One of the gaming’s biggest events gamescom just wrapped up last week and with it comes a boatload of new trailers, game announcements and gameplay. It’s been great to see gaming events pick up their feet after the last couple of years and even more so for the sheer amount of variety of quality of games we have available. It’s truly an amazing time to be alive as a gamer, minus the crushing inflation.

With all the big news about Starfield, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, Tekken 8 and more, it’s easy to miss some of these upcoming hidden gems of gaming. The indie scene at gamescom 2023 has been spectacular and we’ve rounded up some of the best indie announcements.

There have been so many amazing games that we’ll probably need to do an upcoming indie game from gamescom list as well. In the meantime though here are some you may have missed, but definitely shouldn’t have.

 

Dustborn

Developer: Red Thread Games, Quantic Dreams

Quantic Dream is synonymous with narrative-driven games and Dustborn is no different. This time we’re going on an all-American road trip, but it’s not the America that you know. It’s an alternate reality version of it with robots, extreme cults and an ability to change the world with the power of your words.

In this narrative-driven action-adventure game, you’ll play as Pax, an ex-con, con artist and outcast. She’s been hired to transport a mysterious package from Pacifica to Nova Scotia, across the Justice-controlled American Republic. In order to make this journey successfully you’re going to need to recruit a band of your own misfits and outcasts. And hopefully, together you might survive… unless you destroy yourselves first.

Release Date: TBA
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox X|S, PC – Steam

 

The Thaumaturge

Developer: Fool’s Theory, 11 Bit Studios

You’ll know 11 Bit Studios from their dark and gritty games This War of Mine and Frostpunk. Now they have a new upcoming game that takes us back to another wartorn place, complete with dark supernatural forces. This time however there’s a ray of hope in the form of The Thaumaturge, a miracle worker who bears both a gift and a burden at the same time. The Thaumaturge in this case is a man named Wiktor Szulski and his gift is intertwined with family legacy, passed down through one’s ancestors. 

Warsaw lives under the yoke of imperial Russian tsardom. Its inhabitants constitute a diverse group of different ancestries, views, and beliefs with often conflicting interests: Russian soldiers, Jewish merchants, Polish townspeople, and more. Despite the circumstances, the city is a buzzing metropolis. A city of great hopes and dreams on one hand and dark desires on the other. Every choice you make will affect the outcome of Wiktor’s life and you’ll behave to deal with the consequences.

Release Date: TBA
Platforms: PC – Steam

 

The Time I Have Left

Developer: Ground Game Atelier

The Time I Have Left is an upcoming adventure game with an interesting premise – you just have six hours to live. Described as a “time-driven escape adventure” you play as Aline, an Affected who is trapped in the underground city known as Coloy 7. As an Affected, you have been cursed and have only a limited time to live, forcing you to break out to the city. Unfortunately, you’re not alone in Colony 7, grotesque creatures also roam the crumbling city, which just means you’re going to have to work harder to get out before the clock ticks down. 

Release Date: 2024
Platforms: PC – Steam

 

Universe for Sale

Developer: Tmesis Studio, Akupara Games

I can’t resist a good old-fashioned point-and-click adventure and in Universe for Sale, we get all of that in a kind of Doctor Who-esque space adventure. Set in a space station in the clouds of Jupiter lies a ramshackle colony full of unusual and unexpected oddities. This infamous shantytown is made up of rickety tea houses, strange shops, and overworked mechanic garages that have cropped up around the abandoned mine. Every new face, whether human, simian, skeletal or robotic, has a unique story to tell as they do their best to survive the acid rain pouring down.

It’s here where you’ll meet Lila a young, worried woman who can craft entire universes in the palm of her hand. Each universe can be crafted down to your particular specifications, just like brewing a cup of coffee. Now the only question that remains is, are you buying?

Release Date: TBA
Platforms: PC – Steam

 

#BLUD

Developer: Exit 73 Studios, Humble Bundle

#BLUD is an upcoming dungeon crawler where you play as Becky Brewsyer, a school-aged girl who’s trying to strike the right balance between school, hanging out with friends, and slaying monsters. If you grew up in the ’90s this zany and slightly macabre art and fantasy style may be familiar to you. It reminds me of Dexter’s Laboratory and Farily Odd Parents back on those Saturday Morning Cartoon Network jaunts.

Becky Brewster is the new kid in town and the latest in an ancient bloodline of spellcasting vampire hunters. By day she’ll be dominating her high school and playing hockey but in her free time she’s rooting out demonic infestations through the town’s buzzing social media, and taking selfies with demonic forces to analyze their weaknesses. Power up your trusty fiend-thwacking field hockey stick, and level up your latent magic skills through grimoires and school supplies. All while trying to graduate Carpentersville High.

Release Date: 2024
Platforms: PC – Steam

 

Altered Alma

Developer: 2Awesome Studio, CRITICAL REFLEX

At first glance Altered Alma looks like your traditional classic Metroidvania game with some gorgeous graphics and hyper techno soundtrack. But this one adds a bit more RPG elements as well as a dating sim? I’m not sure this is what the genre was missing but I’m here for it.

Altered Alma is a cyberpunk-themed space opera set in the fictional city of Neo-Barcelona. Here you’ll be able to use your abilities to overcome the relentless onslaughts of enemies. With everything coming at you from giant lizards to cyborgs you might need some help. So recruit some people to your cause, build relationships and even find love.

