Welcome back to This Week In Games Australia. This week: The Aussie indies are coming! Into this week’s brief respite from AAA releases slips Dinkum, Monument Valley, and Queer Man Peering Into A Rock Pool.jpg, all launching on the 12th. Elsewhere, Clanfolk, Escape Academy, and Eyes in the Dark fill out an incredible week of indie releases. Finally, PowerWash Simulator arrives on Game Pass.
Without further ado, let’s jump into what you’ll be playing this week.
July 12
Monument Valley: Panoramic Collection (PC)
The hit Aussie mobile puzzle game (and its equally excellent sequel) comes to PC this week. Super chill vibes, but also capable of tying your brain in a knot, all suffused with a uniquely Australian feel and flavour. It’s great gear. If you’ve never played them before, this is the perfect opportunity to experience two of the best Aussie games to launch in the last few years. You can find the original on Steam here, and the sequel here.
Queer Man Peering Into A Rock Pool.jpg (PC)
Incredible title, quite frankly. This is a game about a hapless, middle-aged queer man who must explore his island home for items he can use to refurnish his house. Developed by Australian studio Fuzzy Ghost, who you may remember for the excellent and melancholic walking sim Pebble Witch. Show them some love as well.
July 13
Rune Factory 5 (PC)
Rune Factory 5 has been out for quite some time on the Nintendo Switch, but this week it comes to the PC for the first time. JRPG gameplay and anime characters abound. If you’ve played this series before, you already know what to expect.
The Tale of Bistun (PC)
The Tale of Bistun is a action-adventure game that draws inspiration from the famous Persian tragic romance “Khosrow and Shirin”. A lonely stonecutter can’t remember who he is and must travel across a sundered world to regain his memory. All the while, the identity of who is behind a familiar, pleading whisper in his mind waits to be uncovered.
July 14
Clan Folk (PC)
Clanfolk is a colony life sim set in the medieval Scottish highlands. In the great Scottish tradition of doing everything the hard way, this is very much an establish-a-colony-or-die-trying kind of sim. You’ll need to clear the land, establish a home, and start gathering food and supplies. Then its time to start thinking about long-term survival. Start a family. Marry them off for money. Maybe build an inn. Winter’s coming, have you prepared anything for that? I’m keen to try this one out.
Dinkum (PC)
Did you play Animal Crossing and think to yourself “This would be great if it were just way more Australian?” Good news, local developer James Bendon has you covered. A cozy farming/life sim about helping create a little town in the outback. You can’t hear her but I assure you, Ruby is falling apart over the trailer as I write this. Enters early access on Steam this week, show it some love
Escape Academy (XSX, PC, XBO, GP)
Escape Academy is a game about a school where pupils are taught how to best contend with the logical minefields that are escape rooms. While you can play the game as a solo experience, it does offer co-op as well and I would say maybe play it that way instead. Real world escape rooms are made for groups so it would track that this will be better with friends too. Keen to try it because, as you know, I love an escape room. Coming to Game Pass!
Eyes in the Dark: The Curious Case of One Victoria Bloom (PC)
If what you’ve been really craving is a platformer somewhere between classic Castlevania and Luigi’s Mansion, look no further. Eyes in the Dark: The Curious Case of One Victoria Bloom is a game about a young girl and her trusty flashlight, pushing back the darkness and exploring an old manor full of spooky guys to save her family. Super cool black-and-white art direction that feels like notebook doodles come to life, this one promises to be a fun, frantic experience.
Power Wash Simulator (XSX, XBO)
Game Pass gets one of the most relaxing job sims ever made this week. Exactly what it says on the tin. The world is dirty, and it’s up to you to slowly, methodically clean it with a high pressure hose. Put music or a podcast on and get lost in this one when you’ve had a long day at work and need to switch off. May inspire you to buy a pressure washer for real.
The Twilight Zone VR (MQ2)
Imagine, if you will, a hat comprised of modern technology. You can wear the hat, but it is actually a door. You unlock this door with the key of imagination. And around 50 of your own dollars on the Oculus store. Beyond it, is another dimension. A dimension of sound. A dimension of sight. A dimension of mind. You’re moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You’ve just crossed over to … The Twilight Zone (VR).
For real though, the trailer gives absolutely nothing away as to exactly what kind of experience this is going to be, so use caution.
Worth Life (NS)
Another life simulation game in the vein of Animal Crossing, except this one is in 2D and is aimed at particularly young players. Very cute art style, engaging little mini-games. This looks like a great one for the tiny gamer in your life.
July 15
Pokemon Puzzle League (NS)
The rush of pure nostalgia I just received from all the audio in the trailer above should tell you exactly how old I am. Pokemon Puzzle League is a gem matching game from the N64 era and is the latest title to make its way to the Nintendo Switch Online library of classic games.
Time on Frog Island (PS5, PS4, NS)
For more, we go now to our chief frog game correspondent, Ruby Innes. Ruby, what can you tell us about Time on Frog Island?
Ruby: (vibrating) FROOOOOOOOOOOOOGGGG.
Ruby Innes, thanks for your time.
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