The Indie Informer

It’s a hell of a time to be an indie fan. Historically, the fall belongs to triple-A title launches, jostling for attention as we near the holiday buying season and indie releases see a downturn. This year, indies show no sign of slowing. That’s both a great and staggering thing if you want to experience everything this space has to offer. So, here are the titles you might have missed recently but should absolutely clear time for.

Judero

I haven’t experienced something like Judero before. That’s not something I get to say, almost ever, having been in games journalism so long and the indie space specifically for years. Some of that is how incredibly Scottish it is. Gaelic cultures’ storytelling structures can ring abruptly in the ears of audiences not used to it, creating an almost absurdist atmosphere.

Judero has this in spades, not only with a plot you just have to go with, but also with its almost feverish, stop-motion art style. The 3D action game is also brimming over with bardic sensibilities, as I spend time fighting monsters and following a path that may glorify the hero but bring no happiness.

Marko: Beyond Brave

From one mythology to another, Marko: Beyond Brave is a 2D, side-scrolling platformer that dives into slavic lore. If your jaw isn’t on the floor in the first few minutes with how utterly gorgeous the painterly, hand-drawn art is in this game, I don’t think you’re human.

Its gameplay takes a slightly more straightforward physical form. It has me hopping from moss-laden cliffs fighting slug creatures. With the powers of my supernatural sword, each of my blows gathers Courage, which I can use, among other things, to heal. The first boss, The Prince Who Was Promised, will put that courage to the test.

Skies Above

Prepare for frenetic action. Despite the docile-looking Leviathans floating through the delightfully pixelated skies, the action in this roguelike whale-defense title is fast-paced. I was lured into a false sense of security as the game opened on a thoughtful narrative.

Special space whales — the Leviathans — drifted into our world long ago, gifting Earth magic it had never before seen. Of course, we mess it up. Greed is more powerful than wisdom and humanity begins to build life-choking machines to exploit the enchanting giants. Luckily, rebels like us are here to fight back and save the creatures — growing more powerful with every run.

Beyond Galaxyland

Hop down the rabbit hole with me because developer Sam Enright’s sci-fi’s answer to Wonderland will capture your imagination. The stylish aesthetic is worth the price of admission on its own. The world comes to life with a breathtaking blend of 2D characters and 3D landscapes — all painted with pixels. Along with the glowing light of neon signs and sunny rays, the art creates a unique sense of space.

Visual tone isn’t its only great attribute, as the game also has an excellent narrative tone. It starts with epic, high-stakes heroism which slides smoothly into bumbling teenage scenes. It’s from the second of these that the main character comes, and the contrast between our mundane hero, Doug, and the extraordinary circumstances of the plot is splendid.