A superb puzzle-platformer, Enter the Gungeon on cellular and different new indie video games price trying out

Welcome to our newest recap of what is going on on within the indie sport house. Quite a couple of intriguing video games dropped this week and a few high-profile ones have been ported to extra platforms. Before we get to these, although, I’d prefer to inform you about one among my favourite video games of the yr up to now.

I battle to totally interact with many RPGs. By and huge, I’m not interested by spending a lot of time optimizing my character, speccing out a ability tree or scouring for the perfect gear to match my playstyle. I discover it way more fascinating when a sport affords a restricted toolset and an enormous number of methods to make use of these mechanics, sometimes by offering a small variety of skills and powerups in addition to actually intelligent degree design.

Such is the case with Öoo, which arrived on Steam final week and is the newest sport from Elechead developer Nama Takahashi. This is a puzzle-platformer that you may full in a single sitting and it is totally charming.

You play as a caterpillar that makes use of a bomb — and later a second one — to blow stuff up and transfer round. If you wish to attain a better platform, you will must detonate a bomb you are sitting on. The controls are easy too, as you solely want to maneuver, and drop and blow up bombs.

The design of this sport, although, is something however easy. There’s virtually no textual content right here, even within the menus. You study by experimenting and determining methods to navigate what’s in entrance of you. You’ll must backtrack a bit to unravel sure puzzles. It’s so mechanically tight {that a} 15-second trailer is all you should perceive what Öoo is about:

I smiled your complete approach by way of this one — even after I received momentarily stumped — and I set free a happy chuckle or two after I discovered options to issues. It helps that the visuals (by artist Hachinos) and audio are charming as hell. The title of the sport is totally terrific, too. The umlaut is necessary as a result of it makes the lettering appear like your character with a pair of bombs trailing behind it. This is emblematic of the extent of thought, care and element that Takahashi and co. have put into Öoo. That extends to the tip credit, which lists a number of video games that impressed this one. Such a stupendous contact.

Öoo jogs my memory a little bit of Animal Well. It does not have almost the identical degree of depth as one among our favorites of 2024, nevertheless it does not must. It’s good the way in which it’s.

It additionally brings to thoughts one other good sport, Poinpy, with even composer Tsuyomi’s work reminding me of that sport’s improbable music. I’m nonetheless unhappy that it is unimaginable for me to play Poinpy proper now, because it vanished from Netflix’s catalog some time again. But Öoo did a bang up job of filling that gap in my coronary heart. I can not advocate it extremely sufficient.

Elsewhere, there is a beautiful little indie you may decide up free of charge on the Epic Games Store proper now for PC, Android and (within the EU) iOS. Hidden Folks is a soothing hidden object sport by Adriaan de Jongh that options hand-drawn environments and humorous, voice-generated sound results. I’m solely somewhat methods into this however I’m having fun with it up to now. This week’s different Epic Games freebie on PC is ragdoll physics sim Totally Reliable Delivery Service.

Also, as a fast reminder, there will probably be a ton of online game information dropping over the subsequent week because the world’s greatest gaming occasion, Gamescom, is happening. Check out our Gamescom preview for particulars on what to anticipate and methods to watch the assorted showcases and streams, and perhaps preserve your fingers crossed for a Hollow Knight: Silksong launch date, in case you’re so inclined. Join us on Tuesday as we liveblog our approach by way of Opening Night Live. We’ll be bringing you the tastiest information from the occasion all through the week too.

New releases

A bonafide indie basic hit cellular gadgets this week. Bullet hell dungeon crawler Enter the Gungeon (iOS, Android) and its sequel, former Apple Arcade unique Exit the Gungeon (iOS, Android), are each free to strive and you’ll preserve taking part in them after making an in-app buy.

These variations embody contact controls, with writer Devolver Digital declaring that you may “swipe, tap and poke your screen to conquer the depths of the Gungeon.” The builders have, in the end, added on-line co-op so you may play with your folks with out having to be in the identical room. There’s additionally a crossover right here, because the Lamb from Cult of the Lamb turns into the newest playable character.

The video games’ arrival on cellular may additionally give veteran Gungeon gamers a good motive to revisit Dodge Roll’s collection. The iOS and Android ports may additionally assist them go the time till Enter the Gungeon 2 arrives on Steam subsequent yr.

Another fashionable indie expanded to extra platforms this week as Dorfromantik (beforehand solely obtainable on PC and Nintendo Switch) arrived on PlayStation and Xbox, because of the assistance of Headup. This technique puzzle sport from Toukana Interactive is all about constructing out a world utilizing hex tiles, which makes my Takenoko-loving self joyful. It’s a chill, lovely sport that’ll nonetheless get your cognitive gears turning a bit.

A cellular model can be in improvement, nevertheless it will not be a straight port of the PC and console sport. Instead, Toukana is working with ClockStone on a reimagining of Dorfromantik that is constructed from the bottom up for touchscreen gadgets.

