An old-school Zelda-like, Skate Bums and different new indie video games price testing

Welcome to our newest roundup of what is going on on within the indie recreation area. As a reminder, the newest version of Steam Next Fest runs from February 23 till March 2, throughout which you can try demos for lots of of upcoming video games. A bunch can be found already, together with one for Denshattack!, which I positively advocate checking out. As it seems, doing Tony Hawk Pro Skater-style methods with a high-speed Japanese practice completely rips.

On Thursday, there have been 4 showcases highlighting indie video games all in a single day. It’s not precisely possible for me to recap them in full right here, sadly, however I can at the least let you know about just a few of the various highlights.

The Black History Month version of the Black Voices in Gaming Showcase contains trailers and interviews for some video games which can be already accessible, resembling Space Warlord Baby Trading Simulator, Aerial_Knight’s DropShot and Relooted. Of course, the stream featured loads of video games which can be on the best way too.

Erased, from solo developer Jerron Jacques, seems to be fairly attention-grabbing. It’s an open-world combating recreation that takes place in a cyberpunk setting with dance battles, parkour, pets, unfamiliar beings and far more. Jacques, who has been documenting the sport’s growth course of on social media, even carried out a number of the parkour movement seize work personally.

There was a number of good things on this week’s Convergence Showcase too, together with one other peek at Mouse: P.I. for Hire as we get to see one of many recreation’s bosses for the primary time. This first-person shooter with rubber-hose animation is ready to reach on March 19.

There had been different welcome bulletins for me on this showcase. First, there was a launch date for the Zelda-inspired journey Gecko Gods. I’ve had this on my wishlist since 2022, so I’m glad to study it’s going to hit Nintendo Switch, PS5 and PC on April 16.

In addition, file store sim Wax Heads (which in all probability ought to have been referred to as Low Fidelity, tbh) is coming to PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and Nintendo Switch on May 5. You can try a Steam Next Fest demo for that one now.

The second version of Indie Fan Fest had a trove of goodies as effectively. For one factor, Balatro writer Playstack may very well be about to trigger one other mass discount in collective productiveness with Raccoin, which now has a launch date of March 31. This is one other roguelike deckbuilder, however this time it is within the type of a coin pusher. I did not have an opportunity to take a look at the earlier playtest to get a greater sense of why there’s a lot buzz round this one, however I’ll for certain be attempting the Steam Next Fest demo, which is available now.

It stays deeply bizarre to consult with a recreation beneath Acclaim’s umbrella as an indie, however that is the place we at the moment are. The writer is bringing Ridiculous Games’ GridBeat to Nintendo Switch and Steam on March 26. This is a rhythm-based dungeon crawler by which you (a hacker) attempt to escape from a company community after pilfering beneficial information. There’s a Next Fest demo available for this one too.

Meanwhile, a narrower launch window for Japanese comfort retailer sim InKonbini: One Store. Many Stories was revealed. It’s coming to Steam, PS5, Nintendo Switch and Xbox in April.

Alongside a related sale on Steam, the primary Quebec Games Celebration Showcase befell on Thursday. It’s all the time neat to find out about video games being made in my neck of the woods.

One of these is Surfpunk, a co-op motion RPG that appears a bit like Hades with browsing. Radical. You’ll enterprise to procedurally generated islands in quest of loot. There are 4 weapon courses to select from and devices you may craft after gathering assets in your run. There’s an updated Steam demo that is stated to have round 5 hours of gameplay. Surfpunk (which is from Convergence: A League of Legends Story developer Double Stallion) will arrive later this yr.

I’m together with this demo announcement trailer for Croak, a precision platformer from Woodrunner Games that seems to be closely impressed by the likes of Celeste, individually for one primary cause. You have to take a look at the studio’s head of “barketing.” (Okay okay, the sport’s hand-drawn visuals look pretty too.)

There’s loads of different attention-grabbing stuff within the Quebec Games Celebration Showcase, together with one other take a look at Tears of Metal from Paper Cult Games, the studio behind the very pleasing Bloodroots. There’s a Steam demo accessible for the hack-and-slash roguelite, which must be out this spring. Gothic sci-fi Metroidvania Silent Planet seems to be fairly tasty too.

New releases

Under The Island seems to be and sounds very The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past-coded. But since that is my favourite recreation of all time, I’m not complaining. I like that protagonist Nia seems to make use of a hockey stick as a weapon too.

