We've played games. Dozens, hundreds of them… And sometimes, we just find ourselves going in circles. Personally, I often stare at my Steam library and don't install a single thing, simply because nothing feels inspiring at that moment. So, I head online to see if any small bangers are in the works. And I found five that truly dare to break the mold : stunning art styles, offbeat concepts, fresh mechanics... a breath of fresh air. Here is the recap !
We are going to talk about Dinolords (yes, DINOS in the Middle Ages), Fractured Alliance (an RTS with a Command & Conquer vibe), The Bustling World (a poetic Chinese RPG rarely seen in the West), Pirate Commander (REAL naval strategy, for pirates at last), and Mandrake (folk horror, and it's gorgeous). Some are heading into imminent early access, others are just for wishlisting. But they all deserve your attention.
Why these games and not others ?
Because they caught my eye, first of all. You will see as you read further that they have a genuine visual identity. Because the themes are out of the ordinary. And so are the mechanics. And finally, because RTS games have been quite rare lately. By the way, no one paid me to talk about these ! I scroll through Steam regularly, hang out on Reddit, and watch YouTube previews at 1 AM just like everyone else. Let’s dive in !
My criteria ? Simple :
- A strong art direction. I'm getting a bit tired of generic Unreal Engine games where everything looks the same. If your game has a recognizable visual signature, you've already won me over.
- A daring concept. Dinos + Medieval ? Narrative Chinese RPG ? European folk horror ? Yup, it’s not the 25th Call of Duty or the 83rd Souls-like.
- Emerging community buzz. These games aren't mainstream yet, but their Discords are starting to buzz, their wishlists are exploding, and the indie gaming community is talking.
The 5 games you must follow
1. Dinolords — When Age of Empires meets Jurassic Park
🕹️ Genre : Real-Time Strategy / Management — Release : Early Access Q2 2026 — Estimated Price : $25–$30
👉 Add to my Steam wishlist
The pitch in two words : Armored T-Rex. Yeah, you read that right. Dinolords is literally medieval fantasy WITH ridable dinosaurs. You manage a colony, build fortresses, gather resources… and raise massive T-Rexes to crush your enemies.
The concept sounds wild, but the devs own it 100%. Dinosaurs are at the heart of the gameplay. You must raise them, feed them (a T-Rex eats A LOT), train them, and manage the fact that a poorly handled dino can turn against you and wreck your entire base. (Heavy Ark Breathing…)
Why I'm following it :
- The art direction is stunning : A mix of medieval realism and stylized dinosaurs that works surprisingly well. The castles are credible, the dinos too, and when you see an armored Triceratops charging a curtain wall, you think "I want one, right now".
- It’s not just a gimmick : The devs have thought about how to integrate dinosaurs into a medieval economy. A T-Rex is expensive to maintain, takes time to raise, and is an investment. If you rush a T-Rex too early, you'll crash your economy.
- Deep strategic gameplay : Yes, riding a Velociraptor is cool, but you still have to manage your resources, buildings, and technologies. It's a real RTS, not a party game.
- The devs communicate well — active Discord, clear roadmap, regular dev logs. These guys seem pretty cool on social media.
💾 In the trailer, we see a guy on an ARMORED T-Rex smashing a castle. This is exactly the kind of stuff missing from our flat RTS games today. And clearly, I'm not the only one who thinks so, as the game already has 50k+ wishlists.
⚠️ Points of vigilance :
Early access = incomplete content : At the EA launch, expect 2–3 factions, a short campaign, and some bugs. That’s the nature of early access.
Optimization to be confirmed : Dinos + massive battles = potentially GPU-heavy. If you have a GTX 1060, it should pass, but wait for reviews before buying.
If you've always dreamed of riding a shielded Triceratops to smash a castle, this is YOUR game. Even if the concept seems crazy, the execution looks serious, and the devs seem to know exactly what they’re doing.
2. Fractured Alliance — RTS where a faction pilots itself
🕹️ Genre : RTS — Release : TBA 2026 — Estimated Price : $30–$40
👉 Add to my Steam wishlist
The pitch : Command and Conquer, brought up to date, but… what intrigued me about this game is the auto-piloted faction. They offer 3 factions, including one called "The Collective" which more or less manages itself. It’s designed to encourage newcomers, or at least those who don't want to maintain 300 APM in an RTS, to try the game. The game handles a large part of the micro-management for you. For this innovative mechanic alone, I want to see the final result.
