6 new games I can’t wait to play in April 2024

Main points

• Biomorph introduces a unique take on Metroidvania where you explore and fight in different forms.
• Children of the Sun offers a supernatural sniping experience with puzzle elements.
• No Rest for the Wicked promises to be an isometric action RPG with potential similar to the Ori games.

Between the AAA giants and low-profile indies trying to find a niche, there are too many games released every month for the average gamer to keep track of. Even in months where releases seem a bit slow, like April, there are still dozens of games released. This doesn’t include games that were released on one platform but debuted on others.

April lacks the big-name games of the first few months of the year, like Final Fantasy or Dragon’s Dogma, but now is the perfect time to check out some of the smaller, more experimental games. If you’re looking for games to buy this month but feel like it’s a dead month, there are quite a few games that might be right up your alley. Here are some of the best games launching this April that you should keep an eye on.

1 biomorphic

become your prey

If the January release of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown got you interested in more great metroidvanias, don’t overlook Biomorph. The game has a smooth art style that looks like classic cartoons brought to life, but everything has a dark edge. The twist this game introduces is that you enter new areas not just by acquiring new items or abilities, but by taking on the form of the various monsters you defeat in the world. They are useful both in traversal and combat. Your default character also comes with an arsenal of weapons that can be unlocked and upgraded, and there’s a full town-building system on top of everything else. It’s a game with so much content that you have to sink your teeth into it and get lost in its dark corners.

2 child of the sun

do not miss it

You are a girl with only one bullet. Can you figure out how to destroy the entire cult? Children of the Sun is a sniper game, but adds supernatural elements, turning it from a shooter into more of a 3D puzzle game. You’re put into an environment and need to kill every target on the map with one shot, which should be impossible. However, you can guide your bullets to bend, bounce and trigger environmental effects in impossible ways to wipe out everyone in one magical shot. There are multiple ways to approach and solve each level, which encourages you to replay them to find the most efficient path.

3 No rest for the wicked (early access)

first sight

So technically the game isn’t fully launching this month, but instead entering Early Access. Still, what I’ve seen so far about The Evil Dead has me intrigued enough to want to get my hands on it as soon as possible. This comes from Moon Studios, which made two previous Ori games, but No Rest isn’t another metroidvania. This is an isometric action RPG where you play as one of a group of warriors sworn to fight the plague. You can already see for yourself how great this game looks, and if it controls as well as the Ori games, this will be a game worth keeping an eye on for updates.

4 Chronicles of Everlasting Journey: Hundred Heroes

Classic tactics

When the makers of the original Water Margin game couldn’t make a formal sequel, they disbanded themselves and formed a new studio to crowdfund a spiritual successor. Fans immediately funded the project, voicing their desire for another massive turn-based JRPG, and now we can finally see the fruits of that labor. Just like the Water Margin series, you play as a small group of protagonists who assemble a massive army to save your kingdom. You can assemble your team from a large number of characters and classes with different skills and weapons, and encounter one-on-one duels at key story moments. Tactics games with beautiful art styles like this are on the rise, so don’t miss this one.

5 sandy land

Toriyama’s last adventure

Based on the manga and anime series of the same name by the late and famous Dragon Ball master Akira Toriyama, Sand Land is a Mad Max-style game where you engage in vehicular and melee combat. You play as a little pink monster named Beelzebub, the demon prince, alongside a cast of colorful characters. You’re free to build and customize your own vehicles from the parts you collect, and over time turn your little outpost into a thriving city. There’s a vast world to explore, filled with characters, monsters, and vehicles in a style that only Toriyama can create. If you’ve only seen, read, or played Dragon Ball, Sandlot will be a familiar yet unique adventure.​​​​​​​

6 Star Blade

stellar battle

If you’re looking for a big-budget AAA release in April, Stellar Blade is your answer. The game is somewhere between a Souls-like game and a character action game, in which you’ll face powerful enemies that you’ll need to carefully block, parry, and dodge, but you’ll also have access to a set of combos and abilities. The game is set in a post-apocalyptic world filled with mystery and danger, but also lingering beauty and sadness. The story itself centers on Eve, a soldier stranded on Earth overrun by an alien force called the “Naybita.” Whether or not the story will be executed perfectly won’t be known until the game launches, but based on the demo I can at least say that this will be a very satisfying and stylish action RPG set in a simple and fun world exists in.