Category: Indie

Indie games continue to explore a wide range of ideas, from brutal top-down shooters and atmospheric puzzle adventures to nostalgic platformers inspired by gaming’s past. This roundup takes a closer look at three titles that each approach their chosen genre differently: Cohen 1939 delivers fast-paced, unforgiving combat against a backdrop of 1930s gangster crime, Desolus invites players to unravel spatial puzzles in a haunting, fractured world, and Mister Scary – Where Are You? brings colorful retro platforming and spooky charm to PS5. While all three have their strengths, they also demonstrate how execution can make the difference between a promising concept and a truly memorable experience. Continue reading “Indie roundup: Cohen 1939, DESOLUS & Mister Scary – Where Are You?”

This roundup takes a look at three very different games, from the chaotic, physics-based challenges of Paddle Paddle Paddle to the intricate automation systems of Brave New Wonders and the charming, bite-sized platforming of Dino Odyssey. Whether it is coordinating with friends to navigate deadly obstacles, building complex factories with programmable robots, or helping a little dinosaur collect eggs across colorful stages, each game offers a distinct take on its genre. However, their strengths come with a few caveats, as awkward controls, frustrating mechanics and limited replay value occasionally get in the way. Continue reading “Release roundup: Paddle Paddle Paddle, Brave New Wonders & Dino Odyssey”

Echoes of Mora is a first-person narrative adventure that takes players beneath the surface of a flooded Italian village, where a missing boy and the community’s dark folklore form the centre of a mystery spanning two timelines. Developed and published by Selkies Interactive, the game combines underwater exploration with environmental puzzles and a story about family, belonging and the consequences of a community’s prejudices. Rather than turning its submerged setting into a survival challenge, the game focuses on discovery, allowing players to investigate at their own pace. It is an appealing approach for a smaller narrative adventure, although its limited gameplay depth and short runtime mean that the experience relies heavily on the strength of its storytelling. Continue reading “Echoes of Mora review (PC/PCVR)”

PEPPERED: an existential platformer is the sort of game that seems determined to undermine the assumptions players bring with them. At first glance, it looks like a fairly traditional 2D platformer, complete with pixel-art visuals, jumping challenges and a protagonist who spends plenty of time trying not to die. Then it starts making failure part of the narrative, turns seemingly harmless decisions into permanent branches and occasionally asks players to solve a problem in a way that makes absolutely no conventional sense. The result is an unusually inventive indie game that can be funny, frustrating, surprisingly thoughtful and occasionally all three at once. Continue reading “PEPPERED: an existential platformer review (PS5)”

This latest batch of indie releases shows just how broadly smaller developers are willing to reinterpret familiar genres. From the underwater roguelite adventures of Port of Jumanah and the compact Metroidvania exploration of Dimensional Animals to the physics-driven gladiatorial combat of Gladio Mori, each game takes a recognizable foundation and gives it a distinct twist. None of the three is without its rough edges, whether that means limited progression, occasionally awkward controls or a deliberately unconventional approach to combat, but all three demonstrate the kind of experimentation and personality that makes keeping an eye on the indie scene worthwhile. Continue reading “Indie roundup: Port of Jumanah, Dimensional Animals & Gladio Mori”