So, as we all know, there are new video games being developed all the time, every day. This doesn’t just apply to the AAA industry; it also very much affects the indie scene. There are tons and tons of new and exciting indie games being shown off, and honestly, it’s probably impossible to keep track of every single one, so I’m not even going to try. Instead, what I’m hoping to do is pick out some surprisingly promising titles that made me question why I hadn’t heard about them before. You know, in a “holy wow, something like this is getting made?!” kind of way.
Anyhow, let’s dive in!
Project Shadowglass
The original Thief was one of my big childhood games growing up in the late 90s and early 2000s, so you can probably imagine why I’m excited for this one. Project Shadowglass does indeed introduce itself as being a “love letter” to classic immersive sims like Thief, Deus Ex and System Shock – games that place an emphasis on player freedom and open-ended levels that reward creativity and encourage alternate solutions. If you need a somewhat more modern example of this type of game, it’s basically Dishonored. But I digress. Project Shadowglass seems to offer exactly what I want from a solid immersive sim, but if I’m being perfectly honest, I’m just excited for another game where I can be a medieval thief who puts out torches with water arrows, blackjacks unsuspecting guards and sneaks into creepy castles to steal loot. I’m a simple man, that’s all I need, and the last Thief we got was a VR game, so you can imagine how starved I am. Anyway, that’s why Project Shadowglass is very much on my radar. Dear developers, please don’t screw it up.
Silver Pines
Okay, so Silver Pines is… a survival horror metrodvania, and those are definitely three words I like seeing next to each other. No, but seriously, just watch a few clips from this game and you’ll see what I mean. It almost reminds me of a 2D Alan Wake with a splash of Twin Peaks and Silent Hill, and that’s a pretty killer combo. Two things really stood out to me here: 1, the smooth combat animations and 2. the art style, which sort of reminds me of comic book with a dark, detective noir feel. I also expect this to be more than just a simple survival horror game, in fact, I have high hopes for the narrative in particular, so I really hope it delivers on that front as well. I’m expecting some juicy twists and turns. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
HABROMANIA
The American McGee’s Alice comparisons would be easy to make here, so let’s skip over that. Instead, let’s read the definition of the game’s very own namesake, the condition known as “habromania”. It’s “a form of insanity characterized by delusions of a cheerful or joyous nature.” On the surface, HABROMANIA (the game, that is) seems to be a fairly straightforward point & click adventure game that nonetheless builds certain expectations – inspired by Alice in Wonderland, it looks quirky, cute and even a bit goofy, but deep down, it appears to harbor a terrible secret. I mean, the game doesn’t really try to hide the fact that its protagonist probably did something terrible in the past and is likely blocking it out of her mind through Wonderland-inspired delusions, but that doesn’t make the whole thing any less intriguing.
Am I Nima
Am I Nima is a psychological horror game with a setup that took about five seconds to get my attention. The protagonist is a young girl called Nima who lost her memories and remembers nothing about her past or who she even is. But here’s the thing: her mother has locked her in the basement because she’s not entirely sure her daughter is actually who she claims to be. So, your job in the game is try and act like Nima in order convince your mother that you’re really, well… you. In terms of gameplay, you’re basically collecting words (or rather, thoughts and ideas) inside your brain, and then combine them in order to form new connections and gain new words to be used in dialogue scenes. Naturally, the word combinations you discover also provide disturbing clues regarding Nima’s past and the nature of her condition, but it’s really the inherent ambiguity of the premise that made me want to dig deeper: is Nima really just an amnesiac and the victim of some past trauma… or is this a game about a body snatching alien pretending to be a young girl? Who knows? And that’s what’s so cool about it.
