Indie developers have been a real force when it comes to narrative driven games, so much so that there are now digital showcases dedicated to them, the biggest event being LudoNarraCon by indie publisher Fellow Traveller.
So many new development teams are popping up what feels like every other day, it’s far too easy to get lost in the amount of new games that get announced on the constant, so I’m going to make it a tad easier by listing five indie games to look forward to for 2022 and (hopefully) 2023:
- Beacon Pines: This adorable adventure game takes place in the form of a storybook, players will take control of Luka, as he discovers there are strange things happening around the small town of Beacon Pines. With the help of his friends Luka sets out to uncover the truth, along the way players will uncover the ability to return to previous section of the story anytime they like to change keywords and change the game’s narrative. The story changing mechanic give Beacon Pines a unique feel along with its cute and creepy story and is planned for release on September 22, 2022, on Steam, Xbox, Switch and Xbox GamePass.
- Minds Beneath Us: A Sci-Fi thriller that takes place in an unspecified future Asian city, Minds Beneath Us takes players choices in an interesting direction by having all of the players dialogue choices technically be right and wrong at the same time. The game’s story places players into a body that doesn’t belong to them, instead, the player is a ‘data ghost’ that takes over the mind and body of Jason Dai. Like any good Sci-Fi story, a mysterious conspiracy starts to unfold, one that could endanger the player and Jason, every choice has an impact, both big and small. No release date has been announced, the game is currently planned for release only on PC.
- The Wreck: Life can be complicated, and it only takes one moment to alter everything, players will experience the story of failed screen writer, Junon, as she finds herself having to make a difficult decision that will affect the lives of her family. After being called to a hospital and told that her estranged mother is possibly dying, Junon experiences a near death moment when she crashes her vehicle, players will learn more about Junon and why her relationship with her mother has been a struggle and, depending on the key moments, learn of Junon’s fate. The game is planned for a Spring 2022 release on PC via Steam.
- She Dreams Elsewhere: A surreal adventure RPG where players must traverse an ethereal dreamscape, confront inner nightmares, and escape from a never-ending coma. Players will take control of Thalia, an anxiety-ridden, comatose woman on a journey to confront the nightmares preventing her from awakening. The game takes inspirations from the cult classic JRPG ‘Mother’ and wears it proudly on its sleeves, the game doesn’t have a release date as of yet.
- Game Director Story: Developed by Canadian studio, Double Blit Games, Game Director Story is a satirical look behind-the-scenes at how big-budget AAA games are made. Based on first-hand accounts by industry veterans, players will experience the emotional roller coaster of guiding a team through the agonizing decisions and compromises needed to ship a game. Players will take on the role of a Game Director and will be responsible for balancing their relationship with their team, the publisher, press, influencers, and fans. Players will have to make tough decisions on handling real world industry situations like crunch, technical debt, inclusivity, micro-transactions, sexism, exclusives and more, all which will have an impact on your team and the game. But gamers will have to wait to feel the pressure as no release date has been announced yet.
