Indie game dev is a tough gig, and getting eyes on your game is always an uphill battle. You need to have an eye-catching concept, a game that looks super polished, and a killer hook that sets your game out from the pack. But, even if you do all of that, there’s still no guarantee that you’ll reap the rewards for your labor.
Many truly incredible games go through development relatively unheard of, and after release, fade into relative obscurity despite offering masterful experiences that are just as good as anything on the market.
So, in a bid to prevent this from happening, we have unearthed some hidden gems currently in development and would like to urge all you indie-lovers out there to wishlist these titles and keep an eye on them as they cook. Then, when they rise to superstardom, you can tell people you knew that game before it was cool.
13
Bleaklight Falls
Loot By Day, Slay By Night
As someone who has played their fair share of ARPGs where the general themes are darkness, doom, and gloom in abundance, it’s genuinely nice to see a game within the genre offer a more cute pixel-art slant.
But don’t get it twisted. Bleaklight Falls is still an ARPG in the traditional sense, asking you to hack-and-slash, loot everything that isn’t tied down, and explore the vast forest on the outskirts of the village for resources and rare drops.
But here’s the twist. This game also doubles as a tower defense game by night, where you will need to use the resources gathered during the day to prepare for the horrors that await you come sundown.
It’s a unique idea, and one that looks sure to be a breath of fresh air in the rather predictable ARPG space. So, keep an eye on this one moving forward.
12
Origament: A Paper Adventure
Pushing The Envelope
With the imminent release of Hirogami, there is a slight worry that it may steal the thunder of this fellow Origami-focused title. But we reckon this town is big enough for the two of them. And even if it isn’t, they can just fold up tighter to make some room.
Origament is a puzzle platformer that will allow you to play the role of a rather versatile sheet of paper that can fold on the fly into unique shapes perfect for the situation at hand, whether that be soaring through the air as a paper plane or bombing down a hill as a scrunched-up paper ball.
It’s a gorgeous-looking adventure that is yours to unfold at your leisure, and considering the scope of origami as a concept, I can foresee the possibilities being endless.
On account of this game pushing the envelope, it won’t be ready for a little while. But we reckon this one will be worth the wait.
11
Placid Plastic Deck – A Quiet Quest
Duck Deck Drama
If you’re an indie game fan, chances are that you’ll have played a lot of deckbuilders. But, I bet you haven’t played any Duck Builders!
In this game, set in the same universe as Placid Plastic Duck Simulator, you play as a kid looking to make it up to your pal by any means possible. And, in your infinite wisdom, you deem the best way to do this to be by winning a regional card tournament.
What you can expect is a simple card-based strategy that looks not too dissimilar to Inscryption, albeit with less creepy cards and opponents. Not to mention a heartfelt story unfolding in the background.
So, if you like card games, but also want a healthy dose of humor, Pokemon-style RPG elements, and narrative-driven, choices matter action. Then this game could well be up your alley.
10
Truth Scrapper
Try Not To Forget
Naturally, I am a touch biased about this one, as I was one of the biggest champions of InsertDisc5’s last game, In Stars And Time. One of the finest timeloop games ever made, if you aren’t aware.
However, that said, Truth Scrapper seems like such a strong concept that it deserves a mention on its own merit. This one has timeloop mechanics baked into the bread, too, but in this game, you’re trying to solve a grand mystery.
The Truth Scrappers Guild has been attacked, and you, a fellow guild member, needs to talk to your colleagues and find out what’s going on within the mysterious world of The Dwell.
But the difficulty comes from the fact that you can only retain a limited number of core memories as the day resets, and when memories are so precious, it really pays to know what info is needed and what is superficial.
It’s a quirky, cool, and camp game that definitely follows the same thread of In Stars and Time. So, if you loved that indie gem as much as I did, you need to follow this successor with interest.
9
Outside The Blocks
Your Own Little World
Ever since we witnessed the success of Tiny Glade, a slew of games has emerged to offer creative gamers a sandbox in which to build their own dioramas, towns, and cityscapes, with no goals, quests, or strict rules to adhere to. However, arguably, none have looked quite as eye-catching as Outside the Box.
This glorious-looking diorama-building simulator seems to have a lot more depth and variety than other contemporaries, allowing players more control than ever when it comes to creating a mini-scene in their own image.
Whether it’s a sleepy town on a cold winter’s night, or a rustic farmhouse in the heart of autumn, you’ll be able to drag and drop in assets with ease, mold them into shape, and add fine details to bring your creation to life.
