'gone too far'

time-read
2 dak  |
September 2024