There may not be as many blockbuster game releases in November as there were the last couple months, but there is still plenty to look forward to. November seems to be the month of indie gems, including two titles from publisher Devolver Digital, who are known for such titles as Hotline Miami, Enter the Gungeon, Fall Guys, Cult of the Lamb, and more.
Also releasing this month is a long overdue (in our humble opinion) remaster of a beloved RPG, and yet another incarnation of a popular RPG that’s already gotten several spinoffs (and can keep them coming, as far as I’m concerned).
Read on for the 8 most-anticipated games coming out in November 2023 that we can’t wait to play.
The Talos Principle 2
Developer: Croteam
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Platform: PS4/5, PC, Xbox Series X/S
Release Date: November 2, 2023
Price: $29.99
The Talos Principle II is a first or third person (depending on your preference) narrative, sci-fi puzzle experience. It seeks to expand on the first game—which released in 2014 to critical acclaim—by adding mind-bending puzzles, new mechanics such as mind transference and gravity manipulation, a richer storyline, and even more secrets to discover. It boasts over 100 puzzles across 12 different hand-crafted regions, as well as a deep, character-driven story with multiple potential endings.
If you played the first game, you’ll find the premise familiar; The Talos Principle II, like its predecessor is set on a post-apocalyptic future Earth, where humans are biologically extinct but their culture lives on through robots. Players will control 1k, a robot with a human consciousness so named because they are the thousandth robot citizen, as they awaken in New Jerusalem. From there, you will embark on an adventure to discover the secrets of a mysterious megastructure, all the while being confronted with questions about the nature of the cosmos and the purpose of civilization. The choices you make without will affect how the story unfolds.
The story should take, on average, 20-30 hours for players to get through. Pre-order anytime between now and the release date for a 10% discount.
Thirsty Suitors
Developer: Outerloop Games
Publisher: Annapurna Interactive
Platform: PS4/5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, PC
Release Date: November 2, 2023
Price: TBD
Thirsty Suitors is a story-driven adventure game about culture, relationships, family pressures, and expressing oneself. Players will follow Jala, the main character, as she returns to her small hometown of Timber Hills for her sister’s wedding. Fresh out of a break-up, she must contend with her past, small town gossip, and the expectations of her South Asian parents, and she will do so primarily through turn-based combat, cooking, and skateboarding.
That’s right: Jala will battle each of her exes Scott Pilgrim style, complete with over-the-top, cinematic, fantastical battle scenes. You’ll also uncover the mysteries of Bearfoot Park while battling a group of skate punks and their leader, Soundie the Bear. As the story unfolds, you will help determine Jala’s backstory and personality through narrative choices.
The developers wanted the game’s soundtrack to match the colorful, vibrant graphics, and it features a mix of hip-hop, South Asian, and Carnatic influences. Visit the dev’s blog for a deep dive into the game’s music production.
This is the second title from developer Outerloop Games, a minority-led indie studio whose goal is to “[create] accessible games about underrepresented cultures & themes.” Their debut title is a game called Falcon Age, where you fight off robot colonizers with the help of your pet falcon.
Fashion Dreamer
Developer: syn Sophia
Publisher: Marvelous
Platform: Switch
Release Date: November 3, 2023
Price: $44.99
This game gives me flashbacks to the countless hours spent designing outfits in Barbie Fashion Designer. Fashion Dreamer is described as a “next-gen fashion game where you can express your style and influence the virtual fashion world with your own haute couture.” You will build a fashion brand by designing your own custom clothes and accessories and use them to dress your Muses. During online play, your Muses will visit other players’ worlds, and vice-versa—and you can give them a Like to snag their outfits for yourself. Your designs could go viral!
The virtual world of Eve is divided into four areas called Cocoons, each with a unique aesthetic. You can explore these worlds with your Muses, which are the characters you create—and there looks to be a wide variety of customization options. You can create up to four Muses, and switch between them or change their appearance at any time in the Salon Area.
Then, you simply explore the Cocoons and Like any items you see to nab them for yourself! You’re not limited by money or closet space, so you can Like as many items as you want. As they travel, you can take pictures of your Muses, then decorate them and share them with your friends.
Broken Roads
Developer: Drop Bear Byes
Publishers: Versus Evil, Team17
Platform: PS4/5, Switch, PC, Xbox One
Release Date: November 14, 2023
Price: TBD
If pressed to choose, this might be the game I’m most intrigued by this month. Broken Roads is a narrative RPG set in the post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland, where players will be able to explore a variety of authentic locations and environments. It features turn-based tactical combat, meaningful philosophical choices, a blend of traditional and innovative RPG elements, and “classless system offering near-unlimited character development options”, according to the game’s website.
The game also features a unique and in-depth morality system called the Moral Compass. The developers aim to offer real moral dilemmas that require careful consideration; there is no clear-cut “good” and “bad”. The choices you make will influence your core alignment, which will in turn affect what actions are available to you in the future.
Broken Roads’ unique morality system is based on four areas of moral philosophy: Utilitarianism, Nihilism, Machiavellianism and Humanism. In a 360-degree chart of possible options, players are able to choose from those within a certain range of their character’s core alignment.
