Plus, lots of horror (cozy and otherwise), a colorful platformer and a wolf-battling shepherd dog.
Welcome to our latest roundup of what's going on in the indie game space. As ever, we've got a whole bunch of new games you can jump into this weekend. We'll also dive into some highlights from some of the showcases that aired this week.
The first of those is the Cozy After Dark Showcase. This featured more than 50 games that are eerie, dark, mysterious or otherwise unsettling while just so happening to be a bit cozy as well.
I was happy to see more of a game I'm very excited for, the murder-mystery farming sim Grave Seasons. Developer Perfect Garbage shed extra light on the seasonal farming cycle as well as the game's replayability. The story lasts an in-game year and you can restart it with a new killer and victims while retaining your farming progress.
Other games that stood out to me included DeadRoot (in which you play as a snail that uses a sword and suplexes), Usual June ("a third-person action-adventure game about combat, cupcakes and community") and FallBearers (a co-op game in which you and a friend must overcome obstacles as you transport bodies to their final resting places). Demos for the latter two of those games, others from the showcase and discounts on cozy-but-a-little-scary titles are available through an event on Steam.
The latest Galaxies showcase also featured more than 50 games. Among them were pinball-based top-down shooter Appulse, first-person Western Soulslike Guns of Eschaton and gun-fu/parkour action title Spine, which looks stylish and silly (I'm amped for that one). There were also updates on games including The Finals and Train Sim World 7. There's a Steam event that includes all of the featured games.
If you need even more video game trailers to watch, you may wish to check out The Mix Fall Showcase, which aired on Friday. I haven't had time to watch that yet, unfortunately, but I did see that it included the Saturday morning cartoon-inspired Metroidvania Zozo and the Lost Dreams and puzzle platfomer Nonolith. Both of those look rad and they're firmly on my wishlist.
Developer: Double Fine Productions Publisher: Double Fine Action Labs Platforms: Steam (Windows; Steam Deck Verified), Epic Games Store, Itch.io, GOG, Humble Store, Game JoltPrice: $5
Just a couple of months after departing Xbox, Double Fine has a new game out. Thank You Bus Driver is the first project from Double Fine Action Labs, the studio's label for smaller, experimental games.
In this chaotic riff on Crazy Taxi, you play as a bus driver who yearns for gratitude from unruly passengers. During your journey, your employer will add more rules for you to enforce, such as making sure passengers don't fall asleep or clip their toenails during a ride. You can try to keep them in line with a slap (which reminds me of the delightful Thank Goodness You're Here) or kick them off the bus. All the while, you'll be trying to reach your next stop before the time runs out.
This looks like a fun way to spend a few hours. I can't wait to see what else the newly-independent Double Fine is cooking up.
Developer: One More Level Publishers: Lyrical Games, One More Level Platforms: Steam (Windows), Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5Price: $40. Available on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. The $60 deluxe edition includes an expansion that's set to arrive next year
I really like the Ghostrunner series so I was intrigued when I learned One More Level was moving on to something totally different. Valor Mortis is a first-person Soulslike in which you take on the role of a British soldier who signed up to fight for Napoleon. William was believed to be dead after a battle, but is roused by a corrupted Napoleon (played by Vincent Cassel, of all people). A plague has transformed the other survivors into grotesque enemies, but at least you have supernatural powers at your disposal, along with firearms and melee weapons.
The usual elements of a Soulslike are here. You'll collect catalysts (don't call them souls) from vanquished enemies and spend these on upgrades at checkpoints. Build modifiers are out there in the world for you to find. The developers took some inspiration from Metroidvania games as well, since some new abilities can open up paths and shortcuts.
PS5 and PlayStation Portal owners who'd like to give Valor Mortis a go may want to note that there's a 1.5-hour trial available on PS Plus Premium.
Developers: TVT Co. Ltd., Ratata Arts Publisher: Game Source Entertainment Platforms: Steam (Windows; leaving early access), Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Nintendo Switch 2Price : $35
I've been keeping my eye on this spiritual successor to Patapon from series creator Hiroyuki Kotani for a while. It's a rhythm action game and, because it's 2026, of course it's a roguelite as well.
On each run, you take charge of a group of minions and use rhythm-based commands to tell them what to do. You can launch attacks, reposition your charges to avoid incoming fire and shield them from damage.
I've played a few runs and, even though the framerate is a bit choppy on my PS5, I've enjoyed trying to get to grips with how it all works. The action is more fluid than in traditional turn-based games, but you do have to wait for the music to loop around before you can take any meaningful action. Having to manage that as well as my own character's positioning while accounting for incoming enemy attacks is a lot to juggle. I can't really tell how much impact my elemental attack upgrades are having either.
The artwork is really pretty, though! I'm planning to stick with it a while longer to see if I can figure out how to make more progress.
Developer: Panpipe Studio Publisher: Whitethorn Games Platforms: Steam (Windows), Epic Games Store, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Switch 2Price: Usually $15, with a 10 percent discount on Steam until October 26
I like the art style of Colorbound too. This is a platformer in which you use color to reshape the world and solve puzzles. Using a lighter color might make a platform float, and a darker one could make it drop down to where you are.
Panpipe Studio drew from its Chilean culture and heritage for this game, in which you play as Anku, a boy who sets out to reunite his late grandfather's band one last time for a proper sendoff. It looks lovely, and I'm very tempted to pick it up.
Developer/publisher: Keen Games Platforms: Steam (Windows; leaving early access), PS5. Coming to Xbox Series X/S in spring 2027 Price: Usually $40, with a 10 percent discount until October 29 (PS Plus required for PS5 discount)
Keen Games gave its co-op survival action RPG Enshrouded a massive update as it brought the game out of early access on Steam. The game also made its debut on PS5 this week. The full map (including a fresh biome) is now open to explore, the story is fully fleshed out — at least for now — and there are higher maximum levels for players and their gear. Keen also overhauled the rendering system as well as the early stages of the game, while adding 14 new enemy types and nine more types of spells.
Perhaps the most interesting update is the new logic system. This creation suite, which is called Sparkworks, lets players craft their own adventures, dungeons and interactive bases that they can share with the community. It sure seems like there's a ton for new and returning players to dig into.
Developer: Valadria Publisher: Acclaim Platform: Steam (Windows; early access). Coming to Switch 2 in 2027 Price: Usually $13, with a 15 percent discount until October 22
It's still odd to think of Acclaim as an indie publisher, but there's lots about our current reality that doesn't make much sense so I can roll with it. This week, it brought a powerwashing sim (not that one) into the world.
