October games you might have missed
23.10.2023 - 20:13
/ polygon.com
Welcome to October, aka peak video game season. If you gave the game release calendar a thwap with the ol’ broom, a few huge AAA-tier games would drop to the ground. Super Mario Wonder,Marvel’s Spider-Man 2,Alan Wake 2, and more will kick up a cloud that overshadows the arrival of smaller games — potentially great ones, even, from developers you might’ve heard of and new indie creators alike.
We don’t want to let these games slip by (and you’d probably like to know about them, right?), so as we do each month, we’ve rounded up a handful of notable game launches that you shouldn’t overlook. Stay tuned near the end of every month for our next batch of video game deep cuts.
Where to play: Windows PC via Steam. Coming to Nintendo Switch on Oct. 26.
Since it graduated from Steam Early Access in October 2022, Dave the Diver has gradually won over much of the Polygon team. This summer, we awarded the version 1.0 PC release our Polygon Recommends badge. Now, this month, the cooking/management sim/scuba-diving action game swims onto the Nintendo Switch. Its episodic gameplay fits perfectly on the hybrid handheld console.
Where to play:PlayStation, Xbox consoles, Windows PC via Steam, and the Nintendo Switch.
In 2019, A Short Hike took the 10th spot on our annual games of the year list thanks to its chill gameplay with refreshingly few goals. Be a cool bird, meet some cool animals, and take a stroll in nature. Lil Gator Game feels like an evolution of A Short Hike. There’s a bit more stuff to be done in its adventure, but at no point does the game layer on pressure. Plus, it’s got the perfect autumnal vibes, making it not just a great hidden gem, but a great game to dig out every year when the leaves change color and the scent of pumpkin spice fills your local coffee shop.
Where to play:PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC via Steam on Oct. 31.
When we previewed this action-climbing game in August, Oli Welsh said, “It’s already one of my favorite experiences in a brilliant year for video games.” Needless to say, our hopes are high for the new game from French developer Don’t Nod. The adventure, in which you’re tasked with climbing a tower that would shame even the tallest skyscrapers, looks like a bold departure from Don’t Nod’s best-known games: the narrative-heavy Life Is Strange series. That’s part of the appeal. In an industry that often financially incentivizes creatives to do the same thing over and over again, we’re happy to see a studio reaching for something new.
Where to play: Windows PC via Steam, Xbox Series X, and on PlayStation 5.
It’s been two years since the reveal of Wizard with a Gun. Judging from recent gameplay videos, the creators of the cooperative sandbox action game used that