TMNT went turn-based for the primary time in collection historical past with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown, which debuted on PC again in May. Strange Scaffold has now introduced the sport to Nintendo Switch (solely in North America for now) and Xbox Series X/S. It’s coming to Switch in European areas at a later date.

PC gamers may need a motive to return to the sport, as Strange Scaffold has up to date it with a Remix Mode. This provides many extra enemy sorts with new strikes and assault patterns, in addition to more durable challenges.

Ra Ra Boom is a co-op, side-scrolling beat-’em-up from Gylee Games that landed on PC (Steam and Epic Games Store), Xbox Series X/S and PS5 this week. I like the premise, which sees ninja cheerleaders from outer house descending to Earth to free the planet from a local weather change-battling AI that maybe did its job too properly by ridding it of people. Each of the 4 characters has their very own skills, together with a ranged weapon.

I’ve performed Ra Ra Boom for about half-hour and, sadly, it hasn’t clicked for me up to now. I would give it one other shot, however there are simply too many different video games on the market ready to be performed.

I do respect video games which can be about greater than giving gamers one thing enjoyable to do. There have been fairly a couple of over time that goal to assist folks study a language. Another arrived on Steam this week within the type of Wagotabi: A Japanese Journey, which debuted on cellular final yr.

In this slice-of-life RPG from Wagotabi Limited, you will discover Japan and its tradition. It’s designed to assist gamers begin studying Japanese and it was made with novices in thoughts. It options mini video games, assessments and is absolutely voiced in Japanese. The builders say that greater than 300 lecturers spanning greater than 60 international locations have been reviewing the sport, presumably to verify its classes are correct.

The Dark Queen of Mortholme has been obtainable on Itch.io for a while, and it landed on Steam this week with new options, together with help for controllers and Steam Cloud, achievements and extra. In this quick expertise from Mosu and writer Monster Theater, you play as the ultimate boss of a online game who has to maintain heading off a pesky hero. There are a number of endings and the one that you simply see is set by your dialogue selections. The Dark Queen of Mortholme appears fairly fascinating, and I’m trying ahead to checking it out.

Upcoming

CrisisX is an ambitious-sounding survival crafting mission from Hero Games. It options an 1,200 km² open-world map with 12 terrains and biomes, together with snowy mountains and hidden labs. You can forge groups, teams and communes that can assist you fend off risks corresponding to contaminated and different gamers. What’s actually wild is that CrisisX will seemingly be capable of help as much as 5,000 gamers on a single server.

It’s coming to PC, iOS and Android within the second quarter of 2026. Those who’re attending Gamescom subsequent week will be capable of play it on the present, whereas a beta take a look at is scheduled for later this yr. I’m intrigued, not least as a result of CrisisX is perhaps the closest we ever get to The Last of Us Online.

I really feel like I first heard about Henry Halfhead without end in the past, so I’m glad that this sandbox journey lastly has a launch date. It’s coming to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 and PC on September 16.

Henry is, surprisingly sufficient, a personality that’s half of a head. They’re in a position to flip into any close by object, and you’ll play as greater than 250 totally different objects. There’s native co-op help too. It appears cute! Henry Halfhead is coming your approach courtesy of Lululu Entertainment and co-publisher Popagenda.

If not for Öoo, The Way of the Tray may need been my favourite sport in a scorching minute. You’ll play as a waiter in a Japanese spirit world, the place you will serve orders to numerous spirits after catching and balancing them in your tray. Seems like one for followers of the restaurant aspect of Dave the Diver. The Way of the Tray, which is from Who is Terry and writer Targem Games, hits Steam on August 25.

CloverPit is a grungy, slot machine-based horror sport that appears proper up my alley. After all, it is billed as a “demonic lovechild of Balatro and Buckshot Roulette.” Sold. You must accumulate a sure amount of money every spherical to assist repay your debt, or it is off to the pit with you. It’s not about playing a lot as it’s discovering methods to interrupt the foundations of a slot machine that can assist you attain your aims.

There’s fairly a little bit of buzz behind this one from Panik Arcade and writer Future Friends Games. It’s had greater than 700,000 demo downloads and is among the many prime wishlisted video games on Steam. CloverPit is coming to stated platform on September 3.

Let’s wrap issues up for this week with a sport that has a really cool aesthetic. Zoe Begone! is a bullet hell shooter with hand-drawn visuals. The thought right here is that the motion performs out on a movie strip, with a devilish animator drawing and portray extra enemies for our heroine, Zoe, to beat. As you may think, solo developer Retchy took inspiration from drawn-on-film animation from the Nineteen Thirties, notably the work of Norman McLaren. As an admirer of Stan Brakhage’s work, this speaks to me.

Zoe Begone! is coming to PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch on September 17. A demo is available on Steam now.