10 exciting indie games releasing April 2021

There’s nothing quite as exciting as discovering a new video game you’d never heard of before and finding out it’s totally your jam. Indie games constantly find new ways to surprise me and sometimes it’s hard to know what’s coming up. So we’ve sifted through many a release list to bring you 10 exciting indie releases for April 2021. Check ’em out!

Lost Words: Beyond the Page

Developer: Sketchbook Games, Fourth State
Release Date: 6 April, 2021
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5
Genre: Adventure / Platformer

“An atmospheric narrative adventure written by Rhianna Pratchett. Set between the pages of a diary and a fantasy story where you run on words and use them to interact with the world around you.”

Lost Words: Beyond the Page technically isn’t a new release, having already launched last year on Stadia. Although I’m going to treat this as a new release game because it’s only now hitting all the major platforms, not to mention Stadia isn’t even available in my home country of Australia yet! This narrative-heavy game looks like it won’t be pulling any punches as you explore a gorgeously crafted world, puzzling and platforming your way through the world of Estoria. It’s all set within the pages of a journal too, allowing fantasy-like magic to imbue the words and visuals around you. We can’t wait to check this one out.

Before Your Eyes

Developer: GoodbyeWorld Games
Release Date: 8 April, 2021
Platforms: PC
Genre: Narrative Adventure

I will always give top marks for innovation, and Before Your Eyes is quite the unique prospect indeed. This narrative adventure game will literally watch you as you play, utilising your PC’s webcam to react to your blinks. With this unique format, it allows the game to tell an unfolding story where the player’s blinks control the flow of the narrative and forces scenes to be fleeting, less the player is capable of holding onto their blinks indefinitely. It’s the literal interpretation of “blink and you’ll miss it” and I just think there’s so much possibility here for engrossing storytelling. I just hope the webcam/blinking technology is able to keep up with the amazing idea!

Cozy Grove

Developer: Spry Fox LLC
Release Date: 8 April, 2021
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, iOS
Genre: Life Sim

“Welcome to Cozy Grove, a game about camping on a haunted, ever-changing island. As a Spirit Scout, you’ll wander the island’s forest each day, finding new hidden secrets and helping soothe the local ghosts. With a little time and a lot of crafting, you’ll bring color and joy back to Cozy Grove!”

I get very good vibes from Cozy Grove, and it’s not just because of the Animal Crossing comparisons. This adorable “life sim” just resonates warmth and comfort, which is pretty weird considering it’s a game about a haunted island inhabited by ghosts. These ghosts are the friendly kind though, so it’s totally fine. The hand-drawn art and the peaceful melody combine to make a super relaxing yet vibrant atmosphere and I’m totally here for it. The way you bring colour back to the world around you is also super adorable and I can definitely see myself toiling away many an hour as I fish and chat with the local ghostly population. One to keep an eye on for sure.

Godstrike

Developer: OverPowered Team
Release Date: 15 April, 2021
Platforms: PC, Switch
Genre: Bullet Hell

“Godstrike is a twin-stick shooter where time is your health and currency. Face off against ruthless bosses in tense, 1v1 showdowns as Talaal, the last Herald.”

I’ll admit, bullet hell games aren’t typically my go-to genre. As somebody less familiar with the genre, I tend to find many of these games look and play super similar. Although Godstrike looks to do enough differently that it still finds a way to capture my attention. Godstrike is a mix of bullet hell and god-rush with a couple of unique twists and turns. You’ll get flung into daunting boss fights where you’ll have to battle 1v1 against the clock to emerge victorious. I love the battle arenas and the designs of the bosses we’ve been shown so far. The game has some interesting ideas and I’m keen to see how it plays upon release!

Quantum League

Developer: Nimble Giant Entertainment
Release Date: 15 April, 2021
Platforms: PC
Genre: Competetive Shooter

“Quantum League is a revolutionary Time-Paradox Shooter: a competitive online FPS where you are battling within a time loop, tactically teaming up with your past and future selves in mind-blowing 1v1 and 2v2 matches.”

Sometimes you just have to give a game credit for having a really unique and well-executed idea. Quantum League is one such game. This competitive first-person shooter will have you battling alongside your future and past selves. It’s a time paradox shooter where you’re stuck in a time loop and you and your clones have to outmanoeuvre, outflank and outsmart your opponent to win in 1v1 or 2v2 battles. Quantum League has already drummed up a good amount of positive reception throughout Early Access and the game is ready to release as a complete product this month. We’re super excited!

