4 great new indie video games

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Are you sitting comfortably?

One of my many social anxieties is worrying about whether everyone in the room is happy, picking up on the mildest dissatisfaction and continuing to overthink it. Now there are fun games based entirely on people-pleasing that not only pass the time in comfort, but also act as a kind of therapy for people like me who can’t deal with someone being angry.

Is this seat taken? The game takes the form of a series of puzzles in which a small group of characters must sit in the best position on a bus (or in a cafeteria, movie theater, outdoor concert, etc.) so that no one disturbs anyone else. Your job is to keep people who are sensitive to noise away from people who are talkative or who like to play loud music. Keep children close to their parents and away from people reading books. Such as keeping unshowered people away from almost everyone. These characters, rendered in wobbly geometric patterns, will help you by telling you about their various needs and weaknesses. Everything should be arranged in a way that causes minimal frustration.

It’s a story about finally accepting yourself

Developer Sergi Perez Crespo

Designed and programmed in Catalonia and Brussels by Sergi Pérez Crespo and Ausiàs Dalmau Roig, the game is a cozy genre classic with minimal danger, simple visuals, and a gorgeous, slightly jazzy soundtrack. Woven around puzzle solving and leveling up is a pretty sweet story of self-discovery involving one of the characters, a diamond named Nat. “This is a story about feeling like an outcast where you are and ultimately accepting yourself,” Crespo says.

The game requires you to travel between Barcelona, ​​Brussels, London and New York, taking into account ever more complex personal considerations, such as the need for air conditioning and an aversion to fried food. As the puzzles become more complex and the characters become more obsessive, I have to admit that I sometimes mumble, “Oh, no more.” But just like in real life, I got real joy from knowing everyone was at ease.

Let’s play house

There are a lot of tools on the web for designing interiors, but it’s hard to say that they’re all fun to use. Developer Niklas Tomkowitz has transformed this previously fairly functional idea into a meditative and creatively rich game. It’s still in development, but available as early access on Steam.

Your job is to furnish, equip and accessorize the apartment according to the wishes of the tenant. Choose from a wide range of units, cushions, artwork, books and plants and place them precisely from a bird’s eye or first person perspective. As you progress through the levels, the weather changes and the sunlight becomes weaker, allowing you to fine-tune your lighting options to create perfectly lit spaces.

I have an Xbox and I’m traveling

A collaboration between Asus’ Republic of Gamers (ROG) and Microsoft brings us the first-ever Xbox-branded handheld. This ‘X’ is the more rugged of the two models and features a Ryzen Z2 AI Extreme processor, perfect for playing AAA games on the go. The similarities between the controller grip and a standard Xbox controller are immediately noticeable, and it’s a perfectly balanced ergonomic marvel with an elegant design. By default, the Windows bloat often found on handheld PCs is removed, so the user interface is easy to navigate, and maximum processing power is given to the game itself, with no lag, frame drops, or frustrations (other than those related to gaming prowess).

the match is starting

This extraordinary creative work by British author and illustrator Helen Greetham will sadly go unnoticed by many. Because it’s not just a movie or a novel, it’s a point-and-click PC adventure. But behind that pixelated graphic interface there’s a lot of emotion, charm, and humor. Set in the 1920s, the retired Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are reunited in the Sussex village of Fulworth, where Holmes now lives as a beekeeper. Holmes begins arranging a picnic. A seemingly unassuming task that ultimately reveals much about human nature, relationships, and regret. Full of unexpected twists and turns, Greetham’s love for the Holmes canon shines through.

A real page turner

Giving up your old life to run a mobile bookstore is a daunting prospect in this digital age, but thankfully the residents of Bookstonbury (where Tiny Bookshop is set) are avid readers and are happy to see a painted trailer arrive in their seaside town. Your job is to keep your company thriving by recommending to customers, finding new places to sell your books, and restocking shelves every day, but the stakes are low and the locals are friendly. This beautifully illustrated game is basically about running a store, but you’ll gain useful knowledge about the books you stock. I’ve even purchased books from Tiny Bookshop customers who have contacted me. Beyond healthy.

@Rhodri

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