August has arrived. That means a fresh new calendar of game releases, from massive AAA titles to potential new indie darlings.
This month packs not one but two Star Wars games, a new entry in the Mana series, the start of a new World of Warcraft saga, and much more.
Here are the games we hope you’ll enjoy this month.
Thank Goodness You’re Here – August 1
Play it on: PS5, PS4, Switch, Windows, macOS
Thank Goodness You’re Here, from the developers behind the instantly meme-able Untitled Goose Game, bills itself as a “comedy slapformer” set in England. You play as a traveling salesman making his way through an exceedingly strange town as you navigate a variety of platforming challenges.
Star Wars: Bounty Hunter – August 1
Play it on: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Windows
There are bounties that need huntin’ in the Galaxy. In this remaster of the 2002 action-adventure game, you’ll play as legendary Star Wars bounty hunter Jango Fett in his quest to hunt down a notorious Jedi.
The Mortuary Assistant: Definitive Edition – August 2
Play it on: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Windows
Disappointed you didn’t get to realize your teenage fantasy of becoming a mortician? No worries, Mortuary Assistant: Definitive Edition lets you live out your dreams of cataloging dead bodies and, uh, surviving untold horrors like bodies rising from tables and creepy shadow girls crawling out of mirrors. They teach you all about such things in mortuary school, I’m told.
World of Goo 2 – August 2
Play it on: Switch, Windows, macOS, Linux
2008’s gooey puzzle game World of Goo is finally getting a sequel! Arriving on Switch, Windows, macOS, and Linux, the follow-up to the acclaimed puzzler was developed by the same team as the original.
Creatures of Ava – August 7
Play it on: Xbox Series X/S, Windows
11 bit studios’ Creatures of Ava tasks you with preserving life on an alien planet in the face of a rampant infection that’s destroying the local ecosystem. If you’ve been looking for a game that challenges you with saving wildlife instead of ravaging it, it might be worth checking this one out when it arrives on August 7, 2024.
Cat Quest 3 – August 8
Play it on: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Windows
The Purribean calls! It’s once again time to assume the role of the cutest little pirate ever when Cat Quest 3 arrives on August 8.
Steamworld Heist 2 – August 8
Play it on: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Windows
Steamworld Heist 2 is a side-scrolling, turn-based strategy game in which you’re tasked with lining up the perfect shot on your foes both directly and via clever ricochet trick shots. It’s also got a whole “what if pirates but robots” vibe going on that’s pretty neat-looking.
The Crush House – August 9
Play it on: Windows
The Crush House has you producing a 1990s-style reality TV show. You’ll have to film couples doing all manner of…well, interesting if not disturbing things, like saying they wish someone could “glue our mouths together in our sleep.” This one certainly seems a little odd. Hopefully in a good way though?
Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse (Remastered) – August 14
Play it on: PS5, Windows
If the sight of Sam and Max doesn’t fill you with joy…maybe you should get a new therapist. The loveable duo of freelance police return in a remaster of The Devil’s Playhouse available for PS5 and Windows.
Black Myth: Wukong – August 20
Play it on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows
How is Black Myth not out yet? Originally revealed in 2020, this action role-playing game looks set to deliver visceral combat against wild-looking (and sometimes gross) enemies.
Dustborn – August 20
Play it on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows
Dustborn imagines what it’s like to try and traverse against a dangerous landscape corrupted by erroneous misinformation that’s tearing people apart. A narrative-heavy single-player experience, characters fight by using literal words as their weapons in an effort to survive the brutal landscape of an alternate-history America.
World of Warcraft: The War Within – August 22
Play it on: Windows
One of the longest-running and most celebrated MMOs of all time grows larger still with World of Warcraft: The War Within. This latest expansion kicks off a new narrative arc as the first of a trilogy of expansions. It arrives on August 22, 2024.
Concord – August 23
Play it on: PS5, Windows
Concord is a competitive hero shooter launching on PlayStation 5 and PC on August 23. Neat!
Gundam Breaker 4 – August 28
Play it on: PS5, Switch, Windows
Arriving on August 29, Gundam Breaker 4 lets you fight with and spec out your own Gunpla starting from more than 250 base kits, with the opportunity to mix and match parts across different models.
Visions of Mana – August 29
Play it on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows
Arriving on August 29, 2024, Visions of Mana is a gorgeous-looking action RPG and a brand new chapter in the beloved Mana series. The story follows Val and his childhood friend Hinna as they set out to find the Mana Tree.
Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club – August 29
Play it on: Switch
A new entry in the Famicom Detective Club visual novel series, Emio — The Smiling Man is a murder mystery about the cryptic return of a paper-bag-masked killer who took the lives of young girls.
Monster Jam Showdown – August 29
Play it on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Windows
It’s about effin’ Monster Trucks! Monster Jam Showdown promises the thrills of off-road monster truck racing across a variety of modes.
Star Wars Outlaws – August 30
Play it on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows
Aiming to be the next epic Star Wars adventure in video game form, Outlaws promises a wide open world of adventure with scoundrel protagonist Kay Vess and her adorable companion Nix as they try to make ends meet by taking on illicit, dangerous jobs in a world of scum and villainy. Outlaws releases for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC on August 30.
And that wraps up our list of games to keep an eye out for in August, 2024.
