#indie-games

#indie-games

When video game developer and publisher Panic launched its own console, Playdate, back in 2022, it upended just about all conventional wisdom when it came to gaming hardware. Coming just two months after Valve's Steam Deck, the micro-handheld was comparably laughably low in power, brandished a tiny monochrome screen, and took a minimalist approach to physical controls, with only a D-pad, two buttons, and a bizarre crank on offer.

Sony's latest State of Play was filled with spectacle, but amongst the juggernaut reveals like Wolverine, one indie game, Chronoscript: The Endless End, managed to cut through the noise. Announced for PlayStation 5 and Steam in 2026, this 2D action-adventure from DeskWorks and Shueisha Games doesn't just promise an intriguing story about a cursed manuscript; it challenges how we think about game art itself.

There were showcases this week from Critical Reflex (which was packed with neat oddities), Game Devs of Color, Six One Indie and Convergence. There's far too much cool stuff in these for us to highlight everything - during the Six One Indie preshow alone, I added three games to my Steam wishlist. So, if you're into indie games and have the time, I recommend checking these streams out.

After a long wait, Hollow Knight: Silksong is finally here, and it's undoubtedly the game of the moment for Metroidvania fans. Its divisive difficulty is as much a draw for some players as it is a slog for others, but whichever side of the divide you land on, it's hard to deny what an impact its launch has had. Whether you're looking for something to scratch the itch after Silksong or want another Metroidvania after bouncing off of it, there's an incredibly deep well ready to draw from.

Numbers suggest this isn't just nostalgia at work. While the global games market fluctuates, interest in pixel art and retro-inspired titles continues to grow. According to Cognitive Market Research, the pixel‑game games market is projected to expand at around 11.5% (CAGR) between 2024 and 2031. Indie titles, many leaning into 2D or pixel aesthetics, continue to be key drivers of engagement and discovery, even as saturation makes standing out increasingly challenging.

After 21 years of being lost to the annals of video game history, Acclaim Entertainment is back in the game with a new focus on indie developers. Today, the first-ever Play Acclaim Showcase highlighted nine games that are already part of the new Acclaim's portfolio, including a few that are available to play right now.

Welcome to our latest recap of what's going on in the indie game space. Folks, it's here. You know it's here. So, we'll touch on it, but briefly. Some developers and publishers opted not to delay their games out of this week (others have done that to get some breathing space from you-know-what), so there are several other newcomers to highlight.

AI Overviews offered incorrect information about the game to some players, as well as the crew at Spilt Milk Studios when they tested the responses. For instance, AI Overviews suggested that a player could damage a trinket when they were removing debris from it, which is not true. It also in some cases delivered the correct information, but pointed the user to an incorrect source.

They made the announcement with the help of a funny clip that sees Baby Steps protagonist Nate trying to scale a replica of Silksong's Hornet only to inevitably tumble into the dirt. "Nate, the wary, onesie-donned failson at the heart of the eccentric adventure in literal walking simulator Baby Steps, has stumbled after attempting to ascend his greatest challenge yet: launching the week after Hollow Knight: Silksong's surprise release date," Devolver said in a press release.

Gamescom 2025 is wrapping up this weekend, but the winners of the annual Gamescom Awards have already been named. This year's biggest winner was Resident Evil Requiem, which took home four awards, including Best Sony PlayStation Game. There were some surprises along the way--including the winner of the inaugural Best Nintendo Switch 2 Game--and there were surprise winners among the indie titles like Windup's Hela, which won two awards against stiff competition from more established games like Donkey Kong Bananza.

Ratshaker offers a unique horror experience, tasking players with solving puzzles through a bizarre narrative that initially appears quirky but soon reveals unnerving truths.

The bizarre fever dream of Jona Bechtolt and Claire Evans of the music band Yacht emerged in the wake of the COVID pandemic, as a creative outlet for storytelling.

UFO 50 is a wildly varied set of retro-styled games belonging to a fictional console, created by a made-up developer UFO Soft from the 80s.

The Drifter tells the story of Mick Carter, a homeless man attempting to return to his hometown to pay respects to his recently departed mother.

The first two Monument Valley games would surely be first-ballot inductees in a mobile games hall of fame, establishing a high standard for gaming quality.

A recent report indicates that the number of games on Steam disclosing the use of generative AI has skyrocketed by 700% within a year, increasing from around 1,000 to nearly 8,000.

Kaizen - A Factory Story is a puzzler set in 1980s Japan where players build popular electronics like calculators and arcade cabinets.

There are so many indie games and very few outlets willing to cover them, highlighting the overwhelming state of indie gaming.

Indie-Penance Day is an event celebrating unknown or under-known indie games, allowing Kotaku to focus on smaller titles amidst a landscape dominated by AAA games.

An interesting story about Peak, a co-op climbing game, highlights how smart marketing and community engagement helped it sell over 2 million copies in just nine days.