Summary
I checked out so many games at indie games conWASDlast week that my wishlist on Steam has expanded so much. There were so many incredible and intriguing options that I didn’t even get a chance to play all of the ones that caught my eye. We were spoilt for choice! I also spoke to quite a few indie developersabout the current state of the industry, many of whom emphasised to me how important wishlisting isfor games of a smaller scale to achieve success.
With that in mind, I wanted to highlight every game that I played at WASD, what they’re about, and share links so that you can check them out.
Bib Goes Home
If you stumble past a pop-up book that’s also a console, you’re going to stop and check it out. The Lowtek Light Book is the kit in question, a unique video game that uses projection and hand-drawn pop-up books that can be attached to the base to play. Some games, like Bib Goes Home, have pages to turn like a real book, and as you do so gameplay via the projection changes. It’s incredibly interesting.
You can check out Goes Home hereand Light Book via the official Lowtek Games website.
Harvest Hunt
I don’t generally go for horror games, in fact when it comes to events I tend to avoid them for fear of embarrassing myself, but Harvest Hunt was the exception.
You are the warden of a creepy little village plagued by a monster known as the Devourer. You have to survive five nights in a cornfield against this creature, which you may choose to either avoid or fight. There are randomised elements at play with the Whispers card deck mechanic that dictates different buffs or debuffs. I cameso closeto winning, but failed at the very last hurdle. I can’t wait to play again and put the Devourer in its place.
Harvest Hunt is launching on May 22, and you canwishlist it on Steam here.
Conscript
I know I just said I avoid horror games, but it turns out that WASD had two that caught my eye. What can I say, I’m a sucker for retro aesthetics. Conscript is heavily influenced by classic horror titles like Resident Evil and Silent Hill, featuring retro-style graphics and menus. However, Conscript adds a fresh spin on the genre by using a top-down perspective and its World War I setting to emphasise the atrocities it depicts. You canread my interview with developer Jordan Mochi here.
You canwishlist Conscript and download a demo for it on Steam here.
Wax Heads
Wax Heads is an indie game in which you work in a record store, pairing the right album with each customer while uncovering the mystery of what happened to ‘80s pop band Becoming Violet. There’s so much about Wax Heads that stands out: the quirky art style, the business management elements, the minigames, and, of course, the music. I spoke with Wax Heads creator Murray Somerwolff at WASD, and you canread the interview here.
You canwishlist and download the demo for Wax Heads on Steam here.
Summerhouse
Sometimes you just need a cosy, relaxing game to chill out with. That game is Summerhouse. Featuring beautiful pixel graphics, you simply build cute little houses to your heart’s content. There are no objectives, no challenges, no stress. Just building.
Summerhouse is already out, so you canpurchase or wishlist it on Steam here.
As an avid true-crime fan, lover of crime dramas, and anything murdery, Dead Meat was exactly my jam. In this game you interrogate suspects to try and work out who was killed, why, where, and how.
The most brilliant thing about it is that you can ask whatever you like: you type the questions, nothing is off limits. It’s a really interesting gameplay concept that uses an equally interesting AI system to create what the team refers to as a ‘First Person Talker’ genre game. You canread my interview with Meaning Machine co-founder and creative director Thomas Keane hereandwishlist Dead Meat on Steam here.
Inferni: Hope & Fear
It felt like the games at WASD this yearupped the ante for coming up with fresh ideas, and Inferni: Hope & Fear was no exception. It combines deck-building and battle royale gameplay elements to create a unique game that has you slinging spells via cards in real time. That’s right, there’s no turn-based card mechanics here. You canread my interview with Village Studio’s Will Luton and Cyril Barrow hereand wishlist it onSteam here.
Paper Trail
Newfangled Games’ Paper Trail is an ingenious puzzle game with a unique folding paper concept. Each level is a piece of paper that you have to fold to find ways for the protagonist, Paige, to get across. Last year, I spoke with brothers Henry and Frederick Hoffmanabout their work together on Paper Trail. You cancheck out the full interview here.
Paper Trail will launch on May 21 for PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, iOS, and Android. You canwishlist it for Steam here.
Bootleg Steamer
Bootleg Steamer by Team Junkfish is an exploration adventure game that mixes business sim elements with the roguelike genre set during the American Prohibition. Captain your very own ship and tackle the different challenges at sea to build a thriving business buying and trading goods, including alcohol if you’re feeling brave. You cancheck out my interview with the team here.
Bootleg Steamer launched on the first day of WASD, so you canpurchase or wishlist it on Steam here.
Fruitbus
Fruitbus is a wholesome little game in which you travel around in a bus and create different dishes for the anthropomorphic animal characters you meet. It seems quite simple and straightforward at first, but you soon realise there is a bittersweet story at the heart of this cozy little cooking game.
You canwishlist Fruitbus and download the demo on Steam here.
30 Birds
30 Birds is a stunningly beautiful puzzle game with a Persian-inspired art style that utilises a unique mechanic where the environment in the game is lanterns, meaning you can run around the side of the lantern, turning the world you are on. The puzzles are varied, offering logic, musical, and kaleidoscopic puzzles, and it’s paired with an interesting narrative based on an old Persian poem. You canread my interview with the 30 Birds team here.
You canwishlist 30 Birds on Steam here.
Demonology 101
Demonology 101 was part of the Curios collection at WASD and was a delightful little game about guessing the identity of demons using the clues at your disposal. What I found most interesting about this game is that creator Ludipe often delves into out of the box ideas when it comes to games, and for many of his smaller titles, like Demonology 101, allows players to download them for free if they wish. You canread my interview with Ludipe here.
You canplay and download Demonology 101 here.
