With the year 2025 being behind us I’d like to present a list of all the indie games I played this year which deserve to get recognition.
It’s heavily subjective and though I try to play as much as possible, to my detrement I can’t play everything.
The list is not ranked by numbers but tiers. The tiers are:
Path of Trailblazers || C-Tier
Brilliance of Masterclass || B-Tier
Stairway of Legends || A-Tier
Grounds of the Divine || S-Tier
Golden Explorers || Honorable mentions, Dubiously indie
Let’s explore~
Path of Trailblazers
DISCOPUP
A charming game in which you play a seal with the instinct to visit a party that’s only for dogs. We’ve all been there. In the structure of time loops, you explore the city, solve little puzzles and slowly talk your way through, to get into that damn dog club. It’s fun, charming, quirky and partially surreal. Dogs are not allowed to play this. Only non-dog beings that would like to visit the dog pub.
Karma: The Dark World
The game plays in Germany where safety, life and privacy are regulated by the government-run Leviathan’s Thought Bureau. Since nobody can’t be trusted the Bureau invented a technology called Brain Dive with whose help the main characters experiences the complex memories of suspects. Naturally it’s not that simple and the memories turn out to be quite the tragic spectacle. The line between reality and the surreal experience through the dive blend in together. It’s very clear for the player that the Thought Bureau is fucked up but the truth behind the suspects and your own character turn into a great mystery experience.
1000 Deaths
1000 Deaths is a weird game, and I say that with the most loving tone imaginable. It jumps from a 3D platformer to a decision-based narrative heavy game. It follows the “what if” dilemma where the character asks themself how their life would have been if they decided to leave with their best friend for Hollywood or if they stayed to improve their hometown. In fact, we get to play these outcomes. It’s all presented in super wonky surreal tones that span from uncanny to amazing. It doesn’t go very in depth with each scenario, but it’s interesting to play these “what-ifs” throughout 4 different characters and branching choices.
The Dark Queen of Mortholme
The Dark Queen of Mortholme takes the idea of an epic boss fight and asks the question: “What is the enemy without me as the player?”. You are taking the role of an impassable boss fight that one-shots the hero before the music even starts. How will you view the hero that comes back despite being utterly squashed, so the blood turns into decor of your room. The room, which you are tied to. There is no life outside of it. The hero, as laughable as he is with his naive optimism, has room to grow. Where is the room for a creature that already reached its potential? It’s a very short game but makes so much with its premise. From moments you relate to (because we all had that really good run, only to have the worst run right afterwards) over painful lines from the enemy (“There is no room for me to run to”) to a fascinating relationship between two characters so at odds to each other.
You shouldn’t be here
There are games where it’s hard to talk about without spoiling. You shouldn’t be here is a short and fascinating narrative experience that made me question what it’s about for most of the game. It shows a dangerous loop of coping mechanisms.
This mystery is not the core of it, but it kept me going. It left me with sympathy for people I personally can’t relate to; something we really need more of in times where people’s ego turns them into a cold and bitter entity.
Post Trauma
Post Trauma is a game from fans of classic Horror Survival games and the inspirations are all over it. It feels like a late PS2 game with fixed camera angles (my beloved!), puzzles, exploration and atmosphere. I personally liked that it focused less on combat because it made the encounters feel more meaningful. I enjoyed my time with it but ultimately don’t have much to say about it. It is vibes first and emphasizes less on characters and story. It lacks impact, but it left me curious for whatever the devs cook up next.
Carimara: Beneath the fornlorn Limbs
One of the most interesting games I played this year. There is something about the style and look I can’t compare to with anything else. Your role is to find out whatever the heck is going on in the basement of an old lady. The first seconds clearly sign that something is off. You ask a few questions, go down the basement and start your job. Was there something in the reflection of the mirror? What’s the sound behind me? Are there actual eyeballs on the roof? Is the old lady dangerous or am I reading too much into it? Exploration is rewarded, and it all ends more heartfelt than I expected at first.
