Plus, multiple showcases and a co-op haunted mansion game with a pair of pups.
Welcome to our latest roundup of what’s going on in the indie game space. As ever, we’ll take a peek at new games you can jump into this weekend and others that are a bit further away. First, though, let’s look at some highlights from showcases that aired this week along with a few other bits of news.
All of the previous Triple-i Initiative showcases have been solid and the latest one is no different. As well as news of updates for the likes of Windrose and Chained Together, this year’s second edition of the showcase revealed that Among Us Story: On Guard (a detective spinoff of the multiplayer phenomenon) will arrive on February 17.
We got word of yet another Strange Scaffold game — the Xcom-esque Gods With Badges — while Lazare’s Sacrifice, a narrative deckbuilder that Gwent: The Witcher Card Game designer Damien Monnier contributed to, is coming next year. The showcase also included gameplay from The Talos Principle 3 and looks at dozens of other games.
Playtests and demos for many of the games featured in the showcase are now live. I was particularly jazzed to finally get my hands on Militsioner, six years after it was first revealed. This is an immersive sim in which you’re trying to escape from a town. However, there’s a giant, near-omniscient cop that strives to keep you in line ahead of a trial over a crime you seemingly did not commit.
The demo is fascinating. It’s deeply strange and surprisingly funny. There’s so much to explore and play around with in this dense environment as you learn more about this bizarre world. One minute, I’m instructed to make the cop depressed. The next, I’m on an impromptu date with a woman who’s already drunk.
I’ve been trying to figure out how to win over or distract the Colossal Policeman so I can get out of dodge, but the cleverly designed game thwarts me at almost every turn. The demo left me yearning for the full game, which is set to arrive next year.
The Out of Bounds and Convergence Games showcases returned this week too. The former ran for about 45 minutes and it featured 16 “hidden, fresh and bold games.” Those included bingo-inspired roguelike Bingone, Draftula (a roguelike castle builder that draws from Tetris;demo available on Steam) and the charming-looking puzzler Haunted Cleaner.
As for the Convergence showcase, that stream ran for over two hours. I haven’t had a chance to watch it yet, I have to admit, so consider this more of an FYI that it took place and it might be worth a peek. However, I did learn it included an announcement of the new release date for Kick, a game I’ve been looking forward to after enjoying the demo. It’ll arrive on November 3.
The latest edition of LudoNarraCon also kicked off this week. This shines a spotlight on 50 narrative-driven games that are either available now or have a demo on Steam for you to try. There are lots of compelling titles in the mix, including the brilliant Titanium Court and others I’ve been meaning to get to, like Wax Heads, Perfect Tides: Station to Station and Cairn. An accompanying sale that runs until October 15 includes discounts on more than 150 games.
I have two more quick notes to share. Playdate Season 3 started this week and I can’t wait to dive into the first games from that. Also, the single-player campaign of Star Wars: Galactic Racer — perhaps my game of the year so far — is available to play on Amazon Luna at no extra cost for Prime subscribers. I would recommend giving it a go!
New indie game releases
Developer: Third Shift
Publisher: Annapurna Interactive
Platforms: Steam (Windows; Steam Deck Verified), Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox for PC
Price: Usually $20, with a 10 percent launch discount (PS Plus required for the PS5 discount). Also available on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass
There are several aspects of Forever Ago that didn’t totally work for me. The storytelling is occasionally clumsy and it’s sometimes functionally clunky. For instance, prompts to interact with items tended to disappear and it often took a few moments of adjustment for them to pop back up. But despite these issues, I feel like I was supposed to play this game right now.
Forever Ago is a road trip adventure that tells the story of Alfred, an older man who’s on a scavenger hunt of sorts. It factors in several of the places and memories that shaped his relationship with his late wife, Audrey, who set up this quest for him. As you might imagine, things don’t really go according to plan. It’s a tale about dealing with grief, discovering one’s self after losing a defining part of their life and the incessant march of time. You’ll explore, take photos, do some light puzzle solving and meet other characters.
The story is affecting (if not particularly novel) while the writing and Piotr Michael’s portrayal of Arthur make it easy to sympathize with this abrasive, struggling character. Clark Aboud’s lovely score even helped me get that one Bon Iver song the title references out of my head.
What strikes me the most about Forever Ago is its slow, deliberate pace, even if it’s not particularly long. My mind is often racing at 100 miles an hour and distractions snatch away my attention more often than I’d like. Forever Ago was absorbing enough to capture my full focus. Most importantly, it feels honest and sincere. I found it soothing and had to sit with my thoughts for a while after finishing it, which means it achieved what the developers intended.
