SETTING SU
N
Setting Sun is the debut title being produced in-house by the game developer known as Yean on Steam. It’s a roguelike dungeon crawler with some hack-and-slash elements. In it, you play as an aspiring samurai in the Japanese Edo Period (1603-1867) tasked with clearing out dungeons…
LUMIONE
Lumione is an unforgiving precision platformer that will leave you feeling triumphant or utterly disappointed. Jump and launch your way through 170 levels of puzzle obstacles at lightning speed, or else come to terms with an ever-growing death total…
CAT CAFE MANAGER
Cat Cafe Manager is a 2D build and management simulation indie game developed by Roost Games. The general gist of this game is that you move to a small town to take over your Gran’s old cat café, which is in need of some real TLC...
IKAI
Welcome to Ikai, where your temple is now home to a horde of ancient Japanese demons and deities. Do you dare enter? Ikai is the debut game of Barcelona-based developer group Endflame, published by PM Studios…
BOYFRIEND DUNGEON
You ever wish a dating sim included cool combat and magic-girl-style transformations? Boyfriend Dungeon offers that and so much more. Boyfriend Dungeon, developed by Kitfox Games in 2021, is a dungeon-crawler dating sim with roguelike aspects…
RÖKI
Röki is a puzzle game from Polygon Treehouse that delves into loss, grief, and the importance of family. Tove’s brother, Lars, has been kidnapped by Rörka, the Guardian of Winter, and it’s up to you to find him in the magical realm before it’s too late…
VOMITOREUM
Do you want a game that is best described as the lovechild of Metroid and Doom, but they gave it up for adoption and it was raised by Dark Souls and H.R. Giger? Then you should check out modder Scumhead’s first person shooter, Vomitoreum…
ARIETTA OF SPIRITS
Finland’s own Third Spirit Games shares a story of courage, loss, and childhood discovery with their debut game, Arietta of Spirits. Explore a wooded island, fight monsters, and free lingering souls—just be back home in time for supper…
CHAINMONSTERS
An MMO monster-capture RPG with NFT assets. Do I have your attention? B-Side Games’ newest game, Chainmonsters, is a 3D massive multiplayer online RPG where you catch, battle, trade, and explore...
UPWAKENING
UpWakeNing is a tough-as-nails, rage-inducing 2.5D platformer developed and published by solo developer Pham Studio where you play as a person stuck in a box trying to climb your way out of a nightmarish fever dream and wake up…
LEMON CAKE
Sample the sweet taste of entrepreneurial success in Lemon Cake, the delightful baking sim by talented solo developer Éloïse Laroche of Cozy Bee Games! If you’re a baker like me, you may have toyed with the notion of starting your own bakery, only to balk at all the time and money that entails…
CAR DRIVING SCHOOL 2020
Car Driving School 2020 was made by Spark Game Studios, a very small team based in Pakistan. Despite the straightforward title of this game, it’s not just a driving simulator. Aside from Free Roam and Career Mode, it also offers Parking Mode, Stunts Mode, and Multiplayer…
PIXELOT
Get down on some perfect plundering with a simple yet effective turn-based RPG called Pixelot! Customize your character and save the world! Pixelot is a classic turn-based pixel-art RPG with a massive array of recruitable characters, playable classes, and a huge library of items, monsters, and dungeons…
ROGUE HEROES: RUINS OF TASOS
Do you enjoy puzzles, dungeons, combat-heavy class systems,town-building, and farming? Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos has a healthy footing with all of these. Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos is a 1-4 co-op rogue-lite RPG adventure game with farming simulator elements that was developed by Heliocentric Studios…
OUT OF SIGHT
Seek, and you shall find! Explore miniature worlds and uncover everyday items while chilling out to laid-back beats. Bursting with color and charm, Out of Sight is the promising debut from UK-based NinjaDuck Games…
FINTERIOR DECORATOR
Finterior Decorator is an excellent pet simulator game made for Windows by a small Norwegian indie studio, ILLUMINE GAMES. Co-founders Ørjan and Megan were joined by developers, Maemi, Kytana, and Courtney, to create this family-friendly fish simulator…
CALL OF THE SEA
Answer the call. Call of the Sea is a first-person puzzle-adventure set on a mysterious island in the Pacific during the Pre-WWII era. This debut outing from Out of the Blue Studios puts you in the shoes of Norah, a woman plagued with a mysterious disease who is searching for her husband and his team on the aforementioned island…
BLUE FIRE
The precarious pintsized platforming protagonist Umbra! Blue Fire hits all points in this new exciting title. In Blue Fire, the player wakes up in an unknown keep, trapped in a glass container, and discovers they are Umbra, the child of light and shadow who is destined to destroy the corruption affecting the beautiful world of Penumbra…
FALLEN ANGEL
Fallen Angel is a dark, birds-eye, tactical, rogue-like Metroidvania. Fallen Angel blends Souls-like components with a 2D pixel art action RPG and is set in a world comparative to “The Covenant of God”. This game features Israel as distinguished in Christianity, biblical apocalypse, and displays the vastness of the realms of heaven in a peculiar way...
