The Future Looks Strong for Indies Thanks to These 5 Games

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Just now, a second annual event known as the Triple-I Initiative Showcase occurred, hosted by independent video game creators to exhibit their forthcoming projects. Notable titles from last year’s show included “Slay the Spire 2” and “The Rogue Prince of Persia.” Although this year’s announcements didn’t quite match up to the shock value of those games, a multitude of impressive indie games were presented instead.

If you’re a fan of indie games, this show is definitely worth checking out. However, if your schedule doesn’t allow for a full 45-minute watch, I’ve compiled a list of five promising indie games from the showcase that are slated for release in 2022. Be sure to keep an eye on these titles; one of them might turn out to be the next Palworld, Balatro, or Blue Prince.

VOID/BREAKER

If you’re a fan of roguelike games and first-person shooters, don’t miss out on checking out VOID/BREAKER! This game is unique because players try to flee from an AI over and over again. What sets it apart is its intricate gun-making system and the spectacular destruction of its environments. Remarkably, VOID/BREAKER hails from Stubby Games, a one-person studio, but they have the backing of Playstack, who also supported Balatro.

A trial run for the game titled “VOID/BREAKER” is currently underway from today until April 23. The complete version for PC gaming platforms will be available towards the end of this year.

Frostrail

In a fresh cooperative first-person shooter game called Frostrail, players band together to endure in a chilling, post-apocalyptic arctic landscape that has turned hostile. Their base of operations is a train, yet they must bravely explore the surroundings to gather resources, all while staying alive against the terrifying creatures known as Revenants. Given the current popularity of survival and cooperative horror games, I believe Frostrail could easily attract players once it’s released. The game is developed by Barotrauma studio Fakefish and published by Shiro Unlimited, the team behind Dune: Spice Wars.

Frostrail will enter early access on Steam sometime in 2026.

SpeedRunners 2: King of Speed

I used to enjoy playing the indie game SpeedRunners extensively because its competitive 2D platforming was unique and unlike anything else available. Playing alongside other players, we would race through challenging levels while occasionally sabotaging each other. The upcoming sequel is being developed by Fair Play Labs (who previously worked on Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2) and published by tinybuild, and it appears to build upon the original with eight-player matches and 3D graphics.

SpeedRunners 2: King of Speed will be released for PC later this year and for consoles in 2026.

Ikuma – The Frozen Compass

The trailer for “Ikuma – The Frozen Compass” stood out among many, promising an engaging adventure following a boy and his dog in the treacherous Arctic landscape, reminiscent of games such as Rise of the Tomb Raider and Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story. I’m eagerly anticipating more insights into this indie game, considering my positive experiences with past Mooney Studios productions like Smushi Come Home and Lost Ember.

Ikuma – The Frozen Compass comes out on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S in 2026.

Star Birds

Enthusiastic about the collaboration between Toukana Interactive (creators of Dorfromantik) and Kurzgesagt’s YouTube channel, I can hardly wait to play their upcoming game, Star Birds. With a visual style reminiscent of Kurzgesagt’s animation and gameplay that requires building bases on asteroids for resource mining, it promises an engaging experience. If it resembles Dorfromantik in any way, it will likely leave players feeling both tranquil and brilliantly strategic. I’m eagerly anticipating the demo, set to debut on Steam in June.

The full version of Star Birds is slated to be released in 2025.

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2025-04-10 22:41