Spoil others (or yourself) with indie game gifts
We revisit the games we covered and see what Steam reviewers thought.
AIIG focuses primarily on the demos of unreleased games. Some of them have become available since we covered them, so here’s a look at those released titles ranked by their Steam score (but not the number of reviews).
All of these games deserve attention and would make for a neat gift to a lucky gamer (including yourself!).
‣ Thronefall
AIIG Review • Steam Page • Demo Video
Build your tiny stronghold and grow your army, then fend off waves of enemies that charge in at night. Thronefall is a clever blend of real-time strategy, combat action, and tower defence that is awesome in all three genres. The minimalist art style works really well for the gameplay style.
‣ Jusant
AIIG Review • Steam Page • Demo Video
Climbing is a familiar game mechanic, but no other game uses it like Jusant, a stunning adventure game where you put a little thought behind your vertical traverses. It’s a zen experience with a beautiful style, atmospheric world, and touching story―very inventive and definitely a highlight of the year.
‣ Planet of Lana
AIIG Review • Steam Link • Demo Video
Planet of Lana is gorgeous. We’re not just talking about the immersive art style. The animations, character designs, sound, story, puzzles—it’s so inviting and immersive. Granted, this side-scrolling adventure is not for hardcore fans of the genre. It’s pretty casual and not super long, either. But all of it is a work of art.
‣ En Garde!
AIIG Review • Steam Page • Demo Video
Clean fighting is for wimps. Kick your opponents into obstacles, dump buckets on their heads, and slide over tables as you dodge and parry the enemies’ swords. Yes, plural—there is no fair fight in the super-polished and hugely charismatic swashbuckler En Garde!—and it’s unfair on the enemy. Why aren’t there more games like this?
‣ Kill The Crows
AIIG Review • Steam Page • Demo Video
There are plenty of games for casual players on this list—Kill The Crows is a bit more hardcore. Stroll into town in this mystical Western-theme top-down shooter as a gunslinger bent on revenge. Take out the rushing enemies with single shots, and time those reloads right if you want to survive. This game is about intense bursts of fun wrapped in a stunning pixel art style.
‣ Driftwood
AIIG Review • Steam Link • Demo Video
Driftwood captures that feeling of flow when you just zone out and let your instincts do the work. Jump on a longboard and skate down a meandering hillside road, dodging traffic and grinding curves. Yet, while that sounds very intense and edgy, this game leans in with its sloth mascot and lo-fi beats to produce a surprisingly chill experience. That’s what we love about Driftwood. It just has such a great groove.
‣ Station to Station
AIIG Review • Steam Page • Demo Video
Connect multiple sites on a map with railroads and put trains on them. But run out of money, and you lose the level. However, Station to Station is not a train management game. It’s a very inventive puzzle game with card collection features: you cannot cross lines and trains only pay out once, so you must think about creating a winning layout. Win, and you go to the next level. So, not for management fans but definitely for anyone who likes a compelling puzzle experience.
‣ The Invincible
AIIG Review • Steam Link • Demo Video
Something has gone horribly wrong with an expedition to a mysterious planet. Most of the team are missing, and the rest are catatonic. What is going on? This is the mystery behind The Invincible, a gripping science fiction adventure. Thanks to next-generation visual tech, the game looks fantastic, creating a great atmosphere complemented by the solid voice work. Follow the story and make choices that take you to eleven different endings.
‣ Stick To The Plan
AIIG Review • Steam Link • Demo Video
Stick To The Plan was one of AIIG’s most popular posts in 2023, no doubt drawn in by the game’s cute hero, Roberto. He’s on a mission to find and bring the longest stick home, which translates into a puzzle game. By strategically dropping and gripping the stick, navigate obstacles to reach the end zone, stick in maw. It’s a classic puzzle formula with a fun twist and great energy.
‣ Fabledom
AIIG Review • Steam Link • Demo Video
Build a settlement, look after your people, and expand your territory as you court your neighbours. Fabledom is a fun and engaging settlement game with diplomatic features that can eat away the hours. It’s still an early-access game, and the developers are actively adding content. So far, it seems to be shaping up very well.
‣ Espresso Tycoon
AIIG Review • Steam Link • Demo Video
It may look a little rough around the edges, but Espresso Tycoon is a solid little tycoon game, which means you run something—in this case, a coffee shop. There are other coffee shop simulators, but this game strikes a very nice balance between the challenges of running something and the fun of mixing up strange java concoctions and seeing whether they can turn a profit.
‣ Bonus game: Pioneers of Pagonia
AIIG Review • Steam Page • Demo Video
Pioneers of Pagonia narrowly misses the official list because it’s only launching today, and there are no Steam reviews yet. But the demo was incredibly fun, blending creativity and planning for a very satisfying city builder experience. Hopefully, the final game holds up.
That’s a wrap! Thank you for reading Adventures In Indie Gaming this year. If you enjoy this post (or any others), please share them and help us get more subscribers!
Have a great holiday—AIIG will return on 3 January 2024.