Last month was truly great for gamers. No matter what kind of gamer you are, it had you covered. It was also chock-full of AAA titles. June, however, is a refreshing departure. For the fans of casual games and those who are not particularly fond of intense and violent gameplay, there are several titles this month that fit the bill. Here, we present you the best and most-awaited upcoming video games releasing in June 2024.
One of the video game releases in May was Sucker Punch Productions’ Ghost of Tsushima on PC and while we do not have the official sales figures yet, at one point there were 77,500 concurrent players just on Steam, according to Games Radar. Notably, the game was also released on the Epic Game Store.
Judging by the success of PlayStation exclusives on PC, Sony is going to ramp up production on porting more games for the platform.
This month, we have games like Drug Dealer Simulator 2, the sequel to the 2020 game Drug Dealer Simulator, which lets you — you guessed it! — deal in drugs. Funny, what games let you do these days, huh? Then there is the latest instalment in the Super Monkey Ball series, called Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble. Like the earlier iterations, it is a fun-looking platformer and this time there is a multiplayer mode.
There is Aarik and the Ruined Kingdom for the fans of puzzle games. It is a beautifully designed game with gorgeous landscapes and puzzles that are not too taxing on the mind. If games are just a respite from the rigours of daily life, this looks like the perfect option.
It’s all just casual fare in June, though. Easily the best game of 2022, Elden Ring, will get the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion or DLC this month. It will enable the player to explore new weapons, skills, equipment, enemies, plotlines and much more. For most other games, it could have been a whole new game. It certainly costs that much.
All that, and more in our list of upcoming video games you should keep an eye out for in June 2024.
From casual fun to epic adventures: Most anticipated upcoming video games of June 2024
1Destiny 2: The Final Shape
Release date: 4 June
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Price: INR 2,449 (Standard Edition), INR 4,899 (Annual Pass) for PC and INR 4,164.70 for consoles
PC minimum system requirements:
Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows® 7 / Windows® 8.1 / Windows® 10 64-bit (latest Service Pack)
Processor: Intel® Core™ i3 3250 3.5 GHz or Intel Pentium G4560 3.5 GHz / AMD FX-4350 4.2 GHz
Memory: 6 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 660 2GB or GTX 1050 2GB / AMD Radeon HD 7850 2GB
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Storage: 105 GB available space
Additional Notes: Beginning on June 4, 2024, Destiny 2 is ending support for Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 operating systems.
I am not a big fan of live service games, but Bungie’s Destiny 1 and Destiny 2 are two good examples. They are compulsively playable and engaging first-person shooters and have a lot of polish and depth in the game rarely seen in titles of this kind. The upcoming expansion, The Final Shape, judging by the promos and early reviews by a few publications, continues this tradition of excellence. There is a wealth of new content and experiences for players to enjoy. If you were looking to take a plunge into this world, this expansion appears to be an attractive getaway.
Image credit: Bungie
2Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game
Release date: 4 June
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Price: INR 1,600 (Standard Edition), INR 2,400 (Digital Deluxe Edition)
PC minimum system requirements:
Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 10 64-bit
Processor: Intel 7700 series / Ryzen 3000 series
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: GTX 1000 Series / RX 500 series (1080p@30fps)
DirectX: Version 12
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Storage: 20 GB available space
With a whacky name like that, you expect something weird but in an interesting way. This is an asymmetrical survival horror multiplayer game. “Asymmetrical” here implies multiplayer games where teams of players have to complete different kinds of objectives to win. You play as a Klown (a play on the word ‘clown’) and your objective is to hunt humans as part of an invasion. You can also play as one of the humans, whose goal is to avoid capture and survive the alien invasion. The gameplay videos make it look like a zanier Left 4 Dead and we cannot wait.
Image credit: IllFonic Publishing
3V Rising
Release date: 11 June
Platforms: PC, PS5
Price: INR 3,330 (Standard Edition), INR 4,995 (Legacy of Castlevania Edition), INR 8,325 (Complete Edition)
PC minimum system requirements:
Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 10 64 bit
Processor: Intel Core i5-6600, 3.3 GHz or AMD Ryzen 5 1500X, 3.5 GHz
Memory: 12 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti (Maxwell or newer), 2 GB or AMD Radeon R7 360, 2 GB
DirectX: Version 11
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Storage: 7 GB available space
While this vampire game was already released on PC last month, this month will see it released on PS5. The response on Steam from players has been extremely positive, with 88 per cent of players rating it positively. After all, there are precious few games where you get to play as a vampire and feed on your fellow humans. Since you are a vampire, you have to protect yourself from sunlight and hunt for humans for your food. The game also allows you to establish a base of operations from a castle. There is loads of stuff to do and combat is kinetic and fast-paced. My only quibble is, the Complete Edition is astronomically expensive even for a PS5 game.
4Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance
Release date: 14 June
Platforms: PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S,
Price: INR 5,007.7
PC Minimum System Requirements:
Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 10
Processor: Intel Core i5-2400 or AMD FX-6350
Memory: 6 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti, 1 GB or AMD Radeon HD 7750, 1 GB
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: 30 GB available space
Additional Notes: Low 720p @ 30 FPS
An exciting looking JRPG (Japanese RPG), this game is set in a Tokyo that was destroyed and is now a wasteland chock-full of demons. You have the choice to either fight and kill these demons or befriend them. You also make other allies. The characters are sketched in morally grey, so there is no evil-good binary. The combat is turn-based and seems quite fun in the trailers. There are two whole story paths, one called Canon of Vengeance and the other Canon of Creation. So there is plenty of replayability value.
