Well, well, well. April is already hopping on by and as it moves so do a new batch of indie games! They’re definitely a lot healthier than eating all your chocolate at once too. I’m pleased by the number of roguelikes popping up this month. I think Astral Ascent is my favourite since I have been following that game since it first dropped on Kickstarter.
So without further or do, I hope you enjoy this fierce selection!
Outbreak: Contagious Memories
Developer: Dead Drop Studios LLC
Release Date: April 6th
Platforms: PC
Genre: RPG
“Outbreak: Contagious Memories is a send-up to classic 90’s horror series like Resident Evil and Silent Hill where your survival will be determined by moment-to-moment decisions, what you decide to carry, and how good you are at spotting conveniently written notes.
After being knocked unconscious, Lydia awakens in an abandoned warehouse as fellow survivors debate leaving her behind. Not one to play the helpless maiden, Lydia takes charge, forging a path through crafty environmental puzzles and hordes of the undead to figure out a way for her and her fellow survivors to escape the city.
Resources are scarce, is it worth that extra bullet to take down a zombie? Or maybe you should take a risk and try to dodge it. You will have to think on your feet and decide how best to approach every situation. A bullet saved is a bullet earned, but medical supplies are hard to come by in undead uprisings.
It’s a nightmare scenario, but you don’t have to go it alone, grab a friend and work together to escape the city in fully integrated co-op, and look at any scenario from the perspective that suits you with fully integrated 1st person, 3rd person, and fixed cameras. Escape the zombie outbreak your way!
With plenty of unlockable bonus content like Operation: Rabid Wolf, work with your friends or compete against them, whether it’s fighting through the city to rescue survivors, or to beat the main game in record time with nothing but your fists. With plenty of additional content to unlock, one run won’t be enough to see everything Outbreak: Contagious Memories has to offer.”
Astral Ascent
Developer: Maetdol Games
Release Date: April 12th (early access)
Platforms: PC
Genre: Roguelite
“Astral Ascent is a 2D platformer rogue-lite game set in a modern fantasy world. As one of 4 Heroes with very different personalities, you must escape from the Garden, an astral prison guarded by 12 powerful and vicious bosses, the Zodiacs.
Unlock dozens of unique spells for your 4 distinct characters. Optimize your own build or try out new ones to take down 12 powerful bosses. Get stronger with time to match up with your foes. Each run will test your skills and your reactivity.
The Zodiacs are 12 experienced guardians dispatched over 4 gorgeous worlds. They’ll bring to the battlefield unique attacks, abilities, and patterns, backstories to uncover, and reasons to be fighting you. Get yourself warned!”
Cat Cafe Manager
Developer: Roost Games
Release Date: April 14
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch
Genre: Simulation
“The life of a Cat Cafe Manager awaits! Your grandmother left you a small cafe in the sleepy village of Caterwaul Way, and it’s up to you to fix the place up, impress the locals, and befriend the local cat population. Time to roll up your sleeves, break out the tools, and start hammering away. Your cat cafe can be the talk of the town with the right attitude, menu, and of course, the right cats.
That’s right, Caterwaul Way is home to a plethora of extraordinary felines. The cafe can become their home, to the delight and relief of the villagers. Who knows, maybe their presence will loosen tongues and help you discover the secrets of Caterwaul Way… cats and take them off the streets, giving them a home.
The cafe is run-down and abandoned by the time you arrive, but it’s nothing that a little bit of elbow grease (and money) can’t fix.”
The Iron Oath
Developer: Curious Panda Games
Release Date: April 19th (early access)
Platforms: PC
Genre: RPG
“Command, endure, and prosper in The Iron Oath, a turn-based tactical RPG where the fate of your mercenary company rests on your decisions. As the leader of a band of soldiers-for-hire in the harsh realm of Caelum, you’ll need to hire recruits, manage your operations wisely, and embark on perilous missions in order to survive, thrive, and build your company’s renown.
As the years progress, the world of Caelum evolves dynamically, opening up new storylines for you to discover and making each new playthrough unpredictable and unique. What fortunes await your company?”
Ember Knights
Developer: Doom Turtle
Release Date: April 20th (early access)
Platforms: PC
Genre: Roguelite
“In this fast-paced action rogue-lite, play as Ember Knights, the last spark of hope of a universe in turmoil. Praxis, the mad sorcerer, has syphoned the life out of the Ember Tree and fled through the Prime Worlds spreading corruption in his path.
In solo or co-op (up to 4 players), use powerful weapons and skills to hack and slash deadly hordes, defeat epic bosses, free the decaying Prime Worlds and restore energy to the Ember Tree!
Legendary warriors, the Ember Knights are skilled in the wielding of more than a dozen weapons and skills… And many more to come during Early Access!
However, the sword doesn’t make the knight… Through action-packed combat rooms, you’ll need to chain your attacks and perfectly time your skills to unleash fiery attacks.
Agile and fearless, use your pace and dodge to outsmart and counter your enemies!
Create unique and deadly builds by unlocking new skills, equipping game-changing relics and looting rare items. From a damage-resistant crowd-controlling swordsman to a poison spreading archer with summons, forge your own build during your runs.“
Skabma – Snowfall
Developer: Red Stage Entertainment
Release Date: April 22nd
Platforms: PC
Genre: Adventure
“Skábma – Snowfall is a never before seen representation of indigenous Sámi stories and culture. Explore Nordic beauty in a world where the old northern campfire tales come alive! Use your wits to solve environmental puzzles and platforming challenges in this narrative 3rd person adventure.
The daily life of a Sámi village is disturbed after an accident at a nearby Tar-Burning Pit. An odd disease starts spreading across the area, affecting everything from the land to the people and animals.
