Author: Pickled Sea Cat

Mini Metro

“A strategy simulation game about designing a subway map for a growing city. Draw lines between stations and start your trains running. As new stations open, redraw your lines to keep them efficient. Decide where to use your limited resources. How long can you keep the city moving?”

This is a bit of a throwback in time but I’ve been meaning to showcase some of the musicians behind the games that we love and this popped up on my radar as Max Duggan created (in collaboration with Disasterpeace) an album for Mini Metro based off of the procedurally generated music in the game, which I thought was pretty neat :) You can listen to it on YouTube or Spotify (as well as Apple Music and Tidal).

You can find a sample of the music in the video above, and you can find the game below.

Buy on Steam

Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PS4
Release: November 6, 2050

Stirring Abyss

“An indie tactical squad-based game with strong RPG elements in which you uncover the ancient mysteries of the depths depicted in the classic vein of Lovecraftian horror.

“You take charge of the surviving crew of the USS Salem, a U.S. Navy submarine that sinks while on a top secret research mission during the early years of the Cold War. They find themselves surrounded by the ruins of a forgotten civilization, their vessel too badly damaged to escape the seabed.”

Buy on Steam

Platforms: Windows
Release: October 29, 2020

Blue Fire

“Embark on an extraordinary journey through the desolated kingdom of Penumbra and discover the hidden secrets of this long-forgotten land.  Explore mystical temples, encounter survivors and take on strange quests to collect valuable items.  Along your adventure, slash your way through daunting adversaries, roam across mysterious and abandoned regions, leap through deadly traps and ultimately master the art of movement.”

Buy on Steam

Platforms: Windows, Nintendo Switch (PS4 & Xbox to come)
Release: February 4, 2021

RAILGRADE

“A construction strategy game about building railway networks to connect future, off-world cities with valuable industry. As the last remaining employee on a corporate-owned earth colony, it’s up to you to salvage the remains of the planet’s economy following a disastrous management mishap. With dozens of trains at your disposal, it’s up to you to manage the production of goods and ensure the delivery of essential resources in order to create a thriving industrial colony once more.”

Play the Demo

Platforms: Windows
Release: 2021

Beacon Pines

“A cute and creepy adventure game within a magical storybook. You play as both the reader of the book and its main character, Luka. Explore the town to find word charms. Use your charms to change the course of fate!

“Luka is just trying to grow up as the world falls down. Something’s afoot in Beacon Pines and he and his friends are the only ones taking notice. Sneak out late, investigate creepy labs, throw some pigs, uncover the truth, and maybe survive the summer.”

Back on Kickstarter

Platforms: Windows, Nintendo Switch (possibly PS4 & Xbox)
Release: late 2021

Know by heart

“A game about accepting loss. The plot, the music, the intuitive gameplay and atmospheric mini-games work together to weave an illusion of briefly returning to one’s childhood and inevitably growing up, the feeling of time slipping through our fingers.

“Players will be immersed into the quiet life of a provincial Russian town, where traces and echoes of the Soviet era can still be seen and heard.”

Wishlist on Steam

Platforms: Windows
Release: 2021

Olija

“A game about Faraday’s quest, a man shipwrecked then trapped in the mysterious country of Terraphage. Armed with a legendary harpoon, he and other castaways try to leave this hostile country to return to their homelands.

“Through adventurous exploration, narration and razor sharp combat, the player will discover a strange world and its inhabitants, including Olija, an enigmatic lady that Faraday finds himself bound to over time. Inspired by swashbuckling tales and cinematic adventure games, Olija is a story about facing the unknown in adversity.”

Buy on Steam

Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Release: January 28, 2021

Phoenotopia

“Join Gail, a simple villager, who must heed the call for adventure when a great star ship appears in the night sky and abducts all the adults. As the new oldest member of her fragmented community, she must set out to solve this great mystery. Little does she know of the grand adventure before her, the evil lurking in the shadows, and the role she will play in the fight for Earth’s very existence!”

Buy on Steam

Platforms: Windows, Nintendo Switch
Release: January 21, 2021

Koi Farm

“A game about playing with koi ponds. Explore an infinite number of procedurally generated koi patterns by crossbreeding your fish, and discover new mutations as you go along. Store the best koi as collectible trading cards, and let the koi book guide you towards new undiscovered mutations.”

Wishlist on Steam

Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux
Release: February 26, 2021

Lost in Play

“A game about a brother and sister, living alone in the outskirts of society, on a journey through imaginary and surreal landscapes.  Distracted in their play, the children lose their way and begin the journey back home. On their way they encounter magical and magnificent creatures such as a horned beast, a giant stork, magical seaweed, friendly frogs or travelling goblins. They will need to overcome fears, solve puzzles and stick together to find their way home.”

Wishlist on Steam

Platforms: Windows, Mac, iOS, Nintendo Switch
Release: 2021