RPGs Coming This Week, 9/21/25

Aethermancer (Entering Early Access) – September 23rd (Windows, Linux)

The monster tamer RPG/roguelite Aethermancer is heading to Steam Early Access after over three years in development. It’s a turn-based game with three-on-three combat, where you take on foes using monsters recruited throughout your journey. Your companions can die permanently, though Aethermancer lets players revive them, sorta; they won’t be exactly the same as before, but they’re potentially even stronger. You also retain certain ways to progress across runs—par for the course with roguelites, as opposed to traditional roguelikes—so don’t fret when you inevitably need to start over.

Developer Moi Rai Games (Monster Sanctuary) plans to raise the price of Aethermancer halfway through the EA period, and again once the game hits 1.0, so you may want to grab it sooner rather than later. A demo’s available on Steam if you’d like to sample the game first.

by Gio Castillo

Consume Me – September 25th (Windows, macOS)

If you’re looking at Consume Me thinking, “This looks like a cozy, whimsical slice-of-life game to cheer me up!”, well, you’re not wrong, but that first impression doesn’t fully capture what it is. It’s actually based on the teenage life of co-director Jenny Jiao Hsia, specifically concerning her experiences with disordered eating. The game is certainly meant to be lighthearted and funny, but Hsia has said she hopes it touches people too. Fair warning: if you’ve ever struggled with dieting or against fatphobia, Consume Me deals with those topics.

In terms of gameplay, Consume Me is a life-sim RPG with time management as a central mechanic. The protagonist Jenny’s goal is to “get hot” and win over her crush, so we need to balance our time studying, doing chores, and eating right. Given its themes, feeding yourself is actually one of the most unique and meaningful aspects of Consume Me. The trailer above provides a glimpse at how it works, but there’s a demo up on Steam if you want to get hands-on with the game.

by Gio Castillo

Hades II (Exiting Early Access) – September 25th (Switch 2, Switch, Windows)

Hades II‘s 1.0 launch is right around the corner, and I know I’m not the only one counting down the days. If you haven’t played Supergiant Games’ biggest series and arguably the crème de la crème of roguelikes yet, I highly recommend starting with the first game, as Hades II picks up right after it.

Players will take on the role of Melinoë—the underworld princess and chthonic nymph, trained by headmistress Hecate herself to confront the Titan of Time. I played the game in early access, and every run pushed my reflexes and boon synergy mastery to the limit. This time, there are even more Gods to ally (or flirt) with, tougher monsters to face, and new stages waiting to be conquered.

Hades II feels tougher, but also richer and more refined, with so much more to discover. It’s wild to think Supergiant still has plenty left to unveil in the full release, and honestly, I can’t wait to die again and again.

May everyone’s first clear echo with triumph, as satisfying as ever. Death to Chronos.

by Tin Manuel

Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & The White Guardian – September 26th (PS5, PS4, Switch, Windows)

Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & The White Guardian is a brand-new story set in the same universe as Atelier Resleriana: Forgotten Alchemy & the Liberator of Polar Night. Unlike the latter, The Red Alchemist can be played entirely offline.

It stars dual protagonists Rias and Slade as they journey forth to uncover alchemical ingredients, gaining access to impressive dungeons known as Dimensional Paths that randomly change every time you visit. Battles have a strategic layer with you having the ability to switch the order of all combatants on the field, as well as getting to put a little alchemical know-how to use during combat! There’s also town development and shopkeeping to look forward to.

While staying true to its Atelier roots, Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist and the White Guardian promises to both expand upon and refine the series’ concepts in such a way that they can hopefully appeal to newcomers and returning players. My personal exposure to the Atelier games is rather limited, but this title does look intriguing and welcoming. I’m looking forward to when Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist and the White Guardian releases later this week!

by Audra Bowling

Cladun X3 – September 26th (PS5, PS4, Switch, Windows)

Cladun, which stands for Classic Dungeon, dates all the way back to the PSP days. It’s a series of pixel-art action RPGs about navigating through, you guessed it, dungeons! Cladun X3 is the latest and the first since Cladun Returns: This is Sengoku! back in 2017.

One of the main draws is its high degree of customizability; characters, areas, weapons, and even music can be tooled around with. Another important feature is the Magic Circle, which lets you put inactive party members to use as sources of additional stat power and abilities… or as “meat shields” in combat. Much like its predecessors, Cladun X3 isn’t a very serious game, but that’s part of its appeal.

by Gio Castillo