Galaxies Autumn Showcase 2025: Defect, Cthulhu, Solasta 2 - All World Premieres & Shadow Drops

The previous Galaxies showcase was very good, and its autumnal cousin was just as good, especially if you’re in the mood for spooky games, because plenty of them are horror- and mystery-adjacent to some degree.

Let’s not waste any more attention on the intro, let’s talk world premieres and shadow drops revealed during the 60-minute showcase.!

Everything presented at the Autumn Galaxies Showcase

Defect

Defect was something of a topic sentence for the entire showcase with its multiplayer focus and horror elements. The trailer is fairly interesting, starts with a strong Judge Dredd vibe before turning into something looking like a Darktide cousin, before showing off a… possession mechanic?

The Steam post explains that we can upload the consciousness of a downed team member into a restrained enemy’s body. This “Body Snatch” system sounds really damned cool, to be honest.

Defect is already wishlistable, but the release is TBD.

Crosswind

Pirates are always fun, and there’s always a market for more survival games.

Crosswind looks quite lovely, with majestic sights., historically inspired outfits, and a construction system with looks pretty smooth judging by the trailer alone. There will be sea battles, there will be giant monsters, and third-person action.

If you wished Sea of Thieves had a more realistic aesthetic and more open world activities, you can wishlist Crosswind right now.

The Bureau of Fantastical & Arcane Affairs

The Bureau of Fantastical & Arcane Affairs is a game about being an office clerk whose job it is to make sure stories go the way they are supposed to. And after all the actors are put in place (and convinced to do what they must be doing) and all the code violations are resolved… you’ll also be the Hero who goes on that adventure.

The idea is absolutely lovely, and doesn’t appear to approach the subject matter cynically, which is even better. And the Steam description is challenging you to not let it dwell in your wishlist forever, but for now it’ll be fine.

Quantic River

Quantic River gives slight Ghostrunner vibes, except presented as a 2.5D action game. There is a walled cyberpunk city, a corporate dystopia, impactful combat, all the good stuff. Fun side-scrollers are always a treat.

It appears to be using a style of animation similar to, for example, Into the Spiderverse, with limited character animation frames, which gives their movements a snappy, sharp look, definitely fitting, given the fast, responsive, and lethal combat system.

The release is TDB, but there is a Kickstarter campaign (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fluidfury/quantic-river) going on right now, and it shows a clear vision and clear ideas.

Edenfall: Legacy of the First Wardens

It’s not often that we get games heavily featuring dynamic shapeshifting, so it’s nice to see Edenfall: Legacy of the First Wardens to play with the idea. Its protagonist can swap between three animal forms even mid-combo for some impressive-looking action. The shapes will also be handy in exploration of its fantastical world, whether chasing the story or hunting for secrets.

You can check the demo on Steam right now.

Bylina

Bylina is an action RPG inspired by Slavic folklore, Koschel the Deathless in particular. With skill-based combat, locations ranging from picturesque to horrifying, and a story about figuring out why you’re not dead after having died, Bylina is shaping up to be an interesting proposition.

Instruments of Destruction

Big booms and mighty machines. Instruments of Destruction is a game about destruction: you get a vehicle with amazing destructive potential, and a location with a bunch of stuff to wreck. Have fun!

It’s a simple, but effective premise, powered by a nice physics engine and entertaining particle effects. The Galaxies trailer announced the game’s sneaky drop onto PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Windblown

Windblown, the new game of Dead Cells developers Motion Twin got its anniversary update with 2 new biomes, 12 new weapons, a bunch more unlocks, some new bosses, and more story. It still remains in Early Access for the time being, but MT clearly doesn’t slow down development down and keeps working on it. This 3D, co-op friendly action-packed roguelike looks better and better.

You can already play it, and you can also read more about the anniversary update in the Steam post.