The Traitors: Interactive Game
Developer: Fusebox Games
Platforms: <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-traitors-interactive-game/id6751324795″ rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank”>iOS, Android
Price: Free, with in-app purchases
Despite my best intentions, I am hooked on the latest season of The Celebrity Traitors. I am generally terrible at social deception games since I’m a rotten liar so, as with the aforementioned Among Us spinoff, a single-player spin on the format could be fun.
The action plays out in similar fashion to the show. The aim is to survive until the end of the game, either as a Faithful or Traitor. After picking a character trait, you’ll choose daily outfits, tackle missions to increase the prize pot, forge alliances with other characters and either try to vote out Traitors or eliminate Faithfuls. I don’t love that there are microtransactions here, but I’ll still give it a go.
Developers: OSM Games, Nuostabūs Žaidimai
Publisher: OSM Games
Platform: Meta Quest. Coming to Steam later
Price: $15
The last time I heard about this trippy-looking puzzle platformer, back in May, it was supposed to be hitting Steam and VR next year, but it’s already out on Meta Quest. The developers used silhouettes and a two-tone art style to create some striking visuals that mask secrets and threats.
The latest trailer for this horror-inflected game is almost enough to make me want to snap up a Quest headset so I can play it now. Maybe the Steam version (a release date for which is said to be coming “very soon”) will prompt me to finally hook up the PS VR2 adaptor that’s been next to my PC for over a year.
Developer: Moonlight Kids
Publisher: Akupara Games
Platforms: Steam (Windows, Mac; Steam Deck Verified; demo available), Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Xbox for PC, PS5 (with a one-hour trial for PS Plus Premium members), Switch 2
Price: Usually $20, with a 10 percent discount on Steam until October 22. Also available on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass
In similar fashion to my favorite game from last year, a “Metroidbrainia” calledÖoo, you’ll need to have your thinking cap on while playing Echo Weaver. Unlike in many Metroidvanias, your progress here is gated by your knowledge rather than unlockable powers. You’ll start with all of the abilities you need to beat the game, but it might take you a while to figure out what they are and how to use them.
You’ll also need to conquer a time loop. Here, time is a resource you can consume to heal, trade and even open up new routes. I’m into the art direction of this game, and I always enjoy having a glaive as a weapon. This particular one has reality-bending powers, which makes it even more appealing. While I may sometimes struggle with puzzles, there’s little I like more in games than that “a-ha!” moment when you hit upon a solution. Echo Weaver seems like it could have quite a few of those.
Upcoming indie games
Developer/publisher: Auroch Digital
Platforms: Steam (Windows; Steam Deck Verified), GOG, Switch, Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox for PC, iOS, Android. Demo available on Steam and Xbox for PC
Price: Usually $8, with 10 percent launch and pre-order discounts on some platforms. Also available on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass
Release date: November 10
Almost exactly a year after it was announced, this mashup of Vampire Survivors and Warhammer will make its way into the world. Auroch Digital was able to tap into the engine that powers Vampire Survivors to make this game. Unsurprisingly then, it looks a lot like Poncle’s smash hit, albeit with plenty of Warhammer flair. For instance, rather than collecting ill-shaped gems to level up and gain upgrades and more auto-firing weapons, you’ll vacuum up skulls instead.
I’m not especially interested in Warhammer, but I will happily take an opportunity to check out a fresh spin on Poncle’s classic time sink. It looks like you can use deadly dice as a weapon here, which is a fun nod to Warhammer tabletop games.
Developer/publisher: Happy Broccoli Games
Platform: Steam (Windows, Mac, SteamOS/Linux; demo available)
Release date: December 3
I’ve been looking forward to this since it was announced at this summer’s Day of the Devs showcase so I was glad to add its release date to my calendar. Apple Crumble, from the studio behind Duck Detective: The Secret Salami, is a cozy-ish almost-murder mystery in which you try to figure out who’s trying to kill your grandma at her birthday party.
Like Happy Broccoli’s previous title, this is a short game that’s said to be about 60 to 90 minutes long. That means the demo that dropped this week (which runs for 20-30 minutes) is about a third of the whole game. That’s not a bad thing at all. I like short games!
Developer/publisher: LazyFlock
Platforms: Steam (demo available on Windows), PS4, PS5, Switch, Switch 2, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Let’s finish things up for this week with one more title that appeared during The Triple-i Initiative’s showcase. A demo was just released for this co-op adventure, which pairs up a couple of pups that set out to rescue their owner from a haunted mansion.
This looks obscenely adorable, and not only because you can customize your pup and kit them out with accessories. I always appreciate a couch co-op game and this immediately went on my wishlist. You can also play online with a buddy, who can join the action with a free friend pass.
