Five recent indie games you might have missed this week
With so many huge games dominating the conversation recently, it's easy for some small games to fall between the cracks. Thankfully, we've got you covered.
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There are great new indie games releasing all the time. It can be hard to keep up, especially with still garner a huge audience, but not every game or studio is able to pull that off. Here’s a quick glimpse at a handful of indie games you might have missed.
A handful of great indie games that might have flown under your radar this week
From critically appraised games like just happened to be released the same day that Oblivion Remastered launched, there is a huge variety of indie games to check out right now. Here’s a few that might be flying under your radar.
- A handful of great indie games that might have flown under your radar this week
- StarVaders
- Creepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion 3
- Post Trauma
- Skin Deep
- Bionic Bay
StarVaders
Combining elements from StarVaders, the debut game from independent studio Pengonauts, has players defending Earth from alien invasion on a tactical grid using the cards in your hand to move and attack. There are several playable characters, who each have different movements and attack styles. As you progress you can upgrade cards and add more to your deck.
Time is the main source of tension. Aliens will spawn at the top of the grid and work their way down. Some will fire projectiles, but others just need to reach the bottom of the screen to deal damage. If enough damage is dealt, then it’s game over. Thinks strategically to move and attack in the right order to save the world. StarVaders is out today on PC via Steam.
Creepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion 3
From the prolific team at Strange Scaffold (El Paso, Elsewhere), comes a “match-3 survival horror comedy RPG metroidvania…” Creepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion 3. The Steam description is, somehow, amazingly accurate, and the title is too, except for the last part. You don’t have to play Creepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion 1 & 2 to enjoy this one, because those two games don’t exist. With how off the rails this game sounds, it’s not that surprising.
I’m not sure I ever would have guessed that the same studio that is working on a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game releasing next month, would also put out a match-3 horror-comedy game, but these are the kinds of things you need to expect from Strange Scaffold. Creepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion 3 is already earning praise from fans, with a 92% positive score on Steam out of 152 reviews. It’s hard to guess if you would like this game or not since it doesn’t really compare to anything, so just watch the trailer and check out the Steam page, where this game is still 30% off until May 6th.
Post Trauma
The debut survival horror game from Red Soul Games had a great response to the news that their small indie game was launching on the same day as Oblivion Remastered. They are now planning a “re-release” of Post Trauma in June, though, they also aren’t taking the game down now, and they aren’t adding anything new to the game. I highly recommend watching the short video they put together to make this announcement.
Aside from all that, Post Trauma is a call back to classic retro survival horror, even mentioning its PlayStation 2 inspirations in its Steam description. The camera is fixed, enemies are dangerous and sometimes optional, and there are challenging puzzles. The overall atmosphere of Post Trauma feels like an underground nightmare with unexplainable monsters and something larger at play. Post Trauma is available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam, despite its planned “re-release.”
Skin Deep
Skin Deep is an immersive sim in the vein of Hitman, where stealth and creativity are key. Hitman certainly has its humor and charm, but Skin Deep leans into this even further. As the protagonist, you are saving a crew of space-faring cats from space pirates. The story sounds a lot like an absurd, science-fiction Die Hard. Crawl through vents, walk around barefoot, and carefully take out enemy pirates without getting gunned down by the whole crew in the process.
You may notice that in the Skin Deep trailer, the pirates have some kind of technology that allows their heads to pop off, float around, and regenerate. The protagonist also uses an “auto-defibrillator” that can bring you back to life. It’s hard not to appreciate these ridiculous science-fiction excuses for game mechanics like respawning. But there is some control over how this all works, grab a head before it regenerates and flush it down the toilet. Problem solved. Skin Deep is out now on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.
Bionic Bay
You may have heard about Kepler Interactive, the same publisher behind the hit RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. But also, it has received incredible reviews across the board, resulting in an 87 on Metacritic and an 88 on OpenCritic. Without a doubt this is one of the most highly reviewed indie games of the year. But with so many other great games taking up attention right now, it’s not your fault if you missed its launch last week.
Bionic Bay is an atmospheric puzzle platformer that takes place in a post-apocalyptic world. The player must learn to use various tools to either slow down time, manipulate gravity, or swap places with objects to escape a dark industrial wasteland. Run and teleport through beautiful 2D, pixel-art landscapes, and discover the secrets of this world. Bionic Bay is out now on PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam.
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