38 New Games Releasing in August 2021

How was your July? Mine centered on managing heat waves and sitting in FFXIV server queues as more people piled into the game to try it out. I played around with some Guilty Gear Strive on the side, too. A quiet July for the most part.

But a new month is upon us and August looks like it’s gonna be chock-full of new releases for consoles and PCs. Let’s check out what’s dropping throughout the month.

Aug. 3 — Hunter’s Arena: Legends (PS4/5)

Hunter’s Arena: Legends is already on Steam as an Early Access title, but it’ll officially leave Early Access on the same day it releases exclusively for PlayStation consoles — August 3. This thirty-player battle royale boasts dazzling visuals and a lovely setting that takes place in “ancient Asia.” There are modes for players who want to fight other players, dungeon bosses, or player teams of three.

Although Steam reviewers have lamented the lack of players, the developers have confirmed that the console version will have crossplay enabled with PC users. Hopefully, this means there will be a larger pool of players to engage within the game.

Aug. 3 — The Ramp (PC)

This PC-only title is a self-described “digital toy” that offers a quick hit of skateboarding fun for players looking for something simple and sweet. Made by a single developer, The Ramp offers “15 minutes of flow that make a boring day great” and a means to “scratch a very specific itch.”

Aug. 4 — Dungeon Defenders: Awakened (Switch)

Already released for PC, Xbox, and PlayStation, Dungeon Defenders: Awakened finally makes the move to the Nintendo Switch on August 4. This co-op game combines action-based combat and tower defense mechanics to create frenetic-yet-strategic gameplay.

Aug. 5 — Doomsday Vault (Switch, PC)

Doomsday Vault is a game for people who love Wall-E. It’s your job to save Earth’s remaining plant life. Run around and explore areas, solve puzzles, collect seeds, and grow your crops safely in a vault.

Doomsday Vault is already out on the Apple Arcade, but it’ll be available on PCs and the Nintendo Switch starting on August 5.

Aug. 5 — The Falconeer: Warrior Edition (PS4/5, Switch)

The Falconeer: Warrior Edition will be ready to soar on August 5 for PlayStation and Nintendo Switch owners. This single-player game places players on the back of a giant warbird to explore and engage in airborne combat. The Warrior Edition will include the enhanced base game and the DLC together in one package.

The base game is already out for Xbox consoles and PC. Additional DLC, called Edge of the World, will also be available separately on August 5 for those users who already have the game.

Aug. 5 — Starmancer (PC)

I’ve been waiting for this one. I’m a huge fan of city-building games, and this base-building sim is right up my alley. I played the demo last year for hours and I really couldn’t get enough of it. I can’t wait to keep torturing — er, I mean supporting the human crew as they slowly go mad in the deep darkness of space.

Do keep in mind that August 5 will be an Early Access release, meaning Starmancer will still undergo fine-tuning and feedback from players before hitting its (currently unannounced) official launch.

Aug. 9 — Glyph (PC)

Platformers aren’t dead and Glyph is here to prove it.

Released earlier for the Nintendo Switch, this unique 3D platformer will be ready for PCs on August 9. This game focuses on aerial maneuvers to navigate through levels, offering great aerial views of the environments.

Reviews of the Switch version say Glyph is both challenging yet relaxing — a very intriguing combination!

Aug. 10 — Godfall (PS4)

Released last year for the PS5 and PC, Godfall will finally be available for PS4 users on August 10. This action RPG is basically a looter-shooter without the shooting.

Players can play alone or with friends to hack-and-slash their way through missions for the best gear. The graphics and combat look dazzling, so here’s hoping a PS4 release can pick up more folks who can’t nab a PS5 yet.

Aug. 10 — Lawn Mowing Simulator (Xbox Series X/S, PC)

I don’t understand why a mowing simulator needs to look this hardcore, but Lawn Mowing Simulator seriously looks like it’s here to bring the hardcore lawn mowing action.

This thing looks like the Forza Motorsport of lawn mowing. It has serious grass-culling action. You are the king of the yard. The blades of grass will bend to your will. That’s the impression I’m getting.

There are even actual lawn mower brands you can use in the game with all kinds of specs and whatnot. It’s honestly very impressive to little ol’ me — a person who would’ve never known about all these mowers unless they were listed in a simulator like this.

If you’re ready to get in on hot lawn mowing action, hit up Lawn Mower Simulator on August 10 to get your engine running.

Aug. 10 — Shadowverse: Champion’s Battle (Switch)

If you play a lot of mobile and/or gacha games, you’ve probably heard of Cygames. Shadowverse is one of their more popular series. It’s a collectable card game available for mobile phones and PCs. For its console debut on Switch, Shadowverse will feature unique battle animations and a story mode that’ll help newbies ease into the rules of the game.