Brilliance of Masterclass
Mind Diver
One of my most hyped games this year. I played the demo beforehand and was so intrigued by the puzzling mystery. With the help of technology, you dive into a mind of a woman that has lost parts of her memory. She visited a party with her partner, now he is gone, and it’s our task to puzzle it all together. With your tools you explore, analyse and theorize through the memory bubbles. What starts off as a seemingly simple party experience, evolves into something sinister and dangerous. A cult, travels, medication, troubled family and an aquarium don’t seem to fit together, but they are all an important piece to the overarching plot. Rebellion, love, loss, memory, freedom – it is a very heartfelt work that will impact you with at least a few of its themes. At the end I had complex feelings regarding the main couple and the resolution of it all left me with many internal discussions. If a game gives carefully gives you breadcrumbs, answers all questions at the end and still gives enough room to think it all over, it made something very right.
Kabuto Park
At a time when my health was at a low and my hand hurt badly from holding any controller, I booted up Kabuto Park on my Steam Deck and got my finger all over the screen to catch cute bugs. You take one look at the game and know what you are getting into it. It doesn’t invent the wheel, but it does everything with such cohesiveness and confidence, that I can’t say anything bad. You pick a spot to hunt for bugs, time your catch and put the bug into your collection. Taking a closer look, you sort through them and choose 3 of them for your team. Your team? Yes, you go through something every classic battle anime has, a tournament arc. With balancing three stats and your card, you compete with characters to boot their bugs off the table. After all, your bugs are clearly superior. Give them silly names, put them on display and fall into the lovely vibe of Kabuto Park.
Consume Me
Eating disorders are a tough topic. It can come off as preachy or insensitive with its delicate topics. It can either end in a dumb punchline or a depressing game. Consume Me is special in that regard. You follow Jenny’s coming of age story in what looks like a lost Nintendo DS game. Seriously, if anyone can mod this on the DS, it would be perfect (please contact me!). After some research into very helpful literature (basic magazines), Jenny thinks she got it all figured out. All she needs for a successful live is good looks, the best grades, a social life and money. Easy, right? The food turns into Tetris blocks with the exception that they don’t disappear with a complete line (they only disappear into the stomach); laundry gets done in a few simple folding tricks and reading is manageable if you just focus (don’t think of the cute doggy!). Obviously, it’s not easy and Consume Me makes it very clear that Jenny’s approach is anything but healthy. It takes the troubles of growing up seriously but packs it into an appealing game that makes you relate rather than just feel bad. If you like Wario-Ware mini games and the overall playful vibe of the DS, you will love it.
Many Nights A Whisper
You got the power to make every wish come true; you even decide which ones! All you have to do is filter through the wishes and hit the chalice with your arrow at the end. Unlike what the premise makes you imagine, you do not play a demigod. You play as yourself. You were trained for most of your life to evaluate wishes and adjust your bow device to hit the spot if your choice. Some people wish for something silly like “Make me a pink pet!” but others make ask you to bring together a nearly divorced couple. Should rain never stop? Will you abolish religion and is the concept of gender necessary? Nobody will judge you for your choices, nobody will judge you for missing the shot. It’s more of a journey you do for yourself and that’s very valuable.
Silly Polly Beast
Polly runs from one tragedy into another. After escaping the abusive orphanage, she loses sight of her sister, nearly dies and in exchange for help, forms a pact with a devil. It’s a fight against authority and for freedom, jumping from top view and to view perspective, from fighting masses of enemies to sneaking around dangers.
A kind of horror survival game where survival plays the biggest part. This game can be tough sometimes. Partly due to the enemy design and partly due to resource limitation. Rough around its edged but a passionate game that oozes style.
Toree Saturn
Just look at Toree. This little cutie should be game of the year on every list. I am serious, this is a super fun game that sucks you in from the first minute and puts you into a flow state until the game ends. Catchy vibe, the feeling of speed and freedom – it’s a rare Sonic like (Haste being another one on my radar!). Buy the game, do it for Toree.
Flower in Us
With a beautiful mix of pixel art and gorgeous anime inspired artwork, you slip into the shoes of a detective. At least that’s what the lady in front of you is saying. You apparently fell and lost your memories. Cliché, I know, but it plays around with it since you end up distrusting yourself and the other person with you in the room. Why is she tied to a pole? What lead to this situation and how will you leave? Between their job and their family background, the two people here have much in common. Something sinister is in the background and all you can do for now is analyse the room and piece it slowly together.
