Niche & Indie Game News

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Discover the hidden gems of the gaming world with Niche & Indie Game News. Get the latest updates, reviews, and insights on unique and innovative games from independent developers. Explore the road less traveled in gaming!

2D road trip sim from Post Void devs, Keep Driving, launches in February Load up on energy drinks, because Keep Driving , the road trip sim from the devs behind Post Void , is launching on PC on February 6th. I played the demo of Keep Driving back in October, and the biggest complaint I came away with was that its difficulty leaned on the easy side, which I largely attributed to its unbalanced economy. I was able to get quite a bit of padding in my pocket, which made it really easy to deal with any trouble that came my way. https://youtu.be/nT5YZlFKDgA?feature=shared The best description I can give of Keep Driving is that it’s a lot like Oregon Trail . It’s set during the early 2000s, with you setting out in your very first car to enjoy the last days of your youth. You don’t exactly drive, but instead, set your car on its journey, then make decisions as various events turn up to complicate your relaxing drive. They range from simple potholes to livestock. Each time one pops up, you use a variety of ability cards to try and mitigate the effects it can have. You can sometimes pick up hitchhikers who can either help or hinder your trip. The goal is to keep yourself and your car together long enough to reach it to your friend’s house to play video games. I’m pretty excited to see how Keep Driving was improved on over the past few months. It was already in decent shape in October and just needed a bit more meat and a bit of polish. Should be a good time. Keep Driving releases on February 6, 2025 for PC. The post 2D road trip sim from Post Void devs, Keep Driving, launches in February appeared first on Destructoid .

Indie Archives – DestructoidJan 20

Blade Chimera Review — Yokai HunterBlade Chimera is a new Metroidvania title that breaks the mold and hits you with nostalgic vibes. Interesting mechanics and great worldbuilding await at an incredibly fair price, with a decent pace and a difficulty that makes the game accessible to new players while still appealing to genre veterans. However, some die-hard Metroidvania fans might […] The post Blade Chimera Review — Yokai Hunter appeared first on Try Hard Guides .

Game Reviews – Try Hard GuidesJan 18

New Hyper Light Breaker update makes the game playable on the Steam Deck Hyper Light Breaker is a pretty darn neat game, even if it does have all the usual roughness of an Early Access release, but its Steam Deck performance was practically inexcusable on launch day . Somewhat unexpectedly, the developer Heart Machine has already managed to turn that around, however! Heart Machine made a name for itself with the original Hyper Light Drifter , a practically legendary top-down hack 'n' slash indie adventure that sets the stage for Breaker . Seeing Hyper Light Drifter release in Early Access the way it did made me slightly worried about what the future might hold, but Hotfix v0.5.1.107947 has thankfully dispelled many of my concerns. Specifically, shoddy performance remains one of Breaker 's biggest problems, but I am thrilled to report that the game is no longer unplayable on the Steam Deck. The flip side of the coin is that there's some serious weirdness with how Heart Machine handles the Deck in general. Image via Heart Machine You can now enjoy Hyper Light Breaker on the Steam Deck, but there's still some strangeness about I am thrilled that Hyper Light Breaker runs reasonably well on the Deck. The gameplay loop is a perfect match for the console, and the new hotfix's performance improvements have already made for a genuinely enjoyable experience. Heart Machine has already promised more optimization to come, and soon: "The strongest feedback we’ve received this week focuses on performance, particularly on lower-end machines and the Steam Deck. Today’s Hotfix includes a large number of performance improvements and improved Graphics Settings. Expect even more improvements in future planned updates as well." I didn't anticipate the difference between the graphics settings a Steam Deck has access to and those you have on a regular PC setup. In my previous article, I mentioned that Hyper Light Breaker only lets you tweak three different settings: Shadow quality Foliage distance Prop detail The new hotfix changed that on the Steam Deck, but not necessarily for the better. On the Deck, you now only have access to: Ambient occlusion Film effects Film grain Chromatic aberration That's right: the three original settings have been taken out of the graphics sub-menu and replaced with a handful of entirely different ones instead. Why is that the case? I do not know, but it gets weirder still. You see, the regular PC build of Hyper Light Breaker has what I would call a proper graphics tweak menu: Screenshot by Destructoid It's still far from perfect, but it's genuinely helpful and allows you to tweak the visual experience however you see fit. There's no real way to do so on the Steam Deck at this time, and I cannot fathom why this would be the case unless there's something very painfully obvious that I keep missing. My gut feeling is that Heart Machine is trying to deliver a curated, optimized experience on the Steam Deck. This is fair, and an approach that's more than valid for what is at its core a very low-spec gaming laptop. Yet, I do not see the value in only giving Steam Deck users a gutted version of the PC build's graphics settings, no matter how I flip it. Another possibility is that the Steam Deck's options UI is somehow squeezed together and only displays a small portion of the full settings list. Since only the four bottom options show up on the Deck, that's a distinctively realistic option but a problem nonetheless. This whole realization has sort of overshadowed Heart Machine's hotfixing efforts for me personally, though I'm sure the team will eventually get around to resolving this apparent problem in due time. Otherwise, Hyper Light Breaker is proving to be rather good overall, and I can finally recommend it. Even on the Steam Deck, as long as you're okay with not being able to tweak settings however you want! The post New Hyper Light Breaker update makes the game playable on the Steam Deck appeared first on Destructoid .

