Usually, games are about winning or losing, success or failure – but rarely do games take the time to make you think about what the distinction between the two means. Many Nights a Whisper, like your in-game goal of landing one single trickshot with your sling to set a huge torch alight during a ritual, is deeply focused on hitting the mark with this idea. And it's on target.

Sure, I feel bad when my party wipes in Baldur's Gate 3, or when the Doom Slayer gets destroyed by demons in Doom: The Dark Ages. But I can't think of any other games where the entire time I'm playing I'm turning over the idea of what it means to succeed in the task the game is challenging me to do, and what it means if I don't. Many Nights a Whisper is clear about your task from the off: spend a few days practicing your archery skills, and, whether your shot finds its mark during the ritual on the final day, your save won't persist for you to retry again. Developed by Deconstructeam and Selkie Harbour, this marks a new era of self-publishing for the studio (some of the former's other games, like The Red Strings Club and The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood were published by Devolver Digital).

Sling and a miss

Many Nights a Whisper is a breezy experience, a little over an hour – but it's the perfect amount of time to keep you sitting with the idea of this challenge looming over you. And just enough to also make you think twice about going back to see whatever the other ending holds. It encourages me, against my pro gamer instincts, not to do that, but to instead sit with the results, leaving the other path unexplored. This is a small game, but one that, by design, has bigger ideas pushing at the edges, leaving you to scoop up what seeps through and think about it for yourself.

Each day you, a chosen teen who has been trained and brought up in the temple for the single purpose of performing this rite for your community, must prepare for the impending ritual that's held every ten years. You begin by talking with your mentor, turning over the task ahead and what it means for the community, but are then free to wander the limited space of the temple.

Sling strapped to your wrist, you simply click and hold to take aim, charging the shot. Naturally, the further back you pull, the further your fiery ammunition will go, the shot arcing as it soars through the air. There's not a lot of indicators on the UI beyond that – even the button prompts eventually fade away as you get familiar with the repetition of the action. Pull, release. Pull, release.

Around the temple are plenty of torches to light, ranging from small ones within the garden itself to bigger ones spaced progressively further out – the community in which you live is surrounded by the sea. These help you become comfortable with taking shots, getting used to the arc of your ammunition, and how far you can reach.

Each torch, when lit, gives you a snippet of lore about the world as well, told through the medium of achievement descriptions. A single massive torch in the distance is the one you'll ultimately be aiming for. At first, it'll be out of reach. But, eventually, you can try lighting it ahead of ritual time, getting comfortable with making that final, ultimate shot.

Shot in the dark

You can practice for as long or as little as you like, telling your mentor when you want to turn in for the day. At night, you observe the wishes of the community in anonymous silence – like a church confessional. Each person will put a long braid they've been growing through a hole in the temple while they relay their desire. Any wishes you accept, by cutting their braid with a big knife will – they say – be granted if you manage to land the shot during the ritual. Anything at all. It can be a scary thought. Perhaps the sky was once red, your Mentor notes, before a wish was granted.

Every braid you cut will be added to your slingshot each day by your Mentor, a piece of all the people you've accepted working together to send your shot flying just a bit further. There's pleasant feedback in the motion of pulling the slingshot back too – as you pull back, it stops, and then after a second snaps just a bit further, your shot igniting in your hand. There are a few limits you can push past in this way with enough wish braids, even beyond strictly what you need to reach the final torch on ritual night. It feels great to land far-off shots, but, at the same time, the more power you wield, the harder it can feel to control.

Which wishes to accept, your Mentor tells you, is entirely up to you. But there's also the unspoken pressure that, not knowing how many days remain, you do need more braids to stand any hope of landing your shot on the big torch. You're not making these decisions in a vacuum.

Potential wishes run the gamut between thoughtful and selfish, frivolous and world-altering. Many wishes introduce ideas that build on one another. A child may wish for their arguing parents to love one another again – a simple comfort you could grant them by accepting their wish. But then, a girl may ask you to force a boy to fall in love with her. What's the difference between the former and the latter? And will you promise the gift of a fluffy pink cat to someone else?

Wish upon a flame

But also… was the sky really ever red? Or is the idea just completely unbelievable? Do you really buy into this faith? How much do you have to weigh the responsibility of granting a wish itself with the comfort you may bring to an individual by the simple act of accepting the desire into your slingshot? What's the harm? One night passes and I accept no braids at all – an act commented upon by my Mentor the next morning, telling me that it is of course within my remit to accept what I please but also reminding me that I do need to improve my slingshot.

I'm certain my choices weren't consistent, but I stand by all of them. I try to lean on accepting what I deem to be morally good and broadly unselfish, but I can't resist promising to deliver on the odd spicy request. I may need to be silent (part of the ritual you have the choice to occasionally break), but that doesn't mean I can't kick my feet and twirl my hair silently – please, spill the tea on your revenge fantasy.

Then comes the night. I've heard all the wishes, feel each one in my bow. I've hit the shot bang into the ritual torch time and time again. But that was in my casual wear, under the warm sun. Now, at night, in the dark, things look different – the flickering torches leading the eye to my final target altering the perspective I've grown used to. All I can do is pull back and give it my best one final time. Does it land? Does it need to land? Either way, the game is over – but the struggles remain the same.

Many Nights a Whisper is out now on Steam.

Many Nights a Whisper was reviewed on PC, with a code provided by the publisher.

Liked Many Nights a Whisper? Then you might like this – Of the Devil takes what I love about Ace Attorney and Danganronpa to create a cyberpunk legal mystery like little else

They say the house always wins. That's something Morgan, the gambling-obsessed star in Of the Devil, from nth Circle Studios, knows all too well. A public defender, her goal isn't just to get her clients off the hook from the mountain of digitally-obtained evidence in this hyper-surveilled cyberpunk city, it's to know when to push just enough to create doubt, and when to keep her chips close. That means leveraging evidence, personalities, and even her own secrets to push the odds in her favor as she tries to shatter arguments.

Mechanically, Of the Devil takes a lot of inspiration from both Ace Attorney and Danganronpa, combining the clue-based puzzles of the former with the stylish presentation of the latter. But it's not just an imitation, Of the Devil has plenty of its own style too. From Morgan's frequent vibe-shifting cutaways as she recalls moments of her past mid-squabble, to the gambling-theming of her face-offs with the police and DA. It's familiar but fresh.

Micro casino chips

Specifically, when in an argument and a thread of assumptions needs to be disproved, each point is laid down and attached to evidence like cards, giving Morgan space to consider a selection of her own evidence cards (not unlike Danganronpa's argument bullets) to overlay on the incorrect part of a statement. You'll also reach points where you can choose to Raise or Stay an argument, or to Call a bluff – essentially deciding on if you have the evidence to push an argument or need to let it sail by.

Getting things wrong isn't hyper punishing either (unless you play on high roller difficulty which, conversely, is a little much). But it does make disproving arguments feel good, while presenting each step in a way that's easy to follow along. Even in these early cases – episodically released, only Episode 0 (which is free!) and Episode 1 are out – there are times information can get a bit dense. But, as your selections are pared down when needing to present evidence, it's easy to dig through in the moment. At these points, additional information is bullet-pointed next to the evidence too which can be handy – though I do sometimes wish all these details were also indicated on the full clue's information.

Between playing out arguments like a game of poker, there's plenty of great writing. That's partially why info can feel so dense – like many visual novels, there's also things like a glossary of terms that unlocks as you poke around the world. The cyberpunk setting here brings together lots of genre elements and manages to find a fresh perspective into them through Morgan and her friends. Even if the individual building blocks may be things you've seen elsewhere, Of the Devil's way of experiencing them makes them novel again.

The writing is pithy and funny, but is also able to swing into some devastating territory as it makes you engage with a lot of the ideas on display – from androids taking jobs, to worker's rights, and lots and lots of surveillance. There's always a nice throughline on how even with all the surveillance there's still doubt on the cases to pick at, and hopefully the episodes to come continue to pull it off in interesting ways.

With great character designs and stylish presentation – there's lots of cut-ins or sometimes phone transitions – it's a joy to read through what happens next. A bopping soundtrack helps too, with plenty of moments to heighten the feeling that you've got one over on someone in an argument.

Of the Devil will also stop to allow Morgan to poke around some 3D-rendered rooms, either in real life or through augmented reality crime scenes. It's a nice change of pace even if they're fairly static, and can provide as much opportunity to think about the world through reading data logs as it does letting you sit with the implications of the evidence you're looking at. Again, it's still early in Of the Devil, but there have been some very clever deductions that turn each mystery on its head in each case so far.

Each mystery Morgan takes on seems to tie back into some central issues at the center of this world, and especially in regards to Morgan's own background. I'm holding my cards close here, and don't want to spoil anything, but there are some bold storytelling decisions early on that have me hooked… even if I'm wondering how they'll land by the full story's end once the cards are flipped over. Okay, one more hand – hit me.

Of the Devil's Episode 0 and Episode 1 are out now on PC via Steam.

For more recommendations, head on over to our Indie Spotlight series. Or if you're just looking for the best game stories, give that a read as well!

Slave Zero X is not a horror game, but it was pretty much made like one. Spine-chilling sensibilities fortify the game's skeleton much like adamantium does Wolverine's, punctuating its side-scrolling beat-'em-up combat with the DNA of something altogether horrific. Rib cages are torn out of enemies effortlessly, flying across the screen with every punch landed. There's something called a bug bomb that is every bit as gross as it sounds. But with developer Poppyworks dubbing it the "spiritual prequel" to 1999's Slave Zero, it's clear that the original game didn't lean as heavily into this strong visual language of body horror, violence, and other facets familiar to all fans of the best horror games. That's something art director Francine Bridge sought to correct.

"I came to horror as a genre, first and foremost, because it's where you see these very elaborately constructed monsters and practical effects and the design philosophy behind that," Bridge says of how horror inspires their work as an artist. "Then after the fact, I came to understand and appreciate the art in and of itself. The art of how you scare someone, the art of how you create an unsettling atmosphere and maintain that without breaching it – or that if you do breach that unsettling atmosphere, how do you still make it entertaining in its own right?" 

Bruiser

At first blush, Slave Zero X is a 2.5D fighting game that sees our protagonist, Shou, defeat wave upon wave of mutant enemies by way of X: a turbo-charged biomechanical weapon he's stolen to do the dirty work. The action-brawler takes place four years prior to the events of Slave Zero, but as Bridge explains above, it's not meant to retcon.  In fact, when it comes to the game's design philosophy, both Bridge and Ziggurat Interactive managing producer Alex Lotz are quick to emphasize how Slave Zero X is not about rebooting or creating a sequel of the original, but reimagining its essence within new stylistic parameters.

For Bridge, it all started with "capturing the atmosphere" as the 1999 developer intended. "We kept just enough of the DNA of the original, assuring that there's actually some direct crossover," says Bridge, with Lotz reaffirming that some of the locations in Slave Zero X are inspired, drawn, or expanded from Slave Zero's own concept art. "But aside from making sure that the broadest strokes are made consistent, like for instance, [antagonist] Sovereign Khan being in both games, we weren't being slavishly accurate to the original – if you'll pardon the pun, I guess."

According to Lotz, the idea of leaning more heavily on the game's existing horror threads just feels like the next logical step in the series' evolution. "[In Slave Zero], there was very much a sense that the executives, or people who were in charge of the game, were kind of like, 'maybe you guys should tone it down a little bit'. But that stuff is still in the DNA of the original," says Lotz. 

Ultimately it was all about context. "In the late 90s, they weren't ready for a mainstream product to have some of those horror elements, or some of those aesthetic elements, or some of the animated elements." Now, however, we certainly are.

Getting away with murder

It might be hard to communicate body horror and gore through lo-fi pixel sprites, but Slave Zero X finds a way to bring home the ick factor. A key component in that? Gratuitous and frankly silly levels of gore, not unlike how Dead Island 2 taps that absurdist 80s horror vein. See earlier: rib cages popping out of enemies as you punch them

"The idea of punching a person so hard that they come apart is innately horrifying. But then the idea of an entire rib cage popping out of someone's body intact, and there being multiples of that ribcage as you keep punching them…that takes it back into absurdity," reasons Bridge. "The base concept is still incredibly unnerving at face value. I think there's this very fine line between something that is genuinely horrifying and something that is just horror in a fun, pulpy, spectacle sense."

This same sensibility applies to the Game Over animation, wherein Shou/X gets flayed alive before exploding upon death. "It's kind of supposed to call back to things like Metroid Prime," laughs Bridge. "Traditionally, when Samus takes a fatal amount of damage, she flies into the middle of a screen and then the suit explodes. And in that scene, it's the death of Samus, but it's also kind of the death of the suit, which is this character in its own sense. It represents this ultimate moment of true death; the suit is dead, Samus is dead, it's a two-part death. We wanted to do a much more gory version of it."

Much like Samus' suit, Shou in many ways "wears" X, using it as a tool or avatar through which to combat his foes. That brings with it whole new questions of player agency, power imbalances, and how those factor into creating a horror experience in a video game. "The more agency the player has traditionally, the lower the sort of horror quotient is," says Bridge. In short: "The more control you give them, the less unsettling it can be. 

"In Slave Zero X that's doubly important because you're talking about a game where the player character is actually deliberately overpowered. The first few levels are designed almost as a power fantasy. You are the horrifying thing that emerges from the depths of the city and begins a sort of slasher [tirade], moving your way up through the city, and you have other characters expressing fear about you."

Hidden depths

Atmospheric and delightfully macabre as Slave Zero X may be, Poppyworks is still working predominantly with sprites, 2.5D pixel backdrops, and hand-drawn art. Spritework is bound to bring some design specifications along with it, and though Slave Zero X naturally doesn't have the sharp ray-traced detail of the likes of Resident Evil 2 Remake, that didn't make the visual processes a walk in the park to execute by any measure.

"There's a certain number of people that when they hear words like 'indie game', or they hear the word 'lo-fi', or 'retro style', they might think 'oh, well, that's lower fidelity. Therefore, maybe it takes less work to create'," says Lotz. But building a horror-soaked atmosphere is about more than "high polycount models and all these crazy shaders."  

"I saw how much work went into those sprites. There's a lot of craft that goes into it. I think the art team was a lot bigger than any other kind of department on the project, and that was just from the raw amount of assets that we needed to fill out the world. And, you know, beat-'em-up games tend to be on the shorter side. But this is a game that's just set piece after set piece."

At its heart, Slave Zero X is a character action game with a thick coat of viscera for good measure. It's the kind of arcade throwback experience that will click with something primally nostalgic in all of us, all while "bringing a little bit of the horror back into character action games", according to Bridge. 

"In a horror game, and in a more hardcore action game, like, the point is the challenge," Lotz finalizes. "The point is the friction, the point is feeling rewarded, or feeling like you grew and you overcame. It feels like growth." 

For something that treads closer to the tracks of terror, check out all the upcoming horror games for 2024 and beyond.

In 2019, League of Legends developer Riot Games announced Riot Forge, an indie publishing label that would work with acclaimed indie game developers to release brand new experiences set in its MOBA universe. Since then, we've had complex rhythm games, detailed RPGs and slick Metroidvanias, but the latest game to come out of the Forge differs from all those thanks to a healthy dose of childlike wonder.

Song of Nunu comes from Tequila Works, a studio arguably best known for 2017's Rime. Even at a glance, there's plenty to unite these two games - just as Rime's protagonist and his animal companion explored a mysterious island, so does the titular Nunu journey with his companion, Willump the Yeti, to unlock the mysteries of the icy Freljord.

It's an exceedingly gentle experience, belying Willump's towering presence over almost everything else in this frozen world. Within the League of Legends universe, it's made clear that the Freljord is a dangerous and unforgiving place, but Nunu and Willump have long since made it clear that they'd prefer to buck that trend. The result is a gentle and surprisingly diverse puzzle experience, requiring the titular bard to work together with his yeti to traverse the cliffs, caves, and frozen lakes of this tundra in an attempt to reunite Nunu with his mother.

Some relatively standard timing and platforming puzzles seem fairly standard, but Nunu's magical flute makes for a musical change-up to the traditional puzzling formula. After a brief introduction, it's up to you to remember how to play each note, written out in runes scratched around the world. A single note might open a distant door, while two in tandem might control individual platforms, but it's not long before you're presented with entire rhythms to piece together, the gradual muscle memory and the careful combination of those runic symbols surprisingly reminiscent of learning an actual musical instrument.

Winter wonderland

As with any Riot Forge game, a knowledge of the lore of League of Legends will be helpful if you're looking to get as much out of the experience as its developers put in. Song of Nunu is far from an exception, stories that cut straight to the heart of the Freljord referenced multiple times within the opening minutes of the game. From the three tribes fighting to control the region, to the triple deities that watch over it, to the existential threat hiding beneath the ice, Song of Nunu puts some of LoL's more intricate stories right to the fore. 

Seen through Nunu's eyes, however, it's surprisingly easy to get swept along in those grander narratives - his child's perspective simplifies each story, not to the point of naivety, but with the addition of a sense of childlike wonder fitting the campfire mythology that underpins this setting.

And that childlike wonder is important, because Song of Nunu feels, in its innocence and enthusiasm, like the closest thing to a children's game that League of Legends has produced. That's clearly by design - immediately reminiscent of the best of the PS2 era tie-ins of children's movies and with themes of grief and friendship worn proudly, Nunu makes for a new kind of protagonist for Riot Forge. Other games have focused on far darker corners of this universe, or brought far more complexity to their gameplay - even the excitable rhythm game Hextech mayhem countered its zany tone with far more intricate combos than anything Song of Nunu hinges on.

For me, a decade-plus veteran of League of Legends, Song of Nunu is a less exciting prospect than some of those other games. But as a fan of this universe, I love it for what it represents - as the narrative world around these characters approaches 15 years, I want to see it continue to bring in new people. 

Those other Riot Forge games, or adaptations like Netflix's Arcane, might widen the net for the current audience, but projects like Song of Nunu shore up the world of League of Legends for generations to come. Friendly and colorful, but neither condescending nor too complex, it's a perfect introduction to a world that often feels intimidating for new adult players, let alone the next generation.

Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story is out now on PC and Switch. For more indie recommendations, head on over to our Indie Spotlight series. 

This upcoming indie has Animal Crossing and Paper Mario vibes, so I'm not surprised at all that it smashed its Kickstarter goal in just a couple of hours.

A Tiny Sticker Tale is an upcoming miniature adventure game that requires players to use the power of stickers. The project is being developed by Ogre Pixel - who you may remember as the developer of the Legend of Zelda/Stardew Valley-like Lonesome Village - and is still up on Kickstarter at the time of writing. 

Despite only going live on the platform earlier this month, A Tiny Sticker Tale has already managed to not only hit its funding target, but also plenty of stretch goals - with the main bulk of it raised less than two hours after the Kickstarter campaign launched. It's currently 600% funded, to boot, and it's not hard to see why so many people are excited about this one. With its super cute donkey protagonist and creative sticker concept, I'm already so sold on A Tiny Sticker Tale.