Squeakross: Home Squeak Home
If you love Picross, you will love this. It takes the game structure of our favourite puzzle game and crosses it with a cute mascot. You adopt a rat by your design and unlock new furniture, clothes and gadgets by solving Picross puzzles. Don’t leave the cute (or in my case, silly) rat alone.
The Drifter
The Drifter is at its core a Point and Click game with the exception that you don’t really point and click. Around your character forms a kind of activity ring that lets you interact with elements in the world without having to randomly click everything. I know aside of Germany most people don’t care about this genre (your loss, I guess) but The Drifter beautifully adopts the strengths of it while respecting your time. You are caught between a crime that might be tied to a serial killer, a secret organization and death. Yes, you die in the game, and it does not lead to an end. It’s a part of the painful cycle that is necessary get under the deep layers of the mystery. It hooks you, just like the protagonist was hooked under water and left to die. Every death loop is more painful than the last one and Mick will describe it in full detail just to make you feel bad for not finding the solution faster.
Pepper Odyssey
My first approach of Pepper Odyssey ended with confusion and not the best time. For the next time I bought more time and patience, accepted that it’s okay to run from enemies first until you gather the necessary items to fight. You explore the colourful but dangerously confusing world, navigate dungeons and use sad poems to calm down a foe. The fights are more reminiscent of Undertale where you take specific actions to solve the fight in a peaceful manner. Each foe falls somewhere on the Wheel of Emotions and once analysed can be persuaded with the correct literature. The literature however is not infinite or depended on mana. Pepper Odyssey feels like a hybrid of text adventure and dungeon crawler that you’d find in the basket of a Japanese store for old PC games. It’s odd, it requests your effort and it’s special in every way.
Milano’s Odd Job Collection
You just feel the Japanese only PSX vibes the moment you start the game. Everything from the sound to the look and UI, is charming as hell and reminded me of Taito games from the same era. You play as the titular Milano, a girl that wants to be like a grown up (oh sweet summer child). You got different jobs to conquer, that each has their own mini game. Your routine is work, chores and sleep. At home you can feed the chonky cat (which you should!), cook meals and use the online shopping to spend your hard-earned money. The latter is especially fun because it’s very satisfying to watch the barren house grow into your own creation. It’s fun, charming and the perfect game for short sessions.
Unbeatable
I really wanted this game to be higher on my list. I played the demo of Unbeteable and was in love with it. My first hours with the full release didn’t reach the same height yet, but I am hopeful it will. I love narrative games that hybrid with a different genre, causing a dance between the strengths of both genres while playing off any possible weaknesses. Rhythm games with a high narrative focus sounds like a game made for me. Unfortunately, pacing is one of the most important elements to me and Unbeatable falls of on that regard. You get thrown into the world without any explanation which seems promising, but it immediately comes to a halt before it even starts, you get a bit of exploration in a section that’s honestly not very compelling at this point and when the rebellious energy finally comes to fruition it’s over and leads to an even slower pace than before. The demo seemed to highlight a well-paced vertical slice of the game while it fails to remain coherent in the final product.
Maybe I am a bit butt hurt that the song of Vocaloid producer Jamie Paige is hidden behind a 10 bucks paywall, maybe I got my expectations wrong after the demo. I see the vision; I love its parts but the glue sticking it together unfortunately doesn’t work for me. Still, it’s a game with high aspirations and I love it for what it tries.
Axyz
One of my most vivid PSX memories is a clever game called Kula World (or Roll Away for you NTSC people; sorry you got the weaker name). It is a unique mix of puzzle, platforming and collectathon elements that I’ve never seen in another game. That is, until I stumbled upon Axyz. It’s a gravity defying and mind-bending game that demands brain power and creative thinking. Pure vibes of nostalgia and retro with a vaporwave aesthetic. Get your gears working and roll away in Axyz.
