Let the new gaming year begin! We summarize the most exciting Steam releases of the week.
The new year on Steam begins with complex challenges for strategists and survivalists: While many of you may still be digesting the last remnants of your holiday feasts, the first full week of January offers some compelling reasons to fire up your PC.
As we do every Monday, we’ll show you the most exciting new releases of the week.
Highlight of the week: StarRupture
Genre: Survival simulation – Developer: Creepy Jar – Release: January 6, 2026 (Steam Early Access)
From the Green Hell to the Red Inferno: Polish studio Creepy Jar made a name for itself with the hardcore survival hit Green Hell. With StarRupture, they are now shifting the struggle for survival from the Amazon to the volcanic planet Arcadia-7. But unlike in its spiritual predecessor, here you’re not primarily fighting infections and leeches, but the brutal thermodynamics of an entire solar system.
The gameplay ventures into an exciting genre mix: You have to master classic survival aspects, but at the same time you’re forced to build complex production chains. Similar to Factorio or Satisfactory, you build drills, conveyor belts, and processing plants. However, your machines generate noise and vibrations, which attract the local fauna. So you don’t build in peace, but are under constant siege.
The eponymous feature is the star Ruptura, which covers the planet with a devastating fire storm in regular cycles. These cataclysms force you to constantly adapt your base architecture and plan shelters or underground facilities.
Those who enjoy co-op will be delighted: The game is designed for up to four players, whereby dividing the work between base building, exploration, and defense is almost essential in order to survive in this hostile world.
Other releases this week
Table of Contents
Monday, January 5
- DuneCrawl: If you’ve always wanted to control a tank on legs, now’s your chance. In this co-op adventure, you and your friends control a giant mechanical crab through a desert world. The twist: you don’t control the vehicle as a whole, but have to coordinate individual limbs and cannons.
Tuesday, January 6
- Havenhold: This action sandbox MMO dares to experiment in a way that breaks genre conventions. The game world is subject to a 14-day cycle, after which most of the progress is reset. You fight as warrior monks for control of territories, with a strong focus on PvP and siege battles. A title for competitive players who love the thrill of a “fresh start” and aren’t afraid of losing.
Wednesday, January 7
- Past Fate (Early Access): An ambitious indie MMORPG that is launching after a long development period. It attempts to combine the freedom of sandbox MMOs with a direct action combat system. Particularly interesting for fans of the genre: the game promises naval battles with your own ships and crew management, as well as open PvP battles between factions.
- EvoCreo: A successful mobile hit (over 2.5 million downloads) makes the leap to PC. It’s a classic monster-collecting RPG in the style of Pokémon, but with over 170 monsters (“Creos”) and a slightly darker setting, it offers enough originality for fans of the genre who are waiting for new releases.
Thursday, January 8
- Ancient Farm: If you’re looking to slow down, you’ll find it in ancient Egypt. Unlike modern farming simulators, there are no high-tech tractors here. You dig irrigation canals by hand, plow fields with oxen, and build mud brick buildings.
- Fickle Card Legend: Forget turn-based tactics. In this card game, you summon units in real time in a side-scrolling world. As soon as the card is played, it becomes a character and attacks. The Chinese developer also promises to strictly refrain from using pay-to-win mechanics.
Friday, January 9
- Pathologic 3: The wait is over for fans of the surreal horror series. In this standalone installment of the cult series, you take on the role of doctor Daniil Dankovsky. Unlike the survival-heavy second installment, the focus here is on detective work and time manipulation. You only have 12 days to save a city from a mysterious plague, but you can turn back time to correct mistakes.
We hope you find something you like in this first wild mix of 2026. Will you build up industry on alien planets or would you rather till the fields in ancient Egypt? Write us in the comments which game has made it onto your wish list!
