Indie game devs band together to show off hidden RPG, FPS, and roguelike games all because a "Gamescom trailer is more than $100k"
Aug. 22, 2024This might be the best gaming showcase of the summer
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My favorite games showcase of the summer hasn’t come fromGamescomor theSummer Game Fest- it’s come courtesy of a new Twitter trend that has indie developers showing off the games that they can’t afford to platform at these big events.
The text is always the same: “Gamescom trailer is more than 100k dollars, so here is a [gif/video/trailer].” But the occasional joy oftrendslike these is that the games getting swept alongside the viral trend couldn’t be more different to one another - paranormal horrors sit next to cute cat games in the algorithm - so here’s a rundown of a few highlights.
Here’s another look at 3D Metroidvania Abyss X Zero’s kickass action andeven cooler character customization, coming from the developers behind the incredible Unsighted, who say their upcoming game is “inspired by Mega Man Legends and Wind Waker.” It’s definitely one to watch for whenever it hitsSteam.
Next up is a collection of musical mini-games (hello, Rhythm Heaven) that’s threatening to permanently worm its beeping, booping chiptunes into my head. Bits and Bops comes toSteamearly next year.
Claustrophobic space station corridors, wrenches, imsim elements, and a bunch of messed up enemies looking to bite your face? Yep, RetroSpace is definitely summoning System [Bio]Shock in all the best ways, with a gorgeous style attached too. And, wait… are those Vita-Chambers on itsSteampage?
Psychofinger looks cool! It’s a comic book FPS where you fingerbang blowfish, according to the tweet below. ItsSteampage elaborates that it’s actually a roguelike with some bonkers builds. How do four finger pistols sound? What about one stuck in a rock ‘n’ roll hand sign? Would the addition of a foot make you more excited? Because Psychofinger has a kick too.
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Music is outlawed in dystopian, cyberpunky, turn-based RPG Keylocker, so you do the only rational thing: fight the powers that be with strings and drums and art, man. The trailer begins strong enough with jaw-dropping pixel art and interesting grid-based combat, but it absolutely goes off the rails in the second half (in a complimentary way). Keylocker is out September 18 onSteam.
Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that’s vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he’ll soon forget.
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