Patapon’s religious successor, co-op Lego and different new indie video games price trying out

Some of the 12 months’s greatest blockbuster video games have simply dropped or are coming very quickly. But among the many likes of Borderlands 4, EA Sports FC 26 and Battlefield 6, there are a ton of neat indie video games popping up. We’re right here to let you know about a few of ’em and what else is occurring within the area with our weekly indie video games roundup.

There have been showcases this week from Critical Reflex (which was filled with neat oddities), Game Devs of Color, Six One Indie and Convergence. There’s far an excessive amount of cool stuff in these for us to spotlight every part — through the Six One Indie preshow alone, I added three video games to my Steam wishlist. So, for those who’re into indie video games and have the time, I like to recommend checking these streams out.

If all of that is not sufficient for you, there’s one other indie showcase coming subsequent Wednesday known as Indie Fan Fest from The Mix and Digital Bandidos. That’s not all: a Capcom stream is happening on September 24 (not precisely indie, however Pragmata appears to be like attention-grabbing) and rumors of a PlayStation occasion are ramping up forward of Tokyo Game Show subsequent week.

Elsewhere, I’ve been maintaining a tally of an Itch.io game jam that is been working this previous week. It’s all about falling block video games. I’m actually having fun with the updates {that a} developer named Wallaber is sharing on Bluesky for a venture known as Jelly Well.

A fast observe for any indie builders who’re becoming a member of us earlier than we try a few of this week’s new releases: submissions for the December version of Day of the Devs are open. Landing a spot in that showcase is among the highest-profile spotlights an indie developer can get as of late, so when you have a cool recreation to indicate off, shoot your shot.

New releases

The workforce behind Patapon is again with a religious successor to that traditional rhythm recreation collection. There are strategic and roguelike parts in Ratatan, which is from TVT Co. Ltd., Ratata Arts and writer Game Source Entertainment. There’s co-op for as much as 4 gamers as effectively.

You’ll have to match the beat of the soundtrack to defeat enemies, and battles can characteristic greater than 100 characters. It all appears to be like fairly charming, although I can not assist however consider that tune by Babymetal and Electric Callboy at any time when I learn the sport’s title (the immensely catchy “Ratatata” isn’t far-off from my ideas anyway). Ratatan is out in early entry on Steam for $25, however there is a 10 % launch low cost till September 28.

Lego Voyagers is a lovely-looking co-op journey from Light Brick Studio (Lego Builder’s Journey) and writer Annapurna Interactive. It’s out now on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, Steam and Epic Games Store.

Here, you and a associate (there’s native co-op and on-line assist) will go on a journey to rescue an deserted spaceship. Your lil’ bricks can snap collectively and mix with different Lego items to resolve puzzles as you make your method by way of this land. It’s mentioned to be a reasonably quick recreation, clocking in at between three and 5 hours, however that is not essentially a nasty factor given how a lot bloat there’s in lots of video games.

I’ve had my eye on Henry Halfhead — from Lululu Entertainment and co-publisher Popagenda — for some time and I’m wanting ahead to trying out this sandbox journey. You play as Henry, who’s simply the highest half of a human head. You can remodel into any close by object and mess around with issues within the surroundings. A narrator will react to your escapades as you resolve challenges and information Henry by way of life. There’s a co-op mode too.

Henry Halfhead is offered on Steam, Switch and PS5. It usually prices $13, however there is a 25 % launch low cost till September 30.

11 Bit Studios’ Frostpunk 2 has now landed on Xbox Series X/S and PS5 after debuting on PC this time final 12 months. It’s a city-building survival sim that begins 30 years after a blizzard ravaged the planet and precipitated an everlasting winter.

I dig the arrange and aesthetic right here. City builders on this vein aren’t normally my sort of factor, however since Frostpunk 2 is on Game Pass, I’d give it a strive.

Don’t Die, Collect Loot hit early entry on Steam this week. This is a vertically scrolling Vampire Survivors-esque roguelite from solo developer Dan Marchand (aka Dan Makes Video Games) and indie.io.

If you’ve got been searching for a brand new method to watch numbers go up and reside out an influence fantasy, this one may be of curiosity. For what it is price, I like the chiptune music within the trailer. Don’t Die, Collect Loot prices $10 and there is a 10 % low cost till October 3.

A trailer for Troleu hooked me in throughout writer Critical Reflex’s showcase. At its essence, it is a trolleybus conductor simulator, nevertheless it appears to be like like issues will get very a lot out of hand. You’ll get into fist fights with unruly passengers (who might embody aliens) and punt them from the car if needed. There are a number of routes, leaderboards and even a T. rex. It all appears fairly chaotic.

