Author: Joseph Luster

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Indie News Video Games

Yami Kids Tackles the Dark Side of Monster Taming as Kickstarter Launches

Yami Kids

It’s time to flip the world of monster taming games on its head with a look at some of the darker undertones. Yami Kids plans to explore this and more sometime in 2026, but first developer Yanako RPGs wants to secure more funds with the help of a new Kickstarter campaign.

The project launched this week with a funding goal of US$7,000. At the time of this writing, the campaign is fast approaching said goal, hovering at around $5,000 with 28 days remaining. You can pick up some of the vibes in the trailer below.


Yami Kids Kickstarter Launch Trailer


READ: Tombwater is a Top-Down Wild West Souls-like with Sights Set for November

Wrapped in a warm and familiar pixel art aesthetic, Yami Kids takes what makes monster taming games special and adds in a deeper narrative with more serious themes. Some of the mechanics incorporate the game’s day and night cycle, including the Shadow Duels that only occur at night.

The trailer above debuted along with the Kickstarter and shows off some of the Underworld action. Next up is the Overworld trailer, which debuts on September 7 at 9:00am PT. You can also check out an extended trailer as part of the Monster Taming Direct event.

Yano of Yanako RPGs cites Shin Megami Tensei: Demi Kids and Yu-Gi-Oh!! as “major inspirations” for Yami Kids. If the game gets fully funded—which it would be hard-pressed not to at this point—additional platforms like PlayStation, Xbox and Switch are among the stretch goals. Copies of the game currently start at $15 ($10 for limited early bird backers) as part of the Kickstarter.

Source: Press release

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Indie News Video Games

SWAPMEAT Roguelite Shooter Aims for Early Access Debut in October

SWAPMEAT

Swapping body parts with aliens and stealing abilities is just part of the fun promised in SWAPMEAT, an upcoming third-person roguelite shooter that has Early Access plans locked in for this October. Ahead of that, developer One More Game wants to give it another preliminary spin with a final Global Meat Lab Playtest, which is set to run from September 4 at 10:00am PT through September 9 at 5:00pm PT.

Those who have participated in this or any other playtest prior to Early Access launch will get an exclusive Meat Scientist Cosmetic Set. You can sign up on the official site, and if you refer three friends you’re guaranteed access for the full squad. 


SWAPMEAT Early Access Trailer


RELATED: Steel Century Groove Brings the Mecha Rhythm to Steam in January


Whether you’ve played the previous tests or not, here’s what the final test has to offer as far as updated features are concerned:

  • Improved Meta-Progression Systems
    • Meta-progression for weapon and upgrade systems has been reworked with more flair than ever before, now with 27 pieces to unlock and fine-tune the perfect loadout.
  • Smooth Multiplayer Experience and Hangry Hunters
    • Since being a Meat Scientist is HARD… and they tend to die, ALOT, respawns for multiplayer have been reworked and respawn tokens will now behave differently – if you are the first player to die and you have no respawn tokens, your run is over – if you are not the last player to die and you are out of tokens, you can respawn at the expense of a shortened Hunter delay.
    • Players will now respawn at a dedicated Respawn Beacon, which can be activated by completing prime directives and or starting the harvester. These Respawn Beacons will allow players to resurrect in a safer location, away from the Hunters and mobs of alien enemies. But be warned, players can’t respawn if the Hunters are enraged.
    • Hunters are now dialed back and are easier to deal with when they are not enraged. But whatever you do, don’t make them angry – you won’t like them when they are angry!
  • Miscellaneous Updates Galore
    • Players can now rebind control inputs for even greater agency and deeper customization.
    • Solar System 2 has received a new coat of polish to its environments and improvements to its events.
    • Rangus Meats™ Worldwide – the UI is now localized, and localization for LATAM communities such as Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese has been improved.
    • Even more balancing and bug fixes to enhance the overall experience.

SWAPMEAT is currently up for wishlisting on Steam, and you can see more official patch notes on Discord.

Source: Press release

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Indie News Video Games

Steel Century Groove Brings the Mecha Rhythm to Steam in January

Steel Century Groove

The only thing better than RPG battles are RPG dance battles, which pop up with exclamatory abundance like a sudden Pokémon trainer challenge in Steel Century Groove. Developer Sloth Gloss Games let the robots loose with a release date this week, lining the rhythm RPG up for a January 28, 2026 debut.

Thousands of years ago, the giant robots at the core of this adventure were used to prevent the apocalypse. They’ve since been repurposed for an arguably more interesting function: Bustin’ a move. You can preview the journey that will take your mecha “from scrap metal to a platinum superstar” in the release date trailer below.


