Indie Game Roundup: Stylish Beat Em Ups, Platformers, and RPGs to Watch Welcome to our look at the latest and greatest in the indie game scene. This week brought a fresh batch of gorgeous games, along with exciting demos and reveals for upcoming projects. Later this month, Simogo, the studio behind Lorelai and the Laser Eyes, will celebrate its 15th anniversary with some news and surprises. This could mean ports of their earlier games to new platforms, or perhaps even an announcement of their next project. While a sequel to the magnificent Sayonara Wild Hearts might be a long shot, the possibility of a live concert featuring the game’s incredible soundtrack is enough to get excited about. Mark your calendars for October 28 to see what the studio has in store. In other news, the latest Steam Next Fest kicks off soon, offering a week-long event packed with demos. These festivals are always a treasure trove for discovering the next big indie hit, so it is worth diving in. New Releases Absolum is a new beat em up from the teams behind Streets of Rage 4 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge. This marks the first original IP from Dotemu, developed alongside Guard Crush Games and Supamonks. The art and animation are absolutely divine. You can play solo or cooperatively. As a roguelite, you will gain upgrades on each run and earn experience for permanent progression. With multiple paths to explore, the replayability seems strong. Absolum is out now on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PS5. Bye Sweet Carole is a 2D horror-platformer with a striking visual style that resembles an early-90s animated movie, complete with hand-drawn animations. You play as a young girl searching for her missing best friend in an orphanage. Some early reviews have noted clunky controls and some puzzle-related softlocks, but the presentation is undeniably captivating. It is available on PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series X/S. Dreams of Another is an exploration action game with a truly unique look. Using point cloud rendering technology, you create the environment in a dream-like world by shooting at it. The visuals are unusual and captivating. It is available on PS5, PS VR2, and Steam. Little Rocket Lab is a charming blend of factory builder and life sim with lovely pixel art. You play as Morgan, an aspiring engineer building factories to achieve her family’s dream of constructing a rocket ship. It is out on Steam and Xbox, and is available on Game Pass. Cairn: Mathair’s Curse is a turn-based RPG set in the Scottish Highlands. A solo developer spent five years creating this game, which features a Celtic soundtrack and Scottish humor. Players have likened it to EarthBound. It is available on Steam now. Upcoming Games Blackwood has a fantastic premise. By day, you run a DVD store in 2012 New York. By night, you are a ruthless assassin. This cinematic third-person shooter features grounded melee combat, brutal takedowns, and responsive gunplay. While the alpha footage shows some rough facial animations, the core John Wick-style combat looks nifty. It is slated for a Steam release in the second half of 2026. Bittersweet Birthday is an action RPG with hand-drawn pixel art that focuses entirely on boss battles. The game is set to launch on Steam, GOG, Humble, and Itch on November 11, with a console release to follow. A Pinball Game That Makes You Mad is a pinball-themed precision platformer you control with a single button, in the vein of challenging games like Getting Over It. There is no release date yet, but a demo is available on Steam now. Another demo to check out is for Dont Stop, Girlypop, a fast-paced arena shooter with a Y2K aesthetic and an anti-capitalist theme. The gameplay is reminiscent of Doom Eternal and Ultrakill, and the demo is a blast. No release date has been announced, but it is one to watch.