As the little donkey Flynn, players will journey across Figori Island completing quests, helping friends, and solving puzzles with a magical sticker album. As you can see from the trailer above, players will have to be smart about the kind of stickers they collect and where they use them to change the environment around them.

Ogre Pixel says it's designed the game to be a "wholesome bite-sized adventure," so don't expect to be playing this one for hours on end. That being said, the developer has promised "great additional content to the main story" and "a lot of replayability." 

A Tiny Sticker Tale is still available to back on Kickstarter until July 7, 2023, as well as wishlist on Steam. We don't have a release date yet for this one yet but its developer is aiming to have it launch on PC and Nintendo Switch one day soon - with other consoles hopefully getting it in the future too. 

For even more hidden gems, take a look at our upcoming indie games list. 

As if three broadcasts on the E3 2023 schedule weren't enough, Microsoft somehow has more games to show, and will be doing just that with the indie-focused ID@Xbox Showcase on July 11.

As Xbox says in a tweet: "BIG NEWS! ID@Xbox and IGN are joining forces to exclusively present the next ID@Xbox Showcase on July 11. Get a first look at some new games including trailers, gameplay, reveals and more!" The stream will take place at 10am PDT / 1pm EDT / 6pm BST and will be available across all of IGN's myriad social channels, which you can get a full list of over in the official announcement.

July 11 also marks the kickoff of Xbox's Summer Game Demo Fest, which will offer an array of free indie demos through July 17, similar to Steam Next Fest.

ID@Xbox, of course, is the publisher's indie outreach program, covering everything from proper small-team indie games to much larger (but still technically indie third-party) productions like Hitman 3 or High On Life. ID@Xbox Showcases tend to be focused on games at the smaller end of the spectrum, but last year's show did feature games as notable as Coffee Talk Episode 2 and details on the second DLC pack for the megahit Vampire Survivors - plus a whole lot of other intriguing indies besides.

This will be Microsoft's fourth event adjacent to the E3 2023 schedule, after the Xbox Games Showcase, Starfield Direct, and Xbox Games Showcase Extended. Clearly Xbox wants you to know that there's far too much gaming goodness on the horizon to confine it all to one show.

If you're looking for even more new games in 2023, you might want to check out how to watch the Nintendo Direct for June 2023.

A fantasy game that looks and sounds like a Metroidvania reimagining of Skyrim just received not only a release date, but a brand new demo as part of Steam Next Fest.

Indie developer Fairyship Games announced (via YouTube) that Testament: The Order of High-Human is slated to launch in full on July 13, 2023. The reveal trailer premiered alongside news of the demo being launched on Steam, in which we can explore "more than an hour of the game as it currently stands" according to a press release.

Check out the Testament release date announcement and gameplay footage below:

It's the studio's second release this year, with Fairyship having made its debut with survival horror Shame Legacy just last month. Despite the first-person perspective, however, the two games couldn't be less alike. With its medieval fantasy setting and sword, spell, and bow-based combat, it looks more comparable to one of the best RPGs ever: Skyrim.

Gameplay similarities aside, though, we won't be creating our character from the ground up in this game. Testament: The Order of High-Human is a "story-based adventure RPG where players will find themselves taking on the role of Aran - the king of High humans in the land of Tessara - as he serves as guardian of the realm." 

With a Metroidvania-like approach to puzzles and back-tracking as we explore this "post-apocalyptic" fantasy, Testament "pays homage to leagues of different games and genres" while striving to deliver a tightly-hewn narrative experience. 

The demo is now available to download on Steam, with the full launch expected for PC and console platforms in July.

Here are some of the best Steam games to download and play right now, from Doom Eternal to Stardew Valley.

The Xbox Games Showcase has wrapped, but now it's time for the Xbox Games Showcase Extened. 

Sunday's show really was a huge, huge show. Lots of release dates, new Xbox Game Studios titles, fresh trailers, and more were packed into a little over an hour. The Xbox Games Showcase 2023 showcased so many upcoming Xbox Series X games and upcoming PC Games.

But now, it's time to take a deeper look at some of those. Microsoft says the event will "offer deeper dives into what you saw from Avowed, Towerborne, Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom, and Microsoft Flight Simulator – Dune Expansion, as well as games from our creative partners".

You can read up on all games at the Xbox Game Showcase below:

Xbox Games Showcase - All games announced

• Fable trailer is as bonkers as we hoped it would be
• South of Midnight is the latest game from the We Happy Few devs
• Star Wars Outlaws is Ubisoft's Star Wars game, an underworld story set in the Rebellion era
• Spiritfarer dev unveils next game - a Hades-style co-op action roguelike for 33 players
• Payday 3 launches 2,670 days after it was announced, and it's day one on Game Pass
• Persona 3 Reload fans are loving the glow up - apart from one character
• Avowed looks like an ace Skyrim successor
• Sea of Thieves is teaming up with greatest adventure game of all time
• Flight Sim 2024 announced with missions including cargo drops and rescues
• Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 has wrapped shooting, coming next year
• Like a Dragon 8 is called Infinite Wealth, and it takes the series abroad
• Atlantic City is coming to Fallout 76
• Path of the Goddess is a creepy colorful new game from Capcom
• Forza Motorsport returns after a six-year absence this October
• Persona Tactica coming November 17
• The Elder Scrolls Online Necrom gets new trailer ahead of June 20 release date
• Overwatch 2 Invasion kicks off Blizzard's PvE resurrection tour in August
• Starfield gets story trailer ahead of Starfield Direct
• Jusant, Life is Strange developer's next game will see players climbing to new heights
• Still Wakes the Deep is a new game from The Chinese Room
• Dungeons of Hinterberg is a cel-shaded, skateboarding, swordfighting adventure
• Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty trailer confirms September release date
• Cities: Skylines 2 finally launches this October, and it's coming to Game Pass
• Metaphor Re Fantazio is a new fantasy RPG from Atlus
• Towerborne is a new game from the creators of The Banner Saga
• Clockwork Revolution is a time-bending steampunk RPG with BioShock Infinite vibes, coming to Steam and Xbox
• A 1TB black Xbox Series S is on the way

But, until that time, we're here in the run up to chat about what we could see at today's showcase. 

Microsoft is calling it "a huge double feature" with updates on "upcoming games from Xbox Game Studios and our incredible partners around the world". That should mean Xbox Game Studios titles, indies, and more like Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty.

Good morning, to the early bird Xbox crew! Josh West here, GamesRadar's UK Managing Editor. The Xbox Games Showcase may be a few hours away yet, but there's quite a bit that we're going to cover here this morning. There's some leaks, some early news, and plenty of speculation. Let's get into it!

Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl won't be at the Xbox Games Showcase

If you had asked me on Friday what Xbox Series X console exclusive I was most excited about seeing more of at the Xbox Games Showcase, I'd have probably told you Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl. Developer GSC Game World appears to be doing a phenomenal job reviving this legendary immersive-FPS series, and I'm desperate for more gameplay. 

Sadly, a GSC representative took to Steam to confirm that Stalker 2 won't be at the Xbox Games Showcase. In fact, it sounds like we might not see it through the E3 2023 season at all. 

A GSC Game World rep said the following, when asked whether Stalker 2 will appear at the Xbox conference today. 

"We usually do not announce or deny our participation in shows, but this one time we'll make an exception. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 will miss the June online conferences preferring to make important announcements in the upcoming months. Our plan is to give progressive updates on what we’re planning."

That's certainly a shame but, given the difficult conditions that the game are being developed under, I'm glad that the developers at GSC are working to their own schedule to deliver something they can all be proud of. 

One reason that it's so difficult to predict what will actually show up at the Xbox Games Showcase is that Microsoft has a surprising amount in development. Seriously, for a platform which can't seem to shake the reputation that it has no games, there's a hell of a lot going on behind the scenes. 

Xbox Game Studios is comprised over other 20 video game studios now, and by my count we only know what 10 of them are working on right now. 

Here's the full list of Xbox Game Studios' teams, any one of which could show up today with news or announcements. 

First-party studios who could show up at the Xbox Games Showcase

• 343 Industries
• Arkane Studios
• Bethesda Game Studios
• Compulsion Games
• Double Fine Productions
• id Software
• Inxile Entertainment
• MachineGames
• Mojang Studios
• Ninja Theory
• Obsidian Entertainment
• Playground Games
• Rare
• Roundhouse Studios
• Tango Gameworks
• The Coalition
• The Initiative
• Turn 10 Studios
• Undead Labs
• World's Edge
• ZeniMax Online

You can check out the full Xbox Games Studios list here, which gets into more details on which developers are operating under the Microsoft Gaming banner and what each of them are working on. 

Xbox Games Showcase predictions

Given that we're now just five hours out from the main event, maybe it's a good time to start discussing our Xbox Games Showcase predictions in a little more depth. 

Of all the studios set to make an appearance, we have our sights set on the following teams to make a real splash:

The Initiative (Perfect Dark)
Playground Games (Fable 4)
Obsidian Entertainment (Avowed)
The Coalition (Gears 6)
Ninja Theory (Hellblade 2)

Will Gears 6 be announced at the Xbox Games Showcase?

My biggest question coming into the Xbox Games Showcase surrounding Gears 6. It's been over three years since the release of Gears 5 and another Locust-infused adventure is long overdue. 

The Coalition has been busy in that time. The studio reoptimized the game in time for the launch of the Xbox Series X, and helped get Gears Tactics out the door... but we know it's been working behind the scenes on getting to grips with Unreal Engine 5.

In fact, The Coalition has quickly become one of the developers leading development of Unreal Engine 5 games – both internally at Microsoft and externally, having collaborated with Epic Games on the stunning The Matrix Awakens tech demo. The Coalition is also working with Ninja Theory on Hellblade 2 and Undead Labs on State of Decay 3, so I'd think it's time to see the team's expertise in action on Gears of War 6. 

How big is Microsoft going for the Xbox Games Showcase? BIG. And I mean that in a literal sense. Xbox enthusiast Woggerman is attending one of the Xbox Fan Fest events in Los Angeles and posted a photo of the set-up – monstrous-sized Xbox consoles line the city streets, and they light up! The Xbox takeover of LA is underway.

Back to Gears 6 for a second

What were we talking about before I got distracted by the giant Xbox consoles? Ah, that's right – Gears of War 6. Listen, I wasn't done speculating wildly. 

Like I was saying before, The Coalition is one of the industry-leading studios when it comes to Unreal Engine 5 development. You can check that video out above to see a a cinematic test demo Xbox released in 2022, a showcase of what The Coalition is already achieving with UE5. 

I don't know about you, but there are elements of the character models, atmospheric lighting, and environmental design which scream Gears of War. While there is every chance that The Coalition is working on a new IP for Xbox, it's far more likely that it will continue the adventures of Marcus, Kait, and the rest of the surviving Delta Squad. 

Here's my first bold prediction for the day: Gears 6 is announced with a 2024 release date, revealed with a stunning UE5 in-engine cinematic. 

All gameplay, all the time

Here's an interesting detail worth noting going into the Xbox Games Showcase. Microsoft Gaming exec Aaron Greenberg has said that ""None of our first-party games in the show are full CG trailers... everything is either in-game footage, in-engine footage, or in-game footage with some cinematics. Each of our trailers will be labeled so it is hopefully clear for our fans." 

• All the first-party trailers in the Xbox Games Showcase will feature in-game footage

If Microsoft can be accused of anything, it's that it has a tendency to pull the trigger a little early when it comes to announcements. I recently identified five Xbox Series X exclusives which are long overdue an update – all of which were revealed in either 2019 or 2020 with cinematic trailers and then never seen again. 

It's promising to hear that Xbox is prioritizing in-game footage for the 2023 showcase, which should give us a better idea of what to expect and a better sense of how far each of these first-party games are through development. 

I think we'll see a lot more of Avowed

We first caught a glimpse at Avowed at the Xbox E3 2020 conference and have been desperate for more information ever since. It's one of the key new upcoming Obsidian games, and is reportedly taking up the majority of the studio's time now that Grounded and Pentiment are out the door. 

Set in the realm of Eora, Avowed is a spin-off out of the Pillars of Eternity franchise. Rather than isometric antics though, Avowed will be a full on swords and sorcery RPG, cast from a first-person perspective. 

This is my second bold prediction since I started this liveblog: I think Obsidian will show Avowed gameplay, I think it'll look like a spiritual successor to Oblivion, and I think it'll get a 2024 release window. 

A bonus sub-prediction, Obsidian won't acknowledge the existence of The Outer Worlds 2. 

Will Perfect Dark emerge from the shadows?

I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am about this Perfect Dark. Microsoft founded a brand-new studio to deliver this reboot, with The Initiative comprised of industry veterans in the action and adventure spaces. Announced in 2020, the new Perfect Dark will reportedly see Joanna Dark entering into a new AAA spy adventure to help thwart an attack on the planet's ecosystems. 

Three years of radio silence has been challenging to navigate though, especially with reports that development had stalled and the further news that Perfect Dark is being co-developed by Crystal Dynamics – the studio behind the excellent rebooted Tomb Raider games. I expect we may see a new trailer which mixes in-engine cinematics and direct-feed gameplay, although a release date may still be a little ways away.  

Will we finally see Fable?

There's a lot of rumors out there suggesting that we will get a big Fable reveal at the Xbox Games Showcase. I think part of that is certainly wishful thinking – it's been 13 years since the release of Fable 3, and a new installment to Xbox's iconic RPG series is long overdue. 

But there is groundswell thanks to a glitter-filled tease from the Xbox social accounts in recent weeks. 

It's been three years since the reveal of this Fable reboot, in development at the Forza Horizon studio Playground Games. So, do I think a Fable gameplay reveal is possible at today's Showcase? 

Not only do I think it's possible, I think it's highly likely that Fable will finally be revealed to the world. My third big prediction is that the Xbox Games Showcase will close with Fable gameplay, a title reveal, and a release window. 

An update on Stalker 2

A reminder just in case you're only just joining us, developer GSC Game World has confirmed that Stalker 2 won't be at the Xbox Games Showcase. While Stalker 2 is undoubtedly one of the biggest upcoming Xbox Series X games, the studio says it wants to focus on development and deliver updates at its own pace. 

Expect to see more Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

I think it's fairly reasonable to expect to see Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty at the Xbox Games Showcase. The price and pre-order details of the expansion leaked recently and, given that CDPR skipped Summer Game Fest, it seems reasonable to predict that we'll get a new look at the game in action and launch details today. 

Whether Idris Elba and Keanu Reeves will appear alongside Phil Spencer remains to be seen though. (We can dream though... yes, we can dream)

It's time for another prediction

While we know what a lot of the Xbox Games Studios teams are working, few have been as under the radar as Compulsion Games. They were acquired in 2018 alongside InXile Entertainment, Ninja Theory, and Obsidian. 

We know that Ninja Theory is working on Hellblade 2 and Project Mara. We know that Obsidian is working on Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2, having already released Pentiment and Grounded. But what is Compulsion doing? That, my friends, is a mystery. 

It's been five years since the release of We Happy Few, so I think it's time for another bold prediction: Compulsion will reveal a new IP that's full of immersive-sim sensibilities and equipped with a distinctive artstyle – oh, and it'll release this year too.

As much as I'd love to see something new from Double Fine and InXile Entertainment, both teams have only just pushed massive games out the door – Psychonauts 2 (2021) and Wasteland 3 (2020), respectively – so I wonder whether it'll be too soon for them to share details. Especially if Microsoft sticks to its guns on not showing cinematic trailers. 

60 Minutes To Go!

Here we go! We're into the final stretch now, folks. The Xbox Games Showcase start time is: 10AM PDT time / 1PM ET time / 6PM BST time /7PM CET time. 

You can watch the Xbox Games Showcase here with us live, or you can head over to the official Xbox YouTube or Twitch channels. 

It's Sam here now, ready to take the reins ahead of the Xbox Games Showcase in an hour. *wave*

Josh has left us in an interesting place with Senua's little face peeking out. It's been a year since Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 gameplay demoed at the Game Awards 2021. It was an epic trailer, with ultra-photorealistic faces, and the usual demonic sheen.

We've only seen a little of the game since, with a small demo of the Unreal Engine 5 tech in action back at GDC in February. The game is definitely overdue a release date, as it was first announced back in 2019. 

Is it me or does that feel like a decade ago?

Just 20 minutes to go friends! We're rewatching old trailers in prep!

Other Xbox games that could make an appearance include some of the 2021 reveals like Contraband, or other games like Avowed, The Outer Worlds 2, or even wild cards like Machine Games' Indiana Jones project.

Just a few minutes to go now folks! What are we going to see first?

Don't forget you can tune in via the official Xbox YouTube channel, over on the Xbox Twitch stream

And we're off!

FAAAAABLE

Omg Richard Ayoade is in the game and someone's called him a wanker. This is brilliantly British

WAFTERS

"This is the age of innovation"

Wait are they wooden glasses?

And he's a giant. Of course he is. He's a bloody boss fight.

That was such a vibe.

No release date though. Sad face, but that looked amazing.

Compulsion Games up now, with something new. We've got some serious blues in the bayou going on now.

Fable pics for you there.

Compulsion is the studio behind We Happy Few. And we've got a black hero for this one, with her weilding some kind of magic powers in a game called South of Midnight.

Star Wars games from LucasFilm up now, and looks like it's set during the original trilogy

Lil' guy alert right there. Like a furry axolotl  

Female hero in this one too, with some serious mullet hair going on.

Star Wars Outlaws!

Coming 2024 to Xbox Series X - ah this is the Ubisoft one. More to come at the Ubisoft Forward tomorrow. A gameplay walkthrough specifically. 

Thunder Lotus is up now and it's another world premiere. Going back to their combat roots apparently.

This is 33 Immortals is a top-down, co-op, action rouge-like. 33 player co-op

"Face the wrath of God"

Coming 2024 to Xbox Series X and Game Pass.

PayDay 3 up now

Looks utterly chaotic as you'd expect, with lots of guns, explosions, and silly clown masks.

Persona 3 Reload coming 2024

Obsidian Entertainment... is this Avowed?

Something is corrupting souls - we can see a bear riddled with mushrooms for example

Here comes the magic. Turning someone to ice and hitting them with an ace, or vines coming out of the ground. Elemental magic?

Forge your destiny - is the tagline

Coming 2024. It is Avowed

Legend of Monkey Island and Sea of Thieves crossover confirmed! This is so cool seeing Guybrush Threepwood in the Sea of Thieves art style.

This is going to be the ultimate adventure isn't it!

A new original story for free on July 20!

Asobo Studio with the next gen of Flight Simulator now. Aerial firefighting coming to Flight Sim. Helicopter cargo transport. Air ambulance and agricultural work. Moutain rescue, skydive aviations, aerial construction, industrial cargo transport, remote cargo drops, VIP charter services, and air racing. Flider pilot, scientific research, experimental flight, transport services, hot air balloon trips... ho boy.

All of that coming to Flight Sim in 2024. Genuinely couldn't type fast enough.

Dune bug ship thing also coming to Flight Sim on November.

I'm also not sure if that was a whole new Flight Sim back there. 