Indie Archives – DestructoidJan 17

Hyper Light Breaker Early Access ReviewHyper Light Breaker is an exciting new roguelike that has just entered Early Access. A fresh addition to the Hyper Light franchise, this game offers thrilling combat, an engaging universe, and some fun ideas. However, balancing and performance issues mar the Early Access launch, and some systems might require significant rework before the game is […] The post Hyper Light Breaker Early Access Review appeared first on Try Hard Guides .

Game Reviews – Try Hard GuidesJan 17

Best cozy games coming out in 2025 Whether you want to start life over on a run-down farm or you want a new challenge to absorb all of your spare time, there’s never a shortage of cozy games ready and waiting to distract you from reality. 2025 is set to be a big year for the genre, with a myriad of announced titles set to release. Although games like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing served to propel the cozy gaming genre to a huge number of new players, the genre has been around for far longer. Some would pinpoint the birth of cozy games with Little Computer People, released for multiple platforms in 1985. We’ve come a long way since then, but cozy games are still a firm favorite for many. Many cozy titles are set to release this year, make their way to new platforms, or leave early access behind. As something of a cozy gamer myself, here are 15 that I’m looking forward to getting into. Kitori Academy Image via Cubenary Although there is no set release date for Kitori Academy yet, and the Kickstarter page still suggests that the game should have been fully released in 2023, all signs point to this magical cozy game being released at some point in 2025. Of course, that’s not set in stone, but the gorgeous art style and promising concept of the game are hard not to be hopeful about. In Kitori Academ y , you take on the role of a wizard apprentice who attends the academy alongside their pet cat. If you’ve ever wanted to head off to Hogwarts, this will definitely appeal to you. Not only can you train in the arts of potion brewing and spellcasting with an aim to tackle the curse that threatens the land, but you can also grow vegetables and build relationships with those around you. Discounty Image via Crinkle Cut Games Discounty is what would happen if Jojamart were in charge of Stardew Valley. Rather than trying to save the town from a money-hungry conglomerate, Discounty will give you control over the local town store and hand you the power to pour contamination into the water stream. Or, you could take the other, more honorable route, but that’s been done before, right? There are plenty of townsfolk to make friends with in Blomkest – or turn into enemies if you disturb the peace of the quiet town by growing your business too rapidly. You get to pick your stock, set the prices, and make trade deals to thrive one way or another. Essentially, you get to become Pierre, and that’s weirdly appealing. We Harvest Shadows Image via David Wehle Admittedly, We Harve s t Shadow s can only be described as ‘cozy’ if you ignore the large number of horror elements at play, but there are some who find relaxation in creepy surroundings. The game takes inspiration from the terrifying folklore surrounding the Appalachian mountains. You know the ones — “if you hear someone calling your name, no, you didn’t”. But that’s just one side of We Harvest Shadows . The cozy elements come in the form of farming, fixing up your house, looking after your animals, and getting to know those who live in the area surrounding the farm. There’s a huge focus on slow-burn storytelling, rather than throwing you in at the deep end with pure horror and jump scares, so you can take your time enjoying the cozy before giving yourself nightmares. Fields of Mistria Screenshot by Destructoid Fields of Mistria is technically already available to play and has been since it entered Early Access in August 2024. There’s already so much to do, including over 40 hours of gameplay and endless customization, never mind all of the friends you can make along the way. However, it is set to leave early access behind at some point during 2025, fully packed with features that currently aren’t implemented. According to the roadmap, more levels are set to be added to the Mines, new NPCs are due to arrive, and many new items are likely to arrive, too. I’m very much a fan of Fields of Mistria , and those who have played it already have fallen in love with the world and