THE PRICE IS RIGHT
YOU DON’T HAVE TO SPLASH THE CASH TO GET GREAT NEW GAMES... CHECK OUT THESE FIVE FANTASTIC INDIE TITLES
WHEN it comes to hobbies, gaming is not the cheapest pastime to enjoy.
And just like everything else in life at the moment, the price of games seems to be creeping ever upwards.
But there are cheaper ways to get your gaming fix, from freemium games on your mobile phone to monthly subscriptions that give you access to titles on your console.
There’s also a wealth of indie developers out there producing some incredible work.
As well as indie games being much gentler on your budget, they are often just as good – if not better than – the big studio games.
So as we’re all looking to save a few bob these days, here are five newly released indie titles you should check out.
A Memoir Blue
PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox X/S, PC Price: TBC
A stunning debut from Cloisters Interactive, A Memoir Blue is an interactive poem about a superstar athlete and the all-encompassing love between mother and daughter.
The atmospheric journey starts when a song from the past triggers a flood of memories for champion swimmer Miriam.
She embarks on a journey through her turbulent childhood which explores the complicated relationship she shared with her devoted mother.
The artwork for the game is beautiful, a mix of 2D and 3D graphics which are used to full effect – the 2D images representing Miriam’s memories, switching to 3D when she is back in the present.
Evocative and emotional, this promises to be something very special.
Have A Nice Death
PC
Price: £10.99
This quirky 2D action rouguelike follows Death, CEO of Death Incorporated, as he heads towards the edge of a breakdown.
Overworked, and with his employees running rampant, the final straw comes when he has to cancel his holiday plans.
In a bid to restore order, he grabs his trusty scythe and sets off to show his employees exactly who’s boss.
With a diverse cast of characters to encounter as you make your way through Death Inc’s various departments, you’ll have to use what you’ve learned – and earned – to overcome the numerous minions and bosses on each level.
With gorgeous hand-drawn graphics that use colour sparingly and to maximum effect, this is as charming as it is challenging.
Pants Quest
PC
Price: £5.79
From Ghost Cat Games, this quirky point and click adventure is all about finding your way in life – and your pants.
This game is for everyone who has ever had one of those mornings where even getting out of bed and getting dressed feels like a Herculean task.
When Dave’s alarm goes off at 5am on a Monday, he’s completely unprepared for just how badly his day will start.
Solve puzzles to overcome every hurdle thrown in Dave’s way, as he wanders haplessly from one disaster to another.
The price reflects that this is a very short game, and you can zip through it in just a few hours.
Hyperbolica
PC
Price: £13.49
I’ll admit, when I first saw the trailer for this game my brain melted.
Firstly, because it describes itself as taking place in a ‘non-Euclidean space’, which has something to do with geometry and which I didn’t understand even after I’d looked it up.
In layman’s terms, this game is set in a curved space – where lines can never be parallel – that grows exponentially, and where a mental map of your surroundings is simply impossible.
On this whimsical journey, you’ll get to solve mind-bending puzzles, battle in weird snowball fights, navigate a labyrinth, and much more in weird and wonderful landscapes.
The curved nature of the maps mean you can explore vast areas, while taking very little time to walk around.
Tunic
Xbox One, Xbox X/S, PC
Price: £24.99
The star of this adorable game may be a fox, but there is no mistaking what the inspiration is behind it.
Dressed in a green tunic and wielding a shield and sword, this is unmistakably a Zelda tribute.
But don’t let the cute graphics and serene music fool you, this game is no walk in the park.
From the get go it tells you nothing about gameplay or the world you inhabit, leaving you to decipher everything for yourself. And good luck with that, as the sparse dialogue is indecipherable.
As annoying as some gamers will find that, I was in hog heaven, as it forced me to think to progress.
With gameplay as clever as the graphics are cute, this is challenging in the very best of ways.