Enginefall

Enginefall is a PvP extraction shooter mixed with survival set in a more or less postapocalyptic world where humanity relies on titanic train to survive.  You’ll be a Freetailers, nomads without a well-supplied train to call home, so instead they raid the trains for resources for their own, old and battered service train, the Dagger shuttle.

You’ll have a heavy fight on your hand if you want to get rich and get out, with battles involving dozens of players, according to the Steam description.

Turnbound

An auto-battler in the form of inventory tetris. Turnbound is styled like a board game, with a grid you put various tiles on to unleash a variety of effects and combos. It is an odd idea, but looks quite engaging, both visually and mechanically.

There’s also an extra advantage in the form of heroes of legend of literature acting as your representatives.

The demo is out now, and the release into Early Access is planned for November this year.

Boltgun II

Double the boltgun, double the fun. The new trailer for the upcoming sequel for 2023’s hit FPS revealed that in addition to the Codex Astartes-thumping, good and proper blueberry Malum Caedo we’re also going to play as a Sister of Battle named Nyra Veyrath.

She maybe doesn’t have extensive semi-magical biocybernetics enhancements, but has zeal and faith aplenty to carry her through the dangers. Also guns, guns help too.

Boltgun 2 is coming in 2026.

Rue Valley

Rue Valley feels a bit like one of the Disco Elysium-likes that pop up every now and then. It puts you in the shoes of a fellow named Harrow, trapped in a time loop in a small town with more problems than it can safely hold.

It seems very much character-driven, with character-shaping memory graph, detailed NPC personalities, and gently stylized aesthetics. Sounds promising.

The release date is planned for November 11th, 2025.

Shroom and Gloom

Seeing the title, my mind immediately goes “Shroom and Gloom and Vileplume” but aside from that nonsensical interjection, SaG looks very interesting. It’s a first-person roguelike and deck-builder, where your cards are handy not just in combat, but also in exploration.

The trailer shows, for example, drawing a single-use “Slime Pick” card to open a padlock. It’s also a 3D game with a deliberate use of really good-looking sprites, which gives it a lovely aesthetic.

The release date is TBD, but there is playable demo on Steam.

Sagas of Lumin

Sagas of Lumin might soar where Divinity 2 stumbled a bit. It’s going to be an action RPG which puts emphasis both on ground, human-scale combat and exploration, AND on aerial gameplay on the back of a big damned dragon.

Unlike D2, both layers seem to exist simultaneously, so you’ll be able to flash-fry an enemy base from the back of a dragon before landing and making skewers personally.

It’s planned for a Q1 Early Access release, but demo is available now.

Escape the Backrooms

Largely a status update: the horror game launched in v 1.0, adding new levels, additional endings, mission selection, audiovisual buffs, and tweaks to the previously available levels.

It’s also coming to consoles in 2026.

Icarus Console Edition for PS5, XSX

The science fiction survival game from makers of DayZ announced its future arrival on PS5 and Xbox Series consoles.

Clouheim

Cloudheim promises physics based combat, but personally I find its lovely visual design to be the biggest draw, the place looks fantastical and fabulous with an artstyle unlikely to get outdated anytime soon. Still, the action seems dynamic, apparently combo-based, and co-op friendly.

Cloudheim launches into Early Access on December 4th.

A.I.L.A.

You’re trapped in a simulation, my dear game-testing friend. And unfortunately for you, it’s controlled by a malicious and somewhat unhinged AI gamemaster. You must navigate the nightmares conjured for you, tangle with a weird cult, and deal with different kinds of video game horror.

Good luck.

A.I.L.A. launches in full on November 25, but the demo is already available.

Vending Dokan!: Kozy Kiosk

Galaxies also showed off a trailer for the Halloween season in Vending Dokan!: Kozy Kiosk, a game which has been trucking along for a bit, but could use extra publicity.

The premise of running a vending machine business with the option to customize the spaces where your machines are standing is a lovely concept.

Vending Dokan!: Kozy Kiosk is out in Early Access, and there’s also a demo to check out.