the people in it. It’s easy to lose hours while playing, and it’s worth diving in whenever you’re ready. Solarpunk Image via Rokaplay If you’re looking for a cozy game with space to drag your friends along for the ride, Solarpunk might be it, although it’s perfect if you want to do some solo gaming as well. It is a survival game with an emphasis on rebuilding and thriving on futuristic floating islands, although there’s a huge amount of cottagecore goodness to be found even in the technologically advanced setting. While the game will center around building up a farmstead using farming, crafting, and gathering skills and harnessing natural energy to power it all, there’s also an exploration element to Solarpunk. Eventually, you’ll be able to build a private airship, facilitating travel to islands further afield so that you can gather resources and materials or make new friends along the way. Witchbrook Image via Chucklefish 2025 might be the year of magic-based cozy games, with Witchbrook being the second on this list based in the more fantastical realm. With instantly familiar graphics and an emphasis on friendship building, Witchbrook has all of the elements that point to success and is definitely worth keeping an eye on as we get closer to release day. Once again, you enroll at a College of Witchcraft to learn everything there is to know about magic, but that’s not all there is to Witchbrook . You’ll be able to cook, grow plants, forage, and even soar through the skies on a broom. Eventually, you move on to postgraduate studies and take on deliveries for the locals, allowing you to build friendships or romantic relationships with those both inside and outside of the college walls. While Waiting Image via Optillusion Sometimes, it can be hard to sit back and watch the world around you without any input, but While Waiting is a cozy game that aims to challenge the control freak in all of us, no matter how big or small that part of us may be. The game even comes with a warning that it might get boring at times, but that’s not necessarily the case. While the aim of Just Waiting is overwhelmingly simple – just wait – there is no shortage of things to do or experience while you do. I mean, yes, you might technically be waiting for a bus or for the rain to stop, and nothing you do will make that waiting time go any quicker, but there’s still a lot to interact with in each scene and many puzzles to figure out to complete objectives. Hello Kitty Island Adventure Image via Sunblink I know that Hello Kitty Island Adventure was first released in 2023, but thanks to the exclusive availability on only the Apple Arcade, many people have never had the chance to play. Now, it’s coming to both Nintendo Switch and PC through Steam, opening up the Sanrio world to a whole new influx of players. With all of the most well-loved Sanrio characters (including Gudetama, a fact that makes my heart sing), Hello Kitty Island Adventure has won a long list of rewards for gameplay and design. There are 80 quests to complete, many friends to make, crafting and gathering to be done, and all of it in Sanrio’s telltale kawaii style. Ritual of Raven Image via Spellgarden Games Ritual of Raven isn’t the first cozy game from Spellgarden Games, but it is their first foray into the world of farming sims. You might be familiar with its previous cozy gem, Sticky Business , and the now familiar art style has been transformed into a lively, story-based life sim that revolves around growing herbs in a magical world while accompanied by your trusty raven. Not only can you cultivate your herb garden with the power of magic, but you can also truly personalize your space with decorations. A few friendly neighbors are waiting to form friendships with you, and you can even learn how to control the phases of the moon in your own self-interest. Ritual of Raven has been on my radar since it was announced in August 2024, and I can’t wait to dive in and play. Outbound Image via Square Glade Games In Outbound , you’re in control of a camper van with a huge map to explore, materials to be scavenged, and endless customization options as you turn the camper van into your own ideal home on wheels. You can play both solo or with up to four friends, and there’s no right or wrong, making Outbound truly cozy in every sense of the word. You’ll need to adapt your play style depending on how far you venture, with everything from expansive fields to treacherous mountains to explore, but your trusty camper van can go everywhere with