Shadowverse: Champion’s Battle will be available on August 10.

Aug. 11 — Icarus (PC)

Icarus is a goal-based survival game launching on PCs on August 11. Somehow, news of this title slipped right past me, but the premise is really interesting. Check out this bit of the game’s blurb:

Icarus was once destined to be a second Earth, but when terraforming collapsed — the air turned toxic and humanity’s hopes of colonizing a new world died. Icarus became a joke, a symbol of humanity reaching for the stars and failing.

To investigate the cause of the failure, players have to travel to the planet in timed sessions and complete their missions while surviving an unforgiving environment. Play alone or with a team of eight as you improve your skills, equipment, and your chances of survival during the next mission.

Aug. 12 — Foreclosed (Consoles, Stadia, PC)

Foreclosed has a head-turning premise and an eye-catching style that makes it look like an interactive comic book. It’s very story-focused, so anyone who’s itching for a cyberpunk plot about a man who’s on the verge of having his identity stripped and sold away might enjoy this one. It’s not all just reading, though. There are sections of action-like gameplay in between to keep things moving along.

The publisher is going all out with Forclosed’s August 12 release; it’ll be available for the PS4/5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, Stadia, and PC.

Aug. 12 — Naraka: Bladepoint (PC)

Naraka: Bladepoint is a sixty-person battle royale with an action-filled Eastern twist. It has a fun emphasis on performing parkour, human aerobatics, some supernatural skills, and using a grappling hook to zip around your enemies.

If you’ve ever had fantasies of being a character in a wuxia film, then Naraka might be the one that could sate your desire.

I’m not much of a battle royale person myself, but the promise of a “battle royale for fighting game fans” definitely catches my attention.

Aug. 12 — SkateBIRD (Xbox One, Switch, PC, Linux)

Birds on skateboards. BIRDS. ON. SKATEBOARDS.

This is an adorable and chill take on skateboarding games that encourages players to focus on trying their best rather than competition. You’re a little skate bird that’s building a tiny skateboard park out of things like cardboard, straws, and staples. You’re doing all this to help out a “Big Friend” who has forgotten how to have fun; in the meantime, you’ll meet other bird friends along the way.

SkateBIRD will drop in on August 12.

I really hope there’s a bird called Tiny Hawk in this game. I really do.

Aug. 13 — Hades (PS4/5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One)

Hades has received so many awards for its gameplay, graphics, writing, art design, and characters that I’m actually shocked to see it wasn’t already on most consoles. Turns out it was only on the PC and Switch! Well, now other console players can try out this award-winning title to see what the hype was about. Hades will be available on PlayStation and Xbox consoles on August 13.

Aug. 13 — PAW Patrol The Movie: Adventure City Calls (PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC)

I’m honestly not super familiar with PAW Patrol, but the game (movie game?) looks like it’d be good for kids who like the series. There’s plenty of minigames and a multiplayer feature that allows for a parent or sibling to join in as well. Which is good! Some of my best memories are playing games with my younger brother and my parents. I highly encourage parents to grab a controller and give it a shot.

PAW Patrol The Movie: Adventure City Calls will release on consoles and PC on August 13.

Aug. 17 — Greak: Memories Of Azur (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC)

This side-scrolling game features lovely hand-drawn animation and smooth fights against a number of equally well-drawn enemies. The story centers on three playable siblings with unique abilities to help them solve puzzles, fight, and escape their war-torn home. The character designs are simple yet expressive — it’s charming, in my opinion. I hadn’t heard anything about this game before, but now I think I’ll be putting this on the wishlist.

Greak: Memories of Azur releases August 17 for consoles and PC.

Aug. 17 — Humankind (PC)

Humankind — a historical strategy game launching on August 17 for PC — gave me huge Civilization vibes when I first saw it. However, instead of being limited to a single culture, players will be able to customize their leader, adopt traits, and blend different cultures to create their own. Lead a successful civilization by acquiring enough fame to keep your culture’s name spoken throughout history.

Aug. 17 — Pile Up! Box by Box (PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC)

Here’s another title that could make for a great game night with friends or family. Pile Up! Box by Box is a multiplayer-friendly platformer that offers hectic minigames, puzzles to solve, and places to explore. Players can get creative with solutions using teamwork, by stacking on each other, or by messing around with helpful items nearby.

Pile Up! will launch on August 17.

Aug. 18 — Ambition: A Minuet in Power (PC)

Welcome to the French Revolution. Ambition: A Minuet in Power is a visual novel set during a time when the wrong step could set you on the path to the guillotine. Utilize your standing, knowledge of gossip, relationships, and riches to successfully scheme your way into not dying.

