As we move into the festive season, more and more indie games have decided to go toe-to-toe with the heavy hitters. October full of interesting and unique titles just begging for you to play them. There’s a little bit of everything this month, including the return of a famous indie horror franchise just in time for the spooky season. Here are some of the best-looking indie games releasing in October!
Drake Hollow (October 1st)
A group of humans defending a tiny vegetable person
Starting off the month is Drake Hollow, an online base-building game developed by The Molasses Flood. After a lengthy delay, the game is finally ready to ship next month. You and a group of friends must survive the harsh environments of The Hollow, all the while protecting and caring for the little vegetable people known as Drakes. You’ll need to build and defend your own villages from The Feral, a group of dangerous beasts out for Drake blood.
How these Drakes survived before you came along is anyone’s guess. These little vegetables need to fed, watered, and entertained as they can literally die from boredom. However, it’s the online aspect of Drake Hollow which is the most interesting part. Most games are better when you play with friends, and Drake Hollow looks like a game that will benefit greatly from that.
Drake Hollow will be available on October 1st for PC and Xbox One. It is also currently available through Xbox Game Pass.
Ikenfell (October 8th)
Ikenfell is a throwback to old-school RPGs
Next up we have one of two games releasing on the same day! We’ll talk about Ikenfell first, a throwback RPG developed by Happy Ray Games and published by Humble Bundle. Ikenfell’s most famous student has gone missing under strange circumstances, and it’s your job to go find them. You’ll explore a magical school, filled with puzzles and treasure, with a quirky and colourful cast of characters.
Combat is turn-based, with a slight twist. Taking place on a grid, you can move characters to more advantageous positions, similar to the latest South Park game, or your standard TRPG. The player can also block attacks with well-timed button presses like you see in older Paper Mario games. This mixture of different gameplay mechanics makes for a really deep combat system that could really throw up some challenging encounters.
Ikenfell will be available on October 8th for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
I Am Dead (October 8th)
The second game releasing on October 8th is puzzle game I Am Dead. Developed by Richard Hogg and Hollow Ponds, the game is also being published by Annapurna Interactive. Most of the games they publish have give off a charming vibe, and I Am Dead is no different. You play as Morris Lupton, the recently deceased museum curator who floats around as a spirit looking into the minds of the townsfolk. With the help of your also deceased dog Sparky, you must prevent a volcano eruption by discovering secrets on your little island paradise.
I Am Dead is one of the more unique puzzle games I’ve seen. The mechanics are also pretty difficult to explain. In order to find the secrets of the island, you must delve into the memories of its citizens and items and learn their stories. To do that you need peer inside buildings and people and find important objects that may have some kind of historical significance. It’s definitely a strange game, but its uniqueness makes it one to look out for.
I Am Dead will be available on October 8th for PC and Nintendo Switch.
Amnesia: Rebirth (October 20th)
Amnesia makes a return next month.
A lot of horror franchises wish for the mainstream popularity that Amnesia garnered back in 2010. Over a decade later, Frictional Games are back with a direct sequel to The Dark Descent with Amnesia: Rebirth. With no memory of where you are or how you got there, you wake up in the middle of an Algerian desert. You must retrace your steps and rediscover your past in order to survive the horrors that await you.
For fans of the original game, it looks like more of the same. You’ll need to manage your very limited resources to solve puzzles and explore your surroundings. With brand new creatures to cower and run away from, and a few new interesting mechanics, Amnesia: Rebirth promises to be just as terrifying and horrible as the original, but with a few new twists and changes to keep things fresh.
Amnesia: Rebirth will be available on October 20th for PC and PS4.
ScourgeBringer (October 21st)
ScourgeBringer comes out of early access next month.
There’s a lot of roguelites around these days, so when one stands out it has to be truly special. ScourgeBringer is coming out of Early Access next month and has impressed its players during that time. You play as Kyhra, the strongest warrior and deadliest warrior of her clan. As Kyhra, you must help her explore a decimated world and defeat the ancient machines that have destroyed humanity.
ScourgeBringer differs itself from others in the genre by offering players fast-paced action with a platforming twist. The game has been described by other outlets as a mixture of Dead Cells and Celeste, and I have to agree. The boss fights look intense and colourful, and the game is currently sat at “Very Positive” on Steam. It’s definitely a game to look out for if you’re a fan of roguelites.
ScourgeBringer is currently available on Steam via Early Access. The full game will be available on October 21st for PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
Carto (October 27th)
The last of the indie games releasing in October is Carto, my personal favourite for this month. Also published by Humble Bundle, Carto is a charming little puzzle game with a very unique twist. Playing as the titular Carto, you have to use your cartography powers to reunite yourself with your grandmother who you were separated from during a storm. As you discover pieces of the map, you can then use and move these pieces, to unlock new puzzles and paths to explore.
Carto is very much a relaxing experience, with no threats to speak of. You’ll discover new and interesting cultures as you reshape the world around you. The game also has the lovely hand-drawn art style that’s an absolute pleasure to look at. It’s shaping up to be a puzzle game like no other, so definitely keep this one on your radar if you’re in the market for a puzzle game next month.
Carto will be available on October 27th for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
So there’s a list of great-looking indie games releasing in October. As always, this list is not definitive, but a list of games I personally found interesting. It’s always a good idea to have a closer look for some other games that you may find appealing. You never know, you could find that all-important game to take you into the next generation of consoles.