you. You can also establish a base camp by building around the camper van, growing plants, and learning to cook the ingredients you cultivate. Crimson Hollow Image via Sheeba Studios And just like that, another magic-based cozy game is waiting to be tried. Cr imson Hollow will allow you to try your hand at skills like mining, blacksmithing, herbalism, alchemy, and fishing because what would a cozy game be if there was no fishing? It’s almost a basic requirement at this point. Almost. Outside of your own farming and gathering tasks, there are also quests to complete and townsfolk to meet, befriend, or become romantically entangled with. Building relationships will uncover new secrets or perks, and you’ll also be able to customize not only your character but also your home. With a cute cartoon art style and an intriguing story waiting to be told, Crimson Hollow is worth keeping on your radar. Date Everything Image via Team17 Date Everythin g is proof that there’s a fine line between just-plain-weird and weirdly-cozy. Dating sims aren’t exactly a new thing, but Date Everything takes, well, everything, to the extreme. Rather than meeting and picking up regular people, Date Everything puts you in a house and offers you the chance to date everything from the lamps to the dishwasher. How many times can I say “date everything” in one paragraph? The concept is bizarre, but there’s a lot of appeal there. While I can’t say I’ve ever thought about the potential personified appearance of my TV cabinet, I’m intrigued to see what it could look like if given the chance to become something more than it currently is. There are 100 characters waiting to be pulled from the furniture and appliances; the whole pun-filled experience is fully voice-acted by a large number of recognizable voices, featuring three endings per character. That’s a lot to get absorbed in. Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game Image via Private Division There’s something infinitely appealing about life in Hobbiton, The Shire, Middle Earth. It’s picturesque, quiet, laid back, and outside of the appearance of Gandalf and Pippin and Merry’s insistence on causing chaos, there’s very little drama. That sounds relaxing, peaceful, and, dare I say it, ultimately cozy. In Tales of the Sh ire , you can immerse yourself in Hobbit life. Farming, fishing, foraging, and, of course, the most important task for any Hobbit, cooking. No Hobbit hole is complete without a well-stocked pantry, and second breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Stock up on potatoes, and explore the village of Bywater to create connections with your fellow Hobbits, which is greatly helped by sharing meals. Loftia Image via Cloud Games Lofti a is a cross between a life sim and a small-scale MMO. You have your own floating island that can be customized and used to farm, forage, and craft your way to a brighter future. You can then join players nearby to form neighborhoods, using ethical energy to power your creations in this sustainable new world. Through the use of hydroponics, trellis farming, repurposing trash into usable furniture, and scavenging from abandoned factories, you can create a utopia while uncovering hidden stories to play through and locations to explore. There’s also the ability to adopt companions, including capybaras, turtles, and even some as-yet unrevealed endangered creatures. As if that’s not enough, you can dress them in adorable outfits, instantly making Loftia worth your time. inZOI Screenshot by Destructoid It’s been hard to avoid hearing about inZOI over the last few months, especially for those heavily into The Sim s and other similar titles. inZOI takes the proven life sim concept and throws it into the 21st century with almost photo-realistic graphics and endless customization possibilities powered by what KRAFTON has promised to be ethical generative AI. There have been countless videos of early gameplay released through YouTubers such as MadMorph , and KRAFTON also released the character studio demo for a few weeks toward the end of 2024, allowing players a glimpse of what’s to come. And what’s to come looks incredibly impressive. With ultimate control over everything from the weather to the type of wild creatures you can encounter and the possibility to upload photos of your own items to import and use in the game, there’s no end of new things to try when inZOI eventually gets a full release on March 28. The post Best cozy games coming out in 2025 appeared first on Destructoid .