Long Drive North: Co-Op RV Simulator

Another co-op game on the list, Long Drive North: Co-op RV Simulator (quite a mouthful) is a harsher, less cozy counterpart to RV There Yet.

It is set in the cold, American wilderness where only the road, landscapes, and your friends are there to keep you company. Well, there’s also the deadly weather.

It’s coming to Early Access on November 6th.

Egging On

Egging On is 3D platforming game about an egg which clearly does not yearn for becoming an omelet and decided to egg-xecute a daring escape. Weirdly bouncy and agile, yet still very much breakable, it will have a bunch of difficult stages to jump through, with more than a few secrets to discover and customization options to apply.

There is also apparently a rocket booster. Wild.

Release is planned for Q4 2025.

Pacific Drive: Whisper In the Woods expansion

The survival game about going on a lonesome road trip through a supernatural reflection of USA’s Pacific Northwest is getting a spooky expansion. Whispering Woods is a paid DLC with a ~10 hours’ worth of a new story unfolding within an ominously looming forest.

The Whisper in the Woods expansion is out now.

Apomo District

Apomo District looks like a cute isometric action-adventure game, maybe with a measure of Souls-like aspects to it. The pixel art and character designs thankfully avoid the doom and gloom typically associated with the genre, and instead go for soft colors and generally cartoon-adjacent, friendly designs.

The release date is TBD.

Denshattack!

Denshattack! still feels like a game that would have slapped in 2005, and the kind of game that is, regrettably, not done often enough nowadays.

It’s going to be a high-speed, ever-forward game about a train with skateboarding aspirations, leading to grinding rails and multi-track drifting across a wild map. There will also be boss fights and reputation system. Sure, why not. The weirder, the better.

Release is planned for Spring 2026.

Shadow of the Road

Set in 19th century Japan, Shadow of the Road is a turn-based, story-driven RPG set during the war between the Tokugawa shogunate and Emperor Mutsuhito’s army. Its setting also comes with a fantastical twist, for a bit of the evergreen magic vs. technology dichotomy.

Hopefully it does well when it arrives in unspecified future, and somebody makes a proper Legend of the Five Rings adaptation on its basis. For now, there is a demo available.

Far Far West

Ok, so riddle me this: what do you get from a blend of Sea of Thieves tone and aesthetic, a Weird West setting, and Darktide/Vermintide-like gameplay? Far Far West. Skellingtons, lots of FPP shooting, and more than just a touch of humor.

Looks awesome.

Playtesting is now live on Steam.

Cthulhu the Cosmic Abyss

The year is 2053, the Earth is getting more and more screwed every year, as weird phenomena keep piling on.  A deep-ocean mining facility suddenly went dark, and it’s your job to investigate what happened. What could possibly go wrong with investigation in a game bearing the name “Cthulhu” in its title, right?

Get ready to face sanity-shattering views, deal with weird mutants, and think “ah, of course, cyclopean ruins!” more than once.

It’s set for launch on April 16th, 2026.

It Takes a War

It Takes a War’s trailer seems to be largely mocking shooters like Counter-Strike and various bits of game marketing. The game looks very “1999” in it, and the trailer goes in a weird direction. The game’s Steam page is just as odd, with the description very clearly mocking your run-of-the-mill promo copy.

Is it a tactical shooter? Is it a genre-bender? Find out yourself by playing the demo before the game drops on November 6th.

Hark the Ghoul

Hark the Ghoul is a first-person dungeon crawler with an old-school graphics design. I can’t help but think about Arx Fatalis, an action RPG which started Arkane’s Studios victory road into immersive sim royalty.

Hark the Ghoul might have some potential for this as well, with a dark fantasy setting, intricate level designs, and engaging combat. At least it appears to have them on the trailer.

Demo is available now, so you can give it a shot yourself.

Powerwash SImulator 2

Just an update on the game’s release state, which happened on the day of the showcase.

