2022's most anticipated games that you (probably) haven’t heard of yet

New year, new games. Tons of titles are set to be released in 2022 across a breadth of genres. Sure, you’ve heard about God of War coming to PC this year and Pokémon Legends: Arcaeus, but have you heard about all of these? From immersive western sims to Italian horror stories, you’ll be able to play as a fox, a bear or even Death himself this year.

Sifu

Sifu is a fighter-style roleplay adventure game developed by Sloclap, the makers of action RPG Absolver (2017). Sifu is an indie game where players engage in third-person Kung-Fu combat across countless stylish urban landscapes. The game offers cinematic framing, making players feel like they’re the star of their very own action movie.

While focused more on action than story, Sifu is about a young man seeking to avenge his assassinated family members. The game promises that players will unlock new abilities and skills as they progress, and can use objects in their environment mid-fight.

Sifu will be released for PC, PS4 and PS5 on February 8, 2022.

Martha is Dead

Fans of story-based horror games are going to love Martha is Dead. It’s been developed by LKA, the indie dev behind Town of Light (2016) and is being published by Wired Productions.

The game follows a story set during World War II and draws from its own mythology about a murdered woman to create a sense of foreboding dread. The animation is 3-dimensional and cinematic, as the camera pulls focus and pans during key narrative scenes.

The game itself is very first-person, so any scary elements will come from a feeling of immersion or claustrophobia, kind of like how the classic Amnesia horror games limit your POV through first-person to keep the game feeling scary AF.

In Martha is Dead, you’ll need to pick up lanterns and lighters to see and you’ll need to view maps, read documents, search for items and complete miscellaneous tasks as the story progresses.

Martha is Dead will be released for PC, PlayStation and Xbox consoles on February 24, 2022.

Silt

Silt is like if Hollow Knight was a black-and-white ocean exploration game. The gameplay trailer released during the Summer of Gaming 2021 was definitely creepy and eerie, showing us just how relaxing yet unnerving this game can be at the same time.

Players will probably get jump-scared by the monsters that lurk in the shadows as they swim around the 2D world that has hints of steampunk elements. There are giant mechanical fish that can bite through metal, so… be careful.

Developed by Spiral Circus and published by Sold-Out Software, Silt will be released in early 2022 with no confirmed release date yet. It will be available to play on PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S and the PS5.

Triangle Strategy

Final Fantasy makers Square Enix have made a new tactical RPG called Triangle Strategy exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. It uses a blend of different art styles, as its gameplay has a pixel aesthetic (like Angels of Death or Stardew Valley) while its narrative content has the aesthetic of a Japanese manga.

In the game, you can battle using swords or magic and the branching storyline centers around a royal betrothal. Triangle Strategy will be released exclusively for the Nintendo Switch on March 4, 2022.

Tunic

Tunic was first announced over four years ago, so we forgive you if you’ve forgotten about this isometric exploration game where you fight enemies as a cute little fox. Fans of Animal Crossing and Super Animal Royale are going to love this game’s aesthetic, and any RPG gamer is going to appreciate Tunic’s adventure-focused hack-and-slash gameplay — made cute, of course.

Tunic is being developed by a one-man-show, Andrew Shouldice, who has been working on the game for years. It’s expected to release in March 2022 and will be available for PC, Mac, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One.

Weird West

The magical indie RPG Weird West is also an immersive sim game, where players can interact with nearly every object they encounter. It’s an ambitious project developed by Devolver Studios but will hopefully be one of the best games of 2022, with its dark, occult take on the classical western genre.

In Weird West, players will cycle through living and fighting as five different characters over the course of the game. The story and game lore ties them all together nicely, offering a balanced experience where story and gameplay matter almost equally. The game looks gritty and fun, as you can experience life as a “Pigman,” a werewolf, a Native American man, or a bounty-hunting widow.

Weird West releases March 31 for PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Xbox Game Pass.

Bear and Breakfast

Bear and Breakfast describes itself as a “laid-back management adventure game where you build and run a bed and breakfast… but you’re a bear.” Fans of building and design games like The Sims and Animal Crossing will love Bear and Breakfast’s play style, which includes chatting with the local wildlife, working to improve the B&B’s rating and decorating rooms with furniture.

The game is being developed by brand-new indie developer Gummy Cat and will be published by Armor Games. Bear and Breakfast will be released on PC and for the Nintendo Switch sometime in 2022.

Card Shark

Devolver Digital’s Card Shark is a 2D story adventure game based in 18th-Century France. The catch? It’s not about playing cards as much as it is about cheating at cards. In Card Shark, you’ll learn all the tricks of the trade, using techniques such as card marking and deck switching. Just don’t get caught!

Card Shark will be released for Nintendo Switch, Mac and PC sometime in 2022.

Have a Nice Death

If you’ve ever wanted to play a game as a grim reaper, complete with magical powers and a scythe, now’s your chance. Have a Nice Death is a quirky 2D action roguelike game where Death Inc. — a company that handles death — is overcrowded with too many customers.

Players jump right into the indie title as the CEO Death himself and fight employees using more than 30 different weapons and magic spells.

Have a Nice Death releases early access in March 2022 for Windows PC.