Troleu, which was made by solo developer andrground, is out now on Steam. You can get it for 20 % off the common value of $10 till September 29.

Speaking of aliens, here is a theme park (and zoo?) simulator with a distinction: it is set within the universe of Mars Attacks. In Mars Attracts, you possibly can abduct people and experiment on the lowly primates for the leisure of Martians, who come for the cruelty. The Convergence Games showcase featured a brief look at the early stages of the game — experimenting on the loely specimens is your path to unlocking upgrades.

Outlier’s Mars Attracts is in early entry on Steam. The $25 recreation has a ten % low cost till September 22, and I’d simply choose it up.

Upcoming

Relooted was one of many extra thrilling video games that caught our consideration throughout Summer Game Fest. South African developer Nyamakop is making a heist recreation that sees your crew getting down to reclaim plundered African artifacts from the fingers of personal collectors. It’s a terrific setup, and now you can learn how the sport really performs due to a demo that dropped this week on Steam.

You’ll get to play by way of the tutorial and one mission whereas getting a way of the sport’s story. Before you seize any of the dear artifacts, you will have to spend somewhat time planning your escape from a given space with the assistance of your crew. You can replay the mission to strive completely different choices and routes.

I loved the demo fairly a bit. The motion is slick (it jogs my memory a little bit of Aerial_Knight’s Never Yield) and the sunshine technique and puzzle fixing sits good for me. There’s no launch date for Relooted as but, however I’ll completely be taking part in it. The recreation is coming to Steam, Epic Games Store and Xbox Series X/S.

Dispatch is a recreation we have lined a few occasions, and now it has a launch date. This is a superhero office comedy from AdHoc Studio, a workforce of former Telltale builders. It’s a few sidelined hero who turns into a superhero dispatcher.

The animation and artwork look luxurious, and there is an excellent forged that features Aaron Paul, Laura Bailey, Matthew Mercer and Jeffrey Wright. Dispatch is coming your method on October 22 on Steam (the place you possibly can try a demo) and PS5.

Jupiter Junkworks had flown underneath my radar, nevertheless it’s firmly on there after a gameplay trailer was featured within the Convergence showcase. It’s a Tetris-style recreation in which you’ll be able to slam components of every tetromino into gaps additional down the display.

This arcade puzzler from Pixel Drake has a story that entails a trio of ragtag vacationers studying to work collectively and make one thing of a spaceship salvage yard. Jupiter Junkworks is coming to Steam and Switch, and there is a demo on the previous.

It would not be an indie recreation roundup with no Metroidvania, and this week Critical Reflex confirmed off one which’s additionally a courting sim. There’s a brand new Steam demo obtainable (however no launch date as but) for 2Awesome Studio’s Altered Alma, the trailer for which is drenched in a stunning “cyberpink.”

Okay, how about one other Metroidvania? Solo developer Eric Manahan (aka The Matte Black Studio) is billing Lucid as the primary “Celestoidvania” — take a wild guess which platformer it is taking inspiration from.

One different motive to get enthusiastic about Lucid is that it options music from bearbot and the legendary David Wise, who famously labored on the Donkey Kong Country collection. Fingers crossed that the crystalpunk aesthetic of this recreation will lead Wise to create a chunk that is on par with “Aquatic Ambiance.” In any case, a demo for Lucid is offered on Steam now. There’s no launch date as but for this recreation, which Apogee Entertainment is publishing.

A Heavy Morning was probably the most compelling recreation to me within the Game Devs of Color showcase. It’s a story journey targeted on psychological well being. The goal is to assist a younger lady who’s struggling to get off the bed to start out her day. Among different issues, you will enter her thoughts to assist take away psychological blocks with the assistance of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy methods.

The newest trailer for this recreation from Saf Interactive and co-publisher Bright Gambit options a fully pretty artwork model. You’ll have the ability to play it on Xbox and Steam this fall.

I’ll take any excuse I can to write down about Skate Story. Every time a brand new trailer pops up (as was the case through the Game Devos of Color showcase), I believe it is one of many coolest-looking video games I’ve ever seen. Publisher Devolver Digital has now confirmed that together with the beforehand introduced Steam and PS5 releases, Sam Eng’s Skate Story is coming to Nintendo Switch 2.

Alas, there’s nonetheless no launch date for Skate Story. But Devolver says it should arrive by the top of the 12 months, so I’m glad it hasn’t been pushed again to 2026.