Welcome to our latest roundup of what’s happening in the indie games space. It’s been a busy week with fun game releases (next week too!), so let’s tackle some of them after briefly reflecting on games on the go.
I love my Steam Deck. I really, really believe it. It is a fantastic machine.
And yet, when I took it on a five-week vacation trip, I barely used it for an hour the entire time. That doesn’t really justify the space and weight it takes up in my bag. The same goes for my Nintendo Switch 2 and my PlayStation Portal.
Next time I’ll leave you all at home. I’m going to grab a small controller (probably OhSnap’s MCON) so I can play weird games on my laptop or phone. I’ll also bring my play date. I love this little yellow console and haven’t spent enough time using it yet.
I have a lot of great indie games to discover there (dior seems particularly interesting). I’m more likely to play something on a flight if it’s on a device I can pull out of my pocket. I wish Panic had included a backlight on the Playdate.
New releases
Massive Monster and publisher Devolver Digital offer Adoration of the Lamb Fans, with the arrival of, there are plenty of reasons to get back in the game this week. wool shelter Extension. You’ll need to get close to completing the base game (although you don’t need to beat the final boss) before you can experience what the DLC has to offer. It includes weather effects, a new mountain area with two new dungeons, a breeding system (which allows you to raise animals for pets or food), and much more.
people who dig Adoration of the Lamb It seems like it’s really coming into play. After a few years of free Massive Monster updates, wool shelter It’s a great expansion that’s similar in scope to the base game and should keep fans wanting to try it all out for quite some time.
DLC is now available personal computerNintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One. It costs $17 if you already have the base game.
Inkle, the studio behind To the sea! and the wonderful A song from the highlands is back with TR-49a puzzle game with a World War II computer at the center. Over five decades, a series of books, letters and diaries were fed into the machine in an attempt to “crack the code of reality.” But now you are tasked with finding and destroying a specific book before time runs out.
This all seems quite mysterious. To give you an idea of what’s going on here, Inkle says he was inspired by narrative deduction games like The roots of the trees are dead, the return of Obra Dinn AND his storyas well as radio works.
I don’t think I have the time or patience to understand the mystery of this particular device (I imagine many gamers need a laptop for this), but I’m curious enough to at least check out Let’s Play at some point. You can discover this secret for yourself at steam (normally $7, but there’s a 10% introductory discount until January 28).
Another week, although another Metroidvania MIO: Memories in orbit It has a flashier art style than most. This game from Douze Dixièmes and publisher Focus Entertainment received positive reviews for the first time this week.
Once the AI guardians of a forgotten spaceship stop working, you must help the robot MIO explore the spaceship “to revive its lost memories” and save it from destruction. Of course, you’ll discover new abilities along the way, including a grappling hook and slide.
MIO: Memories in orbit is available in PS5, Xbox Series X/S, nintendo switch, Change 2, steamHE epic games store and on the Microsoft Store for $20 (with an initial 10% discount on select platforms). You can also try it on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
Perfect tides: from season to season is a point-and-click pixel art narrative adventure and the sequel to Three Bees perfect tides. For a year you help 18-year-old Mara explore the big city and find her place in the world.
The early 2000s vibe of the trailer is impeccable, so I’ll have to try to replicate it at some point. Perfect tides: from season to season is available now steam for PC and Mac for $20.
Cozy cafe simulation back debuted in early access on steam (normally $11, but 10% off until January 28) this week. I’m disappointed I haven’t had the chance to try this one from Coffee Beans Dev yet because it looks great.
In addition to serving snacks and drinks to your four-legged customers, you can also learn more about your cafe’s visitors by reading stories about them in the newspaper (hopefully they’re nice!). You can play at your own pace by drawing latte art and decorating your coffee shop.
Finally, you can visit other players’ cafes and open a flower shop. Like I said, it looks beautiful.
Next
One of my favorite games from last year is getting a free update on January 26th. Just when I thought I had no more Ball x holeKenny Sun and his friends (with the editor Devolver) invite me to discover two new characters, eight new balls with their own abilities, more passives and a kind of surprise.
I love Ball x hole and this update will remove everything and play for me right away. The Regal update will be available on all platforms: Steam, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2.
Ball x hole It costs $15. It is also available through Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
I am interested in seeing the demonstration of Creeping VampiresTO vampire survivors Split. pontle leaves let it go on February 23 at Steam Next Fest and on Xbox. Your progress will carry over to the full game, which will be available on Game Pass from day one.
In general, turn-based games aren’t my thing, nor are roguelike deckbuilders. But I’m a big fan of vampire survivorsSo I’m definitely willing to give it a try.
aid Creeping Vampires It appears to be fast-paced and inspired by the chaotic graphics of the original game. Creeping Vampires It will arrive later this year on Steam, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android.
Speaking of interesting demos, one for DX ratchet Now available on PC ahead of full game release to change, steam (PC and Mac) and will be available in the Mac App Store on March 5. It’s normally $13, but a limited-time discount drops the price to $9.75.
If the name of the game sounds familiar, it’s because it’s a color version of Playdate’s first season title. ratchet.
This version of the pixel art action adventure features multiple visual filters, a “CD-quality stereo soundtrack,” and supports more languages. Playdate Creator Panic Posts DX ratchetwhose developers are Shaun Inman, Matthew Grimm and Charlie Davis.
Let’s end this week with a theatrical trailer and a release date for goddessa story-driven survival and base building game from solo developer Pawsmonaut Games. It happens steam on March 6.
goddess is a game about “building a future on the ruins of corporate greed” in a dystopian sci-fi world. As Maeve, the former mining engineer, you start with basic equipment and a companion drone at your side. You explore the remains of a failed scientific expedition and abandoned facilities as you attempt to establish your own mining claim after leaving a company that is depleting the planet’s resources.
Of course, as you progress you will improve your equipment and expand your base. You can change settings like how air flows into the base, how quickly your hunger and thirst needs change, and how much you can carry to refine the experience.
