indie gaming Archives

AppWizard

April 14, 2025

My biggest pleasant surprise of 2025 so far has been the free prequel to one of my favorite indie RPGs, made with FromSoft’s 25-year-old game making toolset

Lunacid, a first-person RPG inspired by the King's Field series, was released in 2023 by Kira LLC. A prequel titled Lunacid: Tears of the Moon is set thousands of years before the original game and was developed using the Sword of Moonlight toolset. The game features user-generated dungeon crawlers and has drawn comparisons to atmospheric exploration titles like Thief and System Shock. Players engage in melee combat without blocking or dodging options, and character progression occurs automatically upon leveling up. Mana regenerates through successful melee attacks, and health is fully restored at the home base. The game lacks a tutorial, prompting players to refer to a classic-style manual. Players must locate five shards of a legendary sword while navigating a world filled with secrets, including hidden doors and challenging enemies.

AppWizard

April 7, 2025

Cult of the Lamb audio director Johnson has passed away

Narayana Johnson, the audio director of the game Cult of the Lamb, has passed away, prompting a tribute from developer Massive Monster. They described him as a creative powerhouse whose contributions were essential to the game's unique experience. The team expressed that his absence will be deeply felt and requested kindness from the community as they cope with the loss.

AppWizard

March 29, 2025

37-year-old studio behind iconic PC game Myst and one of the longest-surviving indies in the world just laid off “roughly half the team”

Cyan Worlds announced a reduction in its workforce, laying off twelve team members, which is approximately half of its staff. This change will take effect at the end of March.

AppWizard

March 15, 2025

Hello Sunshine is a desert survival sandbox where you live in the literal shadow of the colossus

Red Thread Games, led by Ragnar Tørnquist, is set to release a new game titled Hello Sunshine, which is a survival sandbox set in a post-apocalyptic desert. Players will navigate the landscape with a giant war-bot, requiring them to stay in its shadow during the day to avoid the sun and seek warmth at night when the robot powers down. The game features an evolving relationship between the player and the robot, with challenges from hostile drones and mecha-crabs, as well as opportunities to repair friendly drones. There is potential for cooperative gameplay, possibly allowing a second player to control the robot, creating an asymmetric co-op experience. The game is available for wishlisting on Steam.

AppWizard

March 10, 2025

Terror At Oakheart (PC) Review – Video Game News & Reviews

Terror at Oakheart is the latest game from Tainted Pact, diverging from their previous title, Suffer the Night, by focusing on a classic side-scrolling adventure with a retro aesthetic. The game is structured into several chapters and pays homage to slasher films, featuring a storyline where players control a killer named Teddy, who is manipulated by a Lovecraftian creature into committing gruesome acts. Tainted Pact aims to revive the essence of 1990s and early 2000s gaming, emphasizing authenticity and creativity in a market dominated by modern trends. Minimum system requirements include: - OS: Microsoft Windows 7 - Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8GHz / AMD Athlon X2 64 2.4GHz - Memory: 4 MB RAM - Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 760 - Storage: 2 GB available space Recommended system requirements include: - Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system - OS: Microsoft Windows 10 - Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-9600K CPU @ 3.70GHz - Memory: 6 MB RAM - Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 - Storage: 4 GB available space The game received a score of 8.5.

AppWizard

March 3, 2025

Card Games Are Getting Even More Inventive On PC, And I Couldn’t Be More Excited

Traditional deckbuilding card games are evolving with innovative titles that blend elements of tactical RPGs and tabletop gaming. The Steam Next Fest showcased new games hinting at the future of card games. Shuffle Tactics combines deckbuilding with tactical RPG elements, featuring multiple units on a grid and characters with unique hands of cards for buffing allies and attacking enemies. It includes inventive abilities and emphasizes positioning for strategic gameplay. As We Descend incorporates adventure game elements, allowing character card enhancement and dividing the battlefield into guard and support zones. Players protect an artifact while engaging in narrative and light city-building elements, utilizing cards for interactions within a hub. Into the Restless Ruins redefines deckbuilding by focusing on dungeon creation, where players use cards to build a dungeon and then explore it, engaging in automatic battles. The game emphasizes creative problem-solving and combat, drawing inspiration from tabletop RPGs.

AppWizard

March 3, 2025

Sumo sells Secret Mode to Emona Capital

UK-based gaming company Sumo Group has divested its publishing label, Secret Mode, to Emona Capital, with the leadership team continuing to guide the label's creative direction. The financial details of the transaction are undisclosed, and Secret Mode will remain an independent publisher. Ed Blincoe and James Schall expressed enthusiasm about the partnership and the opportunity to focus on indie game publishing. Emona Capital's managing partner, Dominik Dolenec, noted the potential for supporting Secret Mode's mission in the independent games sector. Secret Mode was founded in 2020 by Sumo Group, which is shifting towards a work-for-hire business model.

AppWizard

February 25, 2025

Former Piranha Bytes veterans unveil their new dungeon crawler, and it’s tripping my Arx Fatalis alarms in all the right ways

Former Piranha Bytes creative director Björn Pankratz and game designer Jennifer Pankratz have established Pithead Studio, launched in July 2024. Their inaugural project, Cralon, is an "authentic 3D dungeon crawler" with RPG and adventure elements, featuring a demon hunter who falls into an ancient mine and must navigate challenges to escape, aided by "creatures of the shaft."

AppWizard

February 15, 2025

Keep Driving review

Keep Driving is a turn-based road trip RPG priced at .99/£15.00 from YCJY Games, designed for single-player experiences and compatible with the Steam Deck. Players embark on a journey to a music festival, gathering supplies and selecting routes while managing a car that serves as both vehicle and inventory. The game features road events that affect attributes like gasoline, cash, car durability, and energy levels, requiring strategic use of skill cards and items. Players can pick up hitchhikers, each with unique skills and backstories, adding depth to the gameplay. The game includes humorous crime elements and an indie soundtrack, with multiple endings possible. Some interactions may be challenging on the Steam Deck due to item management intricacies.

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.