An old-school Zelda-like, Skate Bums and other new indie games worth checking out

Source: Engadget

Indie Game Round‑up

Welcome to our latest roundup of what’s going on in the indie game space. As a reminder, the latest edition of Steam Next Fest runs from February 23 – March 2, during which you’ll be able to check out demos for hundreds of upcoming games. A bunch are available already, including one for Denshattack! – I definitely recommend checking it out. As it turns out, doing Tony Hawk Pro Skater‑style tricks with a high‑speed Japanese train absolutely rips.

On Thursday there were four showcases highlighting indie games all in a single day. It isn’t feasible to recap them in full here, but I can at least tell you about a few of the many highlights.

Black Voices in Gaming – Black History Month Edition

Trailers and interviews for games that are already available, plus a look at upcoming titles.

• Space Warlord Baby Trading Simulator – already released.
• Aerial_Knight’s DropShot – already released.
• Relooted – already released.

The stream also featured plenty of games that are on the way.

Erased – from solo developer Jerron Jacques – looks pretty interesting. It’s an open‑world fighting game set in a cyber‑punk world with dance battles, parkour, pets, strange creatures, and much more. Jacques has been documenting the game’s development on social media and even performed some of the parkour motion‑capture work personally.

Convergence Showcase

More good stuff, plus a few exciting announcements.

• Mouse: P.I. for Hire – first‑person shooter with rubber‑hose animation, set to arrive March 19. This week’s showcase gave us a first look at one of the game’s bosses.
• Gecko Gods – Zelda‑inspired adventure. Release date April 16 on Nintendo Switch, PS5, and PC (on my wishlist since 2022).
• Wax Heads (aka Low Fidelity) – record‑shop simulator coming to PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and Switch on May 5. A Steam Next Fest demo is already available.

Indie Fan Fest – Second Edition

More indie gems and a few surprising releases.

• Raccoin (Balatro publisher Playstack) – roguelike deck‑builder that looks like a coin pusher. Release date March 31; Steam Next Fest demo is live.
• GridBeat (Ridiculous Games) – rhythm‑based dungeon crawler where you, a hacker, escape a corporate network after stealing data. Coming to Nintendo Switch and Steam on March 26; demo available.
• InKonbini: One Store. Many Stories – Japanese convenience‑store sim with a narrower release window. Launching on Steam, PS5, Switch, and Xbox in April.

Quebec Games Celebration Showcase

Spotlight on games from the “neck of the woods.”

• Surfpunk – co‑op action RPG that feels like Hades with surfing. Procedurally generated islands, four weapon classes, craftable gadgets, and an updated Steam demo (~5 hours of gameplay). Developed by Double Stallion (the team behind Convergence: A League of Legends Story). Release later this year.
• Croak – precision platformer from Woodrunner Games, heavily inspired by Celeste. The studio’s head of “barketing” (and the hand‑drawn visuals) are worth a look.
• Tears of Metal – hack‑and‑slash roguelite from Paper Cult Games (the studio behind Bloodroots). Steam demo available; expected release this spring.
• Silent Planet – gothic sci‑fi Metroidvania that looks quite tasty.

New Releases

Under The Island

• Looks and sounds very The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past‑coded (my favorite game of all time, so I’m not complaining).
• Protagonist Nia wields a hockey stick as a weapon.

Action PRG from Slime King Games (co‑publishers Top Hat Studios and Doyoyo Games). Strong early reviews. Available now on Steam, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and Switch for $20 (15 % launch sale; PS Plus required for the discount on PS4/PS5).

Demon Tides

• 3D open‑world platformer from Fabraz (developers of Bubsy 4D and Demon Turf).
• Features paragliders, hookshots, shapeshifting, and graffiti creation that appears in other players’ games.
• Out now on Steam for $25 (discounted to $20 until March 5).

Skate Bums

• 2D skateboarding game in the tradition of the OlliOlli series.
• Play as novice skateboarder Lux, taking down the gang of bullies known as the Skate Bums.
• Features “weird characters,” sick combos, coins to collect, and wrecking balls to dodge.
• Simple directional trick system; runs are short—ideal for quick pick‑up‑and‑play sessions on Nintendo Switch (and the upcoming Switch 2).

Pricing

• Regular price: $15
• 15 % discount until February 27 – Lucky Last Studio

Love Eternal

Psychological horror platformer – brlka (developer) & Ysbryd Games (publisher)

• Premise: Escape the domain of a selfish god.
• Gameplay: Flip between different gravitational pulls in a precision platformer starring teenager Maya.
• Story hook: During a family dinner, Maya’s family vanishes and she awakens in an eerie, desolate Iron‑Age‑castle realm.
• Platforms: Steam, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch
• Price: $10 (with a 15 % launch discount – PS Plus required on PlayStation)

Upcoming

Adventure Game Aptitude Test (AGAT) – Woe Industries

• When: Any time between 1 PM – 2 PM ET, February 28
• Duration: 4 hours to complete an ’80s adventure game of Woe Industries’ choosing.
• Monitoring: Browser and smartphone activity will be checked to prevent walkthrough use.
• Reward: AGAT certification and diploma upon successful completion.

People of Note – Iridium Studios

Musical narrative adventure

• Release: April 7 on Steam, Epic Games Store, Xbox App (PC), Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
• Price: $25 (with a 10 % launch discount)
• Premise: Follow pop singer Cadence on her quest for stardom, battling enemies with turn‑based and rhythm‑based mechanics.
• Accessibility: Turn‑off combat or environmental‑puzzle elements for a more relaxed experience.
• Demo: 90‑minute Next Fest demo available on Steam.

Titanium Court – AP Thomson & Fellow Traveller

Surrealist roguelike strategy

• Description: “Impossibly difficult to describe” (press release).
• Gameplay: Match‑three, auto‑battle, and tower‑defense elements aimed at “clowns and criminals.”
• Trailer: Features an odd, Bill Callahan‑esque song.
• Accolades: Already nominated for several IGF awards.
• Demo: Available in the Steam Next Fest.
• Release: Imminently on Steam.

Become – Valentin Wirth (solo developer)

Third‑person linear adventure

• Premise: Play as a single sperm on a quest (no explicit sexual content, nudity, or violence).
• Mechanics: Upgrade your bespectacled spermatozoon via skill trees and equip headgear.
• Hazards: Some danger encountered along the journey.
• Release: Planned for Steam later this year.

That’s all for now—happy gaming!