Originally published by Engadget
Welcome to our latest roundup of what’s going on in the indie game space. There are a bunch of interesting new games for you to check out this weekend and we’ve got some news about intriguing upcoming projects to share with you. But first, word of a neat marketing beat from a game we’ve been very much looking forward to around these parts.
Mixtape,from developer Beethoven and Dinosaur and publisher Annapurna Interactive, arrived this week to glowing reviews. It’s a coming-of-age adventure that tells the story of three friends on their last night together. They party, go skateboarding and get up to some mischief — exactly the kinds of things teenagers should be doing.
It has akiller soundtrack, which features the likes of Devo, Roxy Music, The Smashing Pumpkins, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division and The Cure. The team behind the game have leaned into the nostalgia-bomb tracklist with a websitewhere you can create and share your own digital mixtape.
It pulls the songs from YouTube, so it’s really just a way of making a YouTube playlist albeit with cuter packaging. I dig that the mixtapes are on two sides — as with an actual cassette — and that there’s a maximum running time of 20 minutes on each. You can decorate and name your mixtape before sharing it with the world. I considered putting together one that includes era-appropriate songs I listened to countless times on my Walkman way back when, but I ended up making one with more recent tracks that just won’t get out of my head. Fun idea all the same!
Mixtapeis out now onPS5,Xbox Series X/S, Xbox for PC,Nintendo Switch 2,SteamandEpic Games Storefor $20, or $18 if you snap it up before the 10 percent launch discount disappears. It’s available on Game Pass Ultimate (including for Xbox Cloud) and PC Game Pass as well. I haven’t had a chance to play it yet, but I’m looking forward to jumping in this weekend.
New indie game releases
The flipside of realizing a game you didn’t have high expectations for turning out to be great is playing one you’d been looking forward to that didn’t quite hit the mark.Motorslice— from the two-person team at Regular Studio and publisher Top Hat Studios — had been on my “play this ASAP” list for a while. Sadly, it didn’t really work for me.
As P, your aim is to destroy all of the machines in an oversized construction site using a cool chainsaw-style weapon. There are some nice ideas here, like the third-person camera that’s its own character, a drone that accompanies P. TheMirror’s Edge-style parkour andShadow of the Colossus-inspired boss designs looked good in trailers and I do love the low-poly aesthetic. Travelling up and along walls using the chainsaw is nifty too.
However, the controls are off-putting. They’re too imprecise to be properly compatible with the game’s platforming demands. P suffered many (surprisingly grizzly) deaths at my hands, so I was at least thankful that respawns are quick. Speaking of P, the game often objectifies her in a way that feels icky. And then there are long stretches of running with nothing much to look at other than another upcoming, ominous section of the world for P to battle through.
If I haven’t put you off tryingMotorslice, you can snap it up now onSteam,GOG,PS5,Xbox Series X/S and Xbox for PC. It usually costs $20, but there’s a 10 percent launch discount until May 19. You can also check it out via Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
Wax Headsis another one of several music-focused games we have to tell you about this week. This is a record store sim in which you’ll chat with customers and recommend things for them to check out. It’s said to embrace the community spirit of music and how it can connect us. I love that.
All of the songs and albums featured inWax Headswere created for the game. They span pop, punk, metal, rap, folk and other genres.
Wax Heads, which is from the two-person studio Patattie Games and publisher Curve Games, is out now onSteam,PS5,Xbox Series X/S, Xbox for PCandNintendo Switch. The price will typically be $15, but there’s a 15 percent discount until May 19.
Dead as Discois a rhythm brawler that has a lot of buzz — more than 1.2 million people played the demo and initial Steam reviews are very positive. It’s now available in early access onSteamand theEpic Games Store(usually $25, 20 percent off until May 19).
For now, you can check out the first arc of what will eventually become a larger narrative campaign. The initial soundtrack features more than 30 songs, including licensed tracks, covers and original music. You can play to the beat of your own music that you add to the game as well.
Along with fleshing out the campaign, developer Brain Jar Games plans to add more bosses, moves and a co-op mode. More accessibility features, songs and collectibles are in the pipeline, along with support for additional languages. If you’re not quite ready to drop some cash onDead as Disco, you can sample it (hey, that’s a music term!) thanks toa Steam demo.
Sticker/Ballis another addition to the rapidly growing incremental roguelite deckbuilder genre. If you’ve played games likeBalatro,CloverPitandRaccoin, you’ll know the drill: you’ll have to earn a certain number of points each round to keep your run going. You’ll use a variety of tools to break the rules and make the numbers go up as quickly as possible.