Melina here - the actress behind Senua. Hellblade 2 coming up now

All captured on Xbox Series X. 

Apparently the game has just finished shooting, so guessing not a release date today then

Senua's crawling through a really small gap and the voices are ringing in her ears.

"wisdom has a price"

"can feel the lost ones everywhere. they're watching us"

The world is contorting around her, pulsating. Unclear what's happening but it's creeeeeeepy.

"all the grief, all the rage, all the fear"

Everything's she done has led her to this place. 

Coming 2024.

Yakzua Like a Dragon and Ichi is face-down on the beach and completely naked. Sure.

There's a lot covering his modesty right now. And he's in the US?

Coming 2024.

Fallout 76 update now. 

15 million Fallout 76 players now! That's a lot of vault dwellers.

Atlantic City coming soon to Fallout 76.

Capcom up now... tentacles in the sky and hands grabbing Japanese shrines.

How is this as creepy as it is pretty? Creepy hands turn to plants in the daylight.

Onimusha?

Path of the Goddess, coming to Xbox Series X and day one on Game Pass. No date on that one though.

Some General Motors cars coming to Forza Motorsport.

I'll admit, I missed the name and have very little idea about cars beyond VW and Audis 

Forza Motorsport coming October 10. 

Bethesda presenting now...

Elder Scrolls Online rather than anything new, got overexcited then!

Elder Scrolls Online Necrom coming June 20. Old info but a good reminder.

Overwatch 2 - new game mode called Flashpoint coming, hero mastery too. There's also a co-op event inbound, a firing range, story missions too. 

August 10 for that drop.

New heroes start pack too.

Atlus with more Persona now.

One of our team has just said: "Chibi Ryuji, I love you"

Persona Tactica PST coming November 17, 2023.

Wait, wait we're onto Starfield now? Surely they'd say if we were onto the Direct now?

Or is this just a fancy new trailer?

No just the story trailer and then Starfield Direct trailer. Reconfirmation of the September 6 release date.

Good cape on this next world premiere. Another lil' guy in its backpack too.

Lil' guy can make plants grow with a squeak as you climb. It's a Dontnod game - this studio is really pushing into different genres.

Jusant. Coming fall 2023. 

Still Wakes the Deep coming early 2024.

Day one with Game Pass.

Colourful skateboarding swordfighting game. Was that sword called Paper Cut 2.0? Nice.

Dungeons of Hinterberg, coming 2024 to Xbox Series X and day one Game Pass.

Omg Keanu's here. YOU'RE BREATHTAKING>

KEANU SAYS CHECK IT OUT

We're going down to Dogtown for this one and we'll be rescuing the president of the New United States.

This is like Mission Impossible in here.

Giant robot hunting V down.

Is there talk of a cure for V here? Sorry for the Cyberpunk spoilers friends.

September 26, 2023! That's SOON

That looked epic. 

Cities Skylines 2? Two Sam games back to back, this is a lot for me folks.

Ho boy I am NERDING out here. Those bridges, the weather. It's huuuuuuuge.

October 24 release date.

More Persona happening now but let's just circle back for some Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty screenshots of Idris in Action.

Metaphor de Fantazio coming 2024.

Xbox Game Studios now from the creators of the Banner Saga.

This looks amazing. Towerborne - coming 2024.

Inxile Entertainment up now.

Steampunk town, some kind of rebellion going on.

Leader of the town seemingly hunting you down?

"Change the past" and "control the future"

Clockwork Revolution "coming in due time" - fair enough

Oh hello Phil Spencer. What's the t-shirt today?

On consoles:

Significantly increased supply of Xbox Series X. 

More storage for Xbox Series S... and it's a black Series S now with a 1TB SSD. Noice.

$349 for price and it's coming September 1.

That's a sexy S

And now we're over to the Starfield Direct. 

Head over to Josh on the Starfield Direct live blog and we'll wrap up everything from the Xbox Games Showcase here!

Morning! We're back to document all of the fallout from last night's Xbox Game Showcase - and there's a lot of it to cover.

First up, however, is big Phil Spencer talking about the state of the Xbox Activision deal. Speaking at an event in LA, Spencer said that he remained "confident" that the deal would go through, stating that Microsoft is working closely with regulators to help get it over the line.

From Phil Spencer, we turn to Avowed. Long-billed as a Skyrim successor, Avowed isn't actually aiming to take Bethesda's crown.

Speaking to our friends at PC Gamer, CEO Feargus Urquhart said that his team was trying to create something quintessentially Obsidian, and that might mean sacrificing  size:

"We could go off and create an 8km x 8km open world and then deal with all the consequences of that - because that makes it a different style game [...] we want  to tell more confined stories that the player can experience with their companions, and then move from part of the world to part of the world. And, like I said, in the end, that's us."

Okay folks, let's do this one more time as the Xbox Games Showcase Extended is about to begin! Sam's back with you for one last showcase :)

This follow-up showcase will offer up some deeper dives into just some of the games we saw on Sunday.

According to Microsoft, we're going to hear more about Avowed, Towerborne, Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2, The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom, and Microsoft Flight Simulator – Dune Expansion. 

I'm personally sad not to see Fable in that list, but learning more about Avowed in particular has piqued my interest. 

Interestingly, Microsoft also teased that we will get some new on other games that didn't feature in Sunday's showcase, alongside "in-depth interviews, behind-the-scenes features, gameplay walkthroughs with brand new footage, and more"

"And you may even see some very special guests show up, perhaps even one celebrity…", Microsoft goes on to tease. Who could that be? We already got Keanu Reeves in the Sunday extravaganza, so who could this be?

Just 10 minutes to go now folks. I have snacks, do you?

It's also worth noting that there is a Forza Monthly presentation in an hour too. "Join us for a special June 2023 edition of Forza Monthly... Forza Motorsport Creative Director Chris Esaki will premiere a gameplay demo of Forza Motorsport’s all-new career mode, Builders Cup, and share more details on the upcoming game. You’ll also hear from Playground Games on the return of Donut Media (@Donut) in the Upgrade Heroes series update for Forza Horizon 5, community race organizer @RacingHaven on their upcoming offseason plans, and more!" 

But right now, it's time for the Xbox Games Showcase Extended.

One minute!

Gotta love Tina Amini's Xbox nails. 

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty up first! 

We're having a walk around Block Market in Dogtown

Block Market is a place you can find new weapons and goods, and they're some of the most deadly in the world. 

New abilities available here too, like air dash. 

Or the option to change your appearance to lose your heat! 

CD Projekt Red has overhauled the police actions too, so you may well need it.

Keanu Reeves is the celebrity!

"Night City has levels to it, and I think Dogtown is going to a darker place. It's dystopian, it has a tension to it, an undercurrent of struggle. Shit's gone down," says Keanu.

Colonel Kurt Hansen seems to be our big bad in this DLC then, eh? 

"Johnny's just looking for a fair shot", says Keanu. "I've got some great speeches."

Did Keanu just double bird us? I'll take it.

On Solomon Reed vs Johnny Silverhand. Solomon's trying to reclaim his life, just like Johnny. "It might start as revenge, and it might end in revenge."

On Phantom Liberty as a spy thriller. It's a scavenger hunt of information. There's double crossing. A question of what's true and what's fiction. 

Tina Amini is a "good egg" according to Keanu.

High on Life DLC is clearly going to be very very weird if this footage is anything to go by.

High on Knife - coming soon.

The Lamplights League and the Towers at the End of the World coming October 3.

Carrie Patel, game director on Avowed, now up!

Avowed has returning characters from Deadfire in particular for people who have played Pillars of Eternity 1 and 2. 

We're still in Eora too.

Couple of companions there confirmed - Kai the battlehardened being one.

Not a Watcher this time, but you do have a connection to the world. 

On the plague - it's devouring the living lands, and it's part of your mission to investigate it and stop it. 

You can play someone who is more magically atuned, or just go pure combat. You can choose the playstyle you want. They want it to feel dynamic.

Dual-weilding pistols confirmed.

How big is it - roughly comparable to The Outer Worlds or Knights of the Old Republic 2.

The First Descent from Nexon Games up now. A new Unreal Engine free-to-play game with a badass bunny-inspired armor set.

This is certainly not a game I'm familiar with but there's customization and revisions to the grapple hook coming based on player feedback.

Launch expected this year, and crossplay beta test this August.

Towerborne up now, from the makers of The Banner Saga. It's a co-op game and everyone's working through the worldmap together. 

The Belfrey is your base. The game is a mix of 2D and 3D. 

It's all about humanity's last chance at survival. It's your mission to hold the forces of darkness at bay.

Adding another player "amplified" the fun in Towerborne. 

It's a seasonal game, so expect new stories with new quests, expanding in a natural, organic way.

You can join the insider program today for Towerborne.

Two new public events coming to Fallout 76. 

Fallout 76: Once in a Blue Moon coming June 20.

Free to play update.

The Blue Moon has risen oven Appalachia, including new cryptids. 

Two new public events to give you the option to earn new rewards. 

And of course, Atlantic City is coming soon, as was announced on Sunday.

Two new game modes coming to Hi-Fi Rush, including Arcade challenge mode and a new Rhythm Tower. So a horde mode?

New costumes, t-shirts, and more too.

All coming July 5.

John Johannes game director for Hi-Fi Rush here now. 

Everything in this mode is unlocked by finishing the game. 

BPM Rush Mode, Power Up Tower Up - the two new modes.

Five new original songs, two new enemies. 

BPM Rush - Hi-Fi Rush's take on a turbo mode. 

200BPM max but they'll ease you in. 

Power Up Tower Up - Chai starts off downgraded and you've got to earn your power-ups back to gradually increase your stats. But, each one comes with positive and negative perks to your gameplay. 

Power-ups change per level randomly too. 

"It's a chonky update"

Zenimax now breaking down The Elder Scrolls Online Necrom trailer.

The Daedric god of knowledge is the big bad in Necrom. 

Some nostalgia from the Dragonborne DLC from Skyrim with the green sky.

Arcanist class is the new one for Necrom. 

All coming June 20.

Phasmaphobia coming to consoles?

Cross platform, cross progression. 

Console Early Access August 2023.

Exoprimal up now.

Taking survey feedback into consideration to influence development. 

Second beta coming soon, check the website.

PvE missions coming in new mode, that'll rotate weekly.

This is a lot of dinosaurs and guns at once. 

New mode is called Savage Gauntlet.

There will be exosuit variants, such as Deadeye and then Deadeye Alpha. Different firing modes and other differences.

Plans to regularly update the game after it launches with new seasons of content. 

July 14 is the release date for Exoprimal.

ID@Xbox's Developer Acceleration Program titles up now.

Lots of great games in here, including Botany Manor, Despelote, Stray Gods.

Flight Simulator up now - sadly not for Flight Sim 2024 but the Dune DLC.

Woah, actual Dune ornithopters!

Partnership started in discussions back in 2021! 

Flight Sim has gone full sci-fi with bringing these to life.

Each blade for the ornithopters has individual controls and thrust.

Secret mission hidden somewhere! 

Pinball-inspired combat game?

Go Mecha Ball coming 2024. 

Oh hey Lies of P. Anyone played the demo yet?

You can create your own weapon by combining blades and handles. 

Each blade and handle has its own Fable art. 

I'm sorry... the P ORGAN?

It's your way to upgrade Pinocchio, but ho boy that's quite a choice of terminology there isn't it.

Hellblade 2 - here's Will Potter, social media for Ninja Theory. 

At the point in the game we saw at the showcase, Senua's at her lowest point and here she needs to find a spark of hope to go on.

Ninja Theory's mo-cap tech has improved A LOT.

"What we want is the best performance possible", "the best fidelity". 

OMG this rig they've made for the boat to mimic the motion is mad!

You can watch the full version of that developer diary on YouTube and I am totally going to.

There it is!

It feels like this is drawing to a close now doesn't it. Just giving me event FOMO.

Oh wait, we're still going. This is Lightyear Frontier, the mech farming game with co-op support.

"coming early 2024".

10 new indie games coming to Game Pass

Another Crab's Treasure, Little City, Big City, Techtonica, Sea of Stars, Harold Halibut, Galacticare, Neon White, Mineko's Night Market, The Book Walker, and The Wandering Village.

33 Immortals from Thunder Lotus up now. The mad game with 33-player co-op. 

This is a live demo. 

Each section has 33 chapters... I think they like that number. Didn't even have enough people in the studio to fill out all 33 slots!

LOL

"As you can see, this is not Spiritfarer".

This does look very cool, very stylish. 

"Cooperate so that the biggest strongest group survives to take on the final boss"

And that's a wrap! Thanks for coming back to join live with us folks!

Upcoming indie Closer the Distance feels like a mix between The Sims and Life is Strange, and I can't wait to see more of it. 

First revealed during the ID@Xbox April showcase earlier this month, Closer the Distance is a life sim (just like The Sims 4 or Life by You) but with an emotional, narrative-driven twist that reminds me of Life is Strange or maybe even What Remains of Edith Finch. 

As you can tell from the trailer below, the game appears to have typical life-sim style gameplay but with a unique and moving story.  

In the game, players will take on the role of Angela - a young girl from the town of Yesterby who ends up in a fatal car accident. Still able to watch over her friends and family, Angela will use her new ethereal ability to influence the townsfolk she once knew to help them through the grieving process. 

As you can imagine, the upcoming sim will feature themes of empathy, community, friendship, grief, and closure. Not only this, but just like in the Life is Strange series, the choices players make matter, and will determine the fate of the town.

Closer the Distance is being developed by Osmotic Studios (who also developed the Orwell game series) and will be released by Skybound Games - who you may know for publishing Telltale's The Walking Dead series. It doesn't have a release date just yet, but we know that it's set to release on PC, as well as Xbox and PlayStation consoles, sometime in 2023.  

If you're also excited to see more of this game, we suggest adding the game to your wishlist on Steam and following the developer on Twitter to stay up to date on all things Closer the Distance.  

Looking for more hidden gems to play? Take a look at our upcoming indie games list. 

Every once in a while there comes a game whose influences blend together so naturally that it makes you wonder why it hasn't been done before, and Farsiders is one of those games.

Bangkok-based indie studio GambitGhost says Farsiders is a "real-time top-down hack-and-slash" action-RPG for folks who enjoy Hades, Hyper Light Drifter, and Death's Door, but - and this is probably partially because I can't stop thinking about the recent beta - but Diablo 4 also comes to mind. Finally, I also see some League of Legends in the aesthetics and the way some of the AoE attacks are animated.

Farsiders' combat looks a little more complex than Diablo's, with weapons and attachments with passive affixes, a branching skill tree, and a card system that adds another layer of depth. Each card can be used in three different ways: to put an active spell into play, to enhance a weapon, or to grant the ability to dash and deal passive elemental damage during movement.

The story of Farsiders is inspired by "the classic legends of Arthurian" but with a decidedly futuristic, Cyberpunk spin. The player character is Cassie, Spectralon's youngest member whose first mission is to investigate a mysterious abandoned island where she comes across a notorious terrorist group. After the Soul Syndicate uses dark manage to open a portal, Cassie is thrown into the ancient kingdom of Camelot, where she's considered a "Farsider." 

The world and gameplay experience will be divided into the past and present as Cassie travels from one period of time to the other. Ostahl is the name of the advanced city that Cassie calls home, while Tellune is the medieval fantasy realm consisting of five different regions, one of which is Camelot, ruled by the faithful king and the famous Knights of the Round Table.

Story details are pretty murky at this stage, but GambitGhost says you'll be fighting "against historical villains" and saving the world "from these new imminent threats." Your journey will be accompanied by an all-original soundtrack scored by Halo Infinite audio producer Laryssa Okada.

Farsiders' Kickstarter is only $5,000 away from its initial $30,000 goal needed to ensure the game happens. From there, there are various stretch goals including "more weapons," "more spell cards," and a rogue-lite mode. If all goes well, the beta will go live in June with a full Steam release between July and August, followed by a console launch for PlayStation and Xbox in October.

Here are some games like Diablo you can play right now.

This roundup of upcoming indie games for 2026 (and beyond) is here to help you build up your wishlists with some exciting new indie games releasing in the future.

With lots of new games in wonderful world indies to look forward to, I've brought together a roundup of upcoming indie games that should be on your radar, from management sims, to fighters, survival experiences, and so much more, you're sure to find something here to keep an eye out for.

And with Summer Game Fest live 2026 bringing us Day of the Devs, and Wholesome Direct also dropping yet more upcoming indie games, there's plenty to get excited about. And with the latest Steam Next Fest demos in June 2026 bringing more indies into the spotlight, read on to discover some of the most exciting upcoming indies for 2026 (and beyond).

2026

Cat Mail Co.

Release date: July 6, 2026
Platform(s): PC

If you've ever liked the idea of running your own post office, then Cat Mail Co. should definitely be on your radar. The new cozy management sim from developer Maracas Studio sees you arrive on a quiet island that's home to a forgotten post office full of undelivered mail. With no postman in sight, lots of customers in need of help, and parcels piling up, you work to bring the post office back to life. From sorting mail to serving customers and sending packages off to the right places, you can take everything at your own pace, and even play with pals with 4-player online co-op.

Moonlight Peaks

Release date: July 7, 2026
Platform(s): PC, Switch, Switch 2

If you want to tuck into a game like Stardew Valley but make it vampires, werewolves, witches, and mermaids, then Moonlight Peaks may just be one to add to your wishlist. The supernatural life from developer Little Chicken, you take on the role of a vampire who settles down in their family's abandoned home in a magical town. As you customize your cottage, build up your magical crops and animals, and make friends with the locals, you can even find love. Of course, come sun up, you'll need to be back in your coffin.

The Mermaid's Mask

Release date: July 16, 2026
Platform(s): PC, PS5, Switch, Switch 2

The Mermaid's Mask is a follow-up to the excellent 2019 murder-mystery detective game, Tangle Tower from developer SFB Games. Bringing back main sleuths Detective Grimoire and Sally, you'll set out with the pair set to investigate the murder of Magnus Mortuga, who was the captain of the "world's strangest submarine". Strange things are evidently going on, with the mention of a possible curse. How intriguing. As you hunt for clues, you'll be able to once again interact with a variety of objects, which are all now in 3D.

Big Walk

Release date: August 4, 2026
Platform(s): PC, PS5, Switch 2

If you loved the 2025 multiplayer phenomena that was Peak, then chances are Big Walk will be right up your street. Developed by the minds behind Untitled Goose Game, Big Walk is a charming-looking co-op game where you are your friends set out on a big hike together. The open world that you'll need to explore is packed with puzzles and cool discoveries to find. You'll also need to work to keep in contact via a variety of tools and toys.

Fields of Mistria

Release date: August 5, 2026
Platform(s): PC

After launching in Early Access back in 2024, the farming life sim Fields of Mistria from developer NPC studio is officially getting its 1.0 release this August, meaning that if you've been holding out until the storyline is complete, then you won't have to wait much longer. With marriage and children being introduced at last in the complete game, Fields of Mistria sees you carve out your own life in an idyllic village you set out to help restore. Along the way, you'll have your own homestead to customize, a farm to tend to, animals to raise, and you can also fish, mine, and more.

