This year's 'not E3' season has been bountiful – from the reveal of Doom: The Dark Ages and the adorable Astro Bot, to our first look at Metroid Prime 4: Beyond seven years after its reveal, we've had it all. Well, not quite – I'm sure Hollow Knight: Silksong and Bloodborne fans would beg to differ, as updates on that particular Metroidvania remain non-existent, and the beloved Soulslike still doesn't have a remaster or PC port in sight.
Thankfully though, Bloodborne fans still have something to keep them occupied on PC, thanks to the free, unofficial racing spin-off, Nightmare Kart. You might remember it by a different name, but alas, it was changed to become "legally distinct." With that said, the game itself, its Bloodborne vibes, and gothic aesthetic remain delightfully intact, and it's been a massive hit since its launch, having now surpassed 500,000 downloads across Steam and Itch.io.
Not only are plenty of people playing it, but reception to the racer has also been stellar. On Steam, 97% of its reviews are positive, giving it a glowing 'Overwhelmingly Positive' rating. What's more, according to both SteamDB and Steam 250, Nightmare Kart is the highest rated game to release on Steam this month – currently keeping the crown from the likes of Shin Megami 5: Vengeance and Fallen Aces.
If you're yet to dive into Nightmare Kart, it comes with 15 tracks to zoom around on, 21 racers, 13 different karts, and an entire campaign mode, which, like its inspiration, includes boss fights. It even has split-screen multiplayer, so you can race against a friend. Sure, it's no Bloodborne Remastered, but it's a pretty radical alternative.
Speaking of Bloodborne, FromSoftware boss Hidetaka Miyazaki recently revealed in an interview that he's well aware fans want the action RPG ported to PC, but "if I say I want one, I'll get in trouble as well." However, he added: "But it's nothing I'm opposed to." It seems a port might have Miyazaki's blessing, but it's not up to him to decide.
Be sure to check out our roundup of 10 games like Dark Souls that will test your survivability.