Powerwash Simulator 2 is a straight upgrade on the predecessor, with prettier graphics, new powerwashing tools, and more cool/silly levels.

In addition to being fully out right now, it also has a solid demo.

Silver Pines

Describes itself as a survival horror metroidvania, and it does sound like an apt description for what the trailer shows. It’s set in a small American town, which, as we know by now, are the scariest places on Earth.

You’ll be playing as a private eye, Red Walker, currently on the case of a disappeared musician. Things get weird from there.

All we know about the release date is “2026”.

CLAWPUNK

CLAWPUNK on the surface looks like Broforce with cats, at least as far as the level of mayhem is concerned. The rebellious cats with battle it out on 2D, destructible levels using an array of abilities meant to encourage aggressive playstyle.

There will be nine cats to choose from, each with different traits and gear, and the Steam description promises “semi-non-linear progression” letting you pick levels in the first four regions in any order.

CLAWPUNK drops on November 14th.

Solasta 2

The first Solasta had the rotten luck of developing and launching against Baldur’s Gate 3, but still managed to do well. Now it comes in with a sequel, which appears to capture grander ambitions, with more expansive locations you could roam freely.

It will be interesting to see how it adapts the Dungeons & Dragons 5e ruleset this time.

It will be coming in Early 2026.

Pieced Together

A game about scrapbooking as a medium of thinking about friendships and getting older. Freels like it could be a very good mood-fit for Autumn, with its sentimental, heartfelt tone, but so far only the demo is available and the only release date info is “Coming soon”.

Walkies

An action-adventure about a dog named Bailey making it their life mission to help a local animal sanctuary through good and bad times alike, as somebody might be acting against the sanctuary.

A very nice family film-like premise, and it’s usually fun to play as animals.

The release date is TBD.

Dark Hours

The first look was not inspiring interest, co-op horror’s are a dime a dozen, but it turns out the premise is fun, actually: Dark Hours is about pulling off heists in very, very haunted locations.

So you’ll explore, try to get the big score… and try not to die at the hands of an upset specter. Now that’s a good premise for a tense game.

Available now, both as a full game and as a demo.

Norigin

A 3D action game which reminds me of both Journey (with the tone and aesthetic of the trailer) and Shadow of the Colossus (due to climbing gigantic monsters).

The Steam description adds context, saying it’s a game about revisiting memories to understand the world better. Intriguing, and looks wonderful.

The release date is TBD.

Ground Zero

Ground Zero looks like a tribute to the tank-controls era of Resident Evil, which is an unexpected, and welcome, direction. It’s set in post-apocalyptic South Korea which was ruined by a mysterious meteor. There’s puzzles, there’s fixed camera angles, tense combat, and creepy-as-hell mutants.

All the necessary parts of a proper old-RE tribute.

The demo is out now, the full release date hasn’t been announced yet.

Sleep Awake

A new horror published by Blumhouse. Sleep Awake takes place in the last city on the planet, where people are disappearing in their sleep. The trailer keeps things cryptic, but the Steam description also talk about death cults, bizarre experiments, and uncertain reality.

Certainly looks more like a psychological horror than a survival horror.

Sleep Awake launches on December 2nd, 2025

Edge of Memories

Looking at Edge of Memories, the first thing I see is a potential real treat for fans of spectacle fighters like Devil May Cry, thanks to dynamic, fast-based combat and a devastating transformation the protagonist can unleash, not unlike Devil Trigger.

The setting is very different: a fantasy world ravaged by a force known as Corrosion, hideously mutating the living. The aesthetic is also different, taking clear inspiration from anime. Finally, it’s also party-based to an extent, as your companions will help you out.

So while combat might feel DMC-y, Edge of Memories definitely has something of its own to stand on.

Its release is planned for 2026.

Town to City

Town to City, a voxel-based (yet gridless) city builder is getting an update adding animals to the gameplay, pets and farm animals alike. There will also be a range of new buildings, for good measure.