HAZEL THE PLANT WITCH
In a world where all witches talk to plants, Hazel the witch cannot. So, Hazel uses recorded language to communicate with the plants in her world as she raises flowers of her own. Hazel the Plant Witch is a relaxing game based on collecting the different dialogue of plants in Hazel’s world…
HAMMER JACK
Hero? Villain? It doesn’t matter if you have a hammer and funky music. Hammer Jack is a free-to-play homage to old school arcade climbers that will suck you in for an hour or two without you realizing it. Hammer Jack was released on September 9th, 2020, by Studio Leat, a two-person operation based out of Cape Town, South Africa…
FUN GUN ENIGMA
If you like shooting games, toys, and solving puzzles, then Fun Gun Enigma is right for you. Fun Gun Enigma is a unique and exciting puzzle game created by Studio Fun Game, a team of two people: artist Konstantin and Programmer Anton. They are located in Russia and this is their first game…
LAWMAGE ACADEMY
If you're a fan of Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings, this story-rich game has everything you could hope for. Lawmage Academy is the newest up-and-coming solo developed JRPG, and I'm totally here for it. In this turn-based single-player fantasy game, you play as a student who attends Lawmage Academy, a prestigious magic school set in the fantastical country of Magusgaia…
DOUBLE KICK HEROES
What do you get when you combine Metal Slug, Guitar Hero, a Robert Rodriguez film and the absurdity of a Tenacious D album? You get Double Kick Heroes, the latest creation from Headbang Club, a group of four artists and developers who sought to create a game that combines all things “METAL” — and that is exactly what they did…
ROYAL MONTGOMERY RACEWAYS
Experience legendary races from the annals of history, like the Indianapolis 500, 24-Hours of Le Mans, and the Grand Prix circuits in the early 20th century in Royal Montgomery Raceways. This game is an ode to the historical significance of the wild world of racing…
ARISE: A SIMPLE STORY
Arise: A Simple Story follows an old man through the afterlife as he relives memories with his partner. It’s a bittersweet, wordless story that will punch your gut when you least expect it…
STEAM NEXTFEST FPS DEMOS
Hi Ravens! During Steam’s NextFest Summer 2022, I demonstrated no self restraint whatsoever with what demos I’ve been playing! Here’s some (relatively) brief thoughts on some of them! Okay, I need to confess that I actually played the ADACA demo a week before NextFest…
FOWL SCOURGE
Are you in the mood for a grimy, unforgiving pixel-art PVE in which you square off against all manner of abominable bosses? You’ll find the challenge you crave in Fowl Scourge, the upcoming action RPG from Void Cup Games…
RAVE HEART
An elven princess, her bodyguard, a mute dragon man, a sexy runaway bride alien, a gunslinging catgirl, and a human prince walk into a bar… no, really. With a party like that, you will need a lot of determination and humanity…
PUFFPALS: ISLAND SKIES
PuffPals: Island Skies is a cozy, cel-shaded farming and life simulator from Fluffnest where players can farm, explore, and build their own home in the clouds. Fluffnest is a Los Angeles-based company founded by independent creators Lily, David, and Jenn…
SCENE INVESTIGATORS
In 2017, EQ Studios released their haunting debut, The Painscreek Killings. Now the nine-head team from Las Vegas is back with another photorealistic, first-person detective simulator. Examine the scene, interpret the clues, and name the culprit in Scene Investigators...
