WEEKLY-RELEASES · 2026-10-04
Last Week's Releases — 2026-09-27 Week
4 picks from Steam (2 logic puzzles, 2 adjacent)
This Week's Overview
Four picks from last week (Sep 27-Oct 3) on Steam, spanning puzzle and adjacent genres. Honestly, this was a quiet week rather than a strong one - most new releases still had single-digit review counts, and narrowing to what I could actually back up with numbers left four titles.
The clear standout was TOEM 2, the sequel to the popular photo-adventure TOEM. It already has 497 reviews at 92% positive just days after launch, and press reviews are out too, which made it easy to verify.
The other three head in different directions: the long-awaited sequel to action-puzzler Petal Crash, a standalone Steam release of a mobile logic-puzzle staple, and a quietly compelling new abstract puzzle.
This Week's Picks
TOEM 2
The sequel to TOEM, the cozy black-and-white "photo adventure" about wandering a town snapping pictures for its residents. It seems to keep the same gentle formula, and already sits at 497 reviews, 92% positive, just days after launch. Critics were cooler, though - GamingTrend scored it 75/100, calling it polished but safe, closer to "a typical adventure game than a photography adventure." Fans of the original can probably jump in without worry; see our TOEM review for background.
TOEM 2 (official Steam screenshot)
Petal Crash 2
The sequel to action-puzzler Petal Crash - where you throw colored blocks onto a board and chain same-color matches to blast them away - has entered Early Access, published by GalaxyTrail (Freedom Planet). The team says it already matches the first game's content: eight playable characters, arcade modes, and a stage editor, with a remastered version of the original story mode planned as a later addition. Only 29 reviews so far, but every single one is positive.
Petal Crash 2 (official Steam screenshot)
Apple Worm: Logic Puzzle
A long-running mobile logic puzzle finally gets a standalone Steam release. You stretch and shrink a worm across a grid to reach the goal, with Sokoban-style box-pushing and platform-building mixed in as levels progress. Reviews are thin - just 5 so far - but all of them positive, and since it's free, it's a low-risk entry point if you want a classic-style thinking puzzle.
Apple Worm: Logic Puzzle (official Steam screenshot)
Vexcell
Its reputation is still forming, but solo developer J.M. Bremer's Vexcell caught my eye anyway: a minimalist, muted-color puzzle game where you guide pieces through reconfigurable machines across 400+ levels. The developer says they aimed for something intuitive enough for non-gamers, yet still able to produce repeated "a-ha" moments. Only 4 reviews exist right now, all positive - one to watch as the numbers build.
Vexcell (official Steam screenshot)
Hiki's Pick of the Week
My pick this week is TOEM 2. With 497 reviews at 92% positive, it's the clear standout among this week's four, even with some "plays it safe" criticism from critics. A safe way back in for fans of the original.
Watching Next
Next up on my radar: Hexcavate, a cozy hex-island puzzle where dwarves mine by rolling bombs - tapping a tile lifts and turns it, rerouting the island's grooves. It released October 4, just missing this week's window, so I'll check back on it next time.
Closing Thoughts
Honestly, this was a quiet week - only four new releases had review numbers solid enough to back up. Still, having TOEM 2 among them made it worthwhile. Want to wander and observe? Go with TOEM 2. Want quick competitive bursts? Try Petal Crash 2. Want a free way into logic puzzles? Apple Worm: Logic Puzzle is right there. Pick whichever sounds good and give it a try this weekend.
Sources
Store pages and media referenced in this article:
・Steam: Apple Worm: Logic Puzzle
・Steam: Hexcavate (releases Oct 4, watching next week)
・PetaPixel: TOEM 2 Is a Cozy Adventure Video Game About Capturing Photos
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