Grave Seasons

Release date: August 14, 2026
Platform(s): PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Switch

If you love farming with a dash of something spooky, Grave Seasons looks like the slasher Stardew Valley of your dreams... and nightmares. Not only will this adorable pixel RPG see you tending the fields as a doting farmer, you'll get to know the locals and try to root out a serial killer who's been committing murders in the town. Oh, and you can also form a romantic relationship with one of the residents if you so wish, just be careful, because you could end up dating the serial killer.

Screenbound

Release date: September 10, 2026
Platform(s): PC

Screenbound from developers Crescent Moon Games and Radial Forge is unique-looking action adventure with puzzle platforming elements that blends a 2D and 3D world together in quite the novel way. Bringing the retro vibes, you navigate around by switching between the 3D world and the retro-style 2D world on the handheld QBoy console you have in your hands, which reminds me of a Game Boy Advance SP.

TBC 2026

Arcane Eats

Release date: TBC 2026
Platform(s): PC

Arcane Eats promises to be one very tasty new roguelike deckbuilder. Served up from developer Wonderbelly Games, you take on the role of a chef who puts together a cuisine deck made up of mythic ingredients, kitchen tools, and culinary spells. Then, together with your cooking crew, you'll make meals for a host of fantasy characters.

Chivalware

Release date: TBC 2026
Platform(s): PC

Chivalware from developer Regal Pigeon is an upcoming roguelite that blends together tile matching with real-time, tile-based combat action, and it's already made a good impression on us. Playing as one of four different Disk Knights who can wield disk weapons and each have their own unique ability, you set out to slay the king of kingdom, who's been corrupted by power and years of isolation. But when glitches start happening around you, a mystery starts to unfold. Expect boss battles and various builds to master.

Dressmaker

Release date: TBC 2026
Platform(s): PC

Dressmaker from developer Cozy Lives is a new crafting sim that will let you design and create dresses in a dress shop of your very own. From picking the fabric to cutting out and arranging patters, adding decorations, and sewing it all together, you can let your creativity flourish and sink into the laid back simulation as you bring to life custom dresses for the residents of a town.

Milki Delivery

Release date: TBC 2026
Platform(s): PC

Milki Delivery from developer Doot Tiny Games looks like a charming, cozy little adventure I can't wait to try out. Following a young bike courier called Neha, you set out to build up your own delivery business by bringing milk bottles to locals who live in the countryside. With the help of your trusty cow companion, you'll have your very own barn you can upgrade with the money and resources you earn. As you deliver dairy, you hear from the residents and start to learn more about their past lives in the countryside.

Moomin: Midsummer Madness

Release date: TBC 2026
Platforms(s): PC, Switch, Switch 2

Another Moonmin adventure is on the way in Moomin: Midsummer Madness from developer Shochiku Games. Inspired by Tove Jansson's beloved stories, Midsummer Madness takes place after a flood has swept through the valley. Now, Moomin, Little My, and their friends find themselves in floating theater, and it's up to you to puzzle your way back home again. With a hand=painted style, it looks like another charming addition for Moomin fans.

My Eerie Lair

Release date: TBC 2026
Platform(s): PC

My Eerie Lair promises to be one for all of the dark romantasy fans out there. Described as a cozy furnishing experience with a twist, you take on the role of a vampire who's trying to win the heart of his kidnapped beloved by decorating his eerie castle into their dream home. Yes, if you enjoy decorating with a relaxing albeit dark vibe, this is one to watch out for.

Neverway

Release date: TBC 2026
Platform(s): PC, Switch

Neverway from developer Coldblood Inc is a new life sim that brings to mind games like Stardew Valley with its own distinct nightmarish twist. After leaving your dead end job to escape to a farm as protagonist Fiona, you find yourself becoming indebted as the herald of an immortal god. With three different times of day - morning, afternoon, and night - that you can advance to as you like, you'll farm and craft to try to rebuild your life and get to know the locals (with the option to even find some romance). But with some horror elements, you'll also fight and unlock combat abilities.

Otterly Lost

Release date: TBC 2026
Platform(s): PC

Otterly Lost is an adorable new open world adventure from developer Soulworks Interactive that sees you play as a sea otter called Otto. After getting swept out at sea, you have to try and find your way back home through unfamiliar waters. Along the way, you'll meet a host of friendly animals both in the water and on land, such as a fishing frog, and you can also customize Otto with an assortment of hats and shades (which is a very cute touch).

Over The Hill

Release date: TBC 2026
Platform(s): PC

From the makers of 2020's Art of Rally comes a new driving open-world adventure in Over the Hill. Set across various biomes inspired by real-world locations, Over The Hill lets you get behind the wheel of cars from the '60s through to the '80s, and you can simply enjoy driving around the landscapes to explore, or play with pals and work together to overcome challenges.

Spirit Crossing

Release date: TBC 2026
Platform(s): PC

Spirit Crossing from Cozy Grove creators Spry Fox is a new co-op MMO set in the stormy Crosslands. As a realm that sits between the human and spirit worlds, you'll be able to make yourself a home in the shared, ever-changing landscapes, gather flowers, take part in fishing tournaments, and interact with others in various ways as you help out lost spirits.

Toem 2

Release date: TBC 2026
Platform(s): PC, PS5, Switch

Toem 2 from developer Something We Made is the sequel to the wonderful 2021 photo adventure. Once again taking on the role of a photographer, the follow-up will see you set off on a new journey snapping pictures to uncover hidden secrets, solve puzzles, and help out friends along the way. The first game was truly a charming gem with a relaxing, laid back feel, and we have no doubt Toem 2 will be just as delightful.

Woodo

Release date: TBC 2026
Platform(s): PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Switch 2, Switch

Woodo from developer Tiny Monks Tales is a charming new puzzle adventure with charming, cozy vibes. Described as being like a "3D coloring book you can touch", Woodo sees you put assemble wooden pieces of hand-crafted dioramas that start to come alive with color as you piece them together. The 3D art style is very delightful, and it looks set to offer up a laid-back experience.

TBC 2027

Fossil Quest

Release date: TBC 2027
Platform(s): PC

Fossil Quest will let you bring to life your own dinosaur museum in a management sim that will scratch your collecting itch. From developer Unsigned Double Collective, the adventure sees you step into the village of Follyoaks where your great aunt has left you her old manor house, which happens to be the perfect place to bring to life the museum of your dreams. From venturing out to dig up fossils to renovating the manor, you can put on exhibits and get to the know the locals, too.

Into the Unwell

Release date: TBC 2027
Platform(s): PC

Into the Unwell from developer She Was Such A Good Horse is a new action third person action roguelite that sees you play solo or with up to two pals in online co-op as you fight against inner demons in a strange, grotesque world brought to life in the style of 1930s Rubber Hose animations. You can check out our hands-on preview for this one if you're keen to learn more.

TBC

Book Nook

Release date: TBC
Platform(s): PC

From Camper Van: Make it Home developer Malapata Games comes a new cozy builder in Book Nook. As the name of the game suggests, you'll be bringing together your very own little book nooks, assembling and putting together rooms and seeing how the pieces can all fit together. Designed to be a laidback, relaxed experience, you can take everything at your own pace and sink into the joy of setting out decoration and furniture just so.

CatchMaker

Release date: TBC
Platform(s): PC

CatchMaker is an upcoming 3D adventure from developer Grand Duck Games that sees you explore a magical island full of bugs to discover and catch. But that's not all, as the steward of the island, you can try to match the bugs and help them find love. So yes, you're a sort of bug matchmaker, with every date revealing more about a bug's ideal partner.

Crescent County

Release date: TBC
Platform(s): PC, Xbox Series X/S

Crescent County promises to let us into an open-world on the back of a motorbroom. Dripping with colorful style, the upcoming "delivery life sim" will see you take on the role of a courier who drops off packages. You can even get stuck into some racing, and help out the locals. As you find jobs to occupy your time, you'll have many different ways to customize both your broom and your apartment. Along the way, you can get to know the people you meet and make some friends - and maybe even find love, with the promise of romance, too.

Curiosmos

Release date: TBC
Platform(s): PC

Curiosmos is an upcoming space sim from developer Celine & The Silly Stars that looks every bit as cozy and whimsical as it promises to be. In it, you can build your very own solar system, putting together planets and moons by combining asteroids with stardust, and even create the gravity and atmosphere. As you go, you'll discover how to create weather, mold landscapes with everything from volcanoes and mountains, and eventually even bring life to your universe.

Dungeon Tourists

Release date: TBC
Platform(s): PC

Dungeon Tourists from developer KMLO is a new online multiplayer rail shooter with a difference. You see, in it, you'll be shooting photographs from a kart on rails in procedurally generated dungeon levels. As you venture through the dungeons with your pals, each level will be a home to a story and targets for you to photograph. And as you snap curiosities, you can earn rewards for your discoveries. After each run, your pictures will also be evaluated with a score and shared.

Froggy Brews

Release date: TBC
Platform(s): PC, PS5, Switch, Switch 2, Xbox Series X

As a big fan of tea, I'm all about this one. Froggy Brews from developer Komodo Range is a new 2D adventure in a delightful hand-drawn artstyle that sees you play as a lonely teamaker called Froggy (who is, in fact, a little frog). As you venture through the forests and gardens to forage for ingredients to brew, you'll also serve various residents and try to find just the right blend for them as you steep seasonal ingredients, flowers, and more.

Haunted Paws

Release date: TBC
Platform(s): PC

Haunted Paws from developer LazyFlock is an adorable but spooky upcoming co-op horror game that sees you and a pal play as two puppies who set out to rescue their human from a haunted mansion. You'll be able to sniff around, bark, dig, and get up to all sorts of canine antics as you go up against evil creatures and try to save your human friend.

I Am A Caterpillar

Release date: TBC
Platform(s): PC

During the Wholesome Direct 2023 we got to see I Am A Caterpillar, which is a new indie adventure coming to us from DevFatigued. You play (as you might have guessed) as a caterpillar, only this wriggly friend is quite content as they are, and doesn't want to become a butterfly. On the day your transformation is supposed to happen, you set out to do everything you can to stop it. Yes, you're going to be a bug who wants to shape their own destiny. It looks adorable, with the chance to climb across colorful environments and meet and befriend a whole host of forest inhabitants.

Isle Goblin

Release date: TBC
Platform(s): PC

Isle Goblin from developer Kilowatt Games is a open world pixelated adventure with survival elements that sees you play a little customizable goblin. As you set out to defend their island from human invaders, you'll explore the lands depths to mine resources, raise livestock and tend to a farm to keep your tribe going, and uncover hidden treasures. With a multiplayer mode, you can also team up with up to seven other players.

Neighborhoods

Release date: TBC
Platform(s): PC

Neighborhoods is a new cozy city life sim from developer E-Line Media that's all about the community you care for and cultivate in the little claymation-like world. As you design your city, you'll try to make the citizens happy as can be by placing affordable places to live, places where they relax and enjoy themselves, and maybe have "very strong opinions about a bench" you've placed.

OKU

Release date: TBC
Platform(s): PC

OKU sees you take on the role of a travelling monk who sets out on a spiritual journey across the beautiful landscapes of Japan. Writing Haiku-like poems along the way to connect with the natural world around you and unlock long forgotten pathways, you'll be able to the ride the winds to soar across meadows and rivers with Journey-like movement.

Pale Tide

Release date: TBC
Platform(s): PC

Pale Tide from developer Aberratic is a new zombie survival extraction game that sees you set out into a world afflicted by a mysterious outbreak that has caused the inhabitants to go feral. With your trusty dog companion by your side, you'll head out on dangerous supply runs to find precious resources, and explore zones to uncover secrets and rare equipment as you manage and upgrade a bunker that provides you a place of safety.

Poly Fighter

Release date: TBC
Platform(s): PC

Poly Fighter from HeartLoop Games is a new single-player roguelike fighting game that sees you step into the ring and take on opponents. With a classic arcade style, it brings in a roguelike element where every defeat will teach you something, and every victory makes you stronger. As you learn new moves that can be equipped, you can also unlock a vast selection of characters to fight with who all have their own unique perks.

Rebounder

Release date: TBC
Platform(s): PC

Rebounder certainly stands out thanks to it "pulp-print" style, which pops with color and draws from zines and old sci-fi comics, you play as a worker who's said to be at the end of their rope who's known as a rebounder. As a precision platformer that's inspired by the hidden mechanics "speedrunners mastered in Kaizo ROM hacks", you can expect quick levels with fast respawn rates so you can get stuck into "unlimited attempts".

Theos: Cities of Myth

Release date: TBC
Platform(s): PC

From the same team behind 2023's Pharaoh: A New Era, Theos: Cities of Myth is a new city builder inspired by the classic games in the genre. In the historical strategy sim, you'll build up your own metropolis dedicated to one of seven Greek deities. As you manage your citizens and their needs, you'll try to create a city that's worthy of your chosen god.

Way to the Woods

Release date: TBC
Platform(s): PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S (Xbox Game Pass)

Way to the Woods is an upcoming adventure that follows the journey of two deer in an abandoned world that head out to find their way home. A trailer for the game back in 2019 quickly captured attention thanks to its beautiful, intriguing backdrop and the companionship of the deer and fawn protagonists at the heart of the experience. Said to draw inspiration from Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and The Last of Us, Way to the Woods made an appearance towards the end of 2022 during the Wholesome Snack showcase.

Wylde Society

Release date: TBC
Platform(s): PC

Wylde Society is the new period drama life sim from Wylde Flowers developer Studio Drydock. While the studio's previous adventure saw us take on the role of a witch in a small town who raises a farm, Wylde Society will instead put us in the shoes of Vivian, who also happens to be a witch, but is also socialite and host. You'll be running your own magical boarding house, from planning and hosting events, to matchmaking others - and you can also get up to some witchy goodness, of course.

Keep track of all of the releases on the horizon with our roundups of upcoming Switch games, upcoming PS5 games, upcoming Xbox Series X games, and upcoming PC games.

A GTA-inspired indie game has decided to change its name to pay closer homage to Rockstar’s legendary games alongside going free-to-play.

In a post on the game’s Steam page (via PCGamer), Nik Nak Studios announced that Geneshift would be changing its name to Gene Shift Auto, putting the title closer to the game’s main inspiration. What’s more, the game will be going free-to-play today, meaning that players will be able to hop in and get their crime-spree fix with no monetary barrier. If you want a taste, why not check out the new trailer for the game? 

Nik Nak Studios explained that the name change has other purposes too. The game has been in early access for five years, and it's now entering a new phase of its life. In the post, the studio explains the name change further saying: “The name has changed because the game itself has changed so much over the years.” 

“Geneshift was released as a story-based campaign. It didn't have cops, missions, the megamap, skill drafting, vendors or even the BR game mode! We're playing a completely different game, more of a sequel really, and a new name will help communicate to all the old fans just how much has changed.”

If you're expecting the title to fulfill your 3D life of crime needs until the elusive GTA 6 gets here, be aware Gene Shift Auto is a homage to older versions of the game, most specifically Grand Theft Auto 2. These top-down games are excellent relics that are often forgotten in the Grand Theft Auto pantheon, but they're very different from what a modern GTA game is. 

Gene Shift Auto is a PvPvE Battle Royale, so while it is an homage to the retro GTA games, it's still its own thing. It’s a very chaotic competitive game that will have you up against waves of police and other players as you battle for the top spot. There is also a Deluxe version of the game that comes with its own single player or purely co-op survival mode if you do want to end up spending some money on it. 

Want to jump into some fun with some friends? Here are the best co-op games on the market. 

This roundup is here to help you easily discover the best PC games to play right now in 2026.

Some fantastic new games have arrived this year, and with more upcoming PC games landing all the time, we've considered some of the latest releases, as well as longtime favorites to bring you our top 30 recommendations. Covering a wide range of genres, we've paid mind to options that will let you make the most of some of the best gaming PC setups out there, as well as picks that can be enjoyed no matter the hardware you have (it's always worth checking out system requirements on the storefronts linked below).

With some of the best Steam games included, it's also worth checking out the best Steam Summer Sale games for 2026, since you can currently snap up some of our selection for a lot less as part of the current big seasonal Steam sales date. But without further ado, if you're ready to explore the 30 best PC games to play right now, read on.

The best PC games to play today, starting with...

Pragmata is a modern testament to Capcom's ability to deliver great original games. It's a touching yet lightweight story following the human Hugh (a lone survivor trapped) who teams up with a young android named Diana as they explore a lunar facility. The two are looking for a way back to Earth, problem is there's a rogue AI getting in their way. In order to get what you'll want, you'll have to dive headfirst into Pragmata's punchy shooting and hacking mechanics that will feel very nostalgic to veterans of arcade-style sci-fi action.

In our Pragmata review we praised the game rightly for its innovative take on third-person shooters, and really, shooting is this game's strong suit. While I love the story, you will find better PC offerings in that department. But Pragmata's action is uber-satisfying and fun, so you won't really wish for a deep space drama. I had a blast hacking and exposing robot enemies to damage before I unleashed a rainstorm of bullets, and this new mechanic is easily one of the best ideas I've seen incorporated into a shooter in a long time.

Get it now:
Steam

Titanium Court is bizarre, and we love it for that. It's a brilliant mash-up of genres, giving us a match-three, real-time strategy RPG, and narrative-driven puzzler all in one surreal package. It's also one of the games that really has the ability to hook you, keeping you glued to your monitor (or Steam Deck) as you try to come out on top.

In the game itself, you are the accidental ruler of a fairy realm who is also trapped in a daily war. This is a place where all your subjects speak in riddles, and battles are fought by sliding pixelated tiles. You'll be merging mountains and cultivating unbroken chains of rivers to provide protection from enemies, and then have to deal with new challenges and story beats as you progress. In our Titanium Court review, we mentioned how the game feels like "Balatro meets Blue Prince". Both those games are also PC brain pleasers, and Titanium Court is a similar joy to play through even if its RNG can feel brutal at times.

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Steam

Mewgenics is easily one of the strangest (in a good way) games to release in 2026. Combining Roguelike elements with turn-based combat, Dungeons and Dragons-style classes, and some cat breeding strategy as well, this is one of the most unique and funny titles to pick up on PC this year. Throughout the game, you'll need to collect and breed cats before taking them out on runs. Each cat will have certain stats and abilities (which you can try to keep or improve via breeding), and you'll have to assign them a class before taking them out to beat up some enemies.

Mewgenics sounds simple on paper, but it is unpredictable. I accidentally exploded my cleric cat and didn't pay attention to the weather before using a mage to electrocute my whole party by mistake. Each run has its own challenges, and cat breeding does take strategy and resources in order to be done properly. It's very fun figuring everything out, and paired with an incredible soundtrack and some funny humor, this is a surefire PC winner. For more information, check out our glowing Mewgenics review.

