More Cult of the Lamb, a World War II computer mystery and other new indie games worth checking out

Welcome to the latest report on what’s happening in the indie gaming space. It’s been a pretty busy week with fun game releases (next week will be too!), so let’s go through some of them after some quick thinking about games while traveling.

I love my steam platform. I really do that. It’s a great machine. However, when I brought it with me on a five-week trip over the holidays, I used it for about an hour the entire time. This doesn’t really justify the space and weight my bag takes up. The same applies to the Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation Portal.

I’ll leave them all at home next time. I’ll take a small controller (maybe OhSnap’s MCON) so I can play the single game on my laptop or phone. I’ll be bringing my playdate too. I adore this little yellow controller, and I haven’t spent enough time with it. I have a lot of great indie games I could catch up on (Diora Looks particularly interesting). I’m more likely to play something on a flight if it’s on a device I can pull out of my pocket. I wish Panic had put a backlight in the Playdate.

New releases

Presented by Massive Monster and publisher Devolver Digital Lamb worship Fans have a whole host of reasons to return to the game this week with Arrival Woolhaven expansion. You’ll need to get close to the end of the base game (although you don’t need to beat the final boss) before you can experience what the DLC has to offer. It includes weather effects, a new mountain area with a pair of new dungeons, a livestock breeding system (which allows you to raise animals as pets or for food), and much more.

People who dig Lamb worship Seems to really get into the game. After a few years of free updates from Massive Monster, Woolhaven It’s a large expansion that’s similar in scope to the base game, so it should keep fans busy for a long time if they want to experience everything. The DLC is available now on PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series It costs $17 if you already have the base game.

Inkle, the studio is in the back In the sea! And wonderful Highland song He came back with TR-49a puzzle game with a WWII computer at its core. Over the course of five decades, a collection of books, letters and magazines were fed into the machine as part of efforts to “crack the code of reality”. But now you are tasked with finding a specific book and destroying it before time runs out.

It all seems rather mysterious. To give you an idea of ​​what’s going on here, Inkel says it was inspired by narrative deduction games like The root trees are dead, and the operetta returns and Her storyAs well as audio dramas. I can’t see myself having the time or patience to figure out the puzzle of this particular machine (I imagine many players will need a notebook for this machine), but I’m intrigued enough to at least watch Let’s Play at some point. You can try this puzzle for yourself on Steam (normally $7, but there’s a 10 percent launch discount through January 28).

Another week, another Metroidvania, but MIO: Memories in Orbit He has a more striking art style than most. This game from Douze Dixièmes and publisher Focus Entertainment debuted to positive reviews this week. After the AI ​​caretakers on a forgotten spaceship go out of business, you’ll have to help the robot MIO explore the spacecraft to “revive its lost memories” and save it from doom. Naturally, you’ll discover some new abilities along the way, including the grappling hook and air gliding.

MIO: Memories in Orbit Available on PS5, Xbox Series You can also check it out via Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

Ideal Tides: Station to Station It is a pixel art narrative adventure and the sequel to Three Bees. Perfect ebb and flow. Over the course of a year in-game, you’ll help 18-year-old Mara explore the big city and find her place in the world.

The early 2000s vibe of the trailer was pure, so I’ll be trying to play this game at some point. Ideal Tides: Station to Station Available now on Steam for PC and Mac for $20.

Sim cozy cafe Back side It debuted in Early Access on Steam (normally $11, but there’s a 10 percent discount until January 28) this week. I’m bummed I haven’t had a chance to try this product from Coffee Beans Dev yet, because it looks lovely.

Besides offering snacks and drinks to your furry customers, you can learn more about your café’s visitors by reading stories about them in the newspaper (hopefully nice ones!). You can play at your own pace while drawing latte art and decorating your café. Eventually, you’ll be able to visit other players’ cafes and open a flower shop. Like I said, it looks beautiful.

Coming

One of my favorite games from the past year is getting a free update on January 26th. Just when I thought I’d run out Ball x holeKenny Sun and his friends (along with publisher Devolver) drag me back to check out two new characters, a new eight-ball with special abilities, more passives and some kind of surprise.

I adore Ball x hole This update would be like dropping everything and playing right away for me. The Regal update will be available on all platforms: Steam, PS5, Xbox Series Ball x hole It costs $15. It’s available via Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass as well.

I’m interested in reviewing the demo of Vampire reptilesA Vampire survivors spin off. Poncle will release the game on February 23 at Steam Next Fest as well as on Xbox. Your progress will carry over to the full game, which will be in Game Pass on day one.

As a general rule, turn-based games aren’t really my thing, and neither are roguelike-style deck building games. But I’m a big fan of Vampire survivorsSo I’m definitely willing to try this. That helps Vampire reptiles It feels fast-paced and draws from the chaotic visuals of the original game. Vampire reptiles It’s coming to Steam, Xbox Series

Speaking of interesting demos, one for DX ratchet Available now on PC before the full game releases on Switch, Steam (PC and Mac) and the Mac App Store on March 5. It normally costs $13, but a limited-time discount will bring the price down to $9.75. If the name of the game sounds familiar, it’s because this is a colorful version of the Playdate season 1 title Ratchet.

This pixel art action adventure game has multiple visual filters, a “CD quality stereo soundtrack” and support for more languages. The Playdate Panic generator is published DX ratchetIts developers are Sean Inman, Matthew Grimm, and Charlie Davis.

Let’s wrap things up for this week with a cinematic trailer and release date Aethosa story-driven survival and base-building game from solo developer Pawsmonaut Games. It’s coming to Steam on March 6.

Aethos It’s a game about “carving a future out of the rubble of corporate greed” in a dystopian sci-fi world. As former mining engineer Maeve, you start with basic equipment and a drone companion by your side. You’ll explore what remains of a failed scientific expedition and abandoned facilities as you try to prove your right to mine after leaving a corporation depleting planetary resources.

Naturally, you’ll upgrade your equipment and build your base as you progress. You can adjust settings like the air supply to the base, how quickly your hunger and thirst needs change, and how much you can hold to fine-tune the experience.