The focus here is on firing balls at dice. You receive points when you hit dice, and more as balls bounce between them. You can use stickers to augment the dice. The effects of the stickers can compound to send your score into orbit. For instance, according to the Steam page, “poop attracts flies. Spiders make webs. Spider webs catch flies. More points for you!” There’s also something about frogs being able to hijack spaceships. I’m sure there are many other strange combinations amid the more than 100 stickers on offer.
Sticker/Ball,from solo developer Bilge and publisher Future Friends Games, is out now onSteam. It’ll usually be $8, though there’s a generous 30 percent discount until May 18.
I’d already bought several of the games listed above before I spottedRova,but I had to open up my wallet again. This is a space rover photography game from FreeRangeDevs. It has lovely cel-shaded art direction that reminds me a bit of the excellentRollerdrome(though surely this game is a bit more laidback).
It looks super charming and I love that the rover is in the shape of a dog — Rover as a rover. Each object you snap will form part of a research database that serves as a record of everything on the planet.
The early access version of the game currently includes the first fully explorable planet. At least one more planet is planned, along with dynamic weather systems and the option to let crew members ride on the rover.
Rovais available onSteam. It’ll usually cost $8, but it’s 20 percent off until May 22.
Upcoming indie games
I supposeDark Scrollsis the second dog game in this week’s roundup, since you can play as one in this roguelite action platformer with procedurally generated levels. You’ll unlock new abilities on each run and earn permanent upgrades. There’s a two-player co-op mode as well.
Outside of locked battle arenas and boss fights, levels automatically side scroll (hence the absolutely perfect,Dark Souls-inspired name). I’m a big fan of the Master System-style visuals already.
I enjoyed the sliver ofDark ScrollsI played in a preview earlier this year. I’m looking forward to diving back in for more in a few weeks when this game from Doinksoft (Gunbrella) and publisher Devolver Digital hitsSteamand Switch on May 28.
I like the ominous vibes of this trailer forDrill Deep, a creepy-looking mining roguelite. While it’s a horror game, there are “no jump scares [and] no punishment for exploring. The dread just waits for you to reach the bottom,” according to the Steam page.
The latest project from Crossbridge Game Studios is billed as a Lovecraft-inspired idle clicker. You’ll gather resources, improve your equipment and dig ever deeper into the darkness. I’m looking forward to doing just that whenDrill DeephitsSteamlater this year.
Speaking of great trailers, the visuals ofShilhave already taken hold of my brain. The minimalist style of this first-person puzzle platforming game is really compelling.
You’ll battle monsters and solve surreal, perspective-changing puzzles while rebuilding 3D worlds from silhouettes. It looks strange and trippy and it’s just a shame we’ll have to wait quite a while for it. OSM Games is bringingShilto PC and VR next year. I’ve already wishlisted it onSteam.
Another game I’m excited for isGrave Seasons, a horror mystery spin on farming sims likeStardew Valley. Developer Perfect Garbage and publisher Blumhouse Games offered more details on the gameplay in a new video that dropped this week.
As you’re tending to your farm and getting to know the locals, you’ll find that the residents are dwindling in numbers since a supernatural serial killer is on the loose. Thankfully, there are ways to prevent your neighbors from meeting their demise.
Since this is a farming/life sim, you’ll be able to go fishing, do some cooking, enjoy festivals and romance other characters. That last mechanic has a delicious twist as well, because you’ll even be able to date the killer.
Grave Seasonswill arrive on August 14. It’ll be available onSteam,Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox for PC,PS5and Switch.
I’m amped for just about all of the other games in this week’s roundup, butOffbeatlooks particularly interesting. It’s a music tycoon game in which you’ll be able to create your own songs using an array of everyday objects.
It’s not uncommon for musicians to build songs around samples that they record out in the world and manipulate them with MIDI devices and DAWs. It’s really neat to see that idea become a core aspect of a video game.
You’ll meet an array of characters and compose commissioned work for them. All of the music you create is exported as real WAV files that you can do whatever you want with. That’s rad.
“At its core,Offbeatwants to offer an entry point to music production that’s approachable, playful and funny. We have an idea in our minds about what that looks like, but to be the best game it can possibly be and one that people will want to both play and use to create music, we want to build it in concert (ha) with our players,” Whetstone Games wrote on the Steam page.
As you might have surmised from that statement,Offbeatwill initially be available in early access onSteamlater this year. A demo for the game, which Pantaloon is publishing, is on the way in the near future.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.