There’s no getting around it – February is going to be a giant month for new games. Against the likes of Nioh 3, Resident Evil Requiem, and REANIMAL, it’s going to be an uphill battle for indie games to get the attention they deserve. Nevertheless, there’s a few games from small teams that promise a wide variety of experiences across different genres that will be out before you know it.
Seclusa
Fans of New Pokémon Snap have been waiting on another entry in the series for a few years now, although some indie wildlife photography games like Alekon and Alba have helped to fill the space in this underserved genre. While of course Pokémon springs to mind first, Seclusa is more of a spiritual successor to the PlayStation 3 game Afrika, allowing the player to traverse the savannas and jungles of Africa and snap photos of wild animals in their natural habitat. Get rated on your pictures, unlock new camera mods and items for better pictures, and collect a complete record of all the animals while learning a lot about them.
Tearscape
Tearscape lets players explore a gargantuan town of gothic horror in a world built on Game Boy Color aesthetics. This souls-like metroidvania takes inspiration from FromSoftware’s Bloodborne, providing challenging combat with depth to unlock the secrets of the world around you. Find new items for exploration and traversal, destroy grotesque bosses, crawl through hidden dungeons, and test your sense of direction in this seemingly unending labyrinth where you never know if the next NPC you meet will help you or try to eat you.
Starsand Island (Early Access)
Starsand Island isn’t trying too hard to hide its inspirations. In this meeting of Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing, leave city life behind and start anew on the tropical paradise of Starsand Island. Mingle with the capybaras, farm giant fruit, fish for fantastical creatures, befriend the villagers, and skateboard around the island at your own pace. While slow and chill, there’s still simple combat encounters in the ruins that will get your heart pumping. Will these ancient creatures will lead you closer to discovering the island’s secrets?
Mewgenics
Mewgenics is, without a doubt, the strangest video game coming out this month. The creators of The Binding of Isaac and The End is Nigh have come together to bring you a (take a big breath now) turn-based tactical strategy roguelite RPG life sim! In simpler words, you’ll utilize tactical breeding across generations of cats to create the ideal specimens for dungeon crawling, and then send them on turn-based strategy adventures to collect items and grow stronger. Class your cats into wizards, tanks, fighters, and more in this campaign that promises 200+ hours of meticulously handmade gameplay across procedurally generated dungeons.
Relooted
It is no secret to anyone that many artifacts hosted in Western museums, no matter how prestigious, are there because they were flat out stolen. It’s estimated that more than half of the British Museum’s collection, for instance, arrived there because it was originally looted from its country of origin after an invasion and conquering. In Relooted, South African studio Nyamakop brings you the opportunity to play as characters from these African nations and steal it all back as stylishly as possible. Assemble your crew, plan the heist, execute it perfectly, and feel the sweet satisfaction of stealing back 70 real-life artifacts. It’s cultural repatriation with no violence!
Steam Page | Xbox Store | Epic Games Store
Did we miss any indie games on your radar? Let us know in the comments below!
