Keeping track of the roughly 52,000 indie games released on PC every day is an impossible task, so I put a call out on Twitter for indie developers to show me what they're working on. I'm still working my way through the dozens of emails I've received, but here are a few that have stood out so far.
Lightmatter
Developer Tunnel Vision / Website
In this Portal-inspired first-person puzzle game, which has a really nice comic book art style, shadows are deadly. "Think the floor is lava," a character says in the trailer. "But with shadows that kill you." You solve puzzles by manipulating light to banish shadows, and there's a sci-fi story to follow too.
The Siege and the Sandfox
Developer Cardboard Sword / Website
This gorgeous stealth game features wonderfully detailed, atmospheric environments, slick animation, and a sprawling Metroid-inspired map. You play as an assassin who has been falsely accused of murdering a king and thrown into a dungeon that you'll have to sneak and fight your way out of.
Robot Champions
Developer Prospect Games / Website
Influenced by Robot Wars, arguably one of the greatest TV shows of all time, this arena battler features remote-control robots equipped with spikes, flippers, hammers, and spinning wheels of death. It's an inspired idea for a multiplayer game and my fingers are crossed for the ability to create my own robots.
WarriOrb
Developer Not Yet / Website
As far as protagonists go, 'a talking ball with legs that is actually a demon' is one of the strangest I've encountered. In WarriOrb our spherical hero rolls and bounces through trap-filled levels, solving puzzles, talking to other weird creatures, and playing dress-up with magical clothing. Videogames, eh?
Widget Satchel
Developer Noble Robot / Website
Playing as a sneaky, light-fingered ferret called Sprocket, this intriguing sci-fi game sees you causing mischief on a futuristic space station. You can build tech called 'doohickeys' to help you, including a pair of gravity-defying jump boots and a wrench to fight off nosy maintenance bots.
The Hand of Glory
Developer Madit Entertainment / Website
Inspired by adventure games such as Gabriel Knight and Broken Sword (always a good sign), this colourful hand-drawn detective adventure concerns a down on his luck detective investigating a missing persons case. The case takes him from Miami to the hills of Italy and there's a free demo on Steam now.
Kofi Quest: Alpha MOD
Developer Loftur Studio / Website
Described by its creator as "Zelda meets Warcraft'", Kofi Quest is a Kickstarter-funded RTS/RPG hybrid where you play as "the lamest, most terrible wannabe hero ever." The developer is promising a large map filled with quests, over 60 different enemy types to fight, and a self-aware sense of humour.
Fly Punch Boom!
Developer Jollypunch Games / Website
"Have you ever wanted to uppercut your pals so hard they flew straight into the Moon's butt cheeks?" asks the developer of this chaotic beat-'em-up. Looking like a hybrid of Super Smash Bros. and Dragon Ball Z, the game is promising local and online multiplayer and wild anime-style battles.
King Under the Mountain
Developer Rocket Jump Technology / Website
Inspired by the likes of Prison Architect and Dwarf Fortress, this top-down sim will let you build and manage your own fantasy settlement. It's promising multiple races, each with their own unique play style, as well as dungeon crawling, mod support, and the ability to explore other players' creations.
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