Alongside the big name games and more widely publicized titles each month comes a veritable slew of smaller indie releases, each one varying wildly in quality and scope. Some are destined straight for the gaming scrap heap of history, whereas others are hidden gems or rough diamonds in the making.
The team at Game ZXC has purveyed all of November's releases in order to share with all devoted readers a list of new indie games on Steam that are worth a look. These are not big budget games, but they all pack a powerful punch. Make it a goal to try at least one new indie game this month.
10 A Little To The Left
Few would expect to encounter a game where players simply just...tidy the house. Fewer still would expect such a game to actually be fun. Yet, somehow, somebody did just make that game, and it's great fun! It's all about rearranging items to solve little puzzles in a gradually increasing difficulty scale.
A Little To The Left manages to master an excellent combination of being warm and wholesome, appealing for almost all ages, yet undeniably enjoyable to play. Tidying up has never been so much fun.
9 Lilith Odyssey
This is one of the more unusual offerings this month. It is based on space exploration, domination of planets, harvesting resources, and battling bad guys, as well as building bases and spaceships.
Yet there is so much more. The game offers 1000 unique worlds, some of which contain their own distinct civilizations and occupants. There's the ability to drill for fuel and carefully manage it to reach a destination safely. Players have a crew of assorted aliens to manage on their journey. Travel to points of interest such as space stations, galactic monuments, star malls, and even more than can be mentioned here. The depth and love invested in this game by the creator is abundantly evident. Prepare to chart a course for quirkiness.
8 Astro Colony
Players start with nothing, but are tasked with base building and automated production, Factorio-style. After some time learning the tools, budding space conquerors can build up entire space networks of production planets.
It seems almost impossible that a polished game like this is the work of just one solo developer. Although still in Early Access, the game functions so well that it is already highly playable. The developer is also passionate about their project, so fans are keenly anticipating what further content will be added.
7 Doors: Paradox
This title markets itself as an escape room simulator. Players are trapped in a room and must solve a number of puzzles in order to get out. The problem-solving is not so complex that many will get stuck for long, but it offers a pleasing challenge.
Some puzzles simply require the player to find a missing piece that can be found somewhere else in the room, using a point and click interface. Others will tax the mind a little more, but will lead to great satisfaction when figuring our the solution.
6 Mad Adventures
The game title describes itself pretty well. It is just mad, and offers plenty of multiplayer mayhem. In this 3D multiplayer platformer, players get to be as helpful or horrible as they like. The general premise is to survive through a number of levels with an online team, with all players upgrading themselves until reaching the final boss.
But there is such wonderful provision for sabotage here. Block teammates, hit them, or just spend earned coins in personal vanity items rather than lobby perks that would have benefited everyone. It's time to find out which friends are the biggest jerks, but in a really hilarious way.
5 A Castle Full Of Cats
This game is about a castle. The castle is full of cats. Find the cats and fall in love with their adorable little faces. There is a loose story with characters to meet, secrets to find, alternate paths to take, yadda yadda, but really it's all about the cats in this fantastic feline-finding fantasy.
The premise may seem quite niche, but cat-based games are some of the most highly rated on Steam. On the month of release this title had a 99% positive score. After all, who doesn't love kitties?
4 Lunistice
While the excellent Sonic Frontiers may steal most of the limelight this month, make sure this superb indie platformer is not ignored. With just a fragment of the budget, this developer has given a masterclass in how to make a compelling game.
With tight controls, beautifully imagined retro dreamscapes, sensational music and enough character to light up a room, Lunistice has captured hearts around the world already. It goes to show that a big budget is not required to leave a big impact on anyone's gaming life. This is indie platforming as it should be.
3 We Who Are About To Die
This is a fascinating depiction of being a Gladiator fighting in the Roman arenas. First comes setup, where players choose the skills and equipment they are going to train their warriors in. Then comes the combat, where every battle is played out in 3D in real-time.
Combat takes a while to learn, but is a very intuitive and a powerful force once the player has mastered the basics. Gradually players will start surviving longer in the various arenas and work their way into becoming champions. It's a superb romp that will get even more content during its Early Access period.
2 The Entropy Centre
This is a first-person puzzler in the vein of the Portal series. Apparently the entire world of humanity has been annihilated, and gamers are placed in the shoes of the last human alive. The answers lie deep inside The Entropy Centre.
As with similar puzzlers, players get a unique tool to help them: ASTRA, a kind of time-warp gun that allows the player to revert items and places back to a previous state in time. This creates all manner of puzzles, mostly very satisfying and well-thought-out. Graphics are very decent and the storyline and dialogue are of a high quality. It's a magnificent accomplishment for a sole indie developer.
1 Shadows Over Loathing
This is the sequel to the developer's previous title West of Loathing. Looking at screenshots, some may make assumptions about the quality of the game. Don't do that! This game is brimming with enough character to fill a large bucket, as well as humor and content that will make players smile and laugh out loud.
The fact that most of the in-game characters are stick figures actually works in its favor. It helps to create world that is so whimsical, so ridiculous, and so unexpected that new players simply cannot get over how awesome it is. Words will never do justice to explain Shadows Over Loathing.