Happy New Year 2023, players! 2022 has been an incredible year for gaming, and this year is already set to be another for the history books. So how about making a New Year’s resolution to broaden your gaming horizons? Trying out games from unknown genres or titles made by up-and-coming developers can be a wonderful experience. January’s indie highlights are a great place to start. From the terrifying nightmarish worlds of the twin-stick shooter to the emotional drama of a fading existence to the primal satisfaction of the car wash, these games will take you to some very interesting places.
Children of Silentown
Small towns are known for fostering strong communities, where the absence of one person can be felt by everyone. But in this hamlet in the middle of the woods, there is a lot of disappearances. There are also plenty of nighttime sounds here, the kind of monstrous roars that would shake your soul from your body. Lucy has lived here all her life and she’s convinced she’s old enough to understand why the townspeople are disappearing. Her tender young spirit is about to experience a very rude awakening. Children of Silentown, developed by Elf Games and Luna2 Studio, is a loving tribute to the point-and-click adventure classics of yesteryear with a rural horror theme. Experience charming yet spooky painted visuals and fantastic sound design as you rack your brains to solve absolutely fiendish puzzles. And whatever you do, don’t set foot in the woods.
Release date: January 11 | Editor: Daedalic Entertainment | PS4
A space for the unrelated
Ah, the 90s, a time when beautiful pixel art was at its peak. In A Space for the Unbound, you’ll travel to rural Indonesia during this exciting decade and meet two teenage lovebirds named Atma and Raya… who happen to have supernatural powers. Nor is it the only unusual occurrence here, a malevolent force lurks in the background that threatens everything. To get to the bottom of bizarre happenings, you’ll encounter all manner of colorful townspeople, using psychic powers to dive deep into their minds to solve puzzles and conflicts. But even the most extraordinarily gifted high school students still have to struggle with their own uncertainty and self-doubt. Dive into this gorgeous 2D pixel art adventure from developers Mojiken and Toge, and don’t forget to pet all the cats.
Release date: January 19 | Editor: Choir around the world | PS4, PS5
NeverAwake
Rem is a kid with typical childhood issues: she hates large vegetables, she’s afraid of big, mean dogs, she despises doctor visits, and she doesn’t seem to get along with her classmates. What’s not so typical, however, is Rem’s dream world: a nightmarish realm where all her cares and insecurities have trapped her. To wake up, she’ll have to face her monstrous fears in a devilishly intense twin-stick arcade shooter. Grotesque mutated eggplants and devilish demon dogs are just a few of the memorably bizarre enemies that Rem must blast to escape. You’ll also use a menagerie of upgrades and collectible gear to help you get through the tougher stages. NeverAwake by Neotro Inc is the arcade shooter of your dreams…or should it be nightmares?
Release date: January 26 | Editor: Phoenix | PS4, PS5
rear firewall
Some people are described as “living on their smartphones”, but developer Naraven’s Backfirewall takes that statement very literally. In this bizarre first-person adventure, you play as the Update Assistant, who lives inside your smartphone and prepares things when the OS update arrives. The problem is that the latest current update is a disaster that will brick the device. With the help of other anthropomorphic apps living in this autonomous smartphone universe, you’ll explore, hack, reprogram and exploit the system to keep things stable. And you might also discover interesting information about the user.
Release date: January 30 | Editor: All in! Games | PS4, PS5
Power wash simulator
It’s the simple things in life that are the most deeply satisfying, you know, like taking a powerful jet of water and blasting away the layers of accumulated dirt and mud to reveal the beauty of a shiny vehicle underneath. PowerWash Simulator from developer FuturLab gives you the experience of full-scale deep cleaning without the need to pull a powerful hose or get wet. As a cleaning business owner, you’ll have everything looking brand new: cars, homes, playground equipment, and even a Mars Rover. Join a friend for an intense yet oddly relaxing cooperative cleanse.
Release date: January 30 | Editor: Square-Enix
Season: A letter to the future
It’s time to leave home and go explore the worldーa somewhat daunting proposition since you’ve lived in a quiet hamlet all your life so far and have never left once. As you take control of heroine Estelle and hop on your trusty bike (complete with DualSense controller-enhanced pedal controls and haptic feedback), you realize that everything you know will soon come to an end. In this emotionally charged, atmospheric third-person exploration/adventure game developer by Scavenger Studios, you’ll do all you can to preserve the lives, lore, words, and memories of those soon to be destined. to disappear into history. Using notebooks, cameras, and recorders to capture the details of a culture’s day-to-day existence, you’ll strive to preserve a memory of life as it was for those in the future.
Release date: January 31 | Editor: recovery studios | PS4, PS5
We were here forever
Well, here you are, stuck in the depths of the dungeon alongside another desolate asshole in the frozen tundra of Antarctica. How did you end up in this miserable place? And what the hell is a castle doing in Antarctica anyway? Who knows, the important thing is that you’re going to have to get out of this freezing hell, and you’ll need the help of your potentially loose partner to do so. This chilling first-person, co-op-only puzzle adventure from TMG Studios BV takes you through the challenging halls of Castle Rock as you and another player work together to uncover the history and secrets of the fort, starting with only a pair of controlled microphones. walkie-talkies. Can you escape, or will you both be left as forgotten, frozen corpses?
Release date: January 31 | Editor: Studios TMG B.V. | PS4, PS5
Which independent release this month are you most looking forward to?
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