Stairway of Legends
Dispatch
Look, I am not fond of superheroes. I’ve always been a weeb and any kind of Americanised superhero just didn’t fit into my interests. I played Spider-Man on the Playstation 1 which rules, but otherwise I keep my distance from it. When part of the team, that brought us The Walking Dead Season 1, The Wolf Among Us and Tales from the Borderlands, announced Dispatch, I was all in. These are the only three Telltale games I am passionate about. Also, I am a Mech fan so playing as “Mecha-Man” gets easy points from me. Dispatch works for me despite the Superhero theme. In fact, I adore how much it intertwines with the world building. The strength of the developers is the good writing of characters and dialogues. I want to learn more about the characters, I want them to succeed, to see them fail and try again. I want them to insult each other, laugh at each other, and fight for each other. The dialogue is so witty and believable (with the exception that I would not come up with cool retorts on the spot but 2 hours later while showering). When it comes to plot, characters or gameplay I am most of all a character-driven player. Give me a generic plot and baseline gameplay; If the characters make me care, I will get invested. Therefore, I was pretty sold on Dispatch after trying out the demo for a bit. Yet the gameplay was surprisingly fun. As you’d expect from the devs, you get to make choices, that have a sometimes small, sometimes bigger impact. There are no empty promises of “your choices will make the game”. The story is linear, and I am grateful for that. The titular Dispatch-Mode remains fun and creates a great pacing between the story bits. All of that is accompanied by a slightly nostalgic 90s vibe.
Look Outside
Look Outside, or rather don’t look outside and stay inside to play the game. You will need the time to really get into this. Look Outside is so much more than it makes you believe at first glance. Some people might roll their eyes by the look of RPG Maker Games, but I am not some people. I thrive off these games.
Having played many games, especially RPG’s and Horror games, leads you to believe you know what you are getting into. You expect an eerie game with some grotesque art, a basic turn-based combat where you will feel powerful after a few battles because you are raising your stats with experience. You could not be further from the truth. Look Outside isn’t trying to be spooky. It simply is, by using unusual music, sounds and body horror at its finest. You will never feel safe in the game. Your own apartment might be the safest area, after all that’s where you eat, sleep, safe your progress, and raise a few stats. You open the menu and see the familiar stats like Attack and Defence. Then you take a shower and raise hygiene, or you browse the internet and get more social. Yet those stats don’t appear on your character sheet. Are these irrelevant or are these secretly tracked and actually very important? Someone knocks on your door. You look through the peephole and spot a creepy person trying to sell you something. Instinctively, you want to ignore them, right? They could attack us here, and I haven’t saved yet. What if they sell something useful? You didn’t come across much gear so far. And the battles are still tough. Oh, the battles. 4 hours in and you still get trashed by each enemy. It’s rough, and you can’t grind for experience. Even if you beat the enemy, you remain deeply wounded and bleeding. Healing items are expensive and rare; sleeping in your home only recovers a small bit. After all, why would sleeping make a flesh wound much better? You try to run back home but encounter a monstrous being. One line makes your heart stop; “You feel an urge to run away”. Does that mean this enemy is super tough? Will you get something valuable from it? Is it even possible to beat it? Maybe you should run back to your neighbour and face him despite having teeth all over his body. Maybe he is dangerous, maybe he could be a helpful hand (or mouth, you know, because of the teeth). You never know what’s coming; you are jumping between trusting your guts and rewriting your instincts. And the best part? The developer is still not done with the game. So much gets added that it could be its own game. Rather than looking outside, you should look at the Steam page.
Artis Impact
I am a sucker for it when games don’t follow the rules and take chances to dance around the typical groundwork. One of my favourite examples for this is Phantasy Star IV. An RPG that doesn’t play by the rule of basic text box on the bottom and character portrait or artwork across the rest of the screen. Sometimes you get three smaller pictures above the text box, animating a character wiping away tears with still images next to each other. The pictures have different sizes, and it shows so much with so little. Artis Impact is completely made like that. Every screen is shaped differently, text boxes move around, characters go beyond the frame they are displayed in. Every little action is handcrafted with details that I almost wished it wouldn’t get interrupted by fights. It’s equally dangerous as it is silly. It’s extremely silly. The first look makes it seem so serious, that I was surprised how much laughter it caused. Yet it doesn’t shy away from deeper conversations, melancholic moments, and dangerous situations. I liked all of them, although it occasionally caused a tonal whiplash and an odd pacing. There were a few moments where I thought the game would end now, only to throw me into the next scene. It’s a bit in cohesive, but it has so much soul and love. I really wanted to see more of Akane and Bot when the credits rolled.
Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping
The second game in the series of Duck Detective made by developer Happy Broccoli (I love broccoli! And ducks! Well living ducks, I don’t eat them. I eat the broccoli though). You are playing the titular Duck Detective, a somewhat cynical and depressed detective. While he is bad at keeping his bread addiction in check (and paying taxes, and being honest, and keeping up relationships and pretty much everything), he is a master in deducktions. You interact with cut out characters, check everything out for clues, puzzle different observations together and ultimately uncover what’s behind the ghosts at the camping place. Oh yeah, you got dragged into camping by the lovely Freddy, who is as annoying as he is caring. Fun characters, a ton of humour and puns (if you don’t love puns, we won’t ever be friends), and a gripping mystery. Help this dorky duck. Just don’t let him near your bread stash.
Easy Delivery Co.
I got the demo at Steam Next Fest because I liked the look and vibe. I am not super interested in simulation games. With this attitude I started Easy Delivery and fell hard for it. It is not a game that romanticizes the job of a delivery driver. Well, you do drive a lot, you make a lot of deliveries and there is something romantic about driving through snow with spare flashing lights in the dark. That is not the point though. The point is that it’s not necessary to have a point. We are all part of a system trying our best to stay calm and optimistic. The system above us won’t turn any better by us working non-stop. In fact, it won’t care if we just stop. So why not take your time when it comes to your duties? Do what you must but don’t forget to breath, brew some coffee or hot chocolate and enjoy the warmth of a save space like your car or the hut of a humming dog. Relax and take it easy. You can always rework the system on another day.
Without a Dawn
Every now and then I find a game where almost every text line feels like it was taken straight out of my mind. A game that can put into words what feels like chaos in my brain. The alienating feeling of thinking that there is something rotten pumping through my veins; the fear of the unknown being bigger than the fear of something unpleasant; the thought that there is something deeply wrong with you that could never be healed. I made so many screenshots while playing. The art also contributed to it though. It has this beautiful ASCII-inspired look that makes you think it’s somehow programmed with a dithering effect, until you realize that it is all hand made. The colour choice (although you can use different colour themes if you don’t vibe with it) and the sounds elevate the narration perfectly. It’s a short visual novel you will complete in one sitting, but it will stay with you much longer. Despite its melancholic vibe and painful truths, it has a low-key hopeful ending. At dawn, we can be completely vulnerable, so we can wake up a little bit better than the day before.
No, I’m not a human
One of the most interesting elements in horror games is the theme of humanity. What if the monster is among us (the gag was not intended but Amogus kind of fits in here, one of the characters even has it on his shirt!)? Who can you trust when they look like e regular person; when they tell you of their struggles and hardship? Can a monster mimic what makes us human that well? And if so, what is it that even makes us human? What makes us different from them? Someone knocks at the door; she is clearly anxious and traumatized. I let her in and listen to her story. A group of people invaded her house and abused her roommate. She got away, but it clearly left a mark on her. I listen, I understand, but the first reaction is to test her. Her fingernails are dirty, her eyes bloodshot and her teeth are shining in a brilliant white. We were told these are signs of a monster impersonating a person. Stress can easily cause overstrained eyes. Maybe she looked through the trash for food. Perhaps she just got her teeth bleached before it all started. We don’t know how these signs were researched. It could all be a coincidence. However, what if it’s not. Letting her alive could lead to the death of everyone else in here. I take the gun, she trembles and pleads for her life, before the loud sound quiets her down. Was she a monster or was she human after all? How much of humanity is still left inside me when I am ready to take someone’s life. No, I’m not a human. Also, some of those endings are wild! If you played/watched one playthrough, check out all the endings. The mushroom one certainly was a thing.
Sushi Ben
Some of you cultured people might remember the genius visual novel Hatoful Boyfriend. A somewhat parody, somewhat serious take on dating sims with the tiny detail that instead of boring pretty boys you are dating pretty boys that are represented by birds! Why Am I talking about this? Well, I do like birds, but more importantly it’s made by the same developers as Sushi Ben! It markets itself as an interactive Slice of Life Anime which is enough of a description for my fellow weebs. You move to a cute little village by the shore where you get to know a struggling sushi chef cook. To help you rely on a spirit that possesses a frog statue; learn how to fish from a hot fisher lady and clash with the even hotter villains that strive to “restructure” the village. It’s a fun game where you interact with characters, help with any problems, play quirky mini-games and enjoy the dynamic presentation. Similar to games like Phantasy Star IV or Artis Impact, the visuals get presented by multiple frames, showing off little details and sequences. You don’t see a still frame of the chef making sushi. You get multiple frames next to each other, watch him cut the fish and prepare the rice. It is charming and easy to pick up. I had much more fun than I expected at first glance.
