Every year since Microsoft started their indie program on Xbox 360 Arcade has been more and more filled with indie game releases, both for PC and consoles. This was exacerbated with Steam Direct, which allowed a wide percentage of developers to upload their games, flooding the platform with great (and not so great) games. With that being said, here are 5 upcoming indies to check out!
Sea of Stars
Release Date: 2022
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Steam
Sea of Stars is a type of indie that we don’t see that often. It sports pixel art so detailed and well animated that it can probably grab you for the polished visuals alone. But the game is not all looks, because it’s also a classic RPG that promises a lush storyline, complex cities to explore, and of course, fishing mechanics!
The story will follow Zale and Valere, two Children of the Solstice who have to work together to defeat The Fleshmancer, an evil alchemist ravaging the land. The protagonists will combine their powers of the sun and moon to create Eclipse magic, which is the only thing that can stop the villain.
Afterlove EP
Release Date: 2022
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4, Steam, GOG
One of the most promising upcoming indies is still going to release this year. If you watch Afterlove EP’s trailer above, you’ll notice that it’s a game about a lot of things. It seeks to blend adventure, dating sim, and rhythm game conventions together while also impressing visually with a soft and comfy aesthetic to boot.
Set in the city of Jakarta in Indonesia, Afterlove EP tells the story of Rama, a teenager struggling with the loss of his girlfriend, who now appears to him in his day-to-day life as a ghost.
My Favourite Upcoming Indie – Eternity Egg
Release Date: 2022 (Early Access)
Platform: Steam
Eternity Egg’s striking visuals and fast-paced trance soundtrack may be a turn-off for some players, but they’ll definitely attract people who enjoy the old-school 3D Sega Saturn aesthetic like a magnet. This comparison still doesn’t do justice to how unique it looks, but it can give you an idea of what to expect. Also keep in mind that since the trailer’s release, the game changed quite a bit, and it looks much more finished now.
In regards to gameplay, it looks like a kinetic mixture of Sonic Adventure and Mario 64’s movement quirks with the addition of a good amount of bouncing around as well. The Early Access release will include five different zones and an ending, but the full release will offer even more content. It will surely pay off if you decide to follow this interesting upcoming indie.
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk
Release Date: TBA
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Steam
Remember Jet Set Radio? A surprising amount of people do. Its music, gameplay, and timeless art style have left an open wound on the gaming landscape ever since Sega started supporting the franchise after Jet Set Radio Future in 2002, and a few indie games tried reviving the idea behind the games (like Hover), but Bomb Rush Cyberfunk feels like the most legitimate attempt yet.
The developers from Team Reptile even managed to get the original composer for Jet Set Radio, Hideki Naganuma, on board with a song made specifically for Bomb Rush Cyberfunk. The title will not only incorporate both rollerskating and graffiti but also skateboarding and cycling, in the vein of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and Mat Hoffman’s Pro BMX, respectively.
Gloomwood
Release Date: 2022
Platforms: Steam, GOG
If you loved playing through any of the Dishonored, Thief, or Deus Ex games, you’re probably going to enjoy one of the most special upcoming indies, Gloomwood.
Gloomwood is an immersive sim where you play as a doctor who’s stuck in a victorian city in the middle of a plague. Like other games in the genre, its main focus is on stealth and player freedom. If you can think of a wild solution to any problem, you can probably do it and it’ll work. You don’t strictly need to be stealthy, though. Your arsenal will include unusual weaponry such as a folding shotgun and a cane sword (yes, just like in Bloodborne!).
Gloomwood’s mostly solo developer Dillon Rogers announced recently on Twitter that the game is going to be released shortly, as you can see below:
It's no longer Soon™ 😏 https://t.co/y0HqFiZXHk
— Dillon Rogers (@TafferKing451) May 23, 2022
