In the world of gaming, July has historically been a letdown. It’s not because the games aren't exciting or worth playing, but rather because we just endured an onslaught of exciting announcements—games out in the distant future that we're waiting to play.

Even though E3 is gone, that hasn't changed: June gave us glimpses into the future of Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo's consoles, and now we have to just go back to playing games we already have or already knew about.

But incredible games can come out any month of the year, and July is no exception. While many of us are playing Elden Ring and Destiny 2 expansions, Final Fantasy XIV fans are getting the long-awaited Dawntrail expansion, and A44 (not related to film distributor A24) is dropping the slick-looking "souls-lite" Flintlock.

Meanwhile, Capcom is bringing us its latest creation in Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, and grim city-builder Frostpunk 2 is asking us to make some truly dark decisions. Sure, we might not have Doom: The Dark Ages or Astro Bot just yet, but there's still plenty to play in July.

Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail

Release Date: July 2
Platforms: PC, Mac, PlayStation 4/5, and Xbox Series X/S

Long-running massively multiplayer online RPG Final Fantasy XIV's latest expansion, Dawntrail, arrives at the beginning of the month. This expansion is a big one, as it will take players to a whole new continent, Tural, and its hub city of Tuliyollal. Two new classes (called Jobs in FFXIV parlance) arrive, too: Viper and Ninja.

Of course, what's a new place to explore if there's nothing to do? Luckily, there will be new quests and raids, as well as new "lifestyle" content for those who prefer crafting and gathering to fighting.

Darkest Dungeon 2

Release Date: July 15
Platforms: Playstation 4/5, Nintendo Switch

Darkest Dungeon 2 hit PC in May 2023, but if you want to play it on the couch or on the go, now is the time. The game is making the jump to PlayStation and Switch in July. Like the first game, this is a roguelike RPG, meaning that each time you play you're starting mostly from scratch, and it's expected that you'll lose sooner rather than later.

The game has a dark tone, and your characters can succumb to the stress of battle, picking up negative traits that can affect the rest of the team—thus ensuring that defeating the evil consuming the world is anything but easy.

Flintlock: Siege of Dawn

Release Date: July 18
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S

Developer A44 Games made a name for itself with the Dark Souls-inspired Ashen, and is going back to that well for Flintlock. Flintlock is a Souls-lite game—meaning that it takes inspiration from the mechanics and feel of Dark Souls and similar games, while making compromises for players not as interested in the more challenging aspects of the genre.

This game is set in a fantasy world inspired by 19th-century fashion and technology, the land and animals of the studio's home country of New Zealand/Aotearoa, and the deities of the Mesopotamian civilization. If you're going to play on PC, there's also a demo available on Steam ahead of release so that you can get a feel for it before you dive in. Even so, the full retail price for the game is just $39.99.

Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition

Release Date: July 18
Platforms: Nintendo Switch

Unless you're an old kid or you've seen the 1989 commercial film The Wizard, you may not know that, once upon a time, Nintendo held officially sanctioned competitive tournaments that had the most skilled gamers competing in specific game-related goals. These competitions were housed in special NES cartridges that now sell for tens of thousands of dollars at auction.

This Switch recreation includes 150 challenges from 13 games, including classics like Super Mario Bros. and Metroid. The physical edition of this, which will sell for $59.99, features 13 art cards, a set of 5 pins, and—most importantly—a gold replica cartridge. The cartridge isn't playable, but it's a fun piece to put on your shelf… and it doesn't break the bank doing it.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess

Release Date: July 19
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S

Capcom has been on a hot streak for years now, giving us top-tier remakes and long-awaited sequels while turning niche games into mainstream hits. We're always watching for what Capcom is dropping next, and the latest is exceptionally interesting not only because it's a wholly original game, but also because it's an action-strategy game—a rare breed indeed.

The genre calls to mind games like Pikmin and Overlord, while the art is inspired by Japanese folklore and tradition, giving it a unique, lush visual style. We can't wait to play this one.

Frostpunk 2

Release Date: July 25
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S 

Set 30 years after the original Frostpunk, Frostpunk 2 is once again a city-building survival game. As the steward of the city, you'll now construct districts rather than specific buildings, but you'll still be managing supplies of coal and food, as well as balancing your population.

Additionally, there are different factions whose agendas you'll have to keep in mind, as you make, keep, and break promises to get factions to agree with your plans and maintain the peace. Look forward to making more brutally logical, yet undoubtedly horrible decisions to help humanity survive.

Edited by Andrew Hayward