The Best New Indie Games of Q2 2024
Seven more winners
Summer is always a slow period for video games, but small developers never sleep. While everyone else in the biz was scoping out showcases for bits of news about some upcoming AAA disappointment, the indie space kept moving forward like it always has.
I’ve got seven more games for your consideration today. Some of these were big deal releases, making news even in the usually disinterested gaming press. Others were more humble launches still trying to break through the noise. It’s a varied mix in terms of genre and style, so I’m sure that there’s something in here that’s up your alley.
Dream Tactics
TRPGs have been a very difficult subgenre for developers, but the people behind Dream Tactics have tackled it with some real style. With a simple yet flexible character building system that allows players to transfer skills between characters, Dream Tactics grants free reign to build a party however one wants. It’s a challenging yet fair game that’s well suited to veterans of the subgenre.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes
Fans of old-school JRPGs have been waiting for this one for a while, and it did not disappoint. Hearkening back to epic fifth-generation games like the Suikoden series, Eiyuden Chronicle is a truly massive game that offers the player a wide range of activities. If you haven’t gotten sidetracked for hours from the main campaign while you track down new recruits for your town, you might not have played Eiyuden Chronicle right.
Ereban: Shadow Legacy
Bringing a new superpowered twist to the stealth genre, Ereban is everything we’d been missing when Dishonored went dormant. The protagonist’s shadow-based abilities add a lot of variety to the gameplay, but it’s the big, open worlds that leave the greatest impression. This is a game meant to be explored, and that’s not something you often see with stealth.
Fallen Aces
Boomer shooters aren’t normally my thing, but retro-styled FPS games have really been nailing it lately and Fallen Aces is a great example. This melee-focused Duke Nukem 3D-like is just really satisfying to play, with a lot of options for gameplay approaches and an aesthetic that really captures the pulp comic feel of the story. Strongly recommended for anyone with a taste for the 90s.
Heading Out
It doesn’t look like your typical narrative game, but that’s part of the appeal of Heading Out. This half-sim, half-driving game leads the player on a cross-country trip to outrace fear and get to the bottom of a recurring nightmare linked to a ghost driver. Between the stylized, high-contrast graphics and the color commentary from radio shock jocks, Heading Out is a game loaded with style.
Nine Sols
How do you stand out in the crowded Metroidvania space? For the developers of Nine Sols, it’s all about creating your own style and getting immersed in it. The lightning-fast, parry-focused gameplay is smooth and satisfying and made for fans of recent action games like Sekiro. However, it’s the game’s Daoism inspired visual design that really steals the show, blending mysticism and futurism in a way that many have tried but none have nailed until now.
Turbo Kid
Meanwhile, Turbo Kid approaches Metroidvania in a different direction — by going big. The cult film-inspired game gives the player a BMX bike and giant world to explore with it. Whether crawling through a mutant-infested sewer or catching air in a gang-controlled skate park, there’s a lot to find in the Middle-Wastes. Turbo Kid is definitely a game for those completionists who aren’t happy unless they have a lot to find.
