Keeping track of the roughly 52,000 indie games released on PC every day is an impossible task, so I put a call out on Twitter for indie developers to show me what they're working on. I'm still working my way through the dozens of emails I've received, but here are a few that have stood out so far.
Lightmatter
Developer Tunnel Vision / Website
In this Portal-inspired first-person puzzle game, which has a really nice comic book art style, shadows are deadly. "Think the floor is lava," a character says in the trailer. "But with shadows that kill you." You solve puzzles by manipulating light to banish shadows, and there's a sci-fi story to follow too.
The Siege and the Sandfox
Developer Cardboard Sword / Website
This gorgeous stealth game features wonderfully detailed, atmospheric environments, slick animation, and a sprawling Metroid-inspired map. You play as an assassin who has been falsely accused of murdering a king and thrown into a dungeon that you'll have to sneak and fight your way out of.
Robot Champions
Developer Prospect Games / Website
Influenced by Robot Wars, arguably one of the greatest TV shows of all time, this arena battler features remote-control robots equipped with spikes, flippers, hammers, and spinning wheels of death. It's an inspired idea for a multiplayer game and my fingers are crossed for the ability to create my own robots.
WarriOrb
Developer Not Yet / Website
As far as protagonists go, 'a talking ball with legs that is actually a demon' is one of the strangest I've encountered. In WarriOrb our spherical hero rolls and bounces through trap-filled levels, solving puzzles, talking to other weird creatures, and playing dress-up with magical clothing. Videogames, eh?
Widget Satchel
Developer Noble Robot / Website
Playing as a sneaky, light-fingered ferret called Sprocket, this intriguing sci-fi game sees you causing mischief on a futuristic space station. You can build tech called 'doohickeys' to help you, including a pair of gravity-defying jump boots and a wrench to fight off nosy maintenance bots.
The Hand of Glory
Developer Madit Entertainment / Website
Inspired by adventure games such as Gabriel Knight and Broken Sword (always a good sign), this colourful hand-drawn detective adventure concerns a down on his luck detective investigating a missing persons case. The case takes him from Miami to the hills of Italy and there's a free demo on Steam now.
Kofi Quest: Alpha MOD
Developer Loftur Studio / Website
Described by its creator as "Zelda meets Warcraft'", Kofi Quest is a Kickstarter-funded RTS/RPG hybrid where you play as "the lamest, most terrible wannabe hero ever." The developer is promising a large map filled with quests, over 60 different enemy types to fight, and a self-aware sense of humour.
Fly Punch Boom!
Developer Jollypunch Games / Website
"Have you ever wanted to uppercut your pals so hard they flew straight into the Moon's butt cheeks?" asks the developer of this chaotic beat-'em-up. Looking like a hybrid of Super Smash Bros. and Dragon Ball Z, the game is promising local and online multiplayer and wild anime-style battles.
King Under the Mountain
Developer Rocket Jump Technology / Website
Inspired by the likes of Prison Architect and Dwarf Fortress, this top-down sim will let you build and manage your own fantasy settlement. It's promising multiple races, each with their own unique play style, as well as dungeon crawling, mod , and the ability to explore other players' creations.