Why I'm following it :
- Innovative mechanic : RTS beginners can play, learn the game, understand the flow, and then switch to a new faction once they've grasped the concept.
- No stress : The devs announced that a ladder might come out one day, but it’s not a priority. The goal here is to play casually, sending tanks and missiles at each other without having to click like a madman.
- Inspired by C&C and Supreme Commander : Old recipes can still be great today if executed well. The nostalgia factor is real here.
- Visual quality : Simple, quite beautiful, and great game readability. Just look at the screenshots on their Steam page to see how clean it looks.
💾 This whole mix : a bit of nostalgia, a new mechanic, cool graphics, and a game that claims "not to aim for esports, but for enjoyable matches". That’s what clicked for me.
⚠️ Points of vigilance :
No precise release date : The game would likely release in 2026, but it’s vague. It could slip into 2027. They are self-funded and rely heavily on their Patreon.
Simple learning curve : Even if you've never touched an RTS, you can test the genre here. This little "extra" is quite nice for reviving this style of game.
I hope they manage to release soon enough. I'll wait a bit before jumping in, just to see if everything runs smoothly, but I praise the effort they’re making.
3. The Bustling World — The poetic Chinese RPG we never see here
🕹️ Genre : Narrative RPG / Adventure — Release : Q3 2026 — Estimated Price : $20–$25
👉 Add to my Steam wishlist
The pitch : A contemplative RPG set in ancient China. You play as a traveler moving through a world undergoing political and social transformation. This game looks "chill AF". Here, we take our time, talk to complex NPCs, make moral choices, and observe a living world evolving around us. The aesthetic ? Animated watercolors reminiscent of donghua (Chinese animation), with highly detailed traditional architecture. It's beautiful, calm, and exotic.
Why I'm following it :
- Unique art direction : Rarely seen in Western gaming. The environments look like Chinese paintings come to life. Every frame could be a poster.
- Narrative BEFORE gameplay : This isn't an action RPG. It's a game where you read, you discuss, and you make choices. If you loved Disco Elysium for its dialogue or Sable for its atmosphere, The Bustling World might win you over.
- Deep Karma system : Your choices influence not only the story but also how others perceive you. One NPC might respect you for an action, while another might hate you for the same reason.
- Unapologetic cultural identity : This isn't a Western RPG with a Chinese coat of paint. It's a game deeply rooted in Confucian philosophy, with moral dilemmas that fall outside our usual good/evil references.
💾 We NEVER see this kind of game in our markets. Chinese RPGs that reach the West are often mobile gachas or Dark Souls clones. The Bustling World is a true narrative Chinese RPG, designed by Chinese creators to tell Chinese stories. It might be so different that it could even be shocking.
⚠️ Points of vigilance :
French translation uncertain : English is confirmed, but we aren't sure about French. If you're allergic to English, wait for confirmation.
Contemplative pace : If you want action, look elsewhere. Here, we TAKE OUR TIME. Some will love it, others will fall asleep.
If you're tired of Western RPGs that all look alike, The Bustling World is a shot of escapism. A game that dares to be slow, poetic, and deeply anchored in a culture we know little about. I can't wait to get lost in it.
4. Pirate Commander — Finally, some real naval strategy
🕹️ Genre : Naval Strategy / Real-Time Tactics — Release : TBA 2026 — Estimated Price : $15–$20
👉 Add to my Steam wishlist
The pitch : Naval Total War, but with pirates. A tactical naval strategy game where you command a pirate fleet ship by ship. Management of firing angles, wind, currents, ammunition, and crew. This isn't Sea of Thieves where you shoot in FPS : here, you'll have to manage every inch of your vessel. You lead a narrative campaign of revenge, manage your reputation, recruit captains, and progressively become a Lord of the Seas.
Why I'm following it :
- The naval strategy market is EMPTY : When it comes to piracy, we have plenty (AC Black Flag, Pirates !, Sea of Thieves…) even if Skull and Bones was a joke. Pirate Commander seems to want to bring a new facet to this inventory.
- Credible yet accessible naval simulation : Wind matters, the angle of your cannons matters, damage is permanent (a broken mast = reduced mobility). But it's not an unplayable ultra-sim either.
- Deep fleet management : Each ship has its crew, limited ammo, and a captain with specific skills. You must manage all this in real-time during battles, using a ship-cutaway system reminiscent of X-COM.
