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Five great games played at PAX West 2024

Photo credit: Terrance Pryor/MP3s and NPCs

Last weekend, PAX West brought together many gamers to the Seattle Convention Center to celebrate 20 years of gaming memories. As expected, a slew of developers came together to showcase games that recently hit the market and titles that are slated to be released in the future. These are five games we saw at PAX West 2024 that stood out the most. Our photos from the event can be found here.

Ironhive

Developer: Wondernaut Studio
Publisher: Critical Reflex

Those looking for a deckbuilding title focused on survival can be on the lookout for Ironhive. Developed by Wondernaut Studio (Aspire: Ina's Tale) and published by Critical Reflex, Ironhive lets players try to rebuild a shattered town by delivering workers to collect material. If things go awry during these expeditions, you begin to lose Stability. If there's no Stability left at the start of a new season, it's simply game over. Ironhive can be wishlisted on Steam right now here. A demo is also available for those looking to try it out.

Pizza Bandit

Developer: JOFSOFT
Publisher: JOFSOFT

From JOFSOFT, Pizza Bandit merges the food-making antics of Overcooked with the co-op shooting action of Helldivers. In the game, your team is assigned to create a set amount of pizza deliveries. Unfortunately, some creatures are looking to make your job extremely difficult. You can choose to split up to take out the baddies and complete orders simultaneously or simply put all of your energy into eliminating the threat. Friendly fire is available, which is unfortunate for that one team member who's been slacking. Pizza Bandit can be wishlisted on Steam here.

Section 13

Developer: Ocean Drive Studio, Inc.
Publisher: Ocean Drive Studio, Inc., Kakao Games

Formerly known as Blackout Protocol, Section 13 is a twin-stick shooter that steps out with the addition of roguelike elements. In the game, players must discover the disturbing secrets hidden in Section 13. As players defeat enemies, they collect data nugs that can be used to permanently unlock enhancements after their demise such as permanent health or damage increase. During each run, players can unlock chests that give additional bonuses such as an increase of damage based on the amount of health lost. Section 13 is available in Steam Early Access right now here. A demo is available for those looking to check it out.

Streetdog BMX

Developer: Yeah Us! Games
Publisher: Null Games

Those looking for a solid BMX title can look no further than Streetdog BMX. Inspired by the Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX series, Streetdog BMX will have you spending long periods of time trying out new lines like the old days. The game allows you to create the BMX rider of your dreams (with face tattoos included!) and the ability to edit clips ala Skate. The title, which is developed by Yeah Us! Games, recently had a great response during a demo at the X-Games in June.

Like every other extreme sports game, the music helps elevate the gameplay. When it comes to the game's soundtrack, game developer Adam Hunt hopes to bring an eclectic mix of tunes to the finished product. Streetdog BMX can be wishlisted on Steam right now here.

Unannounced Whitethorn Games/North Star Video Games title

Whitethorn Games and North Star Video Games will unveil their new title on Tuesday, but we had an early taste of the game alongside Nick Jefferson Tame (Lead Artist, Creative Director) and Adam Mitchell (Lead Programmer, Technical Director). Tame watched a plethora of YouTube videos for research towards this title. The soon-to-be-announced game has a colorful vibe that can easily get players hooked.