I don’t usually have the patience for visual novels, but this one sounds more intriguing because of its focus on manipulating information and relationships. I’m digging it.

Ambition: A Minuet in Power will be available for PCs on August 18.

Aug. 18 — Out of Line (Switch)

Already released for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, Out of Line will make a delayed appearance on the Nintendo Switch on August 18. This is another side-scrolling platformer that focuses on story and puzzles to progress.

It looks very pretty, with a painted style of art, but if you’re curious to see if the gameplay suits you, the developers have a demo available on Switch and PC.

Aug. 19 — Twelve Minutes (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC)

Screenshots of Twelve Minutes don’t do it justice. You have to watch the trailer to get a real impression of the game. It’s something that makes you think, “This could probably be a movie.” And that seems to be what the developers were aiming for with character voices provided by actors such as James McAvoy, Daisy Ridley, and Willem Dafoe.

Twelve Minutes is described as a “real-time, top-down, interactive thriller” where players can click and drag to interact with things. A romantic dinner suddenly goes wrong when the cops come to your house and kill you. Instead of dying, you wake up trapped in a twelve-minute time loop. You have to figure out how to break the loop so you don’t get stuck dying again and again. The Steam page goes on to call it a blend of “the dream-like tension of The Shining with the claustrophobia of Rear Window and the fragmented structure of Memento.”

These are some high claims. We’ll see if it lives up to those promises when Twelve Minutes releases on August 19.

Aug. 19 — Monster Harvest (PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC)

Grow, harvest, and train your monster/crops to fight for you in this inspired take on the farming game genre.

Monster Harvest, available for consoles and PC on August 19, allows you to mutate your crops to grow different creatures or plants. Take your mutants on an adventure, customize your farmland, make money by selling actual produce, craft items for your home, and eat the rich to save the town.

Aug. 19 — Recompile (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC)

I saw a trailer for this one a while back and it looked fascinating. You play an A.I. that’s trying to escape deletion by fighting, hacking, and traveling through the Mainframe. Recompile is a Metroidvania — meaning there’s plenty of moving through areas, fighting, gaining abilities, retracing your steps, and figuring out roadblocks that once obstructed you. The hacking feature used to change the environment in the Mainframe also seems very unique and powerful. I’m not a huge Metroidvania enthusiast, but this one looks special. It also features multiple endings depending on your actions, which is something I wouldn’t expect in a Metroidvania.

You can pick up a copy of Recompile on August 19.

Aug. 19 — RiMS Racing (PS4/5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, PC)

It’s Forza but for motorbikes! Right? I won’t lie, I’m not too familiar with this one, but I can dig a good racing game. (I played a bit of Gran Turismo back in the day, y’know.) RiMS Racing aims to bring realistic racing and the ability to tweak your bike beyond just tires and torques. “You will become familiar with every last screw in your motorbike,” reads the game’s description. You’d better really love motorbikes!

Check out RiMS Racing on August 19 for consoles and PC.

Aug. 20 — Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut (PS4/5)

Ghost of Tsushima is a PlayStation exclusive released last year for the PS4. Now, with the PS5 available (for some), a “Director’s Cut” version will be available for both PlayStation consoles on August 20.

Ghost of Tsushima was highly praised for its beauty, story, gameplay, and tribute to old samurai movies. The director’s cut will add a new chapter, a new location, and updated graphics (for the PS5 version). If you haven’t had a chance to try the game, now would be a good time to see how good it really is.

Aug. 20 — Madden NFL 22 (PS4/5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Stadia, PC)

I’ll be extremely blunt: I don’t know much about the Madden series other than there’s a new Madden game released every year. This one apparently features something new called “Dynamic Gameday,” which allows your team to perform better or worse depending on the hype that builds up during the game. So touchdowns and turnovers will get more hype, giving your team a boost in performance. The opposite is also true — actions that lose hype can create challenges for your team. Dynamic Gameday is only available on next-generation consoles.

Honestly, I’m not sure how to feel about a feature like this. If something similar was implemented in a fighting game, I think I’d kinda resent it. But maybe it’s different for sports games?

If you’re curious about Madden NFL’s Dynamic Gameday, then check it out on August 20.

Aug. 24 — Aliens: Fireteam Elite (PS4/5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC)

Polygon’s preview of Aliens: Fireteam Elite paints it as a Left 4 Dead-like game set in the Aliens universe. And, frankly, that doesn’t sound that bad. Blasting through waves of enemies is always more fun with friends.

There are 11 different Xenomorphs and 20 types of enemies in total to defend against. Players get five different classes to choose from for some skill variety. It sounds frenetic, but we’ll see if it’s also fun when it launches on August 24.

