Indie Games
Ongoing coverage on Indie Games.
Latest coverage
The Sims creator blew 10 years and millions of dollars on his new game, laid off his whole team in 2024, and still isn't done: "I'd much rather have a glorious failure than a mild success"
Will Wright, the creator of The Sims, has spent a decade and millions of dollars developing his new AI-enabled game, Proxi: Yesterday's You Tomorrow, through his studio Gallium Studios. Despite laying off his entire team in 2024 due to funding issues, Wright is determined to see the ambitious project through, even if it means a potential failure. The game aims to allow players to experience and share memories through AI-powered simulacra called Proxies.
Marathon sells 1.2 million copies across Steam, PS5, and Xbox | News-in-brief
The Nordic Game conference, taking place May 26-29, has announced its speaker lineup, featuring developers from Wishfully, Those Eyes, and Windup Games discussing game design and development. The event will also introduce an inaugural AI Track, with talks from companies like Infinity Fiction and Nunu AI focusing on the role of artificial intelligence in game development, storytelling, and QA. The conference expects over 3,000 attendees in 2026 and will showcase over 100 indie games.
Svensk indie på Moderskeppet Play – utvecklarna om vad som väntar ombord
Several Swedish indie game developers, including Spelkväll Games, Rescue Party, Dandelion Developers, Cikoria Studio, One-Eyed Villains, Newman Networks, and Floodlight Gaming, will showcase their upcoming projects at the Moderskeppet Play event. The article provides insights into their games, development processes, and inspirations, highlighting the vibrant Swedish indie scene.
"Heavyweights ruined the industry... now we live on the indies" Nordic Game embraces smaller devs and games with soul
Nordic Game program director Jacob Riis believes the industry is currently sustained by independent developers, contrasting them with large studios that he feels have negatively impacted the market. He highlights the focus on creativity and artistic expression in indie games as a response to the profit-driven nature of many AAA titles and live service games. Riis also notes an increase in ticket sales for Nordic Game, suggesting a growing interest in smaller-scale events and developers.
Indie Office Sim Layer8Problem Just Hit Steam and It’s Absolutely Unhinged
Indie developer seluce has released their office simulation game, Layer8Problem, on Steam with version 3.0. The game allows players to experience sysadmin nightmares and corporate chaos, featuring Steam Cloud saves, global statistics, and achievements. The developer is actively seeking community feedback for future updates.
"They wouldn't look at any game that was less than £50 million" Why Tencent's all-in strategy didn't suit Bulkhead
Bulkhead, a studio acquired by Tencent via Splash Damage, found the parent company's demand for games with budgets over £50 million unsuited to their development style. Despite initial success with Battalion 1944 and pitching the PC shooter Wardogs, Tencent's scale led to Bulkhead spinning out into a new holding company, Super Media Group, with Team17 and Hiro Capital. The studio is now focused on Wardogs, aiming for a sustainable player base rather than massive AAA success.
Journey of the Garden Rose Brings Fairy Tale Magic to Steam’s Retro Revival
Journey of the Garden Rose has launched on PC, offering a fairy tale-inspired 3D action-adventure experience reminiscent of PS1-era games. The indie title focuses on exploration and storytelling, drawing comparisons to classic titles like Spyro and Crash Bandicoot, and embracing a Brothers Grimm-esque narrative over sanitized Disney themes.
Pacific Drive is an excellent driving sim with horror vibes, and you can get the full experience cheaper than ever
Pacific Drive is an underrated indie driving simulator that blends Stalker-style atmosphere with horror elements. The game offers a full experience that is currently available at a significantly reduced price.
Indie FPS ‘The Explorator’ Brings Handmade Art to Combat
The indie first-person shooter 'The Explorator' is gaining attention for its unique handmade 2D animations, a stark contrast to the polygon-heavy graphics common in the genre. This approach prioritizes atmosphere and artistic style over photorealism, a move that could inspire other indie developers to take creative risks. While the game's visual style and development scope present potential challenges, its distinctive art direction sets it apart in a crowded market.
