Top 10 Best Games Releasing in August 2023

I can't believe a month has come and gone already; it feels as if we were making the upcoming games for July just yesterday. Alas, the reality is that I've spent way too much time playing some of the great releases (I even got to try some of the ones I featured), and the month has flown by. Now, it's time to look at what games we'll be playing this month, too!

As always, we have a complementary article for our upcoming game releases that focuses only on indie titles to prevent the AAA behemoths from overtaking the world the entire article. Don't forget to check it out for even more fun titles that are releasing soon!

Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical

• Release Date: 10th of August
• Genres: Story Rich, RPG
• Developer: Summerfall Studios
• Publisher: Humble Games

Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical is a title that I've been surprisingly looking forward to for quite a few months, and I've closely followed it ever since. I didn't know of its existence until I saw the Humble Games Showcase 2023, and I think I was instantly enamoured.

The most surprising part of this all, to be honest, is that I don't even like musicals. I'm not musically inclined, and it's rare that I actually like anything that includes any form of singing, so the fact that Stray Gods not only captivated me but had me sold before I even knew much more is a massive success. I'm likely to try to buy this day-one when it releases, and I can't believe it's finally time to experience it.

Hammerwatch II

• Release Date: 15th of August
• Genres: Hack and Slach, Action RPG
• Developer: Crackshell
• Publisher: Modus Games
• Check out the demo here!

My wife wrote a preview for Hammerwatch II, and one of the fun parts about being married to another gamer and journalist is that whatever she gets to try, I get to try. So, when she was innocently sleeping, I snuck out of bed and went straight to the PC to play a couple of hours of the game and fell in love.

The real version of that story is that she wanted my opinion, but regardless, the truth remains: when I did try the game, I quite enjoyed it! The fact that it's going to be multiplayer is a massive plus because that means that she and I get to experience the campaign together, and we are never willing to say no to a co-op game.

En Garde!

• Release Date: 16th of August
• Genres: Spectacle fighter, Swordplay
• Developer: Fireplace Games
• Publisher: Fireplace Games

En Garde! is another title that we've covered on GameGrin, but this time, it was me! This hilarious spectacle fighter has you taking control of a fencing legend as you embark on a journey to overthrow a tyrannical ruler.

After playing the demo for 33 minutes, I had already devoured the entire story provided and done the arena mode at least a couple of times; it's safe to say that I actually played quite a bit despite my short runtime. I am hell-bent on trying En Garde! due to its unique take on fighting... and because I really, really want to kick more tables at enemies. Or kick them into the water. Or kick them into the wall…

Immortals of Aveum

• Release Date: 22nd of August
• Genres: Action, Adventure
• Developer: Ascendant Studios
• Publisher: Electronic Arts

...or kick them into— oh wait, we changed the header. 

Although we often try to remain mostly impartial in terms of the games releasing and try to list them by release date instead, it's hard not to be biased towards Immortals of Aveum — I have been quivering in my boots for literal months since I saw its announcement trailer day-one.

In fact, I am so excited for this game that I have written a dedicated piece for it alone because it's just that great. I've been delving more and more into the first-person shooter genre, and Immortals of Aveum has been on my wishlist and to-buy list since day one, reaching the top and staying there throughout all of these months.

Goodbye Volcano High

• Release Date: 29th of August
• Genres: Story Rich, Single-player
• Developer: KO_OP
• Publisher: KO-OP
• Check out the demo here!

I learnt about Goodbye Volcano High a while back when we were covering the Summer Game Fest. Back then, I was cautiously intrigued because I hadn't actually delved into the visual novel genre enough to confidently say I wanted it, but ever since I Was a Teenage Exocolonist surprised me, and then Harmony: The Fall of Reverie... and then Komorebi, I've come to realise: maybe I'm a visual novel type of gal after all.

Now I am definitely on board to try out Goodbye Volcano High. Unique visual novels with premises that haven't been explored before are a wonder and so great to experience, and the idea of knowing your death is coming is haunting. Although I won't be able to play this one with my wife due to her Thanatophobia, I know deep in my heart that Goodbye Volcano High is up there on my to-play list.

Honourable Mentions

Let's be realistic: with sometimes dozens of games releasing every month, it's kind of unfeasible to ask us to pick only 10 per month. We go through several hours of research to learn about all of the upcoming titles, and sometimes, we just find things that are too great to ignore. Or, in this case, we also add games to this section whenever they don't meet some traits. My two honourable mentions for this article are:

Overwatch 2: I originally bought Overwatch when it was still a paid title, and I just really, sincerely couldn't get into it. The hero shooter genre wasn't for me at the time, but over these last few months, I've been watching myself become a huge fan of FPS titles, and Overwatch 2 is something I played on Battle.net a lot. This is a no-brainer for me, but it goes in this section for being a free title.