Stray Children
Onion Games is a developer with a vast history that deserves its own post (a plan for the future!). They started with Love-de-Lic in 1995 and sadly had to close the studio just 5 years later. The team would split into many parts and one of those parts is Onion Games. In the 5 active years of Love-de-Lic they created a game that would leave a huge impact decades later. A game with the name Moon: Remix RPG Adventure would inspire one of the biggest indie hits to this day: Undertale. The deep theme of love and compassion impacted everyone who played it, and it grew into one of my most beloved memories of my whole life. Although Stray Children doesn’t reach the level of Moon in my opinion, it is still a very special game in its core. For one reason or another you land in the world of a video game and explore your way through it. Your driving force are the whimsy characters and the brutal olders. The world is mainly ruled by children that seem to have lost their way while the adults speak in riddles and attack anyone that dares to cross their way. Your main part is to explore the world and get sucked into the unique atmosphere. I loved it. The story progression is more linear that in Moon but it still holds the same obscurity and wonder. You are immediately intrigued by everything around you. The other main aspect of the game are the fights, and unfortunately that is the biggest flaw in my eyes. The fights are more reminiscent of puzzles while the enemies attack patterns need to be avoided in a 3D view. It looks beautiful, it sounds beautiful, but it feels rough. You get hints for the puzzle mechanics, yet some of them still feel rather cryptic, and it lacks the satisfaction once you solve it. At times, you guess yourself through the battle which can be very frustrating since every wrong choice resets your progress. It portrays the difficulty of communication between children and adults, but it just doesn’t feel good. Learning that standard enemies can be beaten by attacking without any consequences improved it a lot. It’s only the main boss fights that need to be solved by a puzzle, otherwise you are free to hit the enemy with your shovel and gain experience as well as money. If you are fine with the battles, you will love the game, just like I do whenever I am wandering through the magical space.
Urban Myth Dissolution Center
The game impressed me the moment I laid my eyes on it, and it only continued from there. It’s a mystery adventure game where you investigate rumours and anomalies that cause fear and trauma. You got a bunch of eccentric characters, astonishing pixel art, catchy music and occasional vocal songs. All of this creates a great pace between the investigative parts, puzzles and visual novel parts. It is amazing what the developers created and how well the mix of different elements work.
Flesh Made Fear
Classic Resident Evil with a tad too much talking at the beginning. The talking leads to some amazing one-liners though. It is exactly what you expect, and it delivers on that part. The puzzles work great, the atmosphere is gripping, and the shooting mechanics work out well. Personally, I felt it got a great balance between the resource limitation and the complexity of everything around it. You’ve got your tank controls, dynamic and fixed camera angles (YAS!), grotesque visuals and diverse enemy designs. It doesn’t overstay its welcome with roughly 9 hours of playtime but offers replay value (two character choices) for all of you sickos out there.
Angeline Era
One of the most unique games in 2025 released right before its end. Angeline Era gives off high PSX and Dreamcast vibes. The introduction is fast and snappy, making it easy to get a hang of the mechanics, so you can try them on the most amazing first boss ever: One Fish. What starts of as One Fish ends in a fight with more fish every phase which create a beautiful dance of lasers and patterns. Amazing, had me laughing from start to finish. Afterwards you end up in the overworld map and from there it is your choice where to go and in what pace. Found a level you are not find of? Try another one and get back there later. It’s in your hands how you lead the journey. It will however be a great time between its intuitive combat, magical atmosphere and involving exploration.
Grounds of the Divine
Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector
I loved the first game and had high expectations for the second one. For me personally, these were exceeded, as I felt drawn to the found family vibe in Citizen Sleeper 2. Like in the first game you play as a Sleeper, an artificial being that is inhabited by a once human brain. You again embody a Sleeper that tries to regain their own freedom from the controlling corporation that owns them. This time your fear extends to a specific character, making it even more personal. Constantly on the run you are balancing the work on tasks with the use of DnD inspired dice rolls and learning what it means to be independent.
Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog
A choice and character driven Visual Novel in the peak style of PC-98 games. Do I need to say more? Okay. A loveable girlfriend?? Mechs?? Being part of a crew of misfits?? A woman with muscles????
After a devastating war many things are still in disarray. You and your crew get sent on a patrol mission to investigate a mysterious signal. A seemingly harmless duty but as with every good Sci-fi story, there is something dangerous lurking in the depth of space, or maybe it was within your ship all along. You navigate through all the locations on the ship, check up with your crew mates to take care of your daily tasks. Your decisions shape not only your future, but the people around you.
OFF Remaster
This game is a remaster of a cult classic of an RPG-Maker game that conveys a certain unique energy that you will either not care about or absolutely love. Nothing in between. OFF doesn’t try to be appealing, heck with all its weirdness it doesn’t even try to be whacky. It just is. You control the batter, who is on his mission to purify this world. Simple premise that contains deeper layers. The journey is anything but simple despite having a linear progression. The locations have odd names like “Zone 0”; your tutorial is a cat whose game sprite is cute until you see the character portrait. Characters are not constrained inside the basic limitations of the engine; everyone you meet makes worrisome noises, and you learn that smoke is the most important element because without it people would have nothing to breathe. Or was it plastic? Maybe metal? Who knows.
The added secret bosses in this game are the heart of this game. Each one brings their own eerie sentiment, each with their own fighting style. This ultimately leads to exploring the core of turn based RPG-Maker gameplay and learning that sometimes showing patience might be the wiser tactic.
It also brings a new soundtrack that while different still catches the abnormal vibes of the original release. Do yourself a favour and check out the song “Pepper Steak” from the original though. It slaps.
Promise Mascot Agency
Kaizen Game Works debut game Paradise Killer is one of my favourite games ever. When they revealed their next game being an open world mascot management game, I was a bit worried. Admittedly, I am not fond of open world games. My trust in the developers to create a unique game in a genre I don’t like, was luckily rewarded. In Promise Mascot Agency you accompany Michi and Pinky☆ (yes, that’s the only correct spelling of the name). Michi is an exiled yakuza that’s trying to contribute to the financial issues of his clan. Also, he is voiced by none other than Takaya Kuroda, the same voice actor as Kiryu from the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series. Pinky☆ is a severed finger mascot with slight anger issues (they are not slight) but with a heart of gold. Or flesh? Maybe wool? I don’t know what’s pumping blood inside a mascot. That hardly mattered after all because Promise Mascot Agency shows you that what matters isn’t how you look but what’s inside. Wait, “what’s inside?” … doesn’t that contradict with the sentence prior? Anyway, love, warmth and trust are what matters. A promise of a better future, a better life. A bunch of washed-up mascots join your endeavour, each quirkier than the other. You put your faith into them, support them and gain not only money but reputation. Reputation is important since you obviously want to overrule the current major, right? You will hold speeches, drive over the majors‘ posters, shoot down trash (not the major, you do not shoot him although Pinky☆ would love that). Take the side quests from Yakuza and put them into the main frame of GTA. That’s Promise Mascot Agency.
Hypogea
One of my favourite subjects in gaming is the exploration of a foreign world where everything is placed with intention (that’s why procedurally generated open world games aren’t to my liking). Games like Outer Wilds, Sable or Dark Souls. A world that has some familiar elements but has an otherworldly feel to it that beckons you to sink into it. In Hypogea you wake up as a robot being surrounded by a megastructure of rusted metal, pipes and half destroyed constructions. Your trusty companion is a staff which you use to pole vault yourself into the air, over platforms and much more. It’s a very fun and intuitive tool for transportation. Otherwise, the world of Hypogea is mostly quiet. In my opinion it takes a special confidence to allow such quietness in your game. Music and sound is a powerful tool to evoke emotions and thus move someone. The area in Hypogea is long abandoned, almost dying, and the game portrays that beautifully through its minimal sound. Creaking metal, buzzing lights, soft water movements and occasionally reserved notes. This place is not where you want to stay, where anyone wants to stay. That’s why it’s a natural pull to leave the place, to move further into the structure, and find a way out. The few robots you meet towards your goal, share the longing and thus help you without the need for words.