Steel Century Groove Release Date Trailer


READ: Turn-Based Roguelike Flick Shot Rogues Arrives on September 17


The action drums along to the beat of a soundtrack full of original music, as well as the option for players to upload their own tracks. Here’s more on the game’s features:

  • Boogie Wonderland: Conquer the suburbs, the vibrant big city and everything in between, including a snowy amusement park with rideable rollercoasters, a dazzling moon resort for the ultra-wealthy, and the underwater ruins of San Francisco, as you travel from your hometown to compete for the championship. 
  • Can’t Touch This: Assemble an unstoppable crew of giant robot dancers, levelling them up, choosing their mods, and collecting upgrades to further add to their two-stepping talent.
  • It’s Automatic: The aux cord is all yours, baby! Import any MP3 you like and dance battle to that, or, go deeper and manually tweak the track’s BPM. 

Steel Century Groove is currently available to wishlist on Steam. For those who want to check it out soon, a free demo is live on Steam right now.

Source: Press release

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Indie News Video Games

Halls of Torment Heads to Xbox and PS5, Prepares for Boglands DLC

Halls of Torment

If you love your games both passive and active, the survivors-like sub-genre was tailor-made for you. One of the more popular entries outside of mainstay Vampire Survivors is Chasing Carrots’ Halls of Torment, which had a couple of exciting announcements to make this week. 

First up, after selling over a million copies, the next stops are Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5. So far both platforms are just listed as “coming soon.” The devs are also gearing up for the impending launch of the game’s first-ever paid DLC, titled The Boglands. Check out the new platform trailer below, followed by a peek at the Boglands.


Halls of Torment Xbox and PS5 Trailer


READ: Tombwater is a Top-Down Wild West Souls-like with Sights Set for November


The Boglands Trailer


Here’s more of what you can expect in the DLC, the Steam page for which is live now:

  • A New Stage: Trudge through a slowing swamp teeming with insects, spirits, and ancient walking trees. Time is not your enemy here – survival is. Victory lies not in the grains in the hourglass, but in the piles of slain foes.
  • Two New Heroes: The Crone summons twisted plant life to ensnare enemies and spread Decay, while The Alchemist hurls volatile mixtures imbued with elemental power – customizable for fire, ice, lightning, or earth. 
  • 50+ New Quests: Earn rewards by experimenting with new mechanics, braving the Boglands, and mastering your tools.
  • New Abilities & Gear: Unlock three new abilities and a dozen new items, designed to synergize with the Crone’s control and the Alchemist’s raw elemental creativity.
  • Decay Mechanic & Earth Element: Unleash the new Earth element and apply Decay, a long-lasting, armor-cracking curse that softens even the toughest foes.
  • 6 New Artifacts: Customize your runs with powerful stage modifiers. Risk meets reward as these ancient objects twist the rules to your favor—or demise.
  • More Traits. More Blessings. More Ways to Die: Expand your build potential with potion-focused blessings and new traits waiting to be uncovered.

The Boglands will join the Halls of Torment sometime in Q4 2025.

Source: Press release

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Indie News Video Games

Pixel Expo to Put Spotlight on Australian Indies with ‘Chuck Another Game On The Barbie’ Showcase

Pixel Expo

The indie game dev scene of Australia is about to enter the spotlight thanks to a newly-announced showcase. Chuck Another Game on the Barbie is set to run in tandem with Perth’s Pixel Expo, which is the largest entertainment event focusing on “gaming, animation and creative industries” in Western Australia. 

Chuck Another Game on the Barbie runs on Steam from September 13 to 15, featuring 32 Australian indies from “WA creators and interstate studios alike.” Everything on display will be available to wishlist on Steam, while those in attendance at Pixel Expo will get a chance to sample them in person.


READ: Twinkleby, Which Looks About as Chill as Possible, Launches September 23

The non-profit Pixel Expo is all about boosting the creative industries of Western Australia. Here’s what Steam Event organizer Rin McBeath had to say about the announcement: 

“I’m thrilled to launch this digital showcase alongside Pixel Expo. It’s an exciting chance to put local talent on the global stage and show the world just how much creativity is bubbling up in Australia’s games industry.”

You can see more region-specific delights via McBeath’s Steam curator, West Aussie Game. 

Source: Press release

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Features Indie Video Games

UFO 50 Quick Recs: Ninpek

Ninpek

No matter what kind of genre sicko you may be, UFO 50 more than likely has the cure for what ails ya in some form. There are precision platformers, Metroidvanias, strategy-RPGs, JRPGs, idle games, puzzlers, text adventures and more. As a result, your mileage may vary when it comes to any specific recommendations, but I’m going to throw the first one out here like an errant shuriken: Ninpek.