LUMBER EMPIRE: IDLE TYCOON
Idle Lumber Empire or Lumber Empire: Idle Tycoon made by developer Game Veterans is a great way to spend your free time. The gameplay is mostly automatic, so you can literally focus on something else while you play...
WAY OF RHEA
If you’re into side-scrolling puzzle games, you should be on the lookout for Way of Rhea in 2022. It’s being developed by Anthropic Studios, a team gathered by Mason Remaley in 2018 to create a game for Playcrafting’s Spring Play expo…
THE PATHLESS
Fly across breathtaking landscapes while exploring abandoned ruins, solving puzzles, and effortlessly looking like a badass. The Pathless is the sophomore project from Giant Squid, the indie studio co-founded by the art director of Journey…
ATOM BLITZ
If you own a Nokia 3310 and enjoy playing Space Impact, then Atom Blitz from Night Owl Digital is right for you. The graphics in this mobile casual space shooter are a beautiful mixture of retro and modern art styles. It also has plenty of power-ups for health, shields, and ammo…
HOA
Hoa is a puzzle-platformer that features breathtaking hand-painted art, lovely music, and a peaceful, relaxing atmosphere. Hoa was developed by Skrollcat Studio in partnership with KYX Studio and published by PM Studios…
POTION PARTY
Potion Party is a new local and online couch co-op party game from RPGames where you and up to three friends run an alchemy shop. Defend your shop from ghosts, thieves, little guys that look like gumdrops, and more…
DORFROMANTIK
It might look like Settlers of Catan at first glance, but Dorfromantik could more aptly be called the solitaire of tabletop simulators. Created and published by Toukana Interactive, this top-down casual strategy puzzle game allows players to build their own picturesque countryside one piece at a time…
THE COMPANION
Experience one family’s harrowing journey through the wild as you summon and follow wisps, witness visions of the past, and interact with the present to change the future. The Companion is a visually striking, emotional fantasy adventure by solo dev David Fazzio of Studio 46…
THE LONGING
A unique culmination of an indie forge-your-own-adventure and idle game, The Longing will pique the interest of players. The story is simple: wait 400 days in real-time until a sleeping king awakens. The player influences a Shade, who serves the king, in a point-and-click fashion…
NUUMONSTERS
Step into the world of Nuumonsters, a futuristic, single-player monster-catcher game with retro pixel graphics. This is the newest solo-developed monster-capture game by Nyanko Games, who have solo-developed and self-published two other titles, My Isekai After Life is an RPG!? and Goodnight Succubus…
GLITTERING SWORD
Armed with nothing but your sword and your wits, you must journey through a delightful fantasy world by collecting gems, avoiding traps, and slaying enemies to rescue your love from the vile clutches of an evil wizard! Brought to us by Huge Pixel, Glittering Sword is an action-adventure title inspired by 90s RPGs with its bright, cartoony graphics and easy-to-learn, challenging-to-master gameplay…
CARTO
Charting Your Own Course. Carto, the third outing from Taiwan developer Sunhead Games, is a unique puzzler. As the titular Carto, you transform and change the world around you. Separated from her grandmother, Carto is transported to various world regions and searches for a way home…
ROSE AND LOCKET
I believe we’ve stumbled upon something truly breathtaking. Whistling Wizard started development in February 2020 for their first game, Rose and Locket. This New Zealand-based indie developer is working on a beautiful and enticing game that offers outstanding artwork and a compelling storyline…
1993 SPACE MACHINE
I am (currently) the oldest writer on the Game Raven Review roster, so I actually remember 1993 pretty well, especially the arcade. The booming sound of an arcade cabinet, the allure of demo reels trying to make you part with your quarter, the feel of grease-covered buttons…
JAPANESE ROMAJI ADVENTURE
With a unique RPG game-based approach, this game is a fascinating way to learn Japanese for those who are starting from the very beginning. Freshly released from JBO Media via Angel Star Studios, Japanese Romaji Adventure is a tile-based RPG set in late-1800s Japan…
HAIKU, THE ROBOT
Haiku, the Robot is a metroidvania-style game being solo developed by Jordan Morris of Mister Morris Games, based out of Tallinn, Estonia and featuring an amazing soundtrack by Guy Jones. Jordan Morris is a self-taught pixel artist and animator with a background of four years in project planning and execution for an IT software company…
SAMSARA ROOM
Too cheap to rummage through an escape room? Look no further. From the brilliant minds that introduced us to the eerie world of Rusty Lake comes their most peculiar creation yet, Samsara Room. You wake up in a room surrounded by obscure objects and puzzles. You need to find a way out…
MICETOPIA
Little Mouse with a Big (Monster) Problem.
