indie gems

AppWizard
February 11, 2026
Games often feature unintentional humor, such as NPCs delivering lines amidst chaos or characters in absurd costumes. Some games intentionally embrace humor, effectively combining player agency and comedic timing. Promise Mascot Agency is a mascot management simulator with a narrative filled with quirky characters and absurd situations, where players manage a mascot business while navigating organized crime. Frog Detective: The Entire Mystery involves players solving lighthearted mysteries in Cowboy County, featuring humorous scenarios like a haunting sloth and a vandalized sign for an invisible wizard. South Park: The Stick of Truth is an RPG where players engage in LARPing, featuring juvenile humor and absurd combat mechanics, with contributions from creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker. Octodad: Dadliest Catch allows players to control an octopus pretending to be a human, with humor stemming from its physics-based gameplay and emotional stakes. The Stanley Parable is a meta-narrative game where players make choices in an empty office, exploring themes of choice and consequence through clever writing and humor. West of Loathing is a 2D side-scrolling adventure set in the wild West, filled with jokes and witty dialogue that reward player exploration. Portal 2 features witty dialogue and absurd scenarios, with the character Wheatley providing comedic relief as players solve puzzles. Time Gentlemen, Please! is a point-and-click adventure where players seek to watch a Magnum PI marathon, leading to absurd plot developments. The Secret of Monkey Island follows Guybrush Threepwood, a bumbling pirate, and features humor through insult sword-fighting and pop culture references. Disco Elysium presents a hungover protagonist navigating a chaotic world, blending humor with deeper themes of pathos and tragedy.
AppWizard
January 30, 2026
Atom Zombie Smasher has received a recent patch to celebrate its 15th anniversary, enhancing the gameplay experience. The game is currently available on Steam with a 50% discount. Blendo Games, the developer, has also created other acclaimed titles such as Gravity Bone, Thirty Flights of Loving, and Skin Deep, which won the Best Immersive Sim award in 2025.
AppWizard
January 6, 2026
FPS Quest is a unique meta game that uses framerate as a health bar, allowing players to navigate a low-framerate environment without the discomfort typically associated with performance issues. Players traverse dungeons armed with a shotgun, experiencing framerate dips as they take damage, but can restore it by defeating enemies or adjusting game settings. The game features mechanics such as demolishing walls and removing doors, which affect gameplay and map navigation. It includes roguelike elements, cheats, glitches, and customizable settings, encouraging multiple runs to unlock upgrades and weapons. FPS Quest is set to launch on Steam, with no announced release date yet.
AppWizard
December 29, 2025
Adrian Chmielarz, founder of Astronauts and People Can Fly, discusses the current state of the gaming industry, noting that 2025 is expected to be significant as indie and double-A games gain prominence. This year's Game of the Year nominations highlighted a balance between indie titles and high-budget games, with Metacritic's top-rated games including Hades 2, Expedition 33, and Blue Prince. Chmielarz emphasizes the rise of double-A games, attributing it to changes in the industry that allow developers to bypass traditional publishers due to platforms like Steam. He points out challenges for new releases in maintaining visibility, citing Theorycraft Games’ Supervive as an example of a quality game that struggled to stand out. Chmielarz also notes a lack of immersive single-player shooters in the market and criticizes the focus on gunplay over atmosphere in many indie games. He expresses enthusiasm for Witchfire's dark fantasy aesthetic and its emphasis on fun gameplay.
AppWizard
December 19, 2025
Epic Games' Holiday Sale will take place from December 11, 2025, to January 8, 2026, featuring discounts of up to 75% on various PC and mobile titles. Notable games on sale include Battlefield 6, Borderlands 4, EA SPORTS FC 26, and REMATCH. Free games will be available, starting with Hogwarts Legacy, which can be claimed until December 18, 2025. Players who log two hours in Hogwarts Legacy will receive a Fortnite cosmetic item. The sale will also offer Epic Rewards at a boosted rate of 20% for eligible purchases made using Epic's payment system. Additionally, the gifting feature will allow users to send games or add-ons to friends. Discounts will also be available on the Epic Games Store mobile platform.