Ninpek is a simple arcade platformer at heart, and it’s an auto-scrolling one at that. Thanks to the nature of its design, you’ll be able to finish it in a fixed amount of time, so getting the trophy is just a matter of quick reflexes and a bit of rote memorization. Getting the cherry—which is the secondary key accomplishment to “beating” any given UFO 50 game—is just a matter of doing that all over again… with some wrinkles in the mix. 

The setup is as simple as a fictional ‘80s platformer gets. You’re a ninja and your hamburgers have been stolen. It’s the picnic equivalent of the Ghosts ’n Goblins intro, swapping a sweet hanbaga in place of a damsel in distress. Now you must brave the fierce, pig-filled lands beyond your home and chase down the angry octopus that pilfered your patties. 


READ: WOLFHOUND Brings WWII Sci-Fi Metroidvania Action to Consoles and PC in 2026

At first brush, Ninpek is difficult in the way most UFO 50 games are. You’re going to die instantly, probably quite a lot, during your first handful of attempts. Once you learn the enemy patterns, however, it becomes much easier to react on the fly, and I even found my muscle memory kicking in after putting down the game for long periods of time.

Thanks to the straightforward nature of this one—there aren’t a ton of ‘gotcha’ moments outside of discovering how a new enemy attacks—running in place and leaping from one end of the map to the other quickly becomes second nature. Once you trivialize the initial game loop and turn your home screen cartridge gold, you just need to do a second loop immediately after to get the cherry and close out Ninpek for good.

The music and visuals are stripped down but memorable, and you’ll be able to hang with the toughest of ninja once you accept the fact that you can never stop moving if you want to live. Make this your first gold and/or cherry and you’ll be well on your way to getting the hang of UFO 50 as a collection!

Keep an eye on the hub page for more recs!

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Indie News Video Games

Twinkleby, Which Looks About as Chill as Possible, Launches September 23

Twinkleby

If you’re not already a cozy convert, you might just become one after checking out the charming trailer for Twinkleby. This decoration-heavy darling is now set to launch on PC, Mac and Linux, complete with full Steam Deck support, on September 23. 

Start planning your own stylish diorama while digging into the video below.


Twinkleby Release Date Trailer


READ: Little Problems: A Cozy Detective Game Steam Release Date Set

Twinkleby comes from the folks at Swedish developer Might & Delight. In addition to furnishing dollhouses and decorating gardens on serene floating islands, you’ll be able to attract neighbors in the process. From there you can entertain and feed them in an effort to make them happy, or just decide to kick them out all together and yeet their furniture into the wild blue yonder.

Here’s an overview of the features:

• Aim for the stars – Follow the Twinkleby star chart to unlock new islands and collect map fragments to discover hidden ones.

• A smorgasbord of decoration – Grow your item collection and freely swap designs by tossing items over the island’s edge, which are safely returned to your inventory.

• Decorate for your Neighbours – Attract both common and rare Neighbours, where the rare ones are drawn to your islands by how you decorate. If you tire of their company, simply send them on their way.

• Kindness is king – Make your Neighbours happy and they’ll reward you with gifts, from paintings and treasure keys to map fragments that leads to hidden islands and entire houses.

• The soundtrack of your islands – Tailor ambience through weather, seasons, and backdrops, creating a unique soundscape for each island.

• Collect falling stars – Collect shooting stars known as Stellars and spend them at Molligan’s Antiques on new decorations. Earn more by delighting your Neighbours and uncovering secret ways to bring more stars tumbling from the sky.

• Keep a look-out for gifts from the skies – Claim chests that tumble past your islands and unlock new treasures for your collection.

• Take pretty pictures of your creations – Be sure to memorize your dazzling decorations in photo mode to capture all your delightful designs.

•  Parallel islands – When you have delved deep into the Twinkleby universe, you will be able to play on new clean-slate versions of the islands you’ve discovered. Find new creative ways to decorate with all the items you’ve gathered!

• Sit back and relax – Enjoy stress-free, escapist gameplay without fail states or game overs.

Twinkleby is currently available for wishlisting on Steam.

Source: Press release

Categories
Indie News Video Games

Tombwater is a Top-Down Wild West Souls-like with Sights Set for November

Tombwater

When you want to take the essence of a Souls-like and translate into a top-down 2D world, there’s no better person to turn to than Max Mraz, who previously worked on Bloodborne demake Yarntown. Mraz teamed up with Jake Wagner at Moth Atlas to cook up Wild West Souls-like Tombwater, which is officially set for a November 12 launch.