Micetopia is a sidescroller adventure game from Ninja Rabbit Studios and Ratlaika Games that puts you in control of a brave little mouse, looking to save his village. The premise seemed “cute” and I was looking forward to playing through this game with my daughter, especially with a premise so reminiscent of the fairy tales she loves…
THERE IS NO GAME: WRONG DIMENSION
This game is a different type of immersive story-based adventure puzzle game that exceedingly racks your brain and brings its own eccentric humor. Released August 6th, 2020, There is No Game: Wrong Dimension was developed and published by French developer Draw Me A Pixel…
IN OTHER WATERS
Given the current state of...well...everything I suppose, the escapism that video games provide seems to be an oasis amidst turbulent current events. That simple idea of escapism, that ability to turn on a game and be taken to another world and leave your problems behind for a few blissful hours, is reflected brilliantly in Jump Over the Age’s recent release, In Other Waters…
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO INDIE ROMANCE GAMES
Don’t spend this Valentine’s Day alone. For a lot of us gamers, Valentine’s Day is good for only one thing: discounted candy on February 15th. If you don’t want to spend your February 14th staring at any old screen, consider spending it with someone special… someone special made of pixels, of course…
NINTENDO DIRECT: TOP INDIES
Earlier this morning, while wrapped in blankets and still wearing their pajamas, a group of our Raven Reviewers gathered to watch Nintendo Direct’s 40-minute live stream. Amid countless farming sims and remakes, our Ravens chose their top favorite indies that are coming to the Nintendo Switch…
THE SCORCHFARER
In a post-apocalyptic world nearly entirely scorched by fire-rain, Yukiharu and Mikaela have been assigned as terraformers to heal the continents. Encounter curious characters and unexpected events in The Scorchfarer, an episodic, hand-drawn visual novel by Michiyuki Project...
INSCRYPTION
Inscryption is one of the most fun story-driven card games I have ever played! Inscryption is a deck-building game developed by Daniel Mullins Games and published by Devolver Digital. I had a hankering for a deck-building game, so I bought Inscryption on a whim…
COFFEE TALK
Gossiping and people-watching are two things we never like to admit we love to do. In the fantasy world of Coffee Talk from Toge Productions, you can do both with no judgment. Just be ready to learn more about yourself, and others, along the way...
ANNO: MUTATIONEM
Developed by Beijing-based studio ThinkingStars and published by Lightning Games, ANNO: Mutationem follows Ann—a woman with a mysterious illness—and her bubbly, tech-savvy sidekick Ayane on a neon-lit, neo-noir action adventure that promises to pack a punch...
