Rad is set in a post-apocalyptic world, putting you into the shoes of a boy that finds himself having to survive there. Unfortunately for him, the world is populated by mutant beasts and creatures. His only chance to survive is by taking on some of these mutations himself in order to fight back against them. Rad is a top-down, third-person adventure game from an independent company that is trying its best to bring something new to gamers this August.

Stylistically speaking, Rad is something new. Its vivid neon colour scheme is not something you’ll see in any other post-apocalyptic setting, that’s for sure. It also has an 80s vibe that it’s hoping will capture nostalgic older gamers as well as capture the interest of younger ones. Plus Rad promises different twists and turns with every play-through of the game to keep you coming back and playing for hours. Rad might be a hidden gem this August that you’ll miss if you aren’t looking out for it. You’d better check it out now so that you can get on the hype that is slowly building up for this new game.

Friday the 13th: The Game is a multiplayer survival game set at a camp in the forest. Seven players will control different camp counsellors at Camp Crystal Lake, and an eight-player will control the infamous serial killer Jason Voorhees. It’s up to the seven counsellors to try to survive as long as they can against Jason, who is always hunting them until the timer runs out. The one player that is randomly assigned Jason has to try to kill everyone else also before the timer runs out. If the counsellors work together, it is possible to win and escape the map even before the timer is up. But if they do not, it’s a matter of survival of the fittest, as Jason can only be stunned and not killed.

Friday the 13th: The Game has been out for a few years on other consoles, but it’s only just coming to the Nintendo Switch this August. The game was well-received in its initial launch, with many gamers enjoying the thrill of a horror multiplayer game where they are pitted against a real human-controlled character rather than an AI. Even people that aren’t necessarily fans of the movie the film is based on can still appreciate the themes and gameplay in the video game. Plus it’s had great success on YouTube as part of many let’s play videos. Finally, Nintendo Switch gamers can find out what all of the fuss has been about and get a fun horror survival game for their console as well.

The world has been all but destroyed in Remnant: From the Ashes by an evil force from another dimension known as the Root. Humanity is barely hanging on, and the world is full of terrifying monsters determined to wipe out what humans still remain. But humanity has one weapon left - the ability to open portals into other realms and dimensions. Using these portals, it’s up to you to fight off monsters, gather resources, and figure out how to defeat the Root and give humanity a fighting chance once again. Journey alone or with friends, but be warned that Remnant: From the Ashes promises to be very challenging.

If you’re looking for an online multiplayer game this August, Remnant: From the Ashes is your title. You can play the game alone as well so don’t worry if you love post-apocalyptic stories and horror. But Remnant: From the Ashes is at its best when played with other people so you can take on the game’s most challenging and epic bosses. When you travel into new realms, the environments and monsters are always randomly generated, so you’re faced with a new adventure every time. That keeps Remnant: From the Ashes from getting boring or repetitive, and keeps the difficulty very real.

The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan begins with a group of American tourists setting out on the trip of a lifetime. They’re going on vacation in the South Pacific! Picturing beaches and tropical getaways, of course, they’re excited. But then the storm hits. Nothing goes according to plan, and the tourists find themselves trapped in a sunken ship. On top of everything else, the ship is cursed! You play as five of these characters as they explore the ship and interact with one another, making dialogue choices and playing quick-time action sequences that will determine The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan’s narrative.

The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan is an action horror game, and horror fans are ready for it. It’s always exciting when a new horror narrative launches and you don’t know what to expect; that’s half the fun of playing a horror game after all. You want to be surprised! Very little is known about the story of The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan, leaving a lot up to the imagination. That is just building the anticipation, though. The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan has good replay value as well since the narrative is driven by player choices. You can always go back and are a different decision, and see a different outcome. It’s possible for all five characters to survive, or to die, and their fate will be in your hands.

Blair Witch is based on the cinematic lore behind the 1999 horror film The Blair Witch Project but with an all-new original story. The game opens with a boy going missing in the woods of Maryland. You play as Ellis, a former police officer who decides to help search. As you begin what seems like a normal missing person search, it slowly devolves into something much more terrifying. You come face to face with whatever mysterious power haunts the woods, and it will put your fear and stress to the test as you’re forced to deal with Ellis’ psychological struggles.

Played in a first-person perspective, Blair Witch promises to be truly terrifying. Ellis has only his dog at his side as he faces the woods alone, and you get the chance to experience the terror through his eyes. How you react under pressure and fear in the game will ultimately affect the outcome. If you’re a horror fan, this is the ultimate promise; you’re going to be afraid, and you’ll have to face those fears head-on if you want to complete the game and find your way out of the twisting woods. For gamers wanting to be too scared to turn off the lights at night and stay home alone, Blair Witch is perfect. If you’re easily frightened, perhaps put it on your avoid list.