Indie Archives – DestructoidJan 16

Final Knight Early Access ReviewFinal Knight feels like Castle Crashers meets MapleStory. This roguelike beat-em-up tasks you to gather a party, go out on epic quests, defeat great monsters, and gather legendary loot. With excellent pixel art and a focus on the aspects that appeal most to fans of “fantasy adventuring party”-type games and stories, Final Knight has much […] The post Final Knight Early Access Review appeared first on Try Hard Guides .

Game Reviews – Try Hard GuidesJan 15

Age of Darkness: Final Stand Review — Face the Darkness (With a Friend!)Age of Darkness: Final Stand has easily become one of my favorite new games. Another great title from the developers of Kill Knight, this RTS effortlessly combines proven fan-favorite genre mechanics with smart twists on the formula, a phenomenal fantasy setting, and the ingenious inclusion of multiple gameplay elements. Age of Darkness: Final Stand stands […] The post Age of Darkness: Final Stand Review — Face the Darkness (With a Friend!) appeared first on Try Hard Guides .

Game Reviews – Try Hard GuidesJan 15

Weird rhythm-RPG follow-up Everhood 2 launches in March Warm up your tapping toes, Foreign Gnomes has announced that the sequel to Chris Nordgren and Jordi Roca’s 2021 musical RPG, Everhood will be releasing soon on PC and Switch. Everhood 2 is set to launch on March 4, 2025. Everhood was one of the first games I reviewed as a full-ish staff member at Destructoid. I didn’t love it! While a lot of what I cited as a problem in my review was technical related, the truth is that there was a story thematic later in the game that I found to be, um, problematic. But it’s buried so deep in there that I would have had to spoil quite a lot to have really gone into it in depth. https://youtu.be/mzGP9Itd1M8?feature=shared However, I did mention other problems like weak characters and the fact that it tries to pull the subversive fake ending nonsense way too many times. I don’t think about Everhood very often these days, and I’ve lost quite a few specifics in my memory, but I still remember the general issues I have with it. On the other hand, I don’t think it was a bad game. It showed promise, and I think that could be delivered on in a sequel. Storytelling is a skill that can be built, after all, and the gameplay was pretty rad. A lot of it was like Guitar Hero , but instead of strumming the notes, you avoid them. Twists would constantly get thrown in along the way, and it could get pretty intense. The details on the narrative are a bit hard to follow. It seems that you’ll be playing an avatar of yourself, and you’re “on a quest to slay the mysterious Mind Dragon before the world decays.” All right. It promises over 100 songs and will last 8-10 hours. That’s, like, 2 ½ minutes per song. I have a calculator here. Except there’s likely walking and talking to people in between, so that’s not going to be accurate. Or even useful. You’re welcome. Everhood will release on PC and Switch on March 4, 2025. The post Weird rhythm-RPG follow-up Everhood 2 launches in March appeared first on Destructoid .

Indie Archives – DestructoidJan 14

How to open the farmhouse in Dreaming Isles In Dreaming Isles , you're a hapless sailor who's washed ashore on a desolate island, and it's up to you to turn it into a respectable farm. The good news is there's a farmhouse nearby. The bad news is that it's locked. Here's how to open the farmhouse in Dreaming Isles . How to rebuild the bridge in Dreaming Isles Image via Destructoid One of the first things you'll notice after you've picked yourself up out of the sand and explored a bit is the splintered bridge to the left of the farmhouse. For now, this is your only way off the island, so you'll want to get that fixed as soon as possible. Interacting with the bridge reveals you need ten pieces of wood to fix it. Luckily, plenty of trees are growing on the island, and its previous owner was kind enough to leave you a tool to get them down for lumber. Head up north until you find the chest sitting under the gigantic tree. Hover your cursor over the chest and click the right mouse button to open it. You'll find an axe inside. Click on it to move it into your inventory. Once you've got the axe, equip it by clicking on the axe icon in your hot bar or clicking the 1-0 key on your keyboard, whichever works for you. Head to the nearest tree and click on it with the right mouse key to hack away. It should fall after a few swings, dropping 3-5 pieces of lumber. Once you've got 1o pieces, head back to the bridge and click the gap to repair it. How to find the farmhouse key in Dreaming Isles Image via Destructoid Now that you've fixed the bridge, head to the island to your left. This is the lucky little patch of land that will become your farm. Walk to the upper-left-most area of the island. You'll find an ominous-looking angel statue with a less-ominous silver key at its feet. Guess what it unlocks! Once you're back on the main island with the key, click on the farmhouse door to unlock it. Now, you've got a roof over your head, a bed to lie down in, and access to a crafting table, kitchen, and an underground tunnel you can use to explore the rest of the island and start building the pirate life you've always dreamed of. The post How to open the farmhouse in Dreaming Isles appeared first on Destructoid .

Indie Archives – DestructoidJan 13

Airborne Empire takes flight into Early Access I hope you aren’t afraid of heights, because The Wandering Band’s skybound city-builder, Airborne Empire launched into Early Access today. It’s now available on Steam. Airborne Empire is the sequel to the well-received 2020 city-builder, Airborne Kingdom . It continues the concept of building flying (Airborne, if you will) civilizations. Having never played the original, it’s hard for me to tell you exactly what’s different, but I can tell you that this one has you constructing the ultimate flying fortress. You travel the world, helping people and fending off sky pirates, while developing technologies that will help your sky neighborhood soar. https://youtu.be/4gr6SS4JjNo?feature=shared According to the Early Access blurb , “When we launch into Early Access, the most important features of the game will already be there: building, researching, balance, lift, movement, dialogue, and more.” However, it gets very honest directly after that, saying, “The launch version has an enjoyable gameplay loop, but is still a bit bare-bones, lacking content and polish.” I personally appreciate the up-front warning. Furthermore, the Early Access run is planned for one year, during which time they “plan to add new building types, new biomes, new events/missions and expand the background story of the game.” Listen, the most important thing I can think of here: “Weather system.” I know that sounds like sarcasm, but I honestly love a good weather system in games. Airborne Empire is now available in Early Access on PC via Steam. The post Airborne Empire takes flight into Early Access appeared first on Destructoid .

Indie Archives – DestructoidJan 13