Baldur's Gate 3: Videogame confession time: I've never played Dungeons & Dragons, and I'm ashamed of it. I'm reluctantly excited for Baldur's Gate 3 to exit Early Access, and I definitely want to give it a shot because it just sounds so great, but the fact that I'm not familiar with D&D and that it's a turn-based strategy (a genre I haven't been able to quite love after adoring Expeditions: Rome), I just feel a bit reluctant to give it a shot at the moment.

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That's it for my side of the article! As always, I now leave you with my loving wife for her to give you the opinions on her top games that she's looking forward to (and the one she stole from me — you'll know as soon as you see it). See you next month!

Violet Plata

Hello, everyone! I’m so happy to be here once again. These listicles really brighten my day when I have to make them because not only do I get to spend time with my wife and work, but I also find tons of phenomenal upcoming games that keep me counting the days down! So, without further ado, let’s get into it!

Sengoku Dynasty

• Release Date: 10th of August
• Genres: Simulation, RPG
• Developer: Superkami
• Publisher: Toplitz Productions

I am an absolute sucker for Japanese things, especially when they're from older eras, and I immediately put the game on my list even before realising it's from the Dynasty franchise! It looks absolutely breathtaking, from the graphics to the gameplay!

I think there's not much more relaxing than chopping wood and collecting tons of materials to then slowly build up your home and then some. I didn't get very far in Medieval Dynasty because I played it on the Xbox Game Pass, but I aim to finish this newest entry!

Moving Out 2

• Release Date: 15th of August
• Genres: Physics, Co-op
• Developer: SMG Studio, Devm Games
• Publisher: Team17

They might as well change the genres of these sort of adorable games to comedy because all I've done when I pick them up is laugh until I cry! These silly puzzle/physics titles are only getting better the more creative ideas the devs can come up with, and being part of F.A.R.T. (Furniture Arrangement & Relocation Technician) is just up my alley.

I don't have the words to explain how excited I am to tackle this silly title! It really does look so colourful and fun. My wife and I can thankfully survive playing these sorts of games without either of us having to sleep on the couch, so these titles are just a win-win for us!

ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON

• Release Date: 24th of August
• Genres: Soulslike, Mechs
• Developer:  FromSoftware
• Publisher: FromSoftware, Bandai Namco

I have become a FromSoftware fan to the point where they put out a futuristic game full of mechs and guns, and somehow, I'm one of the first in line. It is mind-blowing to me because I've never liked mecha suits, but it has gotten in my mind, and now I can't stop being excited about it!

ARMORED CORE has charmed me by repeatedly appearing in my life until I noticed the good in it. The bosses look absolutely epic, and the idea of having my own mech is starting to ring well in my ears. Plus, the whole Coral substance bringing nothing but fires and death on our solar system is terrifying, and that's somehow super appealing! Darn you, FromSoftware — you've made me a fangirl!

How 2 Escape

• Release Date: 31st of August
• Genres: Co-op, Escape Room
• Developer: Breakfirst Games
• Publisher: Just For Games

I've only gone to an escape room in real life once in my life, but I think of myself as a bit of an expert, as I've spent countless hours playing these types of games on the PC, even before finding Steam! Only NewGrounds knows how long I've spent hard-stuck on a puzzle.

Nowadays, it seems this genre has become much more mainstream, so we're getting tons of high-quality titles that even allow you to invite a friend! This bodes well for me, as I never seem to enjoy things as much unless my wife is there, and now, we can both spend countless hours trying to find the way out!

Dead Matter

• Release Date: August 2023
• Genres: Action, Post-apocalyptic
• Developer: QI Games
• Publisher: QI Games

It was so unbelievable to me that Dead Matter finally came to Steam that when my wife told me about it, I thought she was pulling my leg. This is a title that she found way back in 2017, and it was the very first game we ever backed on Kickstarter: that's how excited we have been for it!

I love zombie games, she loves shooting things, and we both loved the idea of scouring Canada for safehouses, supplies, and ammo. Surviving against the odds is something we've done both in games and real life, and I wouldn't have it any other way! I am close to physically vibrating from how excited I am to see the game finally at the tip of our fingers! I welcome the challenge; come at me, zombies!

Honourable mentions

Blasphemous 2: The hardest part of writing these articles is splitting games between my wife and I. We have so many games in common! So one of my honourable mentions this time around is Blasphemous 2, as I’ve been waiting to get a bit better about my tendinitis to jump into the original entry, and I’ll surely devour through the second one, too!

Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical: Seeing my wife be overcome by joy whenever she plays visual novels and then listening to her tell me all about the characters and the story is probably one of the cutest things ever! I’ve grown fond of the genre, and even if it weren’t for that, I’d still look forward to Stray Gods just to have her tell me all about it! Plus, a musical with Greek gods? That sounds too good to pass.

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Thank you so much for accompanying us in yet another edition of games we're excited about! Gaming is what keeps us both up and going, and I'm so thrilled to see how many fantastic titles are coming out every month. Feel free to share in the comments which ones you're excited about, too, and we'll see you next month for September's edition!