Publisher Midwest Games marked the announcement with a new trailer for the game, which was originally announced at Best Indie Games Showcase 2025 back in June. See how this cursed western land is shaping up in the video below.


Tombwater Trailer


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Taking inspiration from the likes of early The Legend of Zelda games and the work of FromSoftware, Tombwater challenges players with the task of battling through the once-thriving titular town. The latest press release promises around 20 hours of gameplay as your lone gunslinger takes on hordes of enemies and challenging bosses with melee moves, firearms, spells, charms and other means of dastardly disposal.

Here’s an overview of some of the features:

  • 2D Top-Down Souls-Like: Journey through the souls-like genre from a whole new perspective. Experience nostalgic, gruesomely detailed pixel art in a top-down view with every classic souls-like mechanic. 
     
  • Map & Quest Log: Keep track of your progress as you explore the interconnected Wild West world of Tombwater with a map and quest log.
     
  • Apothecary Crafting: Helpful tonics, explosives, and more can be crafted from materials you find while exploring to help aid you in battle .
     
  • Gruesome Boss Fights: Experience 20+ horrifying boss battles that will threaten to drive you to madness.

Tombwater is currently available to Wishlist on Steam, and you can also sign up to participate in an upcoming playtest.

Source: Press release 

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Uncategorized

Roguelite Beat ‘Em Up Star Fire: Eternal Cycle Release Date Set

Star Fire: Eternal Cycle

Power-hungry players out there might want to take a look at Star Fire: Eternal Cycle, a roguelite beat ‘em up that’s on the way from developer Ethereal Fish Studio and publisher Indie Herb Games. The teams unveiled a release date during The MIX Fall Game Showcase, lining the launch up for September 8 on Steam.

Upgrades appear to be the name of the game here, as you mix and match equipment, weapons and buffs with the help of the Insectoid Cores system. Over 150 elemental build variations are waiting to be played around with, and you can see some of the potentially explosive results in the trailer below.


Star Fire: Eternal Cycle Release Date Trailer


READ: Turn-Based Roguelike Flick Shot Rogues Arrives on September 17

With eight weapons and a plethora of elemental upgrade options—spanning the likes of fire, ice, thunder, wind, earth and shadow—players should have plenty of ways to protect Earth from the alien onslaught. Ethereal Fish Studio creative director Jensen Hu commented on the freeform customization: 

“As developers and lovers of roguelites, creativity is so important to us. Star Fire shows how powerful creativity can be in the hands of players. We can’t wait to see how players tackle this rewarding gameplay loop with their own flair, scratching the roguelite itch to go for one more run.”

When Star Fire: Eternal Cycle launches it will support English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Russian and French. It’s currently up for wishlisting on Steam ahead of launch. 

Source: Press release

Categories
Indie News Video Games

WOLFHOUND Brings WWII Sci-Fi Metroidvania Action to Consoles and PC in 2026

WOLFHOUND



It’s been a while since we heard from WOLFHOUND, the WWII sci-fi Metroidvania from developer Bit Kid (Chasm), but thankfully that changed during the recent The MIX Fall Games Showcase. Bit Kid took the opportunity to share a new trailer, showing off more of the intense side-scrolling action in advance of a 2026 launch on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam.


WOLFHOUND Gameplay Trailer


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WOLFHOUND was first announced a little over a year ago, and it certainly looks like it’s coming along nicely. We’ll have to wait a little longer to find out exactly when it’s going to land next year. For now, check out more on what it’s all about below.

When Captain Chuck “WOLFHOUND” Rossetti was ordered to infiltrate an uncharted island, eliminate enemy forces, and rescue the crew of a vessel lost in the Bermuda Triangle, he expected a bloody mess. He just didn’t expect a crash landing, and for things to be so grotesque, thanks to the horrific experiments of the mad Nazi scientist, Dr. Steiner.

Explore the mysterious island, scavenging for weapons and ammo from the forces of the clandestine fortress. Fend off strange creatures debuting in the new trailer, like overgrown mutant rats with bladed tails, a massive armored bodyguard, and pulsating globs of formless flesh.

Make Dr. Steiner regret his decision to create powerful experimental weaponry like a railgun by turning it against his own creations. Scale otherwise un-navigable passageways by finding powerful mobility tech like air-dash boots and a jetpack. Capt. Rosetti will need every advantage he can get, as he realizes he’s the only one who can prevent Nazi world domination.

WOLFHOUND is currently available to wishlist on Steam.

Source: Press release