SPELLCASTER UNIVERSITY
Sneaky Yak Studio’s Spellcaster University is a single player fantasy construction and management card game that lets you create the magical university of your dreams. Just don’t get too attached—the King of Evil is coming…
BRIGHT MEMORY: INFINITE
Bright Memory: Infinite—one of the most impressive projects mostly developed by a single person that I have ever seen—is a first person shooter released by FQYD Studio, which consists mostly of 23-year-old Zeng “FQYD” Xiancheng…
KENA: BRIDGE OF SPIRITS
Founded in 2009 by brothers Mike and Josh Grier, Ember Lab is an animation and digital content studio. Kena: Bridge of Spirits, an action-adventure game, is the studio’s first venture into creating original video games…
PERSEPHONE
When your soul lives forever, you can die as many times as you need. Created by Momo-Pi Studio in Bulle, Switzerland, Persephone is a gruesomely cute and perfectly frustrating puzzle game where you use death to your advantage…
COZY GROVE
Spirits of a haunted island need you, the Spirit Scout, to bring light and life back to their haunted forest. Cozy Grove is a cozy life simulator game developed by the wonderful minds of Spry Fox LLC…
STARPOINT
Speed. Timing. Finesse. Do you have what it takes? Blaze a trail across space in Starpoint, a 2D mobile platformer from Lazy Gray Pixel. Starpoint is an excellent distraction if you’re looking for a fun, space-inspired break from the mundane…
DYING FLAME
Dying Flame is a top-down horror RPG with strong exploration and puzzle-solving elements. Inspired by Japanese games like Ib, Mad Father, and The Witch’s House, it was created with RPG Maker MV by RoundTable Games Studio, a five-person team based in Malaysia…
ETERNAL EXODUS
Ever wanted to conquer Hell with your favorite demons? If yes, then External Exodus will be a good fit for you. Eternal Exodus is the newest solo-developed, narrative-driven demon-capturing RPG by Fordesoft. Their previous solo-developed and self-published games include Emerald Shores, Super Blackout, and Creature Card Idle…
POTION CRAFT
Ever wanted to manage your own potion shop? Play the part of village alchemist with niceplay games’ newest project, Potion Craft! Founded in 2014 and based out of Saint Petersburg, Russia, niceplay games is the brainchild of solo developer Mikhail Chuprakov…
COROMON
Have you been looking for a modern monster-capture game with retro pixel art, challenging puzzles, and multi-stage boss fights? Coromon is being created by Jochem Pouwels and Marcel van der Made, Two Ridiculously Ambitious Guys, who make up the Netherlands-based TRAGsoft development team. These two friends, along with music composer, Davi Vasc, have been working on Coromon since 2014…
OCEAN’S HEART
When pirates kidnap your friend and your father leaves in pursuit to never be seen again, you must take up the sword yourself! Sail into Ocean’s Heart, a dangerous world of corruption and mysterious magics, to discover your loved ones’ fates and foil the Pirate King’s dastardly plans…
BLOCKY HIGHWAY
Since Minecraft became widespread, many indie game developers have started using voxel art for their games; even those that are different from Minecraft itself. One of those games is Blocky Highway: a fun car racing game made by British game development team DogByte Games. DogByte is a team of six members who have already made a few similar games that you can download for free on mobile…
LITTLEWOOD
What if you saved the world but lost everything in the process? Amnesia is the main plot behind Littlewood, developed by Sean Young and published by SmashGames. Littlewood aims to streamline life sim and city-building games by melding insanely cute pixel art graphics, a fresh story, and lots and lots of things to do and unlock.
DARKANOID
Welcome to Darkanoid, an indie game made by Russian developer, Shezo Games. But before that, it's time for a little history. In 1927, the Soviet Union produced its first production car, the NAMI-1. While considered an engineering success to the USSR, it ultimately failed because they weren't talented in making cars…
GRYPHON KNIGHT EPIC
This game is, in a word, Epic! A fun and fast-paced medieval shoot’em-up that keeps you captivated with beautiful graphics, excellent sound design, and a curious story. Gryphon Knight Epic: Definitive Edition was developed by Cyber Rhino Studios, an independent game development company in Brazil…
PATH OF MARTYRS
This turn-based RPG gives a familiar nostalgia trip with a hint of refreshing story and characters. No one will be forgotten and no one will stand in the way to your goal. Developed by Kazuki Takamura and published by Angel Star Studios, Path of the Martyrs is a turned-based RPG set in the fantasy-like, technology-filled world of Delma…
CHARITY TRUCK
Especially in 2020, it is wonderful to be reminded that no matter what is going on in the world, we can all lend a hand to help others. Not only is it good to help, but it can bring immense joy. Developed by Starmetal LLC, Charity Truck is a clicker mobile game, free of charge, in which players work to fill trucks with supplies which are then sent off to benefit others…
THE GROUNDING
Mom just grounded you and you wanna smoke some weed in the house. Just don’t get caught. It sucks to be grounded. What better way to pass the time at home than getting high?! Get your hands on all six joints scattered throughout the house, but beware of mom. She will kill you if you don’t keep a watchful eye…