CHERYL WILL HELP TO PUT A SMILE
BACK ON HARD-UP GAMERS’
AS a gamer always on the look out for a bargain new title, it’s good to know indie studios have got my back.
Life’s not cheap right now, especially as the school holidays roll on.
It feels hard to justify splurging £50+ on a new game when there’s more important things to be spending cash on.
But indie games offer a less guilty alternative. Often much cheaper than the big releases, indie games are just as good – if not better – than some of the titles from the bigger studios.
So if you’re hunting for your next gaming fix, but don’t want to go over budget this April, here are a few titles that should be on your radar.
Moonglow Bay (PEGI 7)
PS4, PS5, XBOX ONE, XBOX X/S, Switch, PC, £22.49
Sit back and enjoy the more tranquil side of life with this fishing RPG.
Initially released in 2021, this indie title gets a release this month on the PlayStation and Switch.
Set in the 80s against the pretty backdrop of the Eastern Canadian coastline, you play a rookie angler trying to help your town, which is on the verge of bankruptcy. It’s a surprisingly emotional story, which plays out to a catchy soundtrack.
You’ll have to venture to the ocean’s farthest reaches, explore icy glaciers and steaming geysers, all the while mastering the art of casting nets, setting traps, and fishing through ice... you might even unearth a few of the bay’s hidden secrets.
Harold Halibut (PEGI 12) PS5, XBOX ONE, PC Price: TBC
Easily one of the most unique looking games I’ve seen in a long time, this delightful stop-motion adventure gets a release mid-month.
Harold is part of a community that lives on a city-sized spaceship at the bottom of an alien ocean.
It’s been 250 years since the inhabitants fled a dying Earth, and the hunt is still on for a way for the ship to leave its watery resting place.
Harold is a lab assistant trying to find a way off the planet, but he also gets to explore the vibrant retrofuture ship he calls home.
Packed full of weird and wonderful characters, this promises to be a really unique experience.
Botany Manor (PEGI 3)
XBOX ONE, XBOX X/S, Switch, PC, £22.49
There’s a strong theme of relaxation emerging this month, as Botany Manor offers another chilled gaming experience.
This first-person exploration puzzler is set within the walls of a beautiful manor. You play as a retired botanist exploring the home’s gardens for your research.
The goal is to discover the building’s forgotten fauna and work out the perfect growing conditions to unlock the special qualities each plant holds.
Whimsical with a surprisingly stronger line on the difficulties women face building a career in research, this could be the perfect way for you to destress.
Children of the Sun (PEGI 18) PC Price: TBC
A woman wages war on a cult and its leader in this tactical third-person puzzle-shooter.
First revealed during Steam Next Fest in February, with a free demo released just days later, Children of the Sun quickly established itself as one of 2024’s must-play indie games.
Tactical sniping, puzzle solving, and light stealth collide as ‘The Girl’ takes out cult members one by one on her way to reach the leader.
You’ll uncover dark secrets, trigger traps and reshape the gaming environment as you move further into this tale of revenge.
The art style for this game is beautiful, I can’t wait to play it.
Broken Roads (PEGI 18)
PS4, PS5, XBOX ONE, XBOX X/S, Switch, PC, £33.49
The apocalypse rears its ugly head again in this RPG, which is being compared to 2019’s Disco Elysium.
Set in the crumbling remains of the vast Australian Outback, you play one of five characters fighting for survival.
The game features a unique ‘moral compass’ system in which player actions, including choices made in dialogue and quests, are divided into four quadrants – utilitarian, humanist, Machiavellian and nihilist.
Where your decisions fall on the compass will dictate how the game’s mechanics play out, but likewise the decisions of your fellow players will also affect how they interact with your character.
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