Steam Game Charts: So Much Sky, Man

Hullo! One day later than usual because I spent yesterday on a beach next to an industrial estate, but as always, here's what sold best on Steam last week. It is ever so faintly possible that you might have a very slight inkling as to what is number one. I could not possibly comment myself.

1. No Man's Sky

Disclaimer: I did some writing for No Man's Sky, so must not write about it here. (All I will say myself is that I am increasingly terrified about quite how many people have (unknowingly) read my words.) Instead, I asked my colleague John Walker to quote a line from his review which I could include here in order to illuminate curious punters: "Every scrap of writing in this game was clearly by a group of imbeciles who should be murdered."

2. No Man's Sky

Disclaimer: as above. I like writing games and hope to do more please, but promise not to share opinions about them here. I hope, however, you will not object to my observing that I am not entirely sure which No Man's Sky is which, but one of the two entries here is the pre-order version with its bonus ship and the other purely post-release sales. I'm going to guess that 1) is the latter, but I am willing to be proved wrong, so long as you fight me to death first.

3. DOOM

No, DOOM, don't do this to me. Don't destroy my love for you by forcing me to think of something new to write about you week after week. Oh no it's happening it's ...THE CACODEMONS DON'T LOOK QUITE FUN ENOUGH... it's too late help me it's haaaaaapening...

4. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

5. RimWorld

In this, the year of DOOM and No Man's Sky and ongoing Fallout and everything else, it's worth reminding ourselves that this is also the year that Stardew Valley, Factorio and RimWorld were also break-out hits, offering gloss-free deep simulation and complexity rather than action and flash. PC gaming is still being PC gaming, even if it is drawing ever-closer to what's going on on console in some respects.

6. Grand Theft Auto V

7. XCOM 2

Well hello, old friend, where did you spring from? Exciting new DLC? A big patch that makes the strategy map less clickfesty? No such luck. 'Twas a near-half price sale that, I'm afraid, drew to a close two days ago. Glad to see it back though, not out of some kind of brand loyalty, but purely because given this thing is still able to sell well, perhaps Meier, Solomon, DeAngelis and co will yet grant us a major, Enemy Within-style add-on.

8.Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

Here on pre-orders alone - it's not actually out until August 23rd. I can't see sign of a sale or an expiring bonus, so as far as I can establish this is simply anticipation kicking in now that a new Deus Ex is so close at hand. Which is actually faintly surprising, given I've seen a fairly minimal amount of marketing and/or hype for it - uncomfortable real-world-issue-co-opting aside. I'd expect there to be more noise than there is about a new Deus Ex, but perhaps the fact that it is a new Deus Ex is almost enough in and of itself.

9. Fallout 4

Bethesda's sandbox massacre and occasional conversation game just keeps on coming back, due to intermittent DLC and sales, which means that, for the first time, it gets the GIF.

10. Dead by Daylight

Oooh, you cheeky swine. I thought you'd slipped away from these charts for good, but you've snuck right on in again at the rear, even despite Hello Games hogging two spots. Look, I know, it's lovely that you're such a success, but you, Fallout and Doom need to go away and have a chat, see if something can't be done to ensure we're not still blithering about this same handful of games come 2016's close. I won't pretend there's anything to be done about CSGO and GTAV, of course. Those guys are never going to see sense.