indie developer Archives

AppWizard

August 22, 2025

Gumball in Trick-or-Treat Land Announced For PC & Game Boy

Mega Cat Studios, in collaboration with Exquisite Laundry Pet, has announced the retro JRPG titled Gumball in Trick-or-Treat Land. The game will be released on Steam and as a physical cartridge for the Game Boy Color. Players will control a gumball on a quest to restore Trick-or-Treat Land, which is threatened by Chaos Sweets. The game features a lighthearted journey through a candy-filled world, recruitment of allies with unique skills, various puzzles and quests, and a turn-based combat system. The story begins when the gumball hero crash-lands in Trick-or-Treat Land and must retrieve a spellbook to help a local Scarecrow, leading to a quest for Seven Hallowed Patches. Players will encounter diverse characters and can cast spells, brew potions, and unlock magical abilities. The game aims to provide engaging challenges suitable for all ages.

AppWizard

August 11, 2025

Bithell Games laying off 11 staff

Bithell Games is reducing its workforce by parting ways with 11 employees due to difficulties in securing new projects. This decision follows the launch of their title, Tron: Catalyst, in June. Founder Mike Bithell highlighted the challenges faced by smaller studios in finding financial backing for future projects. He emphasized communication with affected staff and offered severance packages to ease the impact of the layoffs. Bithell praised the skills of his team and encouraged other developers to consider the laid-off employees for future opportunities. Despite the layoffs, the studio's existing self-published games will remain available, and ongoing support for them will continue.

AppWizard

July 26, 2025

Luto Has Been Released For PC & Consoles This Week

Luto is a psychological horror game available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. It features a first-person narrative centered on themes of loss and anxiety within a haunted home. Players navigate shifting environments filled with hidden secrets and horror encounters driven by phobias. The game allows for narrative-driven exploration, where players can unravel the story at their own pace using sound, symbolism, and fragmented memories. The free demo of Luto has been updated by indie developer Broken Bird Games in collaboration with publishers Selecta Play and Astrolabe Games. The game was officially announced during the Future Games Show 2025 showcase.

AppWizard

July 23, 2025

How to survive as an indie developer for 20 years

Dan Marshall began his game development journey at 24 while learning C++. Over two decades, he created three games that received over 80% review scores in PC Gamer, despite facing challenges such as a 26% rating for Behold the Kickmen. His company, Size Five Games, started as a hobby, and he developed games like Ben There, Dan That! and Time Gentlemen, Please! with minimal financial risk. One notable game, The Swindle, featured a unique design that limited players to 100 attempts, leading to mixed reactions but ultimately became Size Five's most financially successful title. Marshall has kept overhead costs low by hiring external talent for short projects and has navigated the industry's volatility without significant expenses. Despite critical acclaim for Lair of the Clockwork God, its sales did not match expectations, and he speculated that a change in protagonists might have affected its performance. Marshall expresses anxiety about the future of his projects and the possibility of needing a traditional job, yet he remains committed to game development regardless of financial circumstances.

AppWizard

July 9, 2025

Square Enix invests in Danish dev BetaDwarf

Square Enix has invested in the Danish indie developer BetaDwarf to enhance its production capabilities. The financial details of the investment are undisclosed. BetaDwarf is currently developing a top-down RPG called Vaultdwellers. Square Enix's General Manager of Business Development, Hideaki Uehara, expressed enthusiasm for the investment, highlighting the quality of BetaDwarf's work and the potential for collaboration. BetaDwarf's CEO, Steffen Kabbelgaard, noted the value of Square Enix's support, emphasizing the progress made on Vaultbreakers and the positive impact of the partnership on their production efforts.

AppWizard

July 4, 2025

Cathedral: Crow’s Curse Launch to Consoles and PC –

Swedish indie developer Decemberborn Interactive has announced Cathedral: Crow’s Curse, a standalone prequel to the 2020 game Cathedral. It will be released on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC via Steam. The game features enhanced graphics and gameplay mechanics, exploring deeper lore and mysteries of the Cathedral.

BetaBeacon

June 23, 2025

SNO snow white is a dimension-shifting action game coming to iOS and Android soon

- Solo indie developer BuchioGames is launching SNO snow white next month on iOS and Android - The game offers a unique blend of 2D action and 3D puzzle-solving - Players can switch between side-scrolling exploration and 3D first-person views - The game features dimension-shifting mechanics and strategic boss fights - Players can uncover ancient secrets, decrypt lost data, and confront interdimensional threats - The game offers intuitive touch controls, low-poly art, and a seamless UI design - Players can try out the first 2-4 hours for free when the game launches on July 12th

AppWizard

February 13, 2025

Jeff Minter is remaking another Atari classic, and yeah, it is definitely a Jeff Minter game

Jeff Minter is developing a remake of the classic arcade shooter, I, Robot, originally launched by Atari in 1984. The game features a "3D kaleidoscopic visualizer" and challenges players to evade an all-seeing eye while navigating through a treacherous tube filled with enemies. Minter's remake will retain the essence of classic Atari gameplay and include "arena levels" with waves of foes. The original I, Robot had a limited production of fewer than 1,000 units at launch but has since gained a cult following for its pioneering use of real-time 3D polygons. The remake is set to be released in spring 2024 on PC and various consoles, including the Atari VCS.

Tech Optimizer

December 26, 2024

“I went through hell” Japanese indie dev on how their game was wrongly flagged as a virus, and blocked on Steam

A Japanese indie developer, Shiromofu Factory, launched the game Dungeon Antiqua on October 10, 2024. The game, inspired by early Final Fantasy and Wizardry titles, is available on Windows and macOS and has received a Very Positive review status on Steam. After a December 6 update, users reported virus warnings from antivirus programs like Norton, Avast, and McAfee, which were triggered by the game's use of the Pyxel engine and Pyinstaller for executable files. The developer advised users to exclude the game's .exe file from scans, but on December 12, Steam blocked the game from sale due to multiple virus reports. The developer requested a rollback to an earlier version, which prevented future updates. They purchased Norton Antivirus for testing and attempted various solutions, including filing reports with antivirus companies and considering a code signing certificate. They identified that the use of Python’s “os.remove()” function contributed to the false alerts and implemented a workaround. However, antivirus software retained memory of flagged files, causing continued blocks. Ultimately, flipping the fairy image associated with the game’s file by 180 degrees allowed Dungeon Antiqua to bypass the antivirus barriers and resume updates.

AppWizard

December 20, 2024

Google quietly made it easier for new developers to release apps on the Play Store

Google has updated its app testing requirements, reducing the minimum number of testers for closed tests from 20 to 12 for developers with personal accounts created after November 13, 2023. The new requirement states that these developers must conduct a closed test with at least 12 opted-in testers for a minimum of 14 consecutive days. Developers with business accounts are not affected by this change. The adjustment comes in response to criticism from indie developers who found the previous requirement challenging.