5Crab God
Release date: 20 June
Platforms: PC
Price: NA
PC minimum system requirements:
Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 7 or newer, 64-bit
Processor: Intel Haswell 2 cores / 4 threads @ 2.5Ghz or equivalent
Memory: 4096 MB RAM
Graphics: Intel HD 4600 or equivalent – this includes most GPUs scoring greater than 950 points in the 3DMark Fire Strike benchmark
DirectX: Version 11
Storage: 5 GB available space
VR Support: None
In this game you are in charge of the fate of these crustaceans. What does that entail? Your job is to lead the Great Migration to introduce the next Crab God. You raise and nurture little crabs that will help you restore your ocean kingdom. As their Guardians, you will guide these crab babies, called Crablings, to build coral reefs, father food and protect themselves against threats. You will also design a virtual ocean world. The gameplay and visuals look engaging enough for me to recommend this game to casual gamers.
6Aarik and the Ruined Kingdom
Release date: 20 June
Platforms: PC
Price: NA
PC minimum system requirements:
OS: Windows 7 SP1+
Processor: 1.8 GHz
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 4400
DirectX: Version 10
Storage: 200 MB available space
RECOMMENDED:
OS: Windows 10
Processor: 2.4 GHz
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Graphics: GeForce GTX 670 (2048 MB)
DirectX: Version 10
Storage: 200 MB available space
A gorgeous-looking game with fun puzzles. You follow the titular Aarik. He travels through diverse fractured landscapes — from majestic castles to misty forests to humid swamps.Aarik’s task is to reunite with his family. Aarik has his father’s crown and four powerful stones that give him the ability to alter perspectives, repair paths and even manipulate time. The soundtrack is soothing, reminding you happily of games like Braid.
7Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree (DLC)
Release date: 20 June
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Price: INR 2,399
PC minimum system requirements:
Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 10
Processor: INTEL CORE I5-8400 or AMD RYZEN 3 3300X
Memory: 12 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1060 3 GB or AMD RADEON RX 580 4 GB
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: 60 GB available space
Sound Card: Windows Compatible Audio Device
Shadow of the Erdtree is an upcoming DLC that makes one of the greatest games ever even greater. This is a tall task to be sure, but it builds upon the original game’s richly realised fantasy world and introduces a host of fresh content. There are new weapons, enemies, areas, stories and much more. Explore whole new breathtaking landscapes and awesome vistas. The expansion also enhances the lore of the game, and we will get to learn a lot more about the Erdtree, the edifice that towers over the Lands Inbetween.
8Drug Dealer Simulator 2
Release date: 20 June
Platforms: PC
Price: NA
PC minimum system requirements:
Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 10 (64-bit) or newer
Processor: Inter Core i7-6700
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060
Storage: 15 GB available space
Sound Card: DirectX Compatible
I am not sure if drug-dealing is fun in real life, but having played the original Drug Dealer Simulator, I can say with some authority that it can be in virtual worlds. The sequel, titled straightforwardly Drug Dealer Simulator 2, is reportedly bigger and gives you more options to… sell crack cocaine and so on. It is a simulation game but you have an actual character that can navigate across the streets of Isla Sombra, the game’s setting. The game also has parkour mechanics to escape from cops, gangs and more. The sequel has an all-new coop multiplayer mode too that lets your friends join in the fun.
9Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble
Release date: 25 June
Platforms: Switch
Price: INR 4,173.1
PC minimum system requirements: NA
The latest entry in the venerable Super Monkey Ball franchise, Banana Rumble is all set to delight longtime fans and newcomers alike. Keep in mind that while everything screams “casual” about it, particularly visuals, these games, and I expect Banana Rumble as well, can be surprisingly challenging. Your job is to guide a monkey through a series of colourful levels while it collects bananas and handles various obstacles.
10Neverdark
Release date: 26 June
Platforms: PC
Price: NA
PC minimum system requirements:
OS: Windows® (64-bit) 7/8/10
Processor: Intel Core i3 3.0 GHz
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Graphics: NVidia GeForce GTX 660 2GB VRAM (or equivalent)
DirectX: Version 10
Storage: 2 GB available space
Sound Card: DirectX Compatible Sound Card
This one is for lovers of story-driven games. Marketed as a “pausable RTS game”, it is set in a dark future (2030) where a global blackout destroyed all electricity and thus made technologies like the internet and electronic devices obsolete. As always happens in such situations, society deteriorated and there was nothing but chaos. You lead a group of survivors in this post-apocalyptic world. The ruins of Paris, New York and Tokyo are your playground. You also have to protect your people from other groups of survivors. But the ultimate aim is to rebuild society to a level quite like what it was before. This is a game, but not just a game. From the information available so far, it also looks like a socio-political simulator.
11SPY×ANYA: Operation Memories
Release date: 28 June
Platforms: PC, Switch, PS4, PS5
Price: NA
PC minimum system requirements: TBA
In this casual game, your character, a school-going kid called Anya Forger, has to create a photo diary. So you have to click and collect images at school and other locations (there are a total of 10 of them). There are more than a dozen minigames inspired by various anime and manga series. The gameplay also involves outfitting, accessorising and hairstyling Anya and a bunch of other characters. Operation Memories looks like a relaxing heartwarming adventure for all ages, but especially for kids.
