For any given week, more than a handful of titles release on Steam, PC’s biggest gaming platform. What’s probably most surprising is the diversity presented by some of these titles; within any given timeframe, you can expect the most popular new releases for the platform to represent a variety of styles, genres and themes. Additionally, some may only be popular in certain regions, or translate to a worldwide audience.
This is the second edition for Steam’s community endeavor: to find out the best releases on the platform for every month of the year. Last May, we got to take a look at 20 of the best sellers on the platform for April 2019. This early July, we now look at the top 20 by revenue earned for the month of May.
As with the previous iteration, the games on the list must be released between May 1 and 31 (early access titles have been allowed in) with the basis for its revenue being two weeks after its release date. All of this said, let’s take a look at the top 20 Steam releases for the month of May.
Top Steam releases for May 2019 (arranged in order of release date)
- Rise of Industry – an industrial-based management sim/strategic tycoon title that boasts a fully living and breathing world. It’s a pretty niche sim in and of itself, but for business-savvy individuals Rise of Industry provides a challenge like no other. Released on May 2, 2019. (Check out my review for the game here.)
- Swag and Sorcery – a pixel-based single-player RPG in the same vein as those idle clickers you find on mobile devices. A bit grindy, but then again that’s something to expect from idle clickers. It does make for a bit of mindless fun while you’re doing something else in the background. Released on May 9, 2019.
- Yakuza Kiwami 2 – the high-definition update to the classic single-player title by Sega, Yakuza 2. It also adds quite a bit of story through the introduction of the Majima Saga, which explains how Majima came to leave the Tojo Clan. Worth playing just for the enormous amount of side content alone. Released on May 9, 2019.
- A Plague Tale: Innocence – a single-player narrative-driven action-adventure title that features one of the best stories in a video game so far this year. Developed by Asobo Studios, this game is set during the saga of the Black Plague in Europe and centers on two siblings caught between the ravenous rats and the tyrannical Inquisition. Released on May 14, 2019. (Check out my review for the game here.)
- RAGE 2 – the sequel to Bethesda’s sleeper post-apocalyptic open world shooter. Released on May 14, 2019.
- Beat Saber – after a year in Early Access, this VR-only music rhythm title finally launches officially to a very positive reception. A must-have for any person with a VR headset. Released on May 21, 2019.
- Team Sonic Racing – a fast-paced kart racing title featuring the various characters from the Sonic franchise. Released on May 21, 2019.
- BATTALLION 1944 - a highly-realistic WWII multiplayer shooter developed by Bulkhead Interactive. Places a deep focus on 5v5 infantry combat to deliver one of the most solid first-person shooters released in recent memory. Released on May 23, 2019.
- Total War: Three Kingdoms – the next installment in the popular turn-based empire-building and strategy game, this time focusing its sights on an epic conflict across ancient China. Released on May 23, 2019.
- Minion Masters – a free-to-play and fast-paced strategic card game with a whole host of game modes that’s very popular right now. It finally left Early Access on May 24, 2019.
- XERA: Survival – an open-world multiplayer looter shooter in the same vein as Borderlands and its sequels. It features a global gear stash and a PvPvE experience that transitions quite seamlessly. It launched in Early Access on May 23, 2019.
- Five Nights at Freddy’s VR: Help Wanted – a VR-only horror title based on the best-selling horror franchise that quickly gained popularity a few years ago on Steam. Released on May 28, 2019.
- Layers of Fear 2 – a sequel to Bloober Team’s art-inspired psychological horror title, this time set on a ship and involving the crafts of actors. Released on May 28, 2019.
- SpellForce 3: Soul Harvest – this standalone expansion to the RTS/RPG hit title SpellForce 3 is set three years after the Purity Wars, a new era that Nortander finds itself on the cusp of. Released on May 28, 2019.
- Void Bastards – a first-person roguelike shooter and stylized action strategy game with loot scavenging and multiplayer elements. Released on May 28, 2019.
- Assetto Corza Competizione – this official Blancpain GT racing series rendered with a highly realistic simulation and featuring official drivers, teams, cars and circuits finally transitioned out of Early Access on May 29, 2019.
- Conan Unconquered – a real-time strategy title set in the Conan the Barbarian universe. Released on May 29, 2019.
- Conqueror’s Blade – this free to play, medieval multiplayer action strategy title finally came out of Early Access on May 30, 2019.
- Deathgarden: Bloodharvest – a unique take on the asymmetrical horror genre, as it is set in a dark dystopia, with players playing either as a ruthless hunter or the scavengers escaping his wrath. Launched in Early Access on May 30.
- Warhammer: Chaosbane – a hack-and-slash title that’s set in the titular Warhammer universe and features a myriad of gameplay options, including solo, co-op, or multiplayer. Released on May 31, 2019.
Since the above titles were only measured by their revenue as to how popular they are, Steam admits that the entire measure doesn’t fully capture the popularity you find in free-to-play titles. To fix this, Steam also added a list of the top five free-to-play titles for the month of May based on peak player count within the first two weeks of release.
- Conqueror’s Blade
- Splitgate: Arena Warfare
- Minion Masters
- Eden Rising
- Never Split the Party
As an additional tidbit, Steam also looked back a year ago in May 2018 and found that the top five releases at the time were:
- Total War Saga: Thrones of Brittania
- Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire
- Conan Exiles
- Raft
- Dark Souls: Remastered
So, what do you think? Do any of these games surprise you? What do you think will be June’s top-selling games? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
