A Week of Surprises on Steam
This week has been a whirlwind for the gaming community, with several notable releases and unexpected shifts in popularity. One of the most anticipated titles was Pragmata, a sci-fi shooter that seemed poised to dominate the market. However, it faced stiff competition from a new pirate-themed game called Windrose, which launched into early access on April 14 after a surprise announcement the previous week.
Windrose has proven to be a massive hit, currently sitting at number two on Steam by revenue, just behind Counter-Strike 2. In its first six days, it sold over a million copies and now boasts more than 220,000 concurrent players. This is significantly higher than the peak of Marathon, another live service game, which reached only 88,337 players.
The numbers suggest that PC players are showing a strong preference for pirate-themed games over other genres. Here’s a look at the top five Steam games by revenue as of now:
- Counter-Strike 2
- Windrose
- Pragmata
- Mouse: P.I. For Hire
- PUBG: Battlegrounds
It’s not surprising that Windrose has done well, given the enduring appeal of pirate games. However, it’s still somewhat surprising that it outperformed Pragmata in terms of player engagement, especially considering that Pragmata had a higher launch price and was available on multiple platforms, including PS5 and Xbox.
According to data from SteamDB, the peak concurrent player counts for the three biggest new games of the week were as follows:
- Mouse: P.I. For Hire: 13,755 players
- Pragmata: 68,689 players
- Windrose: 222,134 players
These numbers highlight how popular Windrose has become, even though it’s currently an early access PC-only title.
Other Notable Releases
There aren’t many other big surprises this week, but there are a few games worth mentioning. Forza Horizon 6 pre-orders have been extremely strong, with over 500,000 units already sold. Meanwhile, Road to Vostok, a Finnish indie extraction shooter, was the 12th best-selling game on Steam between April 7 and 14, but it’s currently ranked 43rd.
New Games Worth Checking Out
Before Fate | April 14
This “time-traveling survival adventure” features a unique art style reminiscent of indie comic books. Players can leap through time portals into different worlds, explore them, find strange characters, extract resources, and uncover a story about a research institute searching for the secrets of the universe.
Scriptorium: Master of Manuscripts | April 17
If you enjoyed the art style of Pentiment, you’ll love this game. It allows players to illustrate a medieval manuscript using a variety of preset artwork. There’s a story mode where you take on commissions from prestigious patrons, but the sandbox mode offers endless hours of creative fun.
Worthy or Not | April 18
Asian FMV dating sims continue to flood Steam, but this Chinese offering stands out. It follows the story of a matchmaking agency owner who must engage in “verbal duels” with young women. Another similar title, Beta Kafe: Write Your Love Story, also released this week.
ZPF | April 17
This horizontal shoot ‘em up was originally designed for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. But it’s not a retro release—it was made recently. You can purchase a cartridge for the old consoles, or play it on Steam. Fans of chunky 16-bit sci-fi psychedelia should definitely check this out.
Best Steam User Review of the Week
“This is my Chair. There are many like it, but this one is mine”
— ItzBothNet on Office Chair Curling