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Steam

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is one of the best Western RPGs of all time, and the great news is that it runs brilliantly on PC. Set during 1403 in the Kingdom of Bohemia, this is the sequel to the 2018 game, Kingdom Come Deliverance, that has you following the story of Henry of Skalitz. It's a very clear evolution from its predecessor, giving us detailed RPG mechanics and a smoother experience, while also keeping the charm and humor from the first outing too.

To be honest, the combat and general controls of this one do feel more naturally tuned towards PC versus consoles, with mouse controls feeling more responsive - a feature you're going to want to utilize when you are trying to stay alive, picking a lock, and just generally grinding your way up the medieval food chain. Before you pick this one up, be warned it is a grind, but worth it. In our glowing Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 review, we also mention how, "if you have the patience to endure a wilfully slow progression system, you'll be richly rewarded with heaps to do in 15th-century Bohemia."

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Steam

In our Resident Evil Requiem review, we called it "the most cinematic, bloody, surprisingly emotional moment for the franchise to date." It's also currently at the top of our list of the best games of 2026 so far, so needless to say it's an easy recommend from us for all PC players. The game essentially follows one storyline split between two different perspectives as we follow both heroes, FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft and Resi veteran Leon S Kennedy.

In Grace's case, she is called down to investigate a murder that happens to be the site where her mother died, which leads to her being trapped. Leon, on the other hand, is investigating the source of mysterious deaths as well, which eventually leads him to cross paths with Grace. I won't get into any more spoilers, but I will say the story is expertly crafted and there are some genuinely terrifying moments that amp up the tension as well. It does separate action and horror very clearly between the two characters, so it doesn't specialize explicitly in fear, but it is still one of the best Resident Evil games regardless.

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Steam

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle lets you put on the famous fedora of the iconic archeologist in a sprawling, action-packed adventure from Wolfenstein developer Machine Games. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to step into an Indiana Jones movie (circa the 80s), then this is about as close as you can get. Capturing the spirit and look of the classic trilogy, the Great Circle takes place between Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade.

Throughout the game, you'll be traveling to multiple locations as you try to uncover pieces of an ancient artifact before the Nazis get their hands on it. Exploration is key here, with every new area having a stunning sense of wonder as you discover side-quests, secrets, and local cuisines that give you stamina buffs. The Great Circle also has one of the most enjoyable melee combat systems on PC right now, so each whip crack and punch feels hefty and satisfying. It's a marvel to play, and if you're a PC player who also happens to love series like Uncharted, you won't find a better title. Read our full Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review for more.

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Steam

Split Fiction is, hands down, the best co-op game that you can currently play on PC. In fact, it's also one of our top picks for the best games of 2025, because yes, it's just that good. From the brilliant minds at Hazelight Studios, Split Fiction follows the story of two writers (one specializing in sci-fi, the other in fantasy) as they find themselves trapped in a machine scrapping their ideas. Platform your way through stunning levels as you work to find glitches and break the theft technology before it's too late.

Every level in Split Fiction is a love letter to gaming, with new and innovative mechanics introduced at every turn. Shoot your way through a sci-fi energy plant, fly on the backs of dragons, or gather up a dancing ape conga line. You'll never be bored! The inclusion of the Friend's Pass that lets you're player two experience the game without buying an extra copy also supports cross-play. This means that PC players can easily link up with console fans too. Split Fiction is not only a marvel, but it's highly accessible. For more information, you can head on over to our Split Fiction review to find out more.

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Steam

Beep, beep, beep. Alien: Isolation's motion tracker is a blessing and a curse: a terrifying sign that the beast is near, and even the thought of the sound puts our hair on edge. But we daren't put it away in case we turn a corner and, bam, the alien is on top of us, and it's game over, and we have to leave our PC to go outside for a long, slow walk. So we clutch the tracker close, hiding under a chrome desk in the hope the alien leaves us alone.

Isolation's tech helps create a sense of place — the flickering monitors and clunky computers are straight out of '70s sci-fi films. And then there's the alien itself, one of the greatest video game monsters ever spawned. Intelligent, crafty, and horrifying, it's always stalking you, always searching. Grab your tracker and hide for your life. For more, read our Alien Isolation review.

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Steam
Humble Store

If you're looking to hit the road and tuck into a fantastic racing game, you can't go wrong with Playground Games' latest open world arcade racer. Forza Horizon 6 boasts the biggest map yet in the beautiful setting of Japan.

Introducing a new social feature inspired the Japanese racing culture, Car Meets bring in a welcome space to meet up with other drivers. And unlike past entries, you're now playing as a tourist who enters the Horizon festival as an amateur racer who rises through the ranks. With gorgeously detailed cars, getting behind the wheel has never felt better. For more, check out our Forza Horizon 6 review.

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Steam
Microsoft Store

While we loved its sequel, Silksong, Hollow Knight is an underground labyrinth of secrets: burrow in and you'll be lost in its lofty caverns, tight tunnels, and beautiful, ruined cities, and you won't want to find the way out. As you jump and slash through it, you'll slowly unpick the lore of this bug-inhabited world, and realize its story runs far deeper than you initially expected. The map feels endless, and even late in the game, you'll stumble on whole huge areas you never knew existed. When you travel through them, they'll connect to a familiar space in a way that instantly makes sense and feels just right.

You'll battle 28 bosses and visit varied locales, from grand greenhouses to snowy planes being dusted by the ashes of a long-dead being. As you progress, you'll upgrade your character, The Knight, with charms that change your playstyle: one damages foes anytime you get hurt, another lets you fire energy from your sword when at full health. Finding and equipping charms and landing on the combination that works for you is just one of the many reasons you'll want to boot it up for a second playthrough, where you'll likely get a completely different ending (all five are worth seeing, if you can find the time).

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Steam
GOG
Humble Store

Square Enix's second go at an online MMO is one of the biggest comeback kids of gaming: the base game was repetitive and not much to write home about, but the team didn't stop there, improving FF14 with every expansion. Now it boasts one of the best stories in online roleplaying, and is truly a game for everyone – those who like to play with friends and strangers as much as those who just want to roam a fantasy world by themselves.

Final Fantasy 14 hasn't only proven that the best Final Fantasy game (just read our Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail review for more on that), it may in fact be an excellent MMO; it's also in a position to teach other MMOs a thing or two about crafting satisfying, year-long plot arcs.

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Square Enix Shop
Steam

When this game first launched as a PlayStation exclusive, it immediately fulfilled the Spider-Man fantasy. Web-slinging, whether in combat or as a traversal mechanic, simply feels fantastic, and Spider-Man's New York is one of the most beautiful video game cityscapes to date. The story, which you can enjoy even if you're not familiar with the Marvel comics universe, takes you on a tour with all of Spider-Man's nemeses, friends, and family members, and even the side missions are continuously fun.

Marvel's Spider-Man is the superhero action game to measure licensed games by, full of love for its subject and simply a joy to play, combining stealth, action, and a great story, all of it looking extra sparkly in the remastered PC version. Read our Marvel's Spider-Man review for more on this classic.

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Steam
Epic Games Store

Disco Elysium's tale of a washed-up, alcoholic detective sounds like a cliché. 10 seconds in, you'll realize it's anything but. You might have a heart attack trying to unhook your necktie, which itself is arguing with you, from a ceiling fan. You can look in the mirror and convince yourself you were once a rockstar that played to screaming audiences, or discuss the complex political breakdown of a city plagued by corruption with a racist lorry driver. And that's just within the first half an hour.

Disco Elysium is a game that celebrates language and characters: an RPG without combat where all your duels are verbal, and every conversation is peppered by funny asides from different aspects of your own psyche, all clamoring to have their internal voices heard. You have a long list of choices for nearly every piece of dialogue, and what you say meaningfully impacts the characters around you. It's witty, it's bleak, and we can't get enough of it.

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Steam
Humble Store
GOG

A joyful, playful space story about a character who dies every 22 minutes. During each life, you explore its wonderfully folksy sci-fi world and watch it change, entire planets splitting apart before your eyes. You try your best to learn something new, and then you close your eyes and you're back at the start, the world reset, leaving you 22 more minutes to try and figure out what the hell is going on.

It's the perfect window to dive into its intertwining stories. The world is small enough that your makeshift spaceship can reach any planet in a few minutes, giving you plenty of time to delve into ruins and talk to memorable NPCs. But it's never long enough for you to uncover the whole truth, leaving you with plot threads to pick up in your next life. Slowly, you'll start to tie these threads together, and the world only becomes more fascinating with every new expedition. Best of all, the conclusion is absolutely worth sticking around for.

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Epic Games Store
Microsoft Store

The best life sim on PC never stops improving. The Sims has a long legacy as one of the best PC games around. Honestly, we could have put The Sims 2 and The Sims 3 on this list, too, and (in some ways) both those games are superior to The Sims 4. However, we chose to include the latest entry in the beloved franchise due it the amount of content still being offered for it as well as its amazing building mechanics.

The best Sims 4 expansions have always been on the pricier side, but they always add something new to the life of your Sims, such as magic spells, a tropical island world, or a themed furniture set for your grumpy teenager's bedroom. We never tire of the way The Sims 4 can generate dynamic storylines – family dramas, love triangles, or personal struggles, and those tales keep us coming back, year after year, expansion after expansion.

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EA Play
Steam

If you haven't heard of Helldivers 2 by some miracle, let me explain it to you: it's an online multiplayer PvE extraction shooter where you team up with your fellow outer space soldiers to spread democracy far and wide across hostile planets. And it's an absolute riot. In fact, if you couldn't tell by our glowing Helldivers 2 review already, it's one of our favorite titles of 2024.

Swapping out the top-down stylings of the first Helldivers for a modern third-person action perspective, Helldivers 2 is as dynamic as it is frenetic. The game launched to an almost instantaneous positive reception, uniting PS5 and PC players in an online arena where friendly fire is possible (and let's face it, probable) and almost anything can happen. The Starship Troopers-steeped third-person shooter is an all-out party, if by "party" you mean "vicious war against monstrous bugs and mechs", and in that regard, Helldivers 2 is already well on the way to becoming one of the best PC games ever. If you can squeeze onto a server, of course.

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Steam

XCOM 2 is a slick, turn-based strategy game that doesn’t care about your feelings. As you battle an alien invasion, you’ll grow attached to your squad, upgrading them, customizing their gear, and building personalities for them in their head. Then, one wrong move and you’ll watch them get their face torn off by a towering, faceless, pink mutant, and there will be nothing you can do about it. It’s agonizing.

That loss is part of XCOM 2. Without it, the wins wouldn't feel so good, and you wouldn't spend so long deciding which piece of cover to sprint to next. The simple controls and intuitive UI make it easy to pick up, and once you get in the flow of a battle, you'll be barking out orders quickly, watching your soldiers pop in and out of cover.

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Steam
Humble Store

Mina the Hollower is a challenging souslike action-adventure that feels like a fusion of classic Zelda meets Bloodborne. With the 2D aesthetic of the Game Boy Color bringing to life a world with a surprising amount of depth, you take on the role a Mina, an intrepid little mouse Hollower who can burrow underground and use a variety of gadgets to fight back against foes and overcome obstacles.

In your quest to save an island from a curse, you face boss battles and navigate through the world with satisfying, face-paced combat and different tools that allow you to really experiment with your playstyle. As we said in our Mina the Hollower review, it cleverly remixing the ideas of its influences to bring to life an experience all its own. And if you have Valve's handheld, it's easily one of the best Steam Deck games, too.

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Steam

Once again, one of the most successful PlayStation-exclusive games has found its way to PC, and -you can all exhale now – it's a great port. God of War isn't only an incredible tech showcase thanks to its looks and world with no loading screens, but also a carefully told story of fatherhood and a robust action game. Even if you have no knowledge of the other God of War games, you can understand and empathize with the story of a man trying to make peace with his past, thanks to great acting and a script that takes its time, letting characters express themselves authentically, pacing its big, show-stopping moments well.

From a gameplay standpoint, the action in God of War may follow easily recognizable patterns, but Kratos' axe is fun to use, not least because of its recall mechanic, and there is an undeniable feeling of impact to your every action. Add some interesting puzzles and breathtaking locales, and you get one of the finest action-adventures you can play, one that truly sets the bar for years to come. God of War's sequel, God of War Ragnarok, is a worthy successor to this great game. Read our God of War review next.

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Steam
Epic Games Store

Alyx feels like a proper evolution of Half-Life 2, one of the greatest shooters of all time. It combines a gripping, emotional story with the most detailed level design you've ever seen. It feels like every object can be picked up, examined, and smashed. Sometimes, that's incidental – when you're opening draws, crushing cardboard boxes, or plucking bottles of vodka from shelves – but often, it's central to progression. At one point, you must cover your mouth to stop Alyx coughing as you sneak past a blind monster, for example. This level of interaction makes the whole game feel alive, and makes you feel like a very real part of it.

The shooting isn't half bad, either. You don't have many weapons, but your arsenal is punchy and lethal, and feels perfect in your hand. Reloads are done manually, which feels fiddly at first, but speeding up over time is satisfying, until eventually sliding magazines into place is second nature. Frantic firefights are broken up by smart puzzles and slower, atmospheric sections when your only light is a torch. Being in VR makes City 17 feel far spookier than we remember. Check out our Half Life Alyx review for more insights into this worthy sequel.

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Steam

With Elden Ring, FromSoftware combines the best of its Souls games with a genuinely exciting open world. You're given the freedom to actually explore, without task markers guiding you, and customary to FromSoft games, there are plenty of secrets and hidden paths to discover. This is a dark but beautiful world, stuffed to a point that some of its secrets will likely not be discovered until much later.

Of course, Elden Ring is a difficult game, maybe the most difficult FromSoftware game yet, but since you can set your own path and some quality of life changes likely inspired by previous games, Elden Ring is likely to attract even those who weren't sure about the Souls games. This is a genuine breath of fresh air for open-world games, and a game people will be enjoying and talking about for years to come. It’s a perfect example of what makes FromSoftware so popular. Plus, it's even better with the addition of the Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. Read our in-depth Elden Ring review for more.

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Steam

Much like the structures you can build in its world, Minecraft just keeps getting bigger. Among other sandbox games, it stands alone in delivering on its promise of total freedom: you can break and place blocks in any way you choose, recreating the whole of Game of Thrones' Westeros – or crafting a simple seaside shack and living off the land with a fishing rod.

Its multiple modes mean you can play Minecraft any way you like, which is a liberating feeling, but the presence of enemies, hidden treasure, and twisting cave systems helps lend it structure. Its sandbox world never fails to throw ambitious ideas into your head, and then before you know it, you've spent five hours working, block by block, towards your next self-made objective. Mods and custom maps broaden its scope even further, and it's at its best when you're building your next project collaboratively with a friend.

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Mojang

When Resident Evil 4 was first released, it marked the switch for the series from a fixed camera perspective to a third-person over-the-shoulder viewpoint. This made things tense and much more immediate and intimate, causing countless other games over the years to adapt the style. Not only that, a new inventory system and shooting controls meant Resident Evil 4 was completely different from what came before, and you weren't even shooting zombies anymore.

The fighting and set pieces in Resident Evil 4 Remake combine old and new in exhilarating ways that will satisfy both old and new fans of the series, making sure (almost) everyone's favorite Resident Evil is ready for the next generation. Read our Resident Evil 4 Remake review if you need more convincing before picking this one up.

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Steam

Hades 2 is a masterclass in how to make a sequel that absolutely slaps, even in early access. Supergiant remixes its Hades formula with stunning precision and innovation, showing off its signature penchant for art direction, sound design, expert storytelling, and carefully fleshed-out mythologies that will leave you utterly spellbound.

Taking over from her brother following the events of the first game, Hades 2 sees the princess of the underworld herself taking matters into her own, magically blessed hands. Melinoë is already shaping up to be a powerful heroine, able to wield her own set of weapons, boons, and more against the might of the Titan of Time, Chronos. With Hades himself held prisoner in his own usurped kingdom, you can expect all manner of narrative twists and turns (not to mention a cast of swoon-worthy gods and goddesses) in this thrilling roguelike adventure. You can also check out our Hades 2 review for more details.

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Steam

Dishonored 2 is a near-perfect assassin sim. In the original, you were hunting a target in a huge level, and you could kill them in any way you liked: in this sequel, the maps are bigger and more intricate, your supernatural powers more impressive, and you have the option to play as a second character, Emily, who has her own murderous style.

Every level is full of lavish detailed, and every avenue to your target feels like its own, perfect assassination. The smooth traversal makes it easy to get around and explore every corner of the map, searching for clues until you've planned your route to your final target. Maybe you go in shotgun blaring, maybe you spirit blink to a rooftop and sneak in through a window, or maybe you trick enemies into walking into their own electricity traps until all the guards are dead. And then, in a flash of metal and a blur of blue magic, your blade is in your target's neck, and you're vanishing into the night. It's simply glorious. Read our Dishonored 2 review for more details.

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Steam
Humble Store

Red Dead Redemption 2 galloped onto PC back in 2019, and it's the definitive version of the game. It's the same story of Arthur Morgan's quest for redemption in the US wilderness, with the same complex characters and detailed world to explore, but with improved graphics and the option to add Red Dead Redemption 2 mods that let you skip the prologue, transform into an animal, or turn Arthur into the Joker. No, seriously.

Red Dead Redemption 2 on PC runs far better than the console versions, and thanks to a DLSS update, The Wild West has never looked so beautiful. In our five-star Red Dead Redemption 2 review, we write, "As of right now, the cowboy classic represents the current pinnacle of video game design." It may be years since its release, but that statement still stands firm and true.

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Rockstar
Epic Games Store
Steam

Into the Breach's predictability is its strength. Its rules are so clearly explained, so explicitly laid out, that it leaves no space for chance or mystery. All of your focus can go into finding the ideal place to move your tank, or the perfect spot for a missile strike – and when you inevitably cock it all up, you'll know exactly where you went wrong.

It's part strategy, part puzzle game in which you move pixel art pieces across a chessboard-style map, squashing alien invaders. Each squad you can control has its own gimmicks. One relies on pushing enemies into danger zones rather than dealing direct damage, and another is an expert at freezing aliens with icy attacks. Its brilliance comes in applying your arsenal to any given situation, taking 15 minutes to stare at the board until – Eureka! – the perfect next step finally hits you. And it has near-endless replayability: if you overcome the final boss, you can try again with a new squad that feels completely different. And even if you fail, the randomized, rogue-like world structure means you can instantly load up another round, complete with a fresh set of challenges to scratch your head at.

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Steam
Humble Store
GOG

The first two Witcher games showed flashes of brilliance in their believable, gritty characters and low-fantasy setting, but lacked polish. The Witcher 3 pairs CD Projekt Red's excellent writing with compelling gameplay, and one of the most expansive, beautiful worlds ever created. There's a reason it's at the top of our best open-world games and best RPG games lists.

The Northern Kingdoms, inspired by European mythology, are populated by fascinating creatures and, more importantly, multi-dimensional characters. They're all flawed, not least protagonist Geralt of Rivia, but whatever you feel about them, you can't help but become invested in their fates. Speaking to any of them might launch a five-hour side quest that takes you across mountain and bog, vineyard and dusty city. Perhaps you're hunting a mythical creature, or simply trying to solve a lover's quarrel: either way, you'll care about what you're doing, and you'll visit some stunning locales while doing it. Read our The Witcher 3 review for more.