- Narrative campaign : There’s a story of revenge, rise to power, and betrayal. A bit like Mount & Blade, but at sea.
💾 Black Flag made me crave TRUE naval strategy, and I waited years for a game to fill that void. Pirate Commander seems to be exactly that : tactical naval combat with real depth.
⚠️ Points of vigilance :
Solo dev project : The game is developed by a small studio/solo dev. This means : obvious passion, but also risk of delays, bugs, and limited content at launch.
No precise release date : Announced for 2026, but vague. It might slip.
If you've always dreamed of commanding a real pirate fleet with serious tactics, Pirate Commander might be your game. It's a risky bet (small dev, huge ambition), but… it’s enticing.
5. Mandrake — Folk horror that chills your blood without cheap jumpscares
🕹️ Genre : Horror / Survival — Release : Early Access Q1 2026 — Estimated Price : $20
👉 Add to my Steam wishlist
The pitch : Stardew Valley meets British Folklore. A game of management and herbal sorcery rooted in the wild history of Great Britain. You are the last of a line of wizards, returning to your family estate to restore an abandoned castle and cultivate plants that ordinary mortals dare not even imagine.
Why I'm following it :
- Unique horticultural sorcery : Clearly for the graphics. It's the first thing that caught my eye. The color palette is excellent and the atmosphere is pleasant. We are deep in rural legends : spirits in chimneys, pacts with dark hunters, and secrets buried in old mines. It's mysterious, cozy, and a bit strange.
- The game's premise : Here, magic means growing a cherry tree in seven days to carve your wizard’s staff, or cultivating storm-turnips and goose-trees (yes, geese grow in trees, it's logical). It really steps off the beaten path.
- A world that changes at night : The day belongs to humans, but the night… the night belongs to the Mara and wild forces. All lights go out at sunset. Going out after dark is forbidden, unless you decide to break the rules. A pretty cool mechanic.
- Top-tier narration : Developed by Failbetter Games (Sunless Sea, Sunless Skies). This means the writing will be rich, characters complex, and the secrets of the village of Chandley well-guarded.
💾 Mandrake bets on patience and ingenuity, rather than frenetic action. We spend our evenings reading ancient books by candlelight, cooking, or talking to ghosts trapped in trees. The game breaks genre codes : it's a "Life Sim" where you don't just plant cabbages, you relearn how to live with the supernatural around you. (If you know the anime Mushishi… there’s a bit of that. If you don’t, go check it out !)
⚠️ Points de vigilance :
No fixed release date yet : The studio plans playtest phases on Steam before launching. We’ll need to be patient to see the final project.
A contemplative rhythm : If you're looking for combat or brutal survival, move on. Here, we take the time to have tea with the god of our fireplace.
If you loved the mysterious atmosphere of Strange Horticulture or the depth of writing in Failbetter games, Mandrake will likely appeal to you. It's beautiful, it's strange, and it makes you want to lock yourself in your castle to grow forbidden plants. I'm watching the playtests very closely.
How to follow these games without the headache
Alright, you've seen the 5 games. Now, how do you follow them without checking Steam every five minutes ?
- Steam Wishlist : The MINIMUM. You'll be notified upon release, receive sale alerts, and it helps the devs (wishlists matter for Steam's algorithm).
- Official Discords : Most of these games have active Discords where devs share previews, recruit for betas, and answer questions. If you want to follow closely, that's the place to be.
- Social Media : Go to their Steam pages and find their socials ; they post their dev progress and videos there.
💡 Join the community !
Want to discuss these games, find friends to play with, or share your pop culture wonders ? Join us on the Little Big Campus Discord 👾
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Conclusion : Heritage and the Future
There you have it, my 5 favorites. Will they revolutionize the industry ? Probably not, but bringing a touch of freshness ? Definitely possible. Will they all keep their promises ? I don't know, we'll see, we won't get ahead of ourselves until they're released. But at least, as I said, they dare to step off the beaten path. In a market saturated with sequels, clones, and games designed by marketing algorithms, that’s already quite something.
My personal favorite ? Hard to say. Dinolords for its gameplay and engine (armored T-Rex, come on). The Bustling World for its poetry and total escapism. Mandrake for its perfect haunting atmosphere. It all depends on your mood.
And you, which one tempts you the most ? Come discuss it on the LBC Discord, we're curious to know !