Aug. 24 — Hoa (Switch, PC)

Look at this cute art style! It’s so softly colored and pleasant, which reflects the aim of the game very well. Hoa is a platformer that focuses on puzzles to explore and progress the story. It’s all about relaxing and making new friends in Hoa, which boasts an “emotionally charged” and “exceptional score.”

Hoa will be ready for PC and the Switch on August 24.

Aug. 24 — King’s Bounty II (PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC)

A sequel to the original King’s Bounty released in the 90s, the new game follows the turn-based RPG tradition and allows players to amass armies of various creatures. Each creature has different abilities and skills, and how you use them is where the strategy part of the game kicks in.

You’ll get to command your own army on August 24 when King’s Bounty II releases for consoles and PC.

Aug. 25 — Psychonauts 2 (PS4, Xbox One, PC)

The first Psychonauts was a humorous platformer that put you in control of a psychic with fun abilities to mess with. The sequel appears to offer more of the same, but with better graphics. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing — especially since the last game was pretty fun to play.

The main character is a psychic who can use his powers to delve into the minds of others. By traveling through minds, he can solve mysteries and figure out ways to take down the final villain. If you liked the first game, then you might wanna keep an eye on Psychonauts 2 when it drops on August 25.

Aug. 26 — ProtoCorgi (Switch, PC)

Play as a cybernetic corgi to save your kidnapped owner! What an adorable story. ProtoCorgi, available on August 26, is an arcade-style, bullet hell game that involves lots of power-ups and shooting. Pew-pew-pew your way through levels and get your master back! (I really like this premise, can you tell?)

Aug. 27 — No More Heroes III (Switch)

Video game director Goichi Suda (AKA “SUDA51”) is well known for creating unique games that range from the surreal to the humorous. No More Heroes is a series that leans more on the quirky humor side.

No More Heroes III, available only for the Nintendo Switch on August 27, continues the main character’s story as he saves the planet from alien assassins. It promises to deliver awesome combat action, awesome skill-building action, and awesome lawn mowing for spare change action. It’s like going through your adolescence all over again!

Aug. 30 — Book Of Travels (PC)

Book of Travels is a self-proclaimed “TMORPG” — a “tiny” multiplayer online role-playing game. It’s meant to offer a smaller, more cozy experience than a larger MMO like Final Fantasy XIV. The game does this by purposely limiting player numbers on each server. This will, hopefully, make each play session more unique and personalized for a small group.

The Early Access was originally set for an August 9 release, but the developers have recently announced a delay, pushing the title to August 30.

Aug. 31 — Crown Trick (PS4, Xbox One)

Released last year for the PC and Switch, Crown Trick makes its appearance on the PS4 and Xbox One on August 31. This game features a procedurally generated maze to explore, meaning you’ll be facing a labyrinth that will “move as you move.” Although it’s a rogue-like, the combat is turn-based, giving you time to use some impactful skills against your enemies.

The fun of rogue-likes is that the dungeon tends to change each time you enter, so every play session will likely be different in some way. If you’re interested in a challenge, Crown Trick might be one to check out.

Aug. 31 — KeyWe (PS4/5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, PC)

This is another cute one!! There’s a lot of cute games coming out this month, aren’t there? I love the idea of KeyWe — you play kiwi birds in charge of managing a postal office. Go solo or grab a friend to type out letters, ship packages, and unlock kiwi costumes.

KeyWe will release on August 31 for consoles and PC. It gives me some strong Overcooked vibes (another game I super love), so I think I might nab this one sometime, too.

Aug. 31 — New World (PC)

MMOs are the talk of the town right now. It seems there’s a lot of World of Warcraft players who are looking for a new main game to play due to various reasons. Some have flocked to Final Fantasy XIV. Others have placed their hopes on upcoming MMOs like New World.

Developed by Amazon Games (yes, Amazon has its own game studio now), New World is an open-world MMO that focuses on fighting for control of the island with your chosen faction. This means there’s an emphasis on player-vs-player combat, although there’s plenty of non-player enemies to conquer as well.

From what I’ve seen of the closed beta, there’s also quite an emphasis on crafting, which I didn’t expect. Anyone looking for a new MMO home is probably already eyeballing New World and its late August release date.

Aug. 31 — Rustler (PS4/5, Xbox One, Switch, PC)

Early looks at Rustler have described the game as a “Medieval Grand Theft Auto” and, frankly, that’s enough of a selling point to me. This sandbox-y, top-down, action game is full of opportunities to gain fame, coins, and power through unscrupulous means.

“The medieval gangster lifestyle wouldn’t be complete without the freedom of going off the beaten path,” wrote the developers at Modus Games. “We hope players will also have a blast simply causing mayhem in villages and cities[.]”

Rustler is already available on PC as an Early Access release, but it will leave Early Access on August 31 when the console versions launch.

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