PC Gamer UK January issue: Return of the RTS

The end of 2022 is fast approaching, and what a year it’s been. It may have felt like a quieter year for game releases, but we’ve still seen some absolute bangers. Don’t believe us? Just look at the incredible games we’ve highlighted as part of our annual Game of the Year awards. We’re also seeing the return of a beloved PC-ass genre and getting hands-on with games that should be right at the front of your ever-growing backlog.

This month, the real-time strategy is back, baby. The genre may have taken a backseat over the last few years,  but now it’s back and better than ever. 2023 is gonna be the year of the RTS, and you don’t want to miss out. The next 12 months boast release dates for the likes of Company of Heroes 3, Homeworld 3, and Stormgate—an innovative debut from a studio full of ex-Starcraft and Warcraft developers. We’ve got a whopper of a feature that’ll give you the low-down on all the big hitters and why you need to be ready to right-click in 2023.

If you’re not one to look into the future, why not take a gaze at the past instead? The PC Gamer team has put its head together—and argued just a tiny bit—to pull together our curated list of the best games 2022 had to offer. We’ve crowned our all-time fave of the year, as well as games across a wealth of genres that truly wowed us. Some of the team have personal picks too; games that didn’t quite make the cut but are still held near and dear to our hearts. It’s a list you don’t want to miss.

We’ve also managed to get our hands on some rad upcoming games and expansions. Valheim’s Mistlands update just released and we were fortunate enough to get a nice head-start on things. We spent hours scouring the huge update and checking out all the cool new stuff the Viking survival has to offer. If demon-infested high schools are more your deal, there’s a sweet Demonschool hands-on preview to scope out. It’s a turn-based RPG rooted in inspiration from Shin Megami Tensei, Persona and Into the Breach that should definitely be on your radar if you’re into that kind of thing. I know I sure am.