Release Date: TBA
Platforms: PC – Steam

 

Stormgate

Developer: Frost Giant Studios

Stormgate is a love letter to classic Blizzard strategy games like StarCraft and Warcraft. If you grew up on real-time strategy games like I have then you’ll want to wishlist Stormgate when it comes out sometime next year. In Stormgate you’re battling amongst a clash between sci-fi armies led by humanity’s Vanguard against the demonic hordes of the Infernal Host.

Choose either side of the war and get access to different armies. Do you want to command mechs and defend Earth? Or invade it with your demon army of Infernals? Explore an ever-evolving campaign, group up for 3P co-op vs. AI, compete in 1v1 or 3v3 or get creative in the editor. Explore an ever-evolving story through thrilling campaign missions where science fiction and fantasy collide—solo or cooperatively.

Release Date: TBA
Platforms: PC – Steam

 

Wandering Sword

Developer: The Swordman Studio, Spiral Up Games

The Wandering Sword looks and feels like a retro JRPG but is based in Ancient China and has a focus on Chinese martial-arts combat. It’s a stunning 3D pixel game where you play as a young swordsman caught up in a feud and nearly dies. Escaping the event puts you on the path of pursuing the highest form of martial arts and exploring the pugilistic world to become the great hero you are always destined to be.

The game promises lush lands for you to explore, and hundreds of martial arts forms and weapons to master and wield. You will learn how to cultivate your energy through meridian points and become an expert in both the external and internal forms to gain true mastery of martial prowess.

Release Date: 15th September 2023
Platforms: PC – Steam

 

Grime 2

Developer: Clover Bite

Grime 2 is an action-adventure Metroidvania with some heavy influences of soulsborne titles like Elden Ring. A sequel to 2021’s Grime, the sequel will have players control a Formless, a type of “art mimic” that is capable of “absorbing creatures and summoning moulds in their shape.”

Venture into a new and mysterious land in the GRIME universe, where danger and wonder await around every corner. Use your surroundings in tandem with your summoned molds to overcome deadly enemies and epic bosses, all the while exploring a deep world full of diverse cultures and characters.

Release Date: TBA
Platforms: PC – Steam

 

Off the Grid

Off the Grid is an upcoming dystopian cyberpunk battle royale game with plenty of PvP as well as PvE action. In Off the Grid, you’ll be able to face off against 149 other players in an arena. However, the game will also include a narrative-driven campaign, which, according to the developer, will take about 60 hours to complete.

Unfolding on a dystopian tropical island, Off The Grid sends you on head-spinning assassination and sabotage missions to the greater glory and market share of your chosen faction. It will be a Battle Royale game like no other, with a strong emphasis on narrative progression. Giving players the freedom to control the story and impact the gameplay with each decision they make.

Core to the experience and narrative is the unique way in which gamers can craft, customize, and trade their in-game items with each other.

Release Date: 2023
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC

 

Thank Goodness You’re Here!

Developer: Coal Supper

Thank Goodness You’re Here! is a weird homage to the hometown of the two-man development team that built this game. This absurd comedy slapformer is set in the bizarre Northern English town of Barnsworth where you play as a travelling salesman. You’ve arrived early for a big meeting with the mayor of this town and because you’ve got some free time on your hand you can explore and meet the locals. All of who are very eager to give you a series of increasingly odd jobs…

The story unfolds over time as the players’ exploration and antics leave their mark on the strange town of Barnsworth. With each completed odd job, new areas of the town open up, stranger and stranger tasks become available, and the clock ticks towards our salesman’s big meeting. The town’s colourful inhabitants are brought to life with vibrant hand-drawn animation, fully voiced dialogue, and wall-to-wall double entendres.

Release Date: 2024
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC – Steam

 

Nightingale

Developer: Inflexion Games

This is probably my most anticipated game on this list, mostly because it has an actual release date and I’m a sucker for survival adventure games. Nightingale is a PVE open-world survival crafting game where you can play solo or cooperatively with friends. Build, craft, fight and explore as you venture through mystical portals into a variety of amazing and fantastical realms.

In this 1800s Victorian fantasy survival crafting game, you’ll play as a Realmwalker, someone who can travel through portals in this procedurally-generated universe. However, you have become stranded beyond your world, cut off by the collapse of the arcane portal network. This catastrophe has left you fighting to survive in a labyrinth of beautiful and dangerous Fae realms.

Your goal: become a skilled Realmwalker, and navigate the web of transdimensional portals. Only then can you discover your way to the magical city of Nightingale, the last known bastion of humanity.

Release Date: 23rd February 2024 (Early Access)
Platforms: PC – Steam and Epic Games

 

Little Nightmares 3

Developer: Supermassive Games, Bandai Namco Europe

At this point in time, I don’t know if Supermassive Games counts as an indie game developer but it definitely started off as one. And now the iconic and hauntingly beautiful Little Nightmares series which has won them so many awards has a part 3.

Little Nightmares 3 will be taking you on a new adventure in the unique world of Little Nightmares. This time however you won’t be by yourself as you follow the journey of Low & Alone, as they search for a path that could lead them out of the Nowhere. Trapped within the Spiral, a cluster of disturbing places, the two friends will have to work together to survive in a dangerous world full of delusions and escape the grasp of an even greater threat lurking in the shadows.

For the first time in the franchise, face your childhood fears together with a friend in online co-op, or in solo with an AI companion.

Release Date: 2024
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC – Steam.