The Bagman
This one’s a retro-style, stealth-based horror adventure game very clearly inspired by the classic Clock Tower series – it uses the tried-and-true formula of having to play hide and seek with a persistent stalker that’s always roaming the area, so imagine something like Alien: Isolation or the RE2 remake’s Tyrant, except… in 2D, with some really gorgeous pixel art. What also makes the game particularly interesting is the way it lets you give commands to your NPC partners. Let’s say I’m hiding inside a closet while the monster is roaming outside – when this happens, I can use my radio to let my partner know and ask him to provide a little distraction so I could actually come out of hiding and continue exploring or solving puzzles. And trust me, trying to escape from a monster that’s always looking for you is still pretty intense in 2D. As I said, the pixel art is also incredible, with some pretty grotesque details, so if you’re a fan of body horror and classic slasher films, you’ll probably want to check this one out.
The Many Sins of House Ocampo
If you’ve played the free horror adventure game If On A Winter's Night, Four Travelers, and wanted more from the same developer, well… your wishes have been granted, because The Many Sins of House Ocampo is exactly that: a new project from that same team. It’s still going to be an adventure game with some incredible pixel art, but this time, we’re following the investigations of a woman trying to uncover some of the most horrifying secrets of her own family, reliving the final moments of each family member to uncover what ultimately happened to them. Winter Night was already an amazingly chilling and memorable point and click experience, so I have no doubts that we’ll be getting something special with this new game, too.
Silent Planet - Elegy of a Dying World
Silent Planet – Elegy of a Dying World is a game that just so happens to combine some of my favorite things of all time. It’s a retro-style metroidvania inspired by Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, it’s also gothic sci-fi, and has cosmic horror elements as well. Let that sink in. This is s sci-fi, cosmic horror metroidvania that’s taking inspiration from the best Castelvania game. So yeah. Needless to say, I’m pretty excited for it. The story takes place in the year 2997, and you’re exploring this underground facility to look for the so-called Angel’s Egg, a mysterious artifact that’s apparently the source of all life in the universe, and along the way, you encounter all sorts of unspeakable horrors. Everything about this project looks insanely good, from the pixel art to the music, the animations, the designs of the world and the monsters, so as a huge fan of Castlevania and cosmic horror in general, I’m really looking forward to it.
NULLLINE
NULLLINE is a game whose title I’m not entirely sure how to pronounce, but that doesn’t stop me from including it on my list. It’s a point & click adventure game with an incredible, dystopian world where you play as a so-called Line Drifter who dives into the minds of corrupted androids in order to uncover their secrets. It’s also described as dark, cyber-noir adventure where you’ll be exploring the boundaries between reality and the digital mind, which already sounds really interesting to me. That said, very little has been shown about the game so far, but I think it passes the vibe check, so to speak, so I’ll be looking forward to how it turns out.
BECROWNED
When I first discovered BECROWNED, I thought it would mostly be a survival horror game paying homage to Silent Hill, and while it’s obviously doing that too, after playing its demo, I was very happy to find out that it’s very much doing its own thing, too. Obviously, you’re exploring some nightmarish locations as you try to uncover the story behind the protagonist, but I was really pleasantly surprised when the game mixed modern, everyday locations with strange, almost Dark Soulsian medieval castles and dark fantasy aesthetics. It really added a unique flavor to the game, is what I’m trying to say. My only complain is that the melee combat felt a little clunky when I played the demo, but other than that, it’s very clear how much effort and creativity went into the project, so this is another one to keep an eye on.
HOLLOW MIRE
HOLLOW MIRE is an adventure game with a heavy narrative focus that promises to explore some really dark and mature themes. It works with two protagonists: John Rowe is a war veteran who returns from World War II to find that his family is missing, and is now trying to uncover the truth about them as a journalist. Meanwhile, Gwen Porter is a detective who starts investigating the case of an escaped killer out in the countryside. Their two stories and investigations intertwine as you explore post-war England, and your choices will have consequences, with your decisions leading to one of eight potential endings. I’ve always loved a good mystery, and the game’s time period is also very fascinating to me, so I’m really hoping this one turns out well, especially since it’s going to be exploring some pretty heavy themes.