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Steam
Humble Store
GOG

Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a glorious homage to the bygone days of isometric RPGs. But rather than relying on pure nostalgia, it takes the best bits of the classics – the branching stories, evocative writing, complex characters, and party building – and mixes them with sleek modern design ideas, such as physics-based spells and mod support. It sets up a clear set of rules and then encourages you to break them, something that's even more fun when you're playing with a friend, where you can settle arguments about what your party should do next via a rock-paper-scissors-style mini-game.

The combat is the best you'll find in the genre, and relies on smart thinking and inventive elemental combos rather than random dice rolls. And when the fighting is done, your characters will always have something profound or witty to say to each other: it's worth listening to every incidental conversation as you delve deeper and deeper into its fascinating fantasy world.

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Steam
GOG

If Divinity: Original Sin 2 set a new standard for CRPGs, Baldur's Gate 3 raised the bar even higher. Set within the world and ruleset of Dungeons & Dragons rather than Larian's own fantasy world, it's the culmination of years of RPG expertise. It's a game that seems almost impossible - an expansive world dripping with detail, a hugely complex main quest that feels like it reacts to almost every move you make, and an ocean of combat possibilities to play around with, all presented with fully-acted cutscenes and beautiful environments.

A single playthrough might take more than 100 hours, and you'd still have only seen a fraction of what the total game has to offer. It truly is a new gold standard for its genre. Read our Baldur's Gate 3 review if you want to know more about the absolute must-play title for all PC owners.

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Steam

This list is dedicated to bringing together the best Switch indie games we'd recommend trying out in 2026.

Home to an expansive library, we've distilled down and compiled 20 of the most memorable indies available on Nintendo's console. From some of the best roguelike games, puzzlers, management sims, and much more, we've made sure to pick a variety of different experiences across genres, so you can find something that appeals to you.

And if you're on the lookout for more great recommendations, our pick of the best Switch games is here for you, too. The good news is that we're set to see more upcoming Switch games in future with lots of exciting upcoming indie games among them, and all of the delights can be enjoyed on the latest Switch 2 console, too. So, keep on reading to discover our pick of the 20 best Switch indie games.

The best Switch indie games to play right now

20. Cozy Grove

Cozy Grove is a lot like Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and will scratch the same adorable itch. Stranded on an island populated by ghost bears, you can help them with various tasks, plant trees and flowers, collect resources and decorate your campsite with themed items. The aim is to repair your boat and return home, but very quickly, you'll forget all about that as you become obsessed with completing your fish collection or tracking down the latest fashionable outfits.

The only catch? The game will only give you a few quests to complete each day, forcing you to slow down and not burn through it all like a maniac. It gets regular updates, and the seasons change, so there's always something new to discover. Plus, it is the cutest thing since people started putting clothes on puppies.

19. Untitled Goose Game

Everybody wants to wreak a little havoc in a game world, and Untitled Goose Game lets you do that as one of nature's most dastardly villains - the goose. This playful and addicting puzzle game recently added a co-op option, so you and your friends can team up to give the poor old farmer a headache or drag someone's lovely picnic into the lake just because you crave chaos.

Despite the fact that its gameplay is all about mayhem and mischief, Untitled Goose Game is incredibly soothing, with a great soundtrack that somehow makes chaos calming. We could all use that right about now, eh? Honestly, this is one of the best two-player Switch games on our list.

18. Hollow Knight

This award-winning 2018 title is still worth your time, especially since it's one of the best Metroidvanias ever made. The dark and challenging game takes you through an absolutely gorgeous world of insects and knights, and quirky NPCs. Hallownest is a world you'll want to get lost in, even when the jump puzzles and combat have you sweating in your seat.

Help a silent insect knight connect the dots of destiny and submerse yourself in a story and world that are equally beautiful. And after you beat the main story, there's other campaigns to dive into. Of course, once you've completed the first game, it's also well worth checking out the sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong.

17. Hades

It's super-stylish, devilishly fun, and wicked difficult - if those things interest you, then Hades is the next Switch indie game for you. Hades is an isometric action RPG that tasks you with breaking out of the Greek underworld, and you'll get very used to dying very quickly when playing it.

Death is a natural part of Hades, along with its thumping music and engaging characters that are fully fleshed out and brilliantly voice-acted. Seriously, you won't be able to forget these characters, who you can only further connect with by dying over and over again. Hades will grab you and drag you to the underworld, and even though the goal is to leave, you won't want to.

16. Balatro

Balatro isn't just one of the best indie Switch games, it's also one of the best 2024 games, period. Seriously, who would have thought that a simple card game would trap us all into its addictive gameplay loop? If you aren't familiar with this viral sensation yet, this is essentially a roguelike deck-building title. Following the basic rules of poker, your main objective is simple: you have to score enough chips to pass the requirements.

Once you do get enough points, you'll move to the next boss and spend your earned cash on upgrades that can give you a ton of cool features, such as combos, new cards in your deck, or buffs. Balatro will have you strategizing each run, celebrating each new high score, and is a great game to play on the go.

15. Herdling

Herdling is a moving, memorable adventure from the creators behind the Far series that sees you journey through a mountain pass with a herd of fluffy yak-like Calicorns. Finding a happy home on the Switch, the expedition you set out on is full of obstacles, surprises, and dangers.

But at the heart of the Herdling is a story told without words that will capture your heart as you bond with your travelling herd to ultimately reach the summit. Topped off with a beautiful score and inviting landscapes, Herdling really is a lovely adventure to step into.

14. Tiny Bookshop

Tiny Bookshop is a wonderful indie game from developer neoludic games that plays like a dream on the Switch. Set in a cozy seaside town, you take your tiny mobile bookshop from location to location, with laidback management that sees you stock shelves strategically to cater to different customers and their genre preferences.

With plenty of ways to customize your small store - from giving it a fresh coat of paint to setting down ornaments with useful buffs to help with sales, and the option to change your layout - there's also a narrative to explore, with the chance to get to know some of the locals who stop by the shop.

13. Cuphead

StudioMDHR’s Cuphead was one of the most dazzling games of 2017, and now it’s made the jump to Switch. The port runs brilliantly both in docked and handheld mode, preserving the full splendor of the Fleishman-esque 1930s animations and easily making it one of the best Switch indie games to play right now. Cuphead is a constant stream of boss battles with a first rate soundtrack and brought to life by truly unique art.

It’s a masterclass in game design, balancing intense difficulty with fair mechanics that reward mastery - but only buy it if you like a challenge. This run and gun action game’s steep difficulty curve can prove caustic for those who prefer gentle inclines. You can read more about this indie gem in our five-star Cuphead review.

12. Thank Goodness You're Here!

Thank Goodness You're Here! is a true comic masterpiece. Self-described as a "slapformer," you play as a tiny yellow traveling salesman who ends up in the wacky and distinctly Northern English town of Barnsworth. As you wait for a meeting with the mayor, you'll perform a bunch of very odd jobs around the town and meet the colorful community. Solve puzzles and get ready to die from laughter as you discover the hilarious and sometimes bordering on surreal story.

Developed by Coal Supper, Thank Goodness You're Here! is a love letter to the North of England. It's truly like playing a Monty Python skit in the best kind of way. Pair that with amazing voice acting and its distinctive art style, and you have easily one of the best indie games from 2024 on your hands as well as a Switch must-play.

11. Dave the Diver

Dave the Diver is a mix between an RPG and a management sim. But, at the end of the day, it's one of the best fishing games on Switch. Following the journey of the game's namesake, Dave, you'll be managing a sushi restaurant at night, and diving by day. For the latter, you'll dive into the Blue Hole, which constantly changes each time, and make use of your trusty harpoon to catch fish.

But, of course, there's so much more to it than that. Packed full of memorable characters and humor, it's all too easy to get reeled in as it introduces new features, offers up mini-games, upgrades, and more. If you're looking for something that will surprise you and hook you in with a satisfying gameplay loop, Dave the Diver is well worth taking the plunge for.

10. Undertale

Undertale is the reason Toby Fox is a household name in the video game business, as it's Fox's wonderful score, subversive writing, and wicked sense of humor catapulted Undertale to the unofficial indie hall-of-fame. Officially, Undertale has won three high-profile gaming awards and been nominated for a laundry list of others.

It's never been hailed as a beautiful game, but Undertale is written and designed to surprise the most seasoned gamers with fourth-wall-breaking jokes and commentary, beautiful music, and engaging combat. It'd be a disservice to reveal anything more about Undertale, as it's one game that's best to experience blind, so I'll leave you to download and play it yourself. Like, now. Go.

9. Dead Cells

Dead Cells is a punishing Roguevania more than worth your pain, sweat, and tears. Its large, interconnected world is gorgeous, platforming and combat are fluid, and there's enough to explore and collect to keep you fighting for more.

Unending streams of enemies waiting to perma-kill you make Dead Cells rudely challenging in a way that makes you blame yourself each time you fail. And you'll fail again and again, and each time whisper "one more try" before learning enough lessons to prevail. Combining and mastering the best elements of its parent genres, rouge-lites and Metroidvanias, Dead Cells permadeaths you in a way that keeps the game alive.

8. Spiritfarer

Be prepared for a pummeling right to the feels, because Spiritfarer is so much more than just a gorgeous adventure game. Aboard your boat - accompanied by your cat Daffodil - you take a collection of characters to the Everdoor, a gateway to the afterlife. Each character has specific needs, so as well as navigating the oceans, you'll build them homes, farm crops for the resources to feed them their favorite meals, and help them complete any unfinished business so they can pass on in peace.

It may sound depressing, but it's anything but, with every moment of sadness balanced with the joy of a real emotional connection to the characters and the story. It may make you cry but it's still one of the best feel good games out there and will stay with you long after you finish it.

7. Risk of Rain 2

There's a theme to indie rouge-lites being exceptionally hard, and Risk of Rain 2 tests the limits of that tradition. Bringing the young series into a beautifully-realized 3D world, you're challenged to endure a vicious onslaught of wonderfully-diverse foes often well-equipped to take you down in one hit.

As you progress, you'll unlock items that fundamentally alter your playing style. Gasoline can be used to ignite a field of enemies that would normally take time, skill, and a bit of good fortune to defeat. The rare Frost Relic surrounds you in a blizzard that attacks with 600% damage per second, passively clearing your path for a short while. It's this type of progression, mixed with fluid, responsive combat that keeps you coming back to Risk of Rain 2, beat-down after beat-down.

6. Neon White

Take on the role of an assassin from Hell in developer Angel Matrix's fast-paced first-person shooter, Neon White. As the titular White, you'll be trying to earn yourself redemption by taking out other demons in platforming levels you try to speed-run.

Utilizing parkour and deckbuilding to zip your way through heaven, Neon White sees you draw out Soul Cards to take out demons and improve your level completion time. Stylish and downright fun, with a satisfying level of challenge, this is one indie well worth checking out.

5. Shovel Knight

A side-scrolling platform in 8-bit style, Shovel Knight is an indie game and undisputed multi-platform classic. Shovel Knight's titular protagonist is a household name, still spawning merchandise from amiibo collections and cards to clothing and keychains.

Shovel Knight respectfully takes elements from foremost staples of the NES platforming pool, including Mario 3, Mega Man, and Castlevania, and formulates a finger-blistering challenge all its own with a distinct soul and sense of style. Its combat is plenty-accessible, but its smart network of upgrades, gameplay options, and steady drip of new weapons and learned strategies makes Shovel Knight a treat for fresh-faced platformers and NES veterans alike. You can learn more about this indie classic with our Shovel Knight review.

4. The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood

If you're looking for a fantastic story-driven experience to tuck into on your Switch, then look no further. The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is a narrative experience that sees you take on the role of Fortuna, a fortune-teller witch who, after getting exiled to her asteroid home, forms a pact with a "forbidden creature" in a bid to regain her freedom.

Featuring a diverse cast of characters and a branching story with plenty of possibilities to uncover, the experience is home to some fantastic writing. In our The Cosmic Sisterhood review, we said that it's a "masterwork of narrative and character" and one that's well worth your time.

3. OlliOlli World

Calling all skateboarding fans! You won't want to miss out on OlliOlli World. In fact, in our OlliOlli review, we point out that the game is "undeniably effective at arresting attention". Developer Roll7 invites you to flip, trick, and grind your way across Radlandia in what is one of the most enjoyable skateboarding adventures in recent memory.

Set in a colorful world full of even more colorful character where you can fully customize your skater, you'll try to best challenges, try to retain your place on the league board, and try to glide your way through the eye-catching locations in style. Complete with a killer soundtrack, you'll find yourself falling into the flow in no time.

2. Stardew Valley

It may seem an obvious choice, but you can't have a list of the best Switch indie games without one of the best farming games ever made. Stardew Valley turned us all into farmers and is still working its magic years after its Nintendo Switch release.

Cook, flirt, explore mines, and battle monsters in the most charming depiction of rural life since Old Macdonald. It's also a great option for anyone looking for the best Switch multiplayer games, with you and your friends now having the ability to run a farm together and save the community center as a team.

1. Gris

Gris is a masterclass in understated storytelling and evocative art direction, with a sturdy foundation of inventive platforming and clever puzzle-solving as a bonus. This is the indie game to play if you're looking for something to remind you how beautiful video games can be.

Its world to be conquered a stand-in for the complexities of grief, Gris is a mood that needs to be seen to appreciate. While its clever platforming and light puzzling elements are enjoyable enough alone, it's the atmosphere, music, and very personal nature of Gris that makes this work of art worth exploring for indie fans in search of a quieter, more reflective experience.

Check out our lists of the best Switch 2 games and the best local multiplayer Switch games next, or look ahead with our list of all the new games heading our way.

The Nintendo Switch 2 relies on speedier microSD Express Cards to store and run games, which can be pricey, and not everyone has the means to make the next-gen upgrade. If you're not ready to grab the best Nintendo Switch 2 MicroSD Express Cards, sticking with the OG Switch and one of the best SD Cards can help rejuvenate your older device before you’re ready to make that next-gen leap.

Through our own testing, we worked out that the average first-party original Nintendo Switch game sits at around 6.7GB, so it's fairly easy to work out which size you need based on your current or future library. Indie games tend to be far smaller, so there's wiggle room here as well. The best Nintendo Switch SD cards can expand the older handheld all the way up to 2TB. Of course, very few Ninty fans need that much space, unless you're also fond of taking a lot of screenshots and video clips.

While it's disappointing that one of the best Nintendo Switch accessories isn't compatible with the Switch 2, you can pop your older SD Cards into the Switch 2 to transfer screenshots and clips - so don't throw any of these away just yet if you're thinking of investing in Ninty's newest machine.

The Quick List

The best Nintendo Switch SD card for a storage boost

64GB Nintendo Switch memory cards are about as small as you'll want to go. They double the storage space on an OLED device, but in the grand scheme of things they're still pretty restrictive. They are, however, the cheapest way to upgrade your storage.

It's a storage boost for those who generally buy cartridges rather than running full first party titles from the eShop, but still want to download a few smaller indies. If you're going for the big Ninty releases, you'll get somewhere between 7-10 games on here, depending on individual install sizes - but considering smaller experiences can barely leave the 1GB mark there's plenty more room for others.

A 64GB card isn't going to last forever, but if you don't want to spend too much cash on your first upgrade and won't be downloading more than a couple games a month over the next year or so then it's the cheapest way to go.

The best Nintendo Switch SD card for eShop fans

Sandisk is one of the biggest and best names in MicroSD cards, and this is the best value model you can buy. For about $20 / £20 you get 128GB of storage, a reliable MicroSD card with decent file transfer speeds. Plus, you even get an adapter should you want to use this in an SD-based device like a digital camera or should you have the urge to transfer all of your favorite screenshots and video clips to your laptop. That makes it hugely versatile. Nintendo partnered with SanDisk for the official SD card for Switch, so it's a make Ninty trusts too. And yes, we have tested this MicroSD card and it 100% works with your Switch.

Best budget Nintendo Switch SD Card

The Amazon Basics line of microSD cards is as just like the name suggests - basic. The line only comes with all the basic necessitates of any microSD card, a pretty basic design and pretty basic speeds, but that's what helps keep costs low to make it best best SD card available for the original Switch today.

Modern microSD cards by brands like Sandisk can almost double the speeds of this card, even with the iconic storage tech brand's own 256GB equivalent card. But, it's pretty hard to out-do the Amazon Basics line when it comes to being budget friend, as this microSD manages to bring 256GB to the table while keeping costs below $20 / £20.

Again, this card's read and write speeds of 100MB/s and 90MB/s respectively are nothing to write home about. But if you're sticking to your original Switch and not making that next generational leap with the Nintendo Switch 2 because you have a strict budget to stick to, this is an ideal way to still get extra space for your games without breaking the bank.

The best Nintendo Switch SD card for eShop Pros

Hitting the ‘Goldilocks window’ for Nintendo Switch SD cards (being more than big enough for most game storage needs, but remaining at a price that’s entirely fair), the 200GB SDXC will evaporate all your storage worries for a long time. For the price of roughly one AAA Nintendo Switch game, you’ll get a home for dozens and dozens more – you could fit Super Mario Odyssey on this thing 33 times. If you’re not on a particularly tight budget, and want a robust Nintendo Switch memory card that still won’t cost the Earth, this is the one to go for. It's worth noting that the cost of SD cards continues to fall, so you can pick this one up much cheaper today than it was 6 months ago, so it's worth stretching your budget a little.

The best Nintendo Switch SD card for future proofing

If you're ever thinking about being completely, utterly, and totally future-proofed in terms of your Switch's capacity then the Silicon Power 1TB Superior SD card is for you. Yes, the 1TB capacity will mean it is a larger investment by default to begin with but the sheer value here is ridiculous, and you'll literally never have to worry about storage space again. Pop this in and even the most storage conscious of future-proof worried among us will have their minds eased.

With Nintendo still bringing out bangers, even though the Switch 2 is out in the wild, 1TB will have you more than prepared, especially if you prefer your digital downloads over physical carts. Whether it's The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Mario Party Jamboree, or Mario & Luigi: Brothership, you'll be at ease knowing 1TB will more than be enough for Nintendo's recent releases, and then some.

The Superior 1TB SD card also comes with an adapter so you're good to go with any kind of mobile device or laptop should you need to shift gears, and there's a five-year warranty so you can have peace of mind. Simple, massive stuff.

The best looking Nintendo Switch SD card

When it comes to the best microSD cards, how the card actually looks likely won't matter to everyone - especially where the Nintendo Switch is considered. Once you've inserted your microSD card into any model Switch, you're never going to see it again unless you frequently swap between multiple cards at a time.

Regardless, SanDisk and Nintendo thought of everything and have a whole line-up of officially licensed cards for those who care. This Super Mario mushroom design is just one of a whole array of microSD cards based on Nintendo properties, varying in all the usual storage variants you can imagine. Outside of the flashy designs, there's not much going on that separates them from their non-licensed counterparts.

