Patapon’s religious successor, co-op Lego and different new indie video games value testing

A number of the 12 months’s greatest blockbuster video games have simply dropped or are coming very quickly. However among the many likes of Borderlands 4, EA Sports activities FC 26 and Battlefield 6, there are a ton of neat indie video games popping up. We’re right here to inform you 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 all the pieces — through the Six One Indie preshow alone, I added three video games to my Steam wishlist. So, should you’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 Combine and Digital Bandidos. That is not all: a Capcom stream is going down 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 Sport Present subsequent week.

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

A fast word 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. Touchdown a spot in that showcase is without doubt one of the highest-profile spotlights an indie developer can get as of late, so you probably have a cool sport to indicate off, shoot your shot.

New releases

The workforce behind Patapon is again with a spiritual successor to that classic rhythm game series. There are strategic and roguelike components in Ratatan, which is from TVT Co. Ltd., Ratata Arts and writer Sport Supply Leisure. There’s co-op for as much as 4 gamers as properly.

You will must match the beat of the soundtrack to defeat enemies, and battles can characteristic greater than 100 characters. All of it appears to be like fairly charming, although I can not assist however consider that track by Babymetal and Electrical Callboy each time I learn the sport’s title (the immensely catchy “Ratatata” isn’t distant from my ideas anyway). Ratatan is out in early entry on Steam for $25, however there is a 10 p.c launch low cost till September 28.

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

Right here, you and a associate (there’s native co-op and on-line help) 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 manner by way of this land. It is stated to be a reasonably quick sport, 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 Leisure and co-publisher Popagenda — for some time and I am wanting ahead to testing this sandbox journey. You play as Henry, who’s simply the highest half of a human head. You possibly can remodel into any close by object and mess around with issues within the setting. A narrator will react to your escapades as you remedy challenges and information Henry by way of life. There is a co-op mode too.

Henry Halfhead is out there on Steam, Swap and PS5. It sometimes prices $13, however there is a 25 p.c launch low cost till September 30.

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

I dig the arrange and aesthetic right here. Metropolis builders on this vein aren’t normally my type of factor, however since Frostpunk 2 is on Sport Move, I would give it a attempt.

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

In the event you’ve been searching for a brand new solution to watch numbers go up and stay out an influence fantasy, this one is perhaps of curiosity. For what it is value, I really like the chiptune music within the trailer. Don’t Die, Acquire Loot prices $10 and there is a 10 p.c low cost till October 3.

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

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

Talking of aliens, here is a theme park (and zoo?) simulator with a distinction: it is set within the universe of Mars Assaults. In Mars Attracts, you may abduct people and experiment on the lowly primates for the leisure of Martians, who come for the cruelty. The Convergence Video 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 sport has a ten p.c low cost till September 22, and I would simply decide it up.

Upcoming

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

You will get to play by way of the tutorial and one mission whereas getting a way of the sport’s story. Earlier than you seize any of the precious artifacts, you may must spend slightly time planning your escape from a given space with the assistance of your crew. You possibly can replay the mission to attempt totally 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 By no means Yield) and the sunshine technique and puzzle fixing sits excellent for me. There is not any launch date for Relooted as but, however I will completely be taking part in it. The sport is coming to Steam, Epic Games Store and Xbox Collection X/S.

Dispatch is a sport we’ve covered a few occasions, and now it has a launch date. This can be a superhero office comedy from AdHoc Studio, a workforce of former Telltale builders. It is a few sidelined hero who turns into a superhero dispatcher.

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

Jupiter Junkworks had flown beneath my radar, however it’s firmly on there after a gameplay trailer was featured within the Convergence showcase. It is a Tetris-style sport 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 Swap, and there is a demo on the previous.

It would not be an indie sport roundup with out a Metroidvania, and this week Crucial Reflex confirmed off one which’s additionally a relationship sim. There is a new Steam demo accessible (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’s taking inspiration from.

One different cause to get enthusiastic about Lucid is that it options music from bearbot and the legendary David Sensible, who famously labored on the Donkey Kong Nation collection. Fingers crossed that the crystalpunk aesthetic of this sport will lead Sensible to create a chunk that is on par with “Aquatic Ambiance.” In any case, a demo for Lucid is out there on Steam now. There is not any launch date as but for this sport, which Apogee Leisure is publishing.

A Heavy Morning was essentially the most compelling sport to me within the Sport Devs of Shade showcase. It is a narrative journey centered on psychological well being. The purpose is to assist a younger lady who’s struggling to get away from bed to begin her day. Amongst different issues, you may enter her thoughts to assist take away psychological blocks with the assistance of Cognitive Behavioral Remedy methods.

The most recent trailer for this sport from Saf Interactive and co-publisher Vibrant Gambit options a fully pretty artwork model. You’ll play it on Xbox and Steam this fall.

I will take any excuse I can to put in writing about Skate Story. Each time a brand new trailer pops up (as was the case through the Sport Devos of Shade showcase), I feel it is one of many coolest-looking video games I’ve ever seen. Writer Devolver Digital has now confirmed that together with the beforehand introduced Steam and PS5 releases, Sam Eng’s Skate Story is coming to Nintendo Swap 2.

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