Broken Roads is the debut title from Australian indie studio Drop Bear Bytes, and between the narrative depth and gorgeous hand-drawn art, it looks to be a highly impressive offering. Although the studio is young, it’s staffed by industry veterans bringing their decades of collective experience to the table.
KarmaZoo
Developer: Pastagames
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Platform: PS5, Switch, PC, Xbox Series X/S
Release Date: November 14, 2023
Price: $9.99
KarmaZoo is described as “a joyful, altruistic, cooperative platformer” in which up to 10 random players must work together to progress through a series of increasingly challenging levels that adapt to team size, perks, and chosen characters, so no two runs are alike. The game features 50 characters, all with different abilities that you’ll need to combine to be successful. You can even sacrifice yourself to create a tombstone platform that your teammates can use to cross to safety. In-game actions will earn you Karma, which in turn enables you to unlock new characters and abilities to use in future loops.
If you’d rather play with family and friends, that’s cool too! Totem Mode lets you play locally on one screen with up to 8 players. Unlike Loop mode, Totem will pit you against one another in a series of minigames, making it an ideal party game.
Additionally, all Karma earned will go towards the KarmaPass, which pools all Karma from the entire playerbase—across all platforms—to unlock new avatars, which are available for free to every player that participated in unlocking them. Once the game launches, players will be able to check the status of the KarmaPass here.
American Arcadia
Developers: Out of the Blue Games, Out of the Blue Games S.L.
Publisher: Raw Fury
Platform: PC
Release Date: November 14, 2023
Price: TBD
American Arcadia is straight out of a Black Mirror episode; it’s a cinematic, first-person 2.5D puzzle platformer that takes place in Arcadia, a futuristic metropolis with a retro 70s aesthetic. The residents of Arcadia enjoy a life of luxury and comfort, completely unaware that their lives are being broadcast 24/7 to American Arcadia, the world’s most popular reality show, which has been on the air for decades.
For the unwitting participants, their fate is tied to their popularity among viewers, and a drop in popularity could mean death. This is bad news for Trevor Hills, an average guy working a mundane job as an office clerk. He discovers that he’s not alone, however; he has help from someone on the inside.
Players will control Trevor as he tries to escape his impending execution, and Angela, a stage technician for the show as she tries to assist him. As Angela, you’ll use first-person hacking to alter the environment and clear the way for Trevor’s escape.
They’ll have to work together to overcome the corporation they’re up against, but this is where things get really meta—is the helpful voice guiding Trevor genuine, or just a part of the show? Uncover the truth and escape with your life in American Arcadia!
Persona 5 Tactica
Developer: Atlus, P Studio
Publisher: Atlus, Sega, SEGA of America
Platform: PS4/5, Switch, Xbox One, PC, Xbox Series X/S
Release Date: November 17, 2023
Price: $59.99
I had never played a Persona game before Persona 5, and it immediately became one of my all-time favorite games. While there’s been no talk of a Persona 6, there have been multiple spinoffs of 5, of which Persona 5 Tactica is the latest. The story takes place after the events of Persona 5, and has a chibi art style and tactical, grid-based combat. This means you’ll have to place party members strategically for maximum damage and defense. As in the original game, they will use a combination of weapons and Personas to take down their enemies in style.
There are five different difficulty levels, which you can switch between at any time. Among other things, the difficulty levels will affect how many times you can use the Baton Pass ability, which lets you switch out KO’d teammates.
According to the official site, the game features “an all-new story, the return of fan-favorite characters, and brand-new allies and foes.” The Phantom Thieves somehow wander into another realm, where the citizens are oppressed by a military force known as the Legionnaires, and find themselves in danger. They are rescued by a mysterious revolutionary named Erina, who offers them a deal in exchange for their help. But can they trust this Erina?
Super Mario RPG
Developer: Nintendo, Intelligent Systems, Square
Publisher: Nintendo, Square, Nintendo of America Inc., Nintendo of Europe GmbH
Platform: Switch
Release Date: November 17, 2023
Price: $59.99
The original Super Mario RPG released in 1996 for SNES to critical acclaim. The collaboration between Nintendo and Square Enix resulted in a Mario game with elements of Final Fantasy, and one of the most beloved titles of all time. The remake looks to stay true to the original, with updated graphics and cinematics.
Combat is turn-based, and you can time your button presses with Action Command to increase damage dealt or decrease damage received. They have also added the ability to damage all enemies at once if you time your attacks perfectly. Using Action Commands will fill a gauge, and when the gauge is full, you can unleash a three-character Triple Attack, which changes based on your party’s composition. Throughout the game, you will face a variety of colorful bosses, and after beating the game you’ll be able to rematch powered-up versions of some of them.
In Super Mario RPG, Mario and Peach find themselves forced to team up with unlikely ally Bowser, along with original characters Mallow and Geno, to save their world from the notorious Smithy Gang. Players can switch between the original soundtrack and newly arranged tracks by Shimomura (the composer for the original game!).
As with all Nintendo titles, Super Mario RPG is a Switch exclusive, and you can pre-order from the Nintendo eShop now.