This red microSD card still sports read and transfer speeds up to 100MB/s, write speeds up to 90MB/s, and 128GB worth of space for all your eShop game downloads. The only difference you'll find here is in its design, and if your microSD needs to look as flashy as your Switch case, then this, and the rest of the officially licensed Nintendo Switch memory card line, are the best looking cards you can get your hands on.

*Based on an average of 6.7GB per title, allowing for unusable storage space on the card itself

How to choose the best Nintendo Switch SD card

When it comes to choosing the best Nintendo Switch SD card for your Switch, you'll want to make sure you're getting the right memory card size for your playstyle and existing library.

For example, if you generally stick to indie games and smaller releases you'll be able to get away with a 64GB or 128GB card a lot easier than someone who plays all the first party games. Official Nintendo Switch games generally scale between 5GB and 10GB of space, and some can go a little beyond this as well. However, if you already know you prefer to buy most of your games physically you can scale down your required storage a little.

We'd recommend a 128GB or 200GB card for most users, giving you a good spread of first party downloads and bags of space for smaller installs. That's with a handful of physical games thrown in - if you're going all digital and regularly pick up new releases you might want to invest in a one-and-one 1TB option.

Of course, if you're a die-hard Nintendo collector, you can also pick between one of the official cards. The licenced SD cards feature iconography from the Super Mario Series, Animal Crossing and The Legend of Zelda, but I'd only recommend choosing these above the rest if you're a dedicated Ninty fan. They make look better than other cards, but their flashy looks comes at a higher price point than those of the exact same storage size.

Remember, if you want to store and run Switch and Switch 2 games on your new Nintendo Switch 2 handheld, you will have to pick up a choose a compatible microSD Express Card instead. The handheld comes with 256GB worth of onboard storage, however, so you can use it and your older SD card for screenshots in the interim before you've gathered the funds for the new, speedier cards.

The best Nintendo Switch SD Cards: FAQ

How big are Nintendo Switch games?

It's easiest to find the right Nintendo Switch memory card when you know what you're going to be piling into it. You'll find the install sizes for the latest and greatest Nintendo Switch games just below. It's also worth noting that these are some of the largest titles on the eShop; smaller indie games can be as little as MBs in size. (The average size for a first party Nintendo title is around 6.7GB.)

• Mario & Luigi: Brothership - 9.9GB
• Splatoon 3 - 5.2GB
• Kirby and the Forgotten Land - 5.8GB
• Pokemon Legends Arceus - 6GB
• Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - 6.7GB
• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - 13.4GB
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - 18.2GB
• The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - 7.5GB
• The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom - 5.4GB
• Animal Crossing: New Horizons - 6.2GB
• Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - 13.6GB
• Metroid Dread - 4.1GB
• Luigi's Mansion 3 - 6.3GB
• Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury - 2.9GB
• Fire Emblem Engage - 18GB
• Monster Hunter Rise - 6.6GB

Nintendo Switch memory card glossary

Even smaller plug and play SD cards like the kind used in the Nintendo Switch can come with a plethora of terms to make the whole buying process more difficult. We're breaking down common jargon here, to make sure you know exactly what you're buying.

If you want to get more value out of your older Switch handheld, you'll find all the best Nintendo Switch chargers available now, as well as the best Nintendo Switch headsets. We're also rounding up all the best Nintendo Switch controllers and the latest Nintendo Switch game deals as well.

Voting for the 40th annual Golden Joystick Awards has now closed. You've cast millions of votes in support of your top games of 2022, and you can join us on November 22 to find our which games have won awards including Best Nintendo Game. Best Performer and the coveted Ultimate Game of the Year.

You can watch the winners revealed live on Tuesday, Nov 22 right here:

Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/goldenjoystickawards
Twitter https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1MYxNgQNmqyKw
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcYAU1c0lMk

You can check out the Ultimate Game of the Year shortlist right here and take a look at the GJA 2022 shortlists to see who has been nominated across 17 categories, including Studio of the Year, Best Early Access Launch and Most Wanted Game. 

You can click the link below to set a YouTube reminder to watch our live show on Tuesday November 22 at 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 8pm GMT.

Click to watch the Golden Joystick Awards 2022 show

The Golden Joystick Awards are held in such special regard because they are voted for by the gaming public - with people casting millions of votes each year in support of their favourite games. We've seen fiercely-competitive categories split by less than a handful of votes, and your support can make all the difference.

2022’s winners will be revealed in a special digital broadcast held on Tuesday, November 22. That’s a lot of 22s…

Read on to find out more about the history of the Golden Joystick Awards, plus more info on this year's categories, hosts and how to watch the live event.

Golden Joystick Awards 2022: The 40th anniversary

2022 marks the 40th anniversary of the Golden Joystick Awards, as well as the introduction of two new categories, Best Early Access Launch and Best Game Trailer. We’ve also opened up our Most Wanted category to multiple-choice voting, so you’ll be able to choose three of your most anticipated games rather than just one. 

Voting across 17 categories is open now. To allow for more consideration of winter’s key releases, voting for our Ultimate Game of the Year award will open on November 7 and run through til November 11. 

How to watch the Golden Joystick Awards 2022

The Golden Joystick Awards 2022 ceremony will be held on Tuesday, November 22, as part of an online digital showcase streamed across all major social channels. Details on the exact timings across all major time zones are coming soon. 

To watch the Golden Joystick Awards 2022 all you need to do is tune into the Golden Joystick Awards Twitch channel, or keep your eyes on GamesRadar nearer the event for a special article that'll point you to the stream. Our Twitter account will keep you up to date on when voting goes live, so make sure to check that out - and you can follow the official Golden Joystick Awards facebook page for more info.

• Tuesday, November 22, 2021
• Watch live: Twitch, Facebook and GamesRadar+

Golden Joystick Awards 2022 Hosts

Our hosts for The Golden Joystick Awards 2022 have not been revealed just yet, but will be in due course, so watch this space!

For our 2021 show celebrating 50 Years of Games, the show was hosted by Emily Rose and Nolan North, best known for their roles as Elena Fisher and Nathan Drake in Naughty Dog’s Uncharted game series. 

Golden Joystick Awards 2022 shortlists and categories

Publicly voted categories:

Ultimate Game of the Year

• Immortality
• Gran Turismo 7
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
• Teardown
• Elden Ring
• Horizon Forbidden West
• Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
• Neon White
• God of War Ragnarok
• Xenoblade Chronicles 3
• Return to Monkey Island
• Bayonetta 3

Best Audio

• We Are OFK
• Xenoblade Chronicles 3
• Metal: Hellsinger
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
• Gran Turismo 7
• OlliOlli World

Best Storytelling:

• IMMORTALITY
• Return to Monkey Island
• Horizon Forbidden West
• NORCO
• I Was A Teenage Exocolonist
• Wayward Strand

Best Game Community: 

• Dreams
• Final Fantasy XIV
• GRID Legends
• No Man’s Sky
• Splatoon 3
• Warframe

Best Game Expansion:

• Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker
• Destiny 2: The Witch Queen
• Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course
• GTA Online: The Contract
• Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons
• Total War: Warhammer III - Immortal Empires

Best Gaming Hardware: 

• Playdate
• Steam Deck
• Analogue Pocket
• Backbone One: PlayStation Edition
• Roccat Kone XP
• WD_Black SN850 NVMe SSD for PS5

Best Indie Game

• Cult of the Lamb
• Tunic
• Rollerdrome
• Dorfromantik
• Neon White
• Teardown

Best Multiplayer Game

• Elden Ring
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
• MultiVersus
• Splatoon 3
• Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands
• LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

Best Visual Design:

• Elden Ring
• Horizon Forbidden West
• Cult of the Lamb
• Ghostwire: Tokyo
• A Plague Tale: Requiem
• Lost in Play

Most Wanted Game: 

• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Final Fantasy XVI
• Assassin’s Creed Mirage
• Dead Island 2
• Forspoken
• Street Fighter 6
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
• Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
• Honkai: Star Rail
• Starfield
• Exoprimal
• Redfall
• Hogwarts Legacy
• Mass Effect
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
• Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
• Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Kerbal Space Program 2
• Dead Space

Nintendo Game of the Year:

• Xenoblade Chronicles 3
• Pokémon Legends: Arceus
• Kirby and the Forgotten Land
• Live A Live
• Splatoon 3
• Nintendo Switch Sports

PC Game of the Year:

• Neon White
• Return to Monkey Island
• Hardspace: Shipbreaker
• Teardown
• Total War: Warhammer 3
• Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters

PlayStation Game of the Year:

• Gran Turismo 7
• Horizon Forbidden West
• Stray
• Elden Ring
• The Last Of Us Part I
• Sifu

Xbox Game of the Year: 

• Halo Infinite
• Scorn
• Grounded
• As Dusk Falls
• Sniper Elite 5
• Dying Light 2: Stay Human

Still Playing: 

• Genshin Impact
• The Sims 4
• Destiny 2
• Final Fantasy XIV
• Minecraft
• Fortnite
• Pokémon GO
• Apex Legends
• Lost Ark
• The Elder Scrolls Online

Studio of the Year

• Roll7
• Terrible Toybox
• Half Mermaid
• FromSoftware Inc.
• Interior / Night
• Tribute Games

Best Early Access Launch

• Disney Dreamlight Valley
• Slime Rancher 2
• Dune: Spice Wars
• Core Keeper
• Vampire Survivors
• Gloomwood

Best Game Trailer

• The Callisto Protocol The Truth of Black Iron Trailer
• Goat Simulator 3 Announcement Trailer
• skate. Still Working On It Trailer
• Bloody Hell Hotel Reveal Trailer
• Time Flies Announcement Trailer
• Alan Wake 2 Reveal Trailer

Ultimate Game of the Year:

(Voting opens on November 7)

Critically chosen categories (selected by our judging panel):

• Breakthrough Award
• Critics' Choice Award
• Best Performer

Voting is now open for 17 of the Golden Joystick Awards 2022’s publicly voted categories, and you can access the module and cast your GJA 2022 ballot by heading through the link.

Our Ultimate Game of the Year award voting period will open on November 7 and run through til November 11. 

How do the Golden Joystick Awards shortlists get decided?

Before voting begins, the Golden Joystick Award shortlists are (fiercely) debated by a panel of journalists from brands including gamesradar.com, pcgamer.com, Edge magazine, Retro Gamer, Future Games Show and Play magazine, plus our trusted network of freelance writers. Everyone nominates their favourite games of the last 12 months across 18 publicly voted categories, which are assessed and debated until we settle on a final shortlist, with a maximum of six games per category.

We also invite publishers and developers to nominate their games for consideration by the judging panel. This isn't a guarantee of inclusion but does guarantee the publisher-nominated game will be considered by the judging panel, eliminating the blind spots that can occur when judging the hundreds, if not thousands, of new game releases each year.

With the shortlists in place, the judges take a back seat, and public voting begins. Your vote can really make the difference, and it's worth noting that some of last year's most keenly-contested categories were won by less than a 1% swing, which is fine margins when you consider the millions of votes cast each year.

When are the Golden Joystick Awards 2022?

The Golden Joystick Awards 2022 will take place on Tuesday, November 22, 2022. This year's show will be a digital event.

Here's a list of the Golden Joystick Awards 2021 winners if you need reminding of what went down last year, and it's worth pointing out that several categories were too close to call until the final day of voting. It’s your vote that decides the Golden Joystick Awards - and not, say, the result of some bizarre pact between the lizard people of games media and the industry’s AI overlords - so make sure to have your say when voting opens in early October.

What are The Golden Joystick Awards?

Established in 1983, the Golden Joystick Awards are the world's longest-running public-voted games awards, with a star-studded ceremony held in London each year.

The 39th Golden Joystick Awards were broadcast on November 23, 2021, and celebrated 50 Years of Games. To commemorate this landmark occasion, two new - and very fiercely-debated - one-off categories were added to our voting system: ‘Ultimate Game of All Time’ and ‘Best Gaming Hardware of All Time’.

Voters had their say on the software and hardware that defined the industry since its commercial birth in 1971 with the launch of the first coin-operated arcade machine, Computer Space. Hidetaka Miyazaki's acclaimed Dark Souls won the Ultimate Game of All Time vote - narrowly edging out seminal shooter Doom.

Best Gaming Hardware Of All Time was won, perhaps less contentiously, by the PC, in a special award accepted by Valve's Gabe Newell.

Over the years, the ceremony has played host to a number of legendary game developers and industry figures, including Hideo Kojima, Ken Levine, the CD Projekt Red team (who snuck a Gold Stick of Joy trophy replica into the Witcher 3 and more. Last year’s show was an all-digital affair and was hosted by voice actors Laura Bailey and Travis Willingham, who presented the Best Performance award to Sandra Saad, who played Kamala Khan in Marvel’s Avengers. Sandra's reaction is a joy to behold.

How to feature your game in the Golden Joystick Awards 2022

The Golden Joystick Awards 2022 will feature a variety of new game trailers and announcements, in addition to celebrating the best games of the last 12 months. If you'd like your upcoming game to appear in the show, here's how to nominate and take part in the Golden Joystick Awards 2022.

Featured slots are limited, but we're looking for cool, exciting games on any platform, from indie to AAA. There will be a number of larger, 2-3 minute trailer slots for major titles and key updates, plus a montage of upcoming games. Our games montage is perfect for smaller studios or indie titles that might deserve a larger spotlight - take a look at the 'One to Watch' clip from our sister show, the Future Games Show, above as an example. The Future Games Show has been delighted to debut a number of exciting games which has dramatically increased their exposure.

To debut a game trailer at the GJAs 2022 to an audience of millions or discover more ways to get your brand involved with our 40th Anniversary celebrations, please contact melissa.makhmaltchi@futurenet.com and tom.parkinson@futurenet.com

Who are the previous winners of The Golden Joystick Awards?

You can check out an exhaustive list of Golden Joystick Awards winners (1983 - 2020) on Wikipedia, spanning classic consoles such as the ZX Spectrum, NES, Sega Genesis and more. If you want to test your video-game knowledge, why not see if you can name all our Ultimate Game of the Year winners in this short video spanning almost 30 years of gaming history?

Be first to hear about the confirmed list of categories and some surprise announcements by following The Golden Joystick Awards Twitter account

Hollow Knight Silksong has finally landed on PC and console, though several storefronts are showing up as crashing. The long-awaited sequel to one of the best Metroidvania games ever was a long time coming, and following a surprise release date announcement at Gamescom Opening Night Live, it officially launched on September 4, 2025.

First announced back in 2019, Hollow Knight Silksong is perhaps second only to GTA 6 when it comes to new games we've wanted so very desperately for an incredibly long time. We're keeping you posted over on our Hollow Knight Silksong release day liveblog if you're keen to see play-by-play impressions, but if it's information you're after, look no further. Here's the full story behind Hollow Knight Silksong, including how much it costs how much it costs and where you can play it right now. (That feels surreal to type.)

Hollow Knight Silksong is out now

Hollow Knight Silksong's release date was September 4, 2025, so the game is out right now.

Team Cherry put out a special Silksong release date announcement video following a brief mention that it was "definitely coming in 2025" during Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025. It's so close we can almost touch it.

The release date was a long time coming. Originally, Silksong was set for an early 2023 target before getting pushed back. Team Cherry's Matthew Griffin confirmed the initial delay back in the day, noting in a statement that while "development is still continuing," the scope of the project requires more time. "We're excited by how the game is shaping up, and it's gotten quite big, so we want to take the time to make the game as good as we can," added Griffin.

Hollow Knight Silksong platforms

The Hollow Knight: Silksong platforms have been confirmed as Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, and PC – via Steam, GOG, and the Humble Store.

Following the Switch 2 Direct in April 2025, it was clarified that Silksong will be coming to Nintendo's current and next-gen consoles, which is certainly exciting for those planning to get their hands on a Switch 2 this year.

Hollow Knight: Silksong on Game Pass confirmed

Hollow Knight: Silksong is on Game Pass as Day One title, meaning that those with a subscription are able to play it right now with Game Pass Ultimate and Game Pass for PC.

Hollow Knight Silksong trailer 

Above you can watch the debut Hollow Knight: Silksong reveal trailer, which Team Cherry used to announce the game to the world for the very first time all the way back in February 2019.

The two-minute trailer began with Hornet's kidnapping, showing her breaking free to explore lush meadows and dank underground passageways. The trailer showed there are new enemies to conquer, new bosses to fight, brand new friends to meet along the way, and new towns to explore, complete with NPC characters and their associated quests.

Hollow Knight Silksong gameplay

As for Hollow Knight: Silksong's gameplay, initially, the only footage we had to go off was from the debut trailer. That is, until Gamescom 2025! We recently had the opportunity to experience a Silksong hands-on (which you can also watch in video format above) and played the game for 30 minutes. During that time, the game played much like you'd expect after watching the teasers, with Hornet jumping into action, as she bounds and leaps over enemies with finesse.

Hollow Knight's blend of platforming and 2D combat is returning for Silksong. In fact, Team Cherry has made the platforming distinctly more acrobatic with Hornet than with the Knight in the original game: the new protagonist is akin to a gymnast compared to the Knight, deftly flipping over huge enemies with ease.

Our time with the game was a marvel. We got to play two stages: the Moss Grotto (a verdant stage, forming the introduction to the world) and Deep Docks (a mechanical hellscape from later in the game). Difficulty definitely spikes just like the previous title, as the Deep Docks had us dying multiple times as we had to think quickly on our feet and go from simple platforming to watching all of Hornet's tricks be thwarted by enemies in the blink of an eye.

Healing also works differently in Silksong than in Hollow Knight. Instead of slowly refilling her health like the Knight did, Hornet can instantly heal three health nodes, and not only that, but she can also do this on the move. However, Hornet has a Silk meter, and healing three nodes of health immediately empties the bar.

Hollow Knight Silksong story

If you've played Hollow Knight, you'll no doubt remember Hornet, who frequently got in the way of the player character, but ended up becoming their ally partway through. Hollow Knight: Silksong actually switches out protagonists, replacing the Knight with Hornet for this new adventure.

In this new game, Hornet finds herself kidnapped, and spirited away to a kingdom called Pharloom. Said to be "haunted by Silk and Song" according to developer Team Cherry themselves, Silksong's basic plot puts Hornet right at the bottom of this new kingdom, and tasks her with ascending to the top of the kingdom and reaching a shining citadel to find out the truth behind her kidnapping.

Additionally, there's also going to be side quests for Hornet to take on. These sound a lot more fleshed out than in the original Hollow Knight, as Silksong actually allows you to keep track of all your side quests in a journal. Perhaps this is an opportunity to tell more stories outside of the main plot of Silksong.

Hollow Knight Silksong development

Hollow: Knight: Silksong actually began development as another DLC chapter for the original Hollow Knight. Set to star Hornet, developer Team Cherry quickly realized the scope of the DLC was far bigger than they anticipated, so they actually carved out the space for a full-blown sequel starring Hornet instead.

