Truck-kun is Supporting Me from Another World?!

Developer: Strange Scaffold
Publishers: Frosty Pop, Strange Scaffold
Platforms: Steam (Windows; Steam Deck Verified), Xbox Series X/S, Xbox on PC
Price: $20, with a 20 percent discount on Steam until August 12

Occasionally, a game will hit at just the right time. I was already looking forward to Truck-kun is Supporting Me from Another World?! after enjoying the demo immensely. The full game arrived precisely when I needed it. This is an absolute blast.

You play as a delivery driver who accidentally hits a woman named Carissa Ward. In the grand tradition of the Truck-kun trope, Carissa is magically transported to a medieval fantasy world where she becomes a buff warrior. She’s seen enough anime and learned enough about this world to know that if she wants to return home in time to start her new job, Carissa needs help from the driver.

To do that, he’ll have to ditch his moral code and smash into even more pedestrians, turning them into monsters that Carissa can slay to gain experience points as she works toward her goal. Delivering packages and completing other objectives helps too.

The action is chaotic and the dialogue had me laughing along. The truck handles well, and it’s always satisfying to sideswipe a cop car or some bystanders (…in the game, I mean). Truck-kun even makes some salient points about work-life balance. I dig this game enough that I didn’t mind having to grind through some objectives to reach certain milestones and move the story forward.

I was looking forward to the new Crazy Taxi game before learning that Sega employed generative AI in the development process. Truck-kun — from the prolific “anti-AI studio” Strange Scaffold — more than makes up for that disappointment. It’s a great way to spend an evening or two.

Turnip Mountain

Developer: Luke Sanderson
Publisher: JanduSoft
Platforms: Steam (Windows; demo available), Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Xbox for PC
Price: Usually $10.49, with a 20 percent launch discount

Turnip Mountain is a climbing game that you can play solo or with a friend, with each of you controlling one of the adventurer’s arms. Sure, you and a buddy can each use your own controller. But if you play by yourself, you can have a mouse in each hand.

This is a physics-based platformer with some neat-looking mechanics. You’ll use momentum to launch the turnip across gaps, and operate hand cranks and hoist flags. The dual-mouse control option is the most compelling aspect, however.

Valve has not yet verified Turnip Mountain for Steam Deck, though it’s said to be fully compatible with the system. It’s a little surprising that JanduSoft has not announced a Switch 2 version of the game that you can play with dual Joy-Con 2 mouse controls.

Dystopicon

Developer/publisher: Palitroque
Platform: Steam (Windows; demo available). Also available on Itch
Price: $8, with a 15 percent discount until August 10. Pay what you want on Itch

It’s been quite some time since the satirical life sim Dystopicon debuted on Itch. Juan Felipe Molina initially released it there in 2018. He gradually added to the story and expanded the gameplay loop over the next year and change. Molina fixed some bugs and made some other updates over the years since, but his spare time was limited. The developer quit his job at the end of last year to fully focus on reworking Dystopicon for a Steam release. He also brought in a 3D artist to give “the game the visual identity and personality it has today.”

This is a time-management game in which your character earns money by watching TV. You’ll spend your cash on various things to satisfy certain needs. You can remain part of the government-mandated system or choose to rebel and try to escape the confines of your character’s existence. There are 14 possible endings to this game and I’m curious to find out more about the paths the story takes.

Rita

Publisher/developer: SporkTank
Platform: Steam (Windows, Mac, SteamOS/Linux; demo available)
Price: Usually $15, with a 10 percent discount until August 13

I play more daily word games than I care to admit, so I’m all about Rita. This adventure game casts you as a chick that finds letters in the environments to solve word puzzles and open up new areas. You might need to pick up the right letters to spell out a word like “ramp” to spawn a slope or “open” to bypass a gate. Ultimately, Rita will grow up and form a bond with her grandchild. It looks like a chill time.

Rita is not officially verified for Steam Deck as yet. However, SporkTank says it “runs beautifully” on the system.