Hypogea has the kind of sombre atmosphere I could never get tired off, and the platforming felt super satisfying for someone who is usually bad at it.
Kingdoms of the Dump
Chrono Trigger and Earth Bound but trash. Wait, that came out wrong. It’s a game heavily inspired by SNES JRPG’s like Super Mario RPG or Tactics Ogre. It takes place in the Land of Fill with kingdoms made from insects, wasted fast fashion and literal trash, with people called Ratavia or Garbamesh. Your main protagonist is called Dustbin, I mean, Dustin Binsley who can gain mana from disassembling metallic trash and your rival is called Bluebin, who is well, a blue bin with a recycling symbol. The puns pretty much write themselves, and I love it. The theme isn’t just a quirky set piece, everything from its world design, to its enemies, the character designs and skill moves confidently display the theme of trash. I just mentioned the skill moves and how the game is inspired by SNES games. The artwork and music are very old school, but the battle gameplay is where it gets interesting. In its core it is a turn-based design with the order of actions displayed on the side of the monitor. It also has the classic function of units in the back take less damage but do less damage and the other way around for units in the front lines. However, you play on a 3×3 grid (mostly, there are a few exceptions). Skills have a certain tile range spanning from single tile to a zig-zag pattern. That makes positioning much more important. Tile effects play huge role. You can throw oil and a trap on a tile, knock back the enemy into it and light it with thunder while dealing big damage. The tile stays burning for a specific time thus doing damage on every turn. There are enemies like glass bottles who leave behind glass shards once killed which can be used to hurt the enemies left behind. There is also a timing-based element like in Super Mario RPG where hitting the right time will influence the impact (this is quite forgiving for idiots like me). No grinding needed, fun characters that all play differently, a streamlined story with a fast pacing and more puns than we deserve. Also, it was made by two janitors!
Poco
You are a clown. Let me rephrase it, you are playing as a clone. The world’s cutest clown got banished from the circus by some big and mean clown faces. Naturally you can’t stay anymore and get booted off the area, whether it kills you or not. Your goal is to rebuild the rocket and fly back to the circus. Big task for a tiny clown, but that’s where the charming residents of the game come in. Lots of quirky characters with designs that look like what a kid might make from clay. The world is built from 2D and 3D elements, hand drawn backgrounds that create a gorgeous piece of art with every screen change. You click from one place to another, solve little puzzles, endorse the scenery and talk to the bizarre locals. There is a certain playfulness and whimsicality I rarely see nowadays. The soundtrack “Hymn for the Homunculi” and “Ballad of John” capture the beauty perfectly. Peaceful and melancholic. There is so much work and love in the game that I am devastated it’s actually free(!!!) on Steam (you can buy the soundtrack for a few pennies). Please play Poco. This is a very special game that will leave a lasting impression despite its short runtime of 2 hours.
MISC. A Tiny Tale
In 2024 I played Chibi Robo for the Gamecube, and I’ve been in love with it ever since. The series unfortunately turned into more of a platformer (which is still kinda fun!) and might be pretty much dead by now. There is a certain magic in the game that I find hard to replicate. Luckily for me, there are creative people in this world that in fact do know how to do that! MISC. A Tiny Tale is a wonderful love letter to Chibi Robo. This time we don’t follow the tale of one robot, but two! Our protagonist Buddy and his loyal friend Bag Boy. Yes, Bag Boy wears a bag on his head as the name suggests and yes, it makes them look super cool. It even has a strong motive of feeling alienated, self-discovery and friendship. Also, I shouldn’t forget the chunky cat Flick that always wants food and nothing else.
All of a sudden a mysterious blast happens in the sky, spreading cogs and different trash. Buddy and Bag Boy see it as their duty to unveil the cause and clean up the damage. Even more important than that, they want to help the beings affected by it. Their adventure of spreading joy leads them through colourful gardens, playful snow and much more. Their endeavour gathers quite a following with fan letters spawning from dorky to relatable (neurodivergent folks will get me). Finally, every area will provide buddy with a new costume, and these are so adorable and fun. The game made me smile so bright that it almost hurt my checks.