Madden NFL 20 is the latest instalment in the long-running Madden game series based on American football. Along with the usual single and multiplayer games that gamers can set up and enjoy with all of this year’s updated rosters and uniforms, Madden NFL 20 has an all-new feature. It’s called Face of the Franchise: QB1 and is a personalised career campaign. This mode will allow players to custom-make a college football player and play in the College Football Playoff, and then eventually be drafted onto an NFL team. Ten real college football teams are able to be selected from for this new mode.

Madden NFL 20 is most anticipated by long-running fans of the series and gamers that love American football. It’s always exciting to add the latest title to the collection and to play with all the updated players and rosters. Gamers that loved superstar mode will also be excited about its upgraded version in the new career campaign, and first-timers may also be enticed to pick up the series with the lure of growing a player from college to professional. Our only sports game on the list is a big one for American football fans, who will be awaiting the release just in time for the new season to begin in real life, too.

Age of Wonders: Planetfall is the fifth and latest instalment in the Age of Wonders series, and features a sci-fi setting this time. The galaxy was governed by an interplanetary organisation called the Star Union, but an unknown event of cataclysmic proportions has destroyed it completely. Now many factions have sprung up across the galaxy and each one is fighting for power and dominance over the stars. It’s up to you to decide who will be victorious, all while uncovering the mystery of what it is that caused the Star Union to fall apart in the first place.

Age of Wonders: Planetfall is a turn-based strategy game, so if that’s the sort of game you’re looking for, look no further. And it sounds pretty awesome. From launch, Age of Wonders: Planetfall includes six separate and distinct factions that you can play as with everything from female warriors mounted on dinosaurs to a society comprised entirely of insects. It’s up to you to take over planets one sector at a time through exploring, diplomacy, spying, and of course, war. You’re in control of your own army and can decide the best approach to galactic domination by your chosen faction. Strategy fans will want to keep their eyes on the Age of Wonders: Planetfall.

Control is about a clandestine government organisation called the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC), which is tasked with investigating and controlling objects that bend and break reality. You play as the newest department head, Jesse Faden, as she investigates the FBC’s New York headquarters called the Oldest House. The latest threat to face the FBC is known simply as the Hiss, and little more is known about them at the start of the game. The Hiss have taken over the Oldest House, which has portals to other dimensions, and it is up to you to gain control of the headquarters back and learn what you can about the Hiss.

Control is an action-adventure game with a supernatural twist. Rather than fighting typical monsters, terrorists, or whatever else you’re used to taking down in action games you’re faced with antagonises that break the very laws of reality. That alone already sounds pretty cool, especially for action gamers experiencing terrorist and giant spider fatigue from the rest of their games. Control is made by Remedy, but unlike its previous titles, this one does not have to be played linearly. Rather, you can explore the Oldest House’s areas however you want as you unlock areas and find new side quests. If you like the supernatural but want to stay away from survival horror games, Control seems like it could be a good balance between suspense and adventure.

Oninaki takes place in a fantasy land where Reincarnation is a huge part of the culture. In Oninaki, many people celebrate death as it just means that a person is moving on to their next life, and they are thankful for the lives that came before them. But when a soul is not able to let go of their previous life, they become what is known as Lost. It is up to a group of people called the Watchers to help the Lost sever their ties to the land of the living, and to move on to what comes next. Oninaki is the story of one of these Watchers on their journey.

Oninaki is an RPG, so of course, that is the kind of gamer it will appeal to the most. The story is original and new rather than a sequel or a remake as many RPGs have been lately, so it’s nice to see something fresh being brought to the table. If you enjoy games like Final Fantasy or Valkyria Chronicles, Oninaki seems like a promising new game. Plus the first looks at the art look stunningly beautiful. Square Enix fans definitely will be keeping Oninaki on their radar and hoping for the best, and anyone looking to try a new Japanese RPG should check it out, too.

By the director of Nier: Automata Takahisa Taura, Astral Chain is the latest title coming to the Nintendo Switch. It looks like the end for humanity as an invasion is coming from the mysterious Astral Plain, and seemingly nothing can be done to stop it. The human race’s only hope is in special living weapons called Legion, that when paired with a human, can do devastating linked damage. You play as a new officer in an elite police force called Neuron that pairs officers with a Legion, and it’s up to you to save humanity from the inevitable invasion.

Astral Chain is yet another apocalyptic title coming out this August - so if you’re a big fan of apocalyptic worlds, well, this is going to be a great month for you. Some of the highlighted features in Astral Chain are the ability to control both your character and your Legion in tandem to deal massive damage and using your Legion’s powers outside of combat to also solve puzzles and progress through the game. There are plenty of NPC characters to interact with as well, including your twin, and lots of kinds of Legions to unlock and make use of. If you like JRPGs and have a Switch, Astral Chain promises to bring you a lot of entertainment this August.