Indie game devs band together to show off hidden RPG, FPS, and roguelike games all because a "Gamescom trailer is more than $100k"

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This might be the best gaming showcase of the summer

Two fighters lock weapons while a street burns in the background in a screenshot from Abyss X Zero
(Image credit: Studio Pixel Punk)

My favorite games showcase of the summer hasn't come from Gamescom or the Summer Game Fest - it's come courtesy of a new Twitter trend that has indie developers showing off the games that they can't afford to platform at these big events. 

The text is always the same: "Gamescom trailer is more than 100k dollars, so here is a [gif/video/trailer]." But the occasional joy of trends like these is that the games getting swept alongside the viral trend couldn't be more different to one another - paranormal horrors sit next to cute cat games in the algorithm - so here's a rundown of a few highlights. 

Before we begin, it's worth mentioning that while there's no word on how much a trailer spot in Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024 actually costs, 2022's show reportedly charged sponsors $127,600 for a one-minute trailer.

Here's another look at 3D Metroidvania Abyss X Zero's kickass action and even cooler character customization, coming from the developers behind the incredible Unsighted, who say their upcoming game is "inspired by Mega Man Legends and Wind Waker." It's definitely one to watch for whenever it hits Steam.

Next up is a collection of musical mini-games (hello, Rhythm Heaven) that's threatening to permanently worm its beeping, booping chiptunes into my head. Bits and Bops comes to Steam early next year.

Claustrophobic space station corridors, wrenches, imsim elements, and a bunch of messed up enemies looking to bite your face? Yep, RetroSpace is definitely summoning System [Bio]Shock in all the best ways, with a gorgeous style attached too. And, wait... are those Vita-Chambers on its Steam page?

Psychofinger looks cool! It's a comic book FPS where you fingerbang blowfish, according to the tweet below. Its Steam page elaborates that it's actually a roguelike with some bonkers builds. How do four finger pistols sound? What about one stuck in a rock 'n' roll hand sign? Would the addition of a foot make you more excited? Because Psychofinger has a kick too.

Music is outlawed in dystopian, cyberpunky, turn-based RPG Keylocker, so you do the only rational thing: fight the powers that be with strings and drums and art, man. The trailer begins strong enough with jaw-dropping pixel art and interesting grid-based combat, but it absolutely goes off the rails in the second half (in a complimentary way). Keylocker is out September 18 on Steam.

There’s so much more to look forward to, so why not check out our upcoming indie games of 2024 and beyond guide?

Kaan Serin
Freelance contributor

Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that's vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he'll soon forget.