Rain on Your Parade

Developer: Unbound Creations
Release Date: 15 April, 2021
Platforms: PC, Xbox One, Switch
Genre: Comedy

“Travel the world as a cute cardboard cloud and ruin everybody’s day! Unlock new methods of mischief in over 50 levels, each with unique setting and objectives. Make new friends and help them too – it’s an adorable schadenfreude game!”

Rain on Your Parade looks like an absolutely hilariously goofy time. I’m getting a bit of Untitled Goose Game vibes from this title as you fly around as a rain cloud and just mess with people and ruin what would otherwise be a lovely occasion. The game looks silly in the best of ways. The lovely and peaceful art design allows for some cheeky contrast to the chaos you’re able to cause. With 50 different levels, unlockable abilities, and objectives to aim for, this incredibly mischievous game will still have a good amount of progression and guidance as you play.

The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark

Developer: Spooky Doorway
Release Date: 15 April, 2021
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch
Genre: Point & Click Adventure

“Delouse your room with sage and pack up your travel-sized ouija board, it’s time to re-enter Twin Lakes – America’s 34th most haunted city. Join Detective McQueen as he puzzles his way through 6 chilling cases, risking life and pixelated limb to solve the macabre mysteries that plague the poor town.”

A follow-up to 2017’s The Darkside Detective, The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark is a quick-witted point & click adventure game where you investigate the paranormal. The game is coming to basically every platform so it’s hard to ignore this release. Whilst pointing and clicking may be the game’s primary mechanic, it’s the humour found within the writing that’ll no doubt keep players coming back. From the trailers and game description alone, you can tell that this game will be funny. The original release was praised as being quite entertaining too, so the expectation is already set for this one.

Don’t Forget Me

Developer: The Moon Pirates
Release Date: 20 April, 2021
Platforms: PC
Genre: Point & Click Adventure

“A jazz-punk adventure game with a twist, Don’t Forget Me is a new breed of puzzle game. Dive into the memories of your patients, use your own observations to unwrap their minds and uncover a dark conspiracy set to claim dominion over humanity.”

It looks like it’s going to be a good month for point & click adventure games! Don’t Forget Me describes itself as a “jazz-punk” adventure where you dive into people’s memories to uncover the truth. The game seems pretty rooted in Cyberpunk fiction but it also really brings its own unique flavour and ideas. Taking some inspiration from the amazing Her Story, Don’t Forget Me will test players’ awareness as they search through memories using keywords to uncover new information. It’s a brilliant idea and a fun mechanic that merely adds another layer of awesome to what already seems like a game brimming with character.

Smelter

Developer: X PLUS
Release Date: 22 April, 2021
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch
Genre: Strategy / Action-Platformer

“You are Eve, fresh out of Eden and armed with a living suit of armor, Smelter. Explore a dangerous new world, battle its bizarre denizens and expand your empire in a desperate journey to find Adam.

It’s a story of biblical proportions. Play as Eve and rescue Adam after the destruction of the Garden. Smelter looks like a really cool release and not just because it’s reversing traditional gender tropes in games. The game is also mashing together two different genres to make a cohesive yet unique experience. Smelter is both a strategy game as well as an action-platformer. You’ll expand your territory and build up an army in traditional top-down strategy levels before embarking on side-scrolling action-platforming as you slay your enemies, unlock and upgrade powerful abilities. It’s a cool idea all packaged together with some retro flair. We can’t wait to see more.

Clan O’Conall and the Crown of the Stag

Developer: HitGrab
Release Date: 28 April, 2021
Platforms: PC
Genre: Action Adventure Platformer

“A 2D, art driven, puzzle-platformer inspired by Celtic mythology. The game contains rapid, on-the-fly character swapping, flashy attack combos and complex platforming challenges, packaged in gorgeous artwork inspired by mysterious Celtic folklore.”

The O’Conall siblings are off on a mission to stop evil and save their father from being killed. This action-platformer looks like an absolute riot as you slay foes and leap through the vibrantly artistic world. What sets this game apart is that you’re able to swap between the siblings on the fly to adopt their playstyles, set up powerful combos and help solve environmental puzzles. It’s like Trine but all controlled by a single person! The game looks gorgeous and the gameplay frenetic, all with some awesome Celtic folklore driving the narrative and world. One to watch out for most certainly.

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So there you have it, another month of exciting indie game releases. What are you most looking forward to this month? Was there anything we missed that you think should be on our radar? Let us know!