ShackStream: Indie-licious Episode 194 - SFB Games & The Mermaid Mask
Developers from SFB Games appeared on Indie-licious Episode 194 to discuss their upcoming game, Detective Grimoire. The episode also featured discussions on The Mermaid Mask.
Demos and Freebies
Escape the Baby Alarm, a cozy puzzle adventure game about early parenthood, is now available on Steam for PC. The game features hand-drawn graphics and escape room-inspired puzzles.
As seminal oddball indie Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP hits 15 years of age, you can pick it up for less than a coffee
Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, a seminal indie title, is celebrating its 15th anniversary. The article reflects on the game's significance in the early days of indie and mobile gaming, highlighting its unique design and how it stood out before the prevalence of free-to-play models and microtransactions. The game is currently available at a significant discount on Steam.
"Weird and bats**t" Steam launch of two different indie games with the same name ended in 3x more sales than expected: "It all absolutely popped off"
Two unrelated indie games, both titled "Piece by Piece," launched on Steam around the same time, leading to unexpected sales boosts for developer Gamkat and publisher No More Robots. This naming coincidence resulted in roughly triple the expected sales and a significant increase in wishlists, as many players purchased the games as a bundle.
I crashed out reading layoff condolence letters in this shop sim about a laid-off adventurer made by a laid-off Xbox…
Dungeon Bodega Simulator, a shop management game developed by a former Xbox developer who experienced layoffs, explores themes of job loss and resilience. The game's creator, Harrison, discusses how developing the title served as a cathartic experience following his own layoff from Turn 10 Studios. The article reflects on the emotional impact of layoffs in the game industry and the personal significance of creating games.
Fortnite's new Peak skin costs almost 3 times as much as the indie game it's based on: 'That's actually a slap in the face to the Peak developers'
Fortnite's new Peak climbing game-inspired skins are priced significantly higher than the original indie title, with one customisable skin costing nearly three times the price of the game itself. This pricing has drawn criticism from players and sparked comparisons to a similar situation with Lethal Company skins in 2024. The article suggests purchasing the indie game on sale instead of the expensive cosmetic items.
The Indie-Credible.com - Indie Game Showcase 2026 Concludes with Over 100 Indie Games Featured, Delivering More Than 100,000 YouTube Views Worldwide
The Indie-Credible.com - Indie Game Showcase 2026, organized by GameTikker.com, has concluded after featuring over 100 indie games and generating more than 100,000 YouTube views. The event successfully connected the independent gaming community and provided significant visibility for participating developers and studios.
Mina the Hollower, Box Knight, and Rain98 Highlight a World of Indies Presented by Ukiyo Studios at PAX East
Ukiyo Studios is presenting over a dozen indie games at PAX East, featuring titles like Mina the Hollower, Box Knight, and Rain98. Attendees can demo new games from developers such as Yacht Club Games and Critical Reflex, and participate in real-life versions of Buckshot Roulette and No, I’m Not a Human.
Bag of Dreams Is Out Now on Steam!
Bag of Dreams, the debut title from indie studio Two Trick Pony Games, has launched on Steam for PC. This cozy roguelike dreambuilder allows players to craft their dreams and discover synergies, with a limited-time 15% launch discount available. The developers are eager to receive player feedback to shape the future of the game.
'Golden goose' indie games get Gabe Newell's attention, says Steam expert: 'You're like a little goblin that has a magical power to turn straw into gold'
Indie game advisor Chris Zukowski discussed the 'golden goose' phenomenon on Steam, where games achieving around $150,000 in sales and 500 reviews gain Valve's attention. He described the process as 'the breath of Steam,' where developers must convert wishlists into sales, a task Gabe Newell relies on them to perform. Maintaining this status requires continuous effort through DLCs, bundles, and promotions.
ShantyTown Brings Its Calming City-Building to PAX East 2026
ShantyTown, a city-building game developed by Erik Rempen of Silk Softworks and published by Kinephantom Games, will be showcased at PAX East 2026. The game will feature an expanded Creative Mode and controller support, with attendees able to play the full game ahead of its April 16, 2026 release on Steam. The demo has already seen significant success, doubling wishlists and attracting over 30,000 players during Steam Next Fest.