It’s one of those games that will certainly be a case of ‘you get out what you put in’. But, if you’re someone who can lose themselves in a personal project for hours, then Outside the Box could be a new way to lose oodles of your free time.
8
Absym
Two For The Price of One
I think we can all agree that playing one Soulslike is a pretty hard venture. So, you can only imagine what it would be like to play two of the buggers concurrently. In a nutshell, a logistical, sadistic nightmare. But, in the case of Absym, I still find myself more than tempted to endure this torture.
This Soulslike title asks the player to regularly hop between two dimensions in real-time to reveal dangers not always perceptible to the human eye, and fight back the corruption that plagues the world.
The game prides itself on its Bloodborne similarities, but also has a roguelike core to proceedings, meaning that, even if the dual-dimension gimmick is initially too much for you, you’ll eventually become powerful enough to conquer both.
Not to mention, it also has unique visuals that look like a classic JRPG that’s been given the 2D-HD treatment. It’s the perfect blend of roguelike and Soulslike that will suit both sets of fans, and more than warrants a quick click to wishlist this upcoming gem.
7
CYBRLICH And The Death Cult of Labor
Separate The Means Of Destruction
I’m one of those insufferable curmudgeons who often rant about the oversaturation of certain genres, like the abundance of farming sims, and deckbuilder roguelikes, which is perhaps why I groan when the news of another Boomer Shooter on the horizon crosses my desk.
However, if you’re willing to make your game look as wild and unique as CYBRLICH is, and you’re willing to plop me in an anti-capitalist setting where I’m able to fire my boss by literally firing bullets at them. Well, that changes everything.
Offering satirical humor in abundance and barbaric violence at every turn, this Boomer Shooter aims to be the lovechild of popular adult animation hits of the era and Boomer Shooter hits like Ultrakill, Anger Foot, and, of course, DOOM.
No one’s going to give you Employee of the Month for dismembering the entire sales division. But, we wager that it’ll be so much fun doing so that you simply won’t care.
6
Shroom And Gloom
For All You Fungis In The Chat
I know I just ragged on the deckbuilder roguelike genre not an entry ago, but here’s the thing. There are a lot of them because, if done right, they can be spectacular, and Shroom and Gloom looks set to be utterly brilliant.
The gimmick of this deckbuilder is that, unlike other deckbuilders that keep you on a set roguelike track, you instead have an exploration deck alongside your combat deck that allows you to dictate your path in real time.
A novel idea, but this is supplemented with traditional turn-based deckbuilding combat against the fungal foes of this world, and hand-drawn animation that brings this spore-ridden world to life.
Plus, since mushrooms are a delicacy, you can even eat your enemies after you cook them in battle, which is the ultimate humiliation. In short, it looks to have all the quality of a Slay the Spire or Inscryption, but with a cool twist, making it well worth keeping on your radar.
5
Building Relationships
Who Even Comes Up With This Stuff?
While this one may have turned a few heads upon its initial announcement, I don’t think enough people are talking about the surreal architectural dating sim that is Building Relationships.
It’s a typical cozy game on paper, with a pocket-sized open world to explore, collectibles to pick up in abundance, and even a fishing mini-game to lose yourself in. But it’s hard to call this game anything close to traditional, as it’s about as weird as it gets.
You’ll play as a sentient house going around romancing eligible bachelor pads, and trying to find love despite your inanimate nature. Plus, you can fly. Oh, and the fishing game I mentioned, you’ll be fishing for cars instead of fish, because apparently that made more sense.
It’s yet another out-there dating sim like Date Everything! or Hatoful Boyfriend that leans into the silliness and surreal design that we all love. So, if you find yourself thinking about when your home will get back on its bricks and find love, this could be a great game for you.
4
Genokids
Rock On!
If you know anything about me, you know that I am about as big a Kingdom Hearts fan as you’ll find anywhere. To the point that I can even make sense of the storyline, big flex, I know.
So, this is why Genokids is such an exciting prospect to me, as this game aims to bring back the classic combat of the classic Kingdom Hearts title, but with the added caveat of controlling all four band members at once, and a style system reminiscent of Devil May Cry.
Being part of a rock band is a bonding experience, and that means if homicidal aliens invade Earth and ruin your gig, you’re all going to take that personally. Which serves as the motivation for laying a smackdown on the alien nasties in this upcoming indie.
It looks for all the world like a candidate for one of the sickest, slickest, and most satisfyingly violent hack-and-slashers on the horizon. So, set down your Keyblades and pick up your instruments ahead of this game’s release.
