Void Bastards

Developer/ publisher Blue Manchu Format PC, Xbox One Origin Australia, UK, US Release 2019

PC, Xbox One

A change of pace for the studio behind Card Hunter, Void Bastards is pitched as a kind of firstperson XCOM, with elements of Heat Signature and The Swindle. Choosing your squad from an apparently endless supply of space convicts, your job is to scavenge and steal from a succession of spacecraft. It’s strategy with a dash of spontaneity, then: a top-down map lets you plan your route to the loot, while you adapt to hazards and enemies on the fly, with the help of craftable weapons including a remote detonating cat-bot. With a bright comic-book aesthetic, it looks fantastic, too.