You play as Áilu, a young Sámi herder searching for a runaway reindeer doe. The mystery of the growing disorder starts to unravel when Áilu finds an old enchanted drum, Goavddis. Time is running out for the infected, but the long lost knowledge of Sámi healers, Noaidis, is still beating within the drum.
What is lost can always be regained! Find the four Familiar Spirits and reconnect with nature to find the source of the disease. It’s your time to become a new Noaidi for a new era!”
Ganryu 2
Developer: Storybird Studio
Release Date: April 22nd
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Genre: Hack and Slash
“After his victory against Kojiro, Musashi decided to meditate and try his hand at art, in the north of Japan, in the province of Hokkaido. During one of his meditations, a spirit contacted him : “Miyamoto Musashi, our fight is not over, I am waiting for you to finish our fight once and for all! All of Japan will pay for your insult! I’m waiting for you Miyamoto Musashi!”
There is no doubt for Musashi that the voice was the Sasaki Kojirō’s one. His body was defeated, but his spirit remains, and his intentions were destructive. Miyamoto Musashi then understood that he would have to travel across Japan from north to south and go to the island of Ganryû-jima, where he firstly defeated Sasaki Kojirō, to fight again and liberate the spirit of Kojiro forever.
Ganryu 2 is a 2D platformer at its best! It is the sequel to the Ganryu game made by VISCO on NEOGEO back in 1999. The universe takes place in a feudal fantasy Japan which is strongly inspired by the story of Takezo Musashi, whose adventures are unfolded in a series of books (mainly “The Stone and the Sword”).
Play as Miyamoto Musashi and travel through a 17th century fantasy Japan, from north to south to the island of Ganryu-jima where everything happened between Musashi and Kojiro.”
Turbo Overkill
Developer: Trigger Happy Interactive
Release Date: April 22 (early access)
Platforms: PC
Genre: Roguelite
“Heavily inspired by some of the all-time greats like Doom, Duke Nukem and Quake, with stunning cyberpunk visuals, Turbo Overkill is the most savage FPS ever released by Apogee. You play as half-metal, half-human, half-crazy Johnny Turbo, augmented with hidden arm rockets and a chainsaw that extends from your lower leg allowing you to kick-slice enemies wide open.
In this Blade Runner-meets-DOOM hellscape, Johnny returns to his hometown of Paradise and finds its entire population possessed by Syn, a rogue AI, and its army of augmented minions. Desperate for enough money to outrun his past mistakes, Johnny takes on the impossible job of destroying the greatest AI ever created. Rival bounty hunters want to claim the prize first. Nothing is easy in paradise.
Turbo Overkill takes over-the-top to never-before-reached heights. Activate Hero Time(™), a new form of slow motion with a twist. Build incredible speed by wall-running and dashing. Slide on your chainsaw leg, eviscerating foes and opening up bosses for critical damage, and go car-surfing on the hoods of flying cars. Blast away with the Twin Magnums, which lock-on and instagib several foes, the Boomer Shotgun and its attached grenade launcher, or the Telefragger sniper rifle, which teleports Johnny inside an enemy before they explode from within. The FPS genre is about to get wild and fun again.
Race through two dozen stages packed with secrets, bonus arena stages, and white-knuckle combat puzzles. Find game-changing collectibles to unlock punishing modifiers like triple-monster-speed and insta-kill. Combine all of Johnny’s weapons and powers to outsmart, outgun and outrun the corrupted legions.”
The Serpent Rogue
Developer: Sengi Games
Release Date: April 26th
Platforms: PC
Genre: Sandbox
“The Serpent Rogue is a botanical action-adventure RPG game built around exploring a medieval fantasy world, mastering the art of alchemy, and taming wild creatures.
Playing as a mysterious alchemist known only as The Warden, you will craft, brew, boil & concoct potions all in your stead to protect the realm from the dreadful Serpent Rogue!
The ominous Serpent Rogue has laid down roots on Mount Morbus. Its evil is spreading quickly, and it threatens to overwhelm the realm. It is your task as the Warden to confront the Serpent Rogue and bring peace and tranquillity to the land. Explore every inch of the map, unearth secret passages, and expand your knowledge to stand against the incoming disaster.
Using your alchemy skills, craft and experiment with different ingredients to create extraordinary potions each with its own unique effects. Take on quests from the inhabitants of the cursed land and earn resources to further your exploits.
Each action you take will create interesting sequences of cause and effect. Keep too many creatures in one place and this will attract blood-thirsty reapers. Forget to bury the perished ones and you’ll start to attract corpse-eating ghouls. Hoard too many items in one location and attract plague-spreading vermin.
Shapeshift into different creatures, brew potions that will alter your body, give you unique abilities and create the perfect balance between human and creature.”
Kaiju Wars
Developer: Foolish Mortals Games
Release Date: April 28
Platforms: PC
Genre: Strategy
“Kaiju are approaching the city! Scramble the jets and deploy the tanks in this 2D turn-based strategy game.
Play as the mayor of Floatio city, tasked with holding off the overwhelming strength of a kaiju attack. Park tanks and jets in the monster’s path to slow it down (don’t worry, we have a good insurance policy).
Build sacrificial army bases and airfields to distract the kaiju and line the city streets with fodder.
Conventional weapons aren’t enough; deploy experimental weapons such as freeze rays and transforming mechas to keep the kaiju at bay.”
So there you have it, indie game lovers…
These are just 10 of the new indie games we’ll be getting our hands on this month, let us know which one you’re most excited to play or if we missed any!
About the Author
Alex Beaty
They/Them
Alex enjoys games with rich storytelling and bold character arcs that inspire their own pursuits in game writing and narrative design.
