Big fun from the small independents
THE start of a new year gives publishers a quandary. Do they hit the ground running with a big release, or keep their powder dry for later in the year when consumers have cash to spare.
January and February are well known as ‘limbo’ months in the industry – the big AAA studios beavering away on new titles, while still enjoying the fruits of the holiday season sales.
But that’s great news for indie developers who get a chance to showcase their titles to starving gamers.
As well as indie games being much gentler on your budget during the Annual Festival of Waiting for Payday, they are often just as good – if not better than – the big studio games.
With that in mind, here are five indie gems worth checking out this month.
IRIS.FALL (PEGI 12)
PS4, PC, Switch
Release: January 8
SOLVE clever puzzles and uncover a story packed full of mystery and wonder in this intriguing title from NExT Studios.
Taking ‘light and shadow’ as the core concept, Iris’ adventure begins when she follows a black cat into a rundown theatre and finds herself travelling through a strange labyrinth.
Iris – if that is indeed the protagonist’s name – exists in a beautifully realised world, shades of Alice if she had slipped through the rabbit hole and emerged in a monochrome, Tim Burtonesque Wonderland.
ANCIENT ABYSS (PEGI TBC) Release:
January 15
THIS mazebased action adventure will appeal to fans of Zelda. Ancient Abyss explores mysterious and hidden events in randomly generated 2D mazes. The more secrets you uncover and items you collect, the more power you gain which helps you to venture further into the maze until you reach the bottom of the abyss. Featuring battles, and packed full of unreachable and hidden areas, this promises to be an intriguing little gem.
ENCODYA (PEGI TBC) PC Release: January 26
PC
STARTING life as a Kickstarter campaign by writer Nicolas Piovesan, Encodya tells the story of Tina, a young girl surviving on her own with the help of her metallic guardian, SAM-53.
Set in a dystopian Neo-Berlin, this steampunk-inspired outing sees Tina and SAM-53 set out to save society from its tyrannical leaders who are sapping the livelihoods out of their people.
Promising to be a fairly emotional adventure, the trailer for this point-and-click-adventure shows touches of inspiration from Blade
Runner, and Studio Ghibli, as the unlikely pair endeavour to finish the mission Tina’s father started.
ORANGE CAST: A SCI FI SPACE ADVENTURE (PEGI 16) Release:
PC
January 21 THE debut game from Russian studio Team Rez, this tense third-person shooter sees you play as a super
soldier roused from stasis to protect humanity.
Drawing heavy inspiration from James SA Corey’s The Expanse, Orange Cast boasts RPG elements and a strong focus on narrative. As well as exciting combat, you’ll get to explore other worlds and push the boundaries of human exploration while serving as protector to various colonies. The artwork is beautiful, showing futuristic cities and dark, brooding landscapes which are just begging to be investigated.
The demo has a distinct Dead Space feel to it, having to constantly watch your back for sneaky enemies intent on taking over the galaxy.
OLIJA (PEGI TBC)
PS4, XBOX ONE, Switch, PC Release: January 28 ONE of the best looking titles out this month, Olija is a game about a man who finds himself shipwrecked in the mysterious country of Terraphage. Armed with a legendary harpoon, Faraday and other castaways try to leave the hostile country to return to their homelands.
Beautiful pixel animations and sharp gameplay combine with a hauntingly melancholic soundtrack inspired by Flamenco, lo-fi and traditional Japanese music.
The strange world of Terraphage – and its curious inhabitants – is a place you’ll definitely enjoy exploring.