Welcome to GTOGG’s September 2022 edition of Promising Indie Game Releases, where we highlight indie and non-mainstream titles that we believe deserve your attention – in other words, “look at all this potentially cool stuff you might’ve missed otherwise”. That would’ve been too long for a title, though.
In any case, let’s get right down to it.
Gloomwood
If you’re as familiar with Thief – the classic first-person stealth game from the late 90s – as I am, then Gloomwood should be right up your alley. Set in a Victorian city plastered with textures straight from 1998, the game feels like a trip back into the seedy alleyways and somber castle halls that made games like Thief: The Dark Project into enduring classics of their genre – granted, the game does get a little Dishonored-y with its action when the protagonist leaps off from a rooftop to stick his knife into the jugular vein of a nearby baddie, but hey, variety’s the spice of life.
Return to Monkey Island
Headed by Ron Gilbert and serving as a sequel to the first two Monkey Island games, Return to Monkey Island will see series protagonist Guybrush Threepwood embark on a brand-new adventure, meeting characters both old and new as he sails the high seas looking for adventure… and maybe, just maybe, the true secret of Monkey Island, whatever it may be.
Moonscars
A sprawling, non-linear metroidvania with punishing, Soulslike gameplay, Moonscars follows the travails of the warrior Grey Irma as she embarks on a journey to find the so-called Sculptor and discover the truth behind her own existence. Players will get to explore oppressively grim landscapes and uncover the secrets of a mysterious, dark fantasy narrative as they crush their enemies in visceral, jaw-droppingly animated pixel art combat.
Nine Noir Lives
A noir adventure with a playful edge, Nine Noir Lives will put you in the shoes of cat detective Cuddles Nutterbutter, who ends up looking into a curious murder case involving two powerful crime families – needless to say, you’ll have to solve countless puzzles, interact with a variety of zany characters and, in truly catlike fashion, lick everything you see in order to solve the case and ensure that justice is done.
Foretales
Set in a realm doomed by an apocalyptic prophecy, Foretales stars small-time thief Volepain, who sees a vision of the end before gathering his companions to… do whatever it is that you, the player, would like to accomplish. Featuring branching storylines and multiple endings, the game offers you the choice to make the story play out in various ways as you meet a diverse cast of characters and engage in thrilling, turn-based card battles – will you save the world or doom it?
Lovecraft’s Untold Stories 2
An action-RPG with heavy Lovecraftian influences (I mean, it’s even in the title!), Lovecraft’s Untold Stories 2 makes you dive head-first into yet another adventure of cosmic proportions. Set out alone or in co-op with a friend and choose from an expanded roster of heroes to slaughter your way through various beasties from the famed Cthulhu Mythos.
And that’s our list for now! Did you discover a new indie game to look forward to? Well, we hope you did. In any case, don’t forget to check back in about a month for our next episode, where we’ll be taking a look at the indie games of October 2022!