The update will be free and is planned to drop in November 2025.

Talespinner

A roguelite deckbuilder about fighting yokai. There are three characters to pick from, several scenarios to try yourself against, turn-based combat, and nice art style.

It might also appeal to the Dungeon Meshi fans, as cooking appears to be an essential gameplay element, conferring valuable boons.

The release is TBD, but you can already play the demo.

PACS – Post Apocalypse Courier Service: Co-op Delivery Simulator

This title is real, at least on Steam, at the time of writing. I suppose it would be just “PACS – Post Apocalypse Courier Service” for friends and family.

The game’s premise is that the world is screwed by a calamity, but mail isn’t going to deliver itself, no matter the level of radiation outside. You’ll get to gradually upgrade your trusty delivery vehicle, be it a van or a pick-up, take on assignments, do bits of inventory Tetris, and generally do your best to deliver even the weirdest packages safely.

The release is TBD, but you can sign up for playtesting here: https://pacsgame.com/

Painkiller

The Galaxies trailer was pretty much just a reminder that the reboot of a classic Polish shooter released earlier in October. It also happens to feature online co-op, one of the recurring traits of games presented during the showcase.

Rampage your way through Purgatory right now, as Painkiller launched on October 21st.

ROCKBEASTS

ROCKBEASTS still doesn’t have a release date to announce, but it’s good to see it hasn’t fallen between the cracks of publishing hell. It will be about managing a gang of misfit musicians on their way to success, and dealing with entertaining, interpersonal drama and relatable struggles in a cut-throat industry.

All the people might be animals, but don’t be fooled by their punny names, it’s not going to be a walk in the park.

Dead by Daylight: Sinister Grace

A disgustingly stylish, traditionally animated trailer to remind you of the latest monstrosity that’s going to be chasing you through the arenas of Dead by Daylight: Sinister Grace.

Broken Sword – The Smoking Mirror: Reforged

Do you reforge mirrors? Is it the Broken Sword that is reforged? No matter, a classic point-and-click adventure from the ancient times of 1997 is getting a remake which will let you choose between the classic and more modern adventure playstyle.

With graphics remastered all the way up to 4k and audio boosts, it might be the kind of remake that looks and sounds the way you remember the original having looked and sounded.

No release date was provided other than “Early 2026”.

Dumb Ways to Party

Know the “Dumb Ways to Die” song? It’s from an Australian public awareness campaign, which spun off into becoming its own thing.. and that “own thing” is getting a new video game, Dumb Ways to Party, which looks like a collection of 40 minigames joined together by a game show format.

Looks like a potential co-op hit.

The release is expected for 2026.

Skinwalker

To save your daughter from death, you made a deal with a beast. It has its own goals, and you will be its way of accomplishing them through brutal direct combat.

You’ll switch between two forms depending on the situation, and your brutality will influence the way your story ends.

Skinwalker is expected to release in 2026.

WILL: Follow The Light

A lighthouse keeper working on a remote island way up north receives a concerning radio message regarding his son. Now he has to brave the seas, cross a mountain range with a dog sled, and find out what is going on.

WILL: Follow the Light looks like a lonesome, fascinating first-person adventure with an interesting story and set amid incredible landscapes.

It’s planned for launch later this year.

Mouse PI: For Hire

The incredible-looking first-person shooter inspired by the rubberhose-era animation (like Cuphead a few years ago) unfortunately announced a delay, sliding into a March 19th, 2026 release date.

Unhinged

Unhinged is a survival game set on a weird island controlled by a nefarious corporation keen on putting your mental and physical through the wringer for, probably, fun and profit. The Steam description boasts about a detailed sanity system, meaningful crafting, and contraption-building which is reminiscent of Besieged.

Could be quite fun, but there’s no release date to talk about yet.

Done

Aaaand that’s all, folks. A complete look at every game shown during the autumn edition of the Galaxies showcase. Lots of horror, plenty of co-op, a few interesting updates. Good show!