AppWizard
December 13, 2025
2025 has seen a diverse range of high-quality gaming titles across multiple platforms, including Xbox, Windows PC, Steam, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation. Notable releases include: - Silent Hill F: A return of the franchise set in 1960s Japan, featuring intense combat and an immersive atmosphere. - Elden Ring: Nightreign: Introduces a co-op roguelike format with fast-paced gameplay and randomized upgrades. - Hollow Knight: Silksong: A highly acclaimed metroidvania known for its difficulty, visuals, and tight combat mechanics. - Arc Raiders: Emphasizes player choice and community-driven gameplay, reminiscent of early multiplayer games. - Battlefield 6: A grounded approach to warfare, positively received after previous setbacks in the franchise. - Ball x Pit: Blends classic gameplay with modern auto-battler mechanics, becoming a standout title. - Hades 2: A sequel that expands on the original's success with stunning artwork and engaging gameplay. - Blue Prince: Features intricate puzzles and co-op gameplay that encourages collaboration. - Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2: An open-world RPG praised for its dynamic systems and immersive storytelling. - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: Combines homage to classic JRPGs with modern storytelling in a unique French setting. Honorable mentions include Atomfall, Dying Light: The Beast, DUSK, The Alters, Keeper, Silent Hill 2 (remake), Dispatch, Cronos: The New Dawn, WH40K: Rogue Trader — Lex Imperialis DLC, and remastered versions of Monster Hunter Stories 1 and 2.
AppWizard
December 13, 2025
Geoff Keighley is engaging audiences on social media ahead of The Game Awards, teasing announcements and appearances. Confirmed highlights include potential developments for Tomb Raider, a new look at Resident Evil Requiem, the sci-fi RPG Exodus, and a new project from Neon Giant. The preshow starts at 4:30 PM PT, with live updates from staff writer Morgan Park. Keighley shared coordinates to a mysterious statue in the California desert, leading to speculation about its connection to games, particularly a new project from Larian Studios related to "Divinity." Rumored titles generating buzz include Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, Control: Resonant, a Diablo 4 expansion, an Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag remake, and a Max Payne Remake. Game of the Year nominees include Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, Donkey Kong Bananza, Hades 2, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has already won Best Independent Game and Best Family Game for Donkey Kong Bananza, as well as Innovation in Accessibility for Doom: The Dark Ages. A demo for Pragmata was announced, set for release in April 2026. Clair Obscur faced its first loss in the Players Voice category but secured the title of Game of the Year, bringing its total awards to ten.
AppWizard
December 9, 2025
The 20 most wishlisted games on Steam include: 20. Vindictus: Defying Fate - A spinoff of the 2012 MMO, set to attract Souls enthusiasts with its focus on dodges and counterattacks. 18. Reanimal - A co-op horror adventure from the creators of Little Nightmares, releasing on February 13, 2026. 17. Mouse: PI for Hire - A visually captivating title combining boomer shooter energy with rubberhose animation, set to release on March 19, 2026. 14. Chrono Odyssey - A photorealistic MMORPG featuring time manipulation mechanics, expected to launch in Q4 2026. 13. Quarantine Zone: The Last Check - A base management simulator set in a zombie apocalypse, releasing in 2025 with a demo available on Steam. 12. Witchbrook - A cooperative life simulation game with pixel art, anticipated to release in 2026. 11. Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era - A tactical RPG aiming to return to the franchise's roots, expected in 2026 with a demo available. 10. Half Sword - A physics-based swordfighting dueling simulator entering early access in Q1 2026. 9. Unrecord - A police officer simulation game with realistic visuals and moral dilemmas, with no announced release date. 8. Ark 2 - A sequel featuring survival crafting mechanics, currently without a clear release date. 7. Blight: Survival - A co-op survival horror game set in a medieval landscape, with no release window yet. 6. Slay the Spire 2 - A sequel to the acclaimed deckbuilding game, expected to launch in March 2026. 5. Kingmakers - A game where players use modern weaponry in medieval England, delayed indefinitely. 4. Resident Evil Requiem - The latest installment in the Resident Evil franchise, scheduled for release on February 27, 2026. 3. Light No Fire - A fantasy survival adventure from Hello Games, with no release date announced after seven years of development. 2. Deadlock - A MOBA in invite-only testing, with no clear release date available. 1. Subnautica 2 - Set to enter early access in 2026, continuing the underwater exploration theme of its predecessors.
AppWizard
December 1, 2025
In 2025, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 became a standout title, selling over 3 million copies in its first month and receiving rave reviews for its blend of turn-based mechanics and quick-time events. Other notable RPG releases included Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, Monster Hunter: Wilds, and Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter. Action games such as Split Fiction and Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds were also well-received. The year featured family-friendly games and intense titles like Doom: The Dark Ages and horror games such as Silent Hill f and Dying Light: The Beast. Indie games like Hades II and Hollow Knight: Silksong gained recognition, alongside lesser-known titles like Despelote and Blue Prince. Remakes included The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, while The Last of Us Part II made its PC debut without technical issues. Stellar Blade and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth also launched on PC, receiving positive acclaim.
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