This motion PRG from Slime King Games (and co-publishers Top Hat Studios and Doyoyo Games) has debuted to strong early reviews. It’s accessible now on Steam, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 and Nintendo Switch for $20, although there is a 15 % launch sale (you may must be a PS Plus member to get the low cost on PS4 and PS5).

Demon Tides — a 3D, open-world platformer from Bubsy 4D and Demon Turf developer Fabraz — has a number of motion mechanics, together with paragliders and hookshots. You can shapeshift into totally different varieties as effectively.

You can create and share graffiti, and this can seem in different gamers’ video games (which is a neat contact). Demon Tides is out now on Steam. It’ll normally price $25, however till March 5, you may snap it up for $20.

Skate Bums is a 2D skateboarding recreation within the custom of the OlliOlli sequence. As novice skateboarder Lux, you may attempt to take down the Skate Bums, a gang of bullies. There are “weird characters,” sick combos to tug off, cash to gather and wrecking balls to dodge.

There’s stated to be a “simple directional trick system” whereas every run is outwardly quick. That appears preferrred for fast, pick-up-and-play classes on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. I additionally simply actually just like the title. Skate Bums, which is from Lucky Last Studio, will usually price $15 however there is a 15 % low cost till February 27.

Love Eternal is a psychological “horror platformer about escaping the domain of a selfish god,” which is a powerful pitch from developer brlka and Demonschool writer Ysbryd Games. You’ll must flip between totally different gravitational pulls as you navigate this precision platformer, which follows teenager Maya on her try to return to her personal actuality.

During a dinner at dwelling, Maya’s household disappears and she or he all of a sudden seems in an “eerie, desolate realm” that appears like an Iron Age fortress. That’s a creepy sufficient set as much as match the sport’s haunting environment. Love Eternal is out now on Steam, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch for $10. There’s a 15 % launch low cost (once more, you may must be a PS Plus member to make the most of that on PlayStation).

Upcoming

Woe Industries, the developer of You Have Billions Invested In Generative AI (and a bunch of different neat initiatives), has one thing intriguing on deck for subsequent week — a standardized gaming take a look at. You can begin the Adventure Game Aptitude Test (AGAT) at any time between 1PM and 2PM ET on February 28.

You’ll have 4 hours to finish an ’80s journey recreation of Woe Industries’ selecting. The developer will seemingly be monitoring your browser and smartphone exercise to make sure you do not seek the advice of a walkthrough. If you are profitable, you may obtain an AGAT certification and diploma. Good luck!

“Musical narrative adventure” People of Note is coming to Steam, Epic Games Store, the Xbox App on PC, Nintendo Switch 2, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on April 7 for $25 (although there will be a ten % launch low cost). The recreation follows pop singer Cadence on her quest for stardom. Along the best way, Cadence and her buds must overcome enemies in battles which have turn-based and rhythm-based parts.

I principally loved taking part in via a preview a number of months in the past, although I needed to grit my tooth via the turn-based fight, which isn’t one thing I take pleasure in as a rule. However, Iridium Studios will enable gamers to show off parts like that and environmental puzzles so extra individuals who might need in any other case been turned off can take pleasure in People of Note. You can pattern the sport now on Steam through a 90-minute Next Fest demo.

I do not absolutely perceive what is going on on within the reveal trailer for Titanium Court, which is from AP Thomson (a solo developer who beforehand labored on Consume Me) and writer Fellow Traveller. Even the press launch notes that it is “impossibly difficult to describe.” But it has an absorbing trailer soundtracked by an odd, Bill Callahan-esque music and it has already picked up several IGF award nominations, so I’m intrigued.

What I’m able to surmise is that it is a surrealist, roguelike technique recreation with match-three, auto battle and tower protection parts. It’s additionally for “clowns and criminals,” apparently. I’m gonna have to present the Steam Next Fest demo a shot to attempt to get my head round it. Titanium Court is coming to Steam “imminently.”

Sometimes, a recreation pops up that makes me assume “how has no one done this before?” Such is the case with Become. It’s a third-person linear journey from solo developer Valentin Wirth by which you tackle the guise of a single sperm. You can in all probability guess what the purpose is.

The recreation has “no explicit sexual acts, nudity or violence,” in keeping with its Steam web page, although you’ll encounter some hazard alongside your journey. You can improve your bespectacled spermatozoon through talent timber and seemingly adorn numerous items of headgear. Become is slated to hit Steam later this yr.