Looking at the sequel now, it's not hard to see why. Hollow Knight: Silksong's debut trailer boasted of over 150 brand new enemies, including new bosses to fight in addition to this. In fact, there's brand new features for the sequel, like the ability to craft weapons, tools, and traps from materials gathered off of fallen enemies.

If you liked the music of the original game, then we've got good news for you, too. Original composer Christopher Larkin has returned to collaborate with Team Cherry to score Hollow Knight: Silksong, which means the new adventure promises to have memorable tunes for punchy moments.

In an interview with Bloomberg following the release date announcement, Team Cherry spoke on the long development, confirming that there "wasn't any big controversial moment" behind it taking almost seven years to make, but that it was rather down to the fact that they were a small team and they needed the development time to ensure they brought to life a game they wanted to make.

Team Cherry co-founder Ari Gibson also mentioned the initial plans for DLC and how that then expanded into the full-blown sequel we're set to see arrive in September.

"[W]e were recognizing that it [the then DLC] was going to become another giant thing to rival the scale of Hollow Knight or probably exceed it," Gibson said. "And then because of how we work, obviously the world ended up being just as big or bigger. And the quest system existed. And the multiple towns existed. Suddenly you end up six, seven years later."

Hollow Knight: Silksong DLC

Team Cherry has already teased plans for possible Hollow Knight: Silksong DLC.

In the aforementioned Bloomberg interview, co-founder Gibson spoke on the development following the release date news, and expressed excitement for what's to come after.

"The most interesting thing now is what can we add to it next," Ari Gibson said. "We got a plan. Admittedly, some of the plans for that stuff are kind of ambitious as well, but hopefully we can achieve some of it."

"Launching it is obviously quite exciting," Team Cherry's William Pellen also said. "What comes after for us is equally as exciting."

Check out one of the best roguelike games, or even some of the fantastic games like Hollow Knight that are out there just waiting to be played today.

Slime Rancher 2 just launched into Early Access today and it's already racked up nearly 1,000 "overwhelmingly positive" Steam reviews and smashed the studio's previous sales day record.

Monomi Park CEO and Slime Rancher series director Nick Popovich told GamesRadar+ earlier in the year that the sequel "feels just like Slime Rancher, only smoother, more expansive, more rich in details, and with a lot of tweaks and quality of life changes," and it seems new and long-time fans are enjoying the heck out of the result.

Steam's review section is "overwhelmingly positive" overall, and there are 896 reviews that fall under that category at the time of writing. For a casual indie game on its first day in Early Access, that's a staggering amount of positivity in user reviews. Popovich also took to Twitter to announce that Slime Rancher 2 had topped the studio's previous best sales day "by a literal order of magnitude."

I reached out to Popovich to congratulate him and Monomi Park on the sequel's successful launch, and we were told everyone at the studio is "totally blown away" by the reaction. He also revealed to me that his "pie in the sky" dream for the game's first day sales was topped in just a few hours.

"The level of support we've received from our community and partners is beyond anything we could have imagined," Popovich said. "I had in my head a kind of crazy pipe dream for launch that maybe we could sell 100k copies in the first 24 hours and we've eclipsed that in less than 6 hours, with Overwhelmingly Positive reviews on Steam on top of it all (something we've personally cherished about the original for years now).

We have delighted in watching players explore the prismatic world we've created and especially all the reactions people have shared of their kids seeing the game for the first time. So if I can say anything it would be an enormous, gordo-sized thank you to everyone who have began their adventures on Rainbow Island and that we can't wait to show you what we have in store for this world in all the updates that will follow."

Slime Rancher 2 is out now on PC and Xbox Series X/S. It's also available on Game Pass.

For everything on the horizon, check out our extensive guide to new games of 2022.

World of Anterra, a Skyrim-inspired indie set in an absolutely lovely pixel-art world, has reached its Kickstarter funding goal and is set to launch in 2023. In celebration of the big milestone, the developers have released a new trailer.

In case you missed our initial story on World of Anterra, the developers describe it as "Skyrim with pixel art," and while that's certainly a fair description, it also somehow sells the concept short. While the game seems to share a lot of features with Skyrim and other open world RPGs - the vast, diverse landscapes, the epic, non-linear story, fishing, cooking, etc. - it's also promising a lot of fresh, rather ambitious ideas. The streamlined grid-based combat system and minimalist UI, for example, show that the developers at 81monkeys aren't just tracing lines from a blueprint here.

Although World of Anterra has reached its funding goal and seems on track for a 2023 launch, the Kickstarter page is still the place to be if you want to learn more about this enchantingly ambitious indie game. There you'll find a comprehensive overview of its world, story, combat, gameplay features, dialogue, interface, and more.

There's also a new trailer out, but it sounds like it was thrown together pretty quickly to be released in time with today's news. Basically, it's just a silly rundown of "features" like "pixels, walking, shadows, and music," but it does do a good job showing off the game's wonderful art and music.

Barring any potential delays, World of Anterra is due to launch in 2023 on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam and GOG.

Here are some other exciting new indie games to keep on your radar.

The ability to game on an iPad has exploded in recent years, thanks to the advancements in cloud gaming and streaming technology. We have plenty of services available now, which can allow you to play through whole Xbox and PlayStation catalogues directly from your iOS device. With so much support, then, it's easy to see why the iPad is starting to take form as one of the best gaming tablets on the market - but where do you start? 

If you're looking to get more out of gaming on iPad, there are four services you need to know about; Xbox Cloud Gaming, PlayStation Remote Play, Apple Arcade, and Google Stadia. By cherry-picking among these platforms, you can play the latest and greatest titles all from your iPad - with everything from heavy-hitting AAA releases to the smallest of indie games up for grabs. 

Gone are the days when you needed to splash out on the best gaming laptop or the best gaming PC to keep up with the latest releases. Gaming on iPad is picking up steam, so we're showing you how to get started with each of these services below. You'll find out to set each one up, what you'll need for the best experience, and how to save cash on the subscriptions and gadgets that are required. 

Of course, you'll also be able to take advantage of these services with the best gaming phones as well. 

Xbox Cloud Gaming on iPad

Xbox Cloud Gaming is a new service from Microsoft that allows you to access the full Game Pass catalogue from any device. That means you'll be able to stream your collection directly to your iPad and, provided your WiFi is up to the job, the results are pretty seamless. You'll need a few things to make use of this service; an Xbox Game Pass subscription, an iPad with a solid amount of graphical power behind it (iPad Mini, iPad Air, or iPad Pro), an Xbox controller, and the Xbox Cloud Gaming website. 

Unlike Android devices, there's no dedicated Game Pass app that will load you straight into the service when gaming on your iPad. However, you can save the website to your home screen and load in through Safari for the same results. 

Once you're all set up you'll have access to over 300 games (including day one releases of Microsoft's biggest titles) right on your iPad - and the best part is they won't take up any of that precious storage space. 

What you'll need:

• Xbox Game Pass or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription 
• iPad Mini 6, iPad Air 4, or iPad Pro (for the best experience) 
• Xbox Wireless Controller
• At least 10Mbps internet connection - recommended 20Mbps

PS5 / PS4 remote play on iPad

You'll need your PS4 or PS5 console nearby, but if you've been beaten to the TV you can play your games on iPad. Again, you'll need a sturdy enough internet connection (and we'd recommend hardwiring your console in), but you'll have full access to your console streamed through your iPad display once you're all set up. 

First, you'll need to switch Remote Play on from the Settings menu on your console. After that, you'll need to link your device to your PlayStation. After clicking the "enable remote play" button in settings, head to "link device" and you'll receive an 8-digit code that needs to be entered into the PS Remote Play app on your iPad. After that, you're all set up, though for future sessions you may need to sign in to your PlayStation Network account to connect to your console again. 

You can connect your DualSense controller to your tablet by holding the PS and Share buttons at the same time until they flash and then pairing in the iPad's Bluetooth settings menu. 

What you'll need:

• PS5 or PS4 console
• PS Remote Play app
• DualSense controller
• At least 5Mbps internet connection - recommended 15Mbps

Apple Arcade on iPad

Apple's own iPad gaming service doesn't feature as many blockbuster titles, but if you're looking to sample some smaller mobile games without ads or payment locks there's nothing comparable on the market. Apple Arcade functions as a subscription service to free apps, which means you'll be downloading your games as usual - but from a dedicated section of the App Store. 

Not all Apple Arcade games are compatible with a controller, but there are plenty of experiences that take input from a range of gamepads. You're not tied to a particular brand's thumbsticks here, either, as the iPad is compatible with the majority of Bluetooth controllers on the market. 

What you'll need:

• Apple Arcade subscription 
• Bluetooth controller (optional)

Google Stadia on iPad

Google Stadia hasn't had a brilliant time since its release. The game streaming service promised a lot in its early days and hasn't quite lived up to those promises for many since. However, it's surprisingly nimble when paired with a high-quality iPad and a solid WiFi connection - and there are plenty of titles to enjoy as well. Cyberpunk 2077, Destiny 2, FIFA 22, and Red Dead Redemption 2 are all fully playable on iPad with Google's service. 

You'll be accessing Google Stadia through a webpage shortcut, which will then stream all your favorite games in Safari. Confusingly, there is a Stadia app on the App Store, but this is only used for managing your library and connecting controllers. Even more confusing is the Google Stadia structure. 

Put simply, Google Stadia itself is simply a storefront like Epic or Steam - you'll still need to buy your games individually. However, you can also sign up to Stadia Pro for a few free games each month. It's not the most cost-effective way to play video games on your iPad, but if you don't have a PlayStation and don't want to pay the recurring Xbox Game Pass price, it's the last option out there.

You can use your Xbox One or PS4 controller, paired through the Bluetooth section of the iPad. Or, you can connect through WiFi using the official Stadia controller.

What you'll need:

• Google Stadia account
• PS4 / Xbox One controller (for Bluetooth pairing) 
• Google Stadia controller (for WiFi pairing) 
• At least 10Mbps internet connection

If you're set on picking up an iPad for your everyday gaming, we'd recommend checking out the latest iPad Pro deals, iPad Air deals, and cheap iPad Mini prices for more savings on your small-screen setup. 

Okay, so you’ve got a killer idea for a game but have no idea where to start. Or maybe you have a vague idea, but the sheer volume of things to consider makes going beyond your initial idea seem overwhelming and stops you from getting past the first steps in creating something amazing. To help you get over the first hurdle, we asked developers of the best indie games for practical advice on getting started. Let's not sugarcoat this: there's no shortcut to success - or even a guarantee your game will get finished - but one thing that resounded above all else, is that there’s never been a better time to turn your ideas into reality. This article is only the start of a long and potentially life-changing journey if you're prepared to work hard (like, really, really, hard) and leave your preconceptions behind.

“You need to know just how much you don’t know,” explains Cuphead art director Chad Moldenhauer. “You don’t know how much things are really going to cost, you don’t know how long things are really going to take to develop. You don’t really know how interrelated art, programming and design are, and how time and money limitations on one will cause compromise on the other two. Once you know that you don’t know these things, you’ll realise that your scope and time scale plans are wrong and you’ll be more realistic with what you can do.”

You also need to be doing it for the right reasons. If you’re thinking of doing it for the money, you’re going to be hugely disappointed. “Making indie games isn’t lucrative for everyone, and it’s quite a bit more stressful than many other occupations,” says Ooblets developer Ben Wasser. “An office job is a typically easier, safer, and higher-paying career path. I’d still personally prefer to make indie games, but people shouldn’t be under false impressions when they jump in.” 

I've got an idea… where do I begin?

With that clearly in mind, the next thing you need to do is take your idea and decide on which game engine you’ll use. There are plenty to choose from, such as Gamemaker Studio 2, Unreal engine or Unity to name but a few. Each allow you to do different things and all have free versions so you can play around with them and see which one best suits the game you’re trying to make. Unity is the most popular among indie devs as it works well with both 2D and 3D games. However, it does require you to learn coding. But thankfully there’s a solution for that, too. “There are so many amazing people taking the time to teach others for free,” says The Last Night developer Tim Soret. “Watch the GDC talks, YouTube videos, read 80.lv, Gamasutra articles. You will learn a ton, even if you don’t get it 100% for a long time.” Following tutorials is a great way to ease your way in and applies to any other discipline within game development. 

• What is a game engine? We reveal the best software tools for developers

Once you have your engine the real fun begins. “The best way to get started is to just start making your first simple game,” says Moldenhauer. “If you’re a programmer, start building a core prototype for the gameplay. If you’re an artist, start creating usable assets for the game. If you’re a designer, start doing level layouts and specific gameplay concepts. If you’re a writer, start writing the script. Once you start, you’ll see where your gaps in knowledge are and then you can start trying to fill them in.” The key is to just start filling your game with something, anything. 

“There are a ton of incredible artists you can find on Twitter, Tumblr, ArtStation and Dribbble that you can hire freelance or full- time,” says Wasser. “There’s also a lot of stuff on the Unity Asset Store, which is good for testing out ideas.” But if you’re feeling extra confident you may want to do this yourself. “If art isn’t your forte, you can look at hiring your own artist,” says Chucklefish artist Lu Nascimento. “But if you’re interested in making pixel art assets yourself there’s loads of tutorials in forums, medium articles, YouTube and even Twitter you can check out.” This is perfect if you’re unable to hire anyone to help, which will be most people when first starting out. 

Be careful not to get ahead of yourself. “Avoid developing high quality art assets before the core of the game feels right,” says Moldenhauer. “Get your game playing as close as possible to what you want the final game to feel like before making it pretty. If you’re putting a lot of work into art while the game is still in flux, you’re going to end up throwing out a lot of expensive work when the core changes. Or even worse, you’ll live with sub- standard gameplay because you don’t want to waste the art that was created for it.” 

Technical skills alone might not be enough

“Besides the technical development skills, there are soft skills – planning, teamwork, and so on,” says Chucklefish programmer Tom Coxon. “Game jams are a great way to practise these, particularly if they are team-based, or impose thematic or time-related constraints.” Whatever you decide to make, finish it. It sounds obvious but it’s no secret that the majority of people who start making games don’t actually finish them. The chances are the first game that you create won’t be a good one, but the point is to learn how to finish a project and move on. You’ll learn much about game development by making more games. 

To help yourself, set your own deadlines and try to achieve something every day, no matter how small. It’s easy to get caught up in the development of your game but time management is important and when done well it can improve productivity and motivation. “We use task management apps like Trello and Notion, to divide workload into manageable chunks, and keep visibility of each other’s tasks between team members,” says Chucklefish marketing strategist Katy Ellis. “It’s really useful to have a very visual to- do list, which you can link working assets and documents to, and super satisfying to drag that task into the Complete section at the end of the day.” 

It's not just what you do… but what you don't

People always talk about the things you should do, but there are plenty of things you shouldn’t do. “Ignoring the business side of game development is a common mistake,” says Chucklefish producer Rosie Ball. “It may seem like a hassle when all you want to do is think about your amazing game idea, but having a few important processes in place such as a business plan, contracts between team members and documented roles and responsibilities within the team can help avoid major headaches further down the line, especially if the game becomes a success.” “Don’t follow trends and avoid crowded genres,” says Soret. “There are dozens of genres that are nearly abandoned today, and dozens of audiences starving for more content. Just look at the diversity of games [in the past], you will see many of these niches to fill. Choose one, and take it to new heights with modern physics, visuals and storytelling.” “Avoid being quiet,” says Wasser. “Share your work, talk to your audience, be open. 

Try not to bite off more than you can chew.” Get involved with as many indie game communities as you possibly can. Many people are bumping into the same problems as you and gaining their insight is invaluable. It’s also a chance for you to help others by sharing your knowledge, too. As mentioned before, this will not be smooth sailing, and all the way through development you’ll come across different challenges. 

“The biggest challenge is dealing with the massive workload and seeing it through to the end,” says Moldenhauer. “Once you get over the initial hump, it’s exhilarating building out your game, being creative and solving problems as you go. That excitement and pride of creation can push you for a long time, but game development is so much longer than that. When you’re squashing your thousandth bug on a sub-menu system that only a fraction of your possibly non-existent audience may ever see, it can be really difficult to press on.” 

What software can help me get started?

• Unity - Game Engine
  You can choose any other engine, but Unity is possibly the most popular engine for indie developers. It’ll allow you to create both 2D and 3D games and offers a wide range of tools and features.
  
• Gimp - Art Program
  This is a great piece of high quality software which does a similar job to Adobe Photoshop and will allow you to painlessly create your own textures, backgrounds or 2D sprites.
  
• Blender - 3D Modeller
  If you’re looking to create a 3D game or a game with 3D elements then this software, initially released 20 years ago, will allow you to not only make 3D models but animate them too.
  
• LMMS - Music Creator
  This will allow you to create your own music and sound effects that you can import into Unity. You don’t even need a keyboard but you will need the appropriate hardware.
  
• Wwise - Audio Program
  This software, which is highly accessible, is utilised in many successful games and is used to manipulate audio. For example you can simulate audio environments and mix tracks in real-time. 

It's tiring… and you need to get your game noticed

“I think most developers struggle to get noticed among the mass of games being produced,” says Soret. “You have to find an original angle, to offer something different. The other very tough part is that to make a game, you don’t just make a game. You start a company, you create a team, then you make a game. These three tasks are massive and interdependent. You have to get your hands dirty in every aspect of production, and you have to get good at it. It’s a lot to take on your shoulders. It’s tiring and overwhelming, but it’s also exciting in the sense that you can never be bored, there is always something new and interesting to work on.” 

This is something you can use to your advantage to gain visibility. “Don’t shy away from your development story,” explains Chucklefish product manager Tom Katkus. “One of the best things about indie games is that players get to know who’s making their games. This is great for getting players interested in your project, but you can use that same accessibility to get a publisher to know who you are.” 

Read the small print when signing contracts

Of course having a publisher is super handy but if you’re making yourself visible in all the right ways, you may not even need one. That being said, if you end up finding yourself with a publishing opportunity, being prepared will help you in the long run. “Never give up your IP and make sure you have an exit door in the contract in case development goes wrong,” says Soret. “Also, consider looking for investors to take a stake in your company, rather than just going for publishers. Publishers are interested in the project they signed, while investors focus on growing your studio and long-term sustainability. It’s a different world, it’s intimidating, but it might be worth it.” 

“With any business relationship, what’s specifically in the contract is more important than anything anyone says,” explains Wasser. “A lot of developers don’t really value, understand, or want to be bothered with the specifics of contracts, since they’re sort of antithetical to the creative process, but it can seriously bite them later. If it’s an important agreement, get a lawyer to go over it. Also, everything is negotiable.” 

Once you’ve earned your development chops by finishing projects you may want to develop games for the Xbox One. The ID@ Xbox program is a great way of doing this. Developers accepted into it will obtain two free development kits and access to the system’s architecture, so you can support your game with things like achievements. 

The indie game world is scary but every indie developer is rooting for you. “One of the good things about the game industry right now is that outsiders with limited resources can play at the same table as the big entrenched players with millions/billions of dollars,” says Wasser. “There’s always going to be a disadvantage to indies, but it’s still better than the situation in most industries.”