Merry spooks-mas everyone! It’s that time of year again where young and old alike delight in fright! There’s something intoxicating about the leaves slowly dying and the ground turning brown as the nights grow long. The smell of slow decay is in the air, and animals are frantically shoving as much food in their gullets to prepare for (in their minds) the coming apocalypse. Soon, all shall grow still, and white death shall cover the land. For the time being, let’s take ghoulish delight of nature’s fright, and make light of the encroaching night!
Tis’ the season for macabre satisfaction, and many of you are trolling the web for what ghastly game to brave through next. While I’m sure all of you are aware of the major releases like Resident Evil: Revelations 2 or Until Dawn, many an indie title also await patiently for your praise and purchasing dollar. As many of these indie titles receive attention in my reviews, I will instead be focusing on those titles yet to be released, but still worth keeping an eye on. Some of these games are in a playable state, while others are still being developed behind closed doors. But each, dear reader, have cause to give pause and get in your claws..
1) Darkest Dungeon
Have you ever been playing a roguelike and thought, “This is good, but there isn’t nearly enough psychological disorders.” Well, look no further, because Darkest Dungeon is here to address your oddly specific complaint. Without hyperbole, the game is fucking fantastic. I have spent more hours than I care to admit starting new runs and delving into the dark depths the game has to offer. Varied character classes, interesting fights, and tense mechanics make the game absolutely a must have for any horror fan. You will throw your keyboard across the room and swear the game off when a character dies, then get that itch and pick it up again an hour later. It is rare a game comes along that can hook me this much, but Darkest Dungeon’s mix of calculated risk and reward provides almost limitless entertainment. Add in the fact that since my last treatment of the game, they have added 3 new classes, a new zone, and a slew of new items and balance changes, proves that this is a game well worth the investment. Buy it today.
2) Pathologic Classic HD
Have you ever been playing a game, and wondered why there wasn’t more existential Russian metaphoric philosophy? Well then, theoretical soulmate, let me tell you about Pathologic. Pathologic is that amazing game you’ve never played. Even if you have heard of it, chances are you never really got into it. It has a significant amount of indie cred, but unfortunately was nigh unplayable in its original form. The translation was babblefish garbage, making the game essentially stop halfway through when they just stopped trying. Luckily, the game is here again after a successful kickstarter campaign, and better than ever. This doesn’t mean you won’t get confused: characters speak in metaphor, and deciphering what it’s all about takes significant mental gymnastics. It is undeniably dense, but worth the effort. What lies at it’s core is one of the most satisfying, engrossing, and fundamentally terrifying games of the past decade. You do not know true fear until you trade your machine gun and all its bullets for a head of cabbage, just for the privilege of crawling through the horror another day.
3) The Forest
Have you ever been playing Minecraft, and wished it had mutant cannibals? Well, look no further, because The Forest is here! Chances are, you’ve heard of this game. This might very well be the highest profile game on this list. That doesn’t change the fact that it is worth every penny. All of these types of crafting games have a big learning curve, but The Forest is uniquely satisfying in how this all comes together. The monsters are terrifying, and crawling your way towards safety is met with adversity at every turn. It’s not an experience to miss.
4) Subnautica
Have you ever been playing FarSky and wished it didn’t look like Minecraft? Well, Subnautica is here to offer you the terrifying cartoony delights your dark heart desires. The game has an amazing amount of graphical detail, which amazingly doesn’t take away at all from the free-form crafting and environmental gathering. Creatures manage to be colorful and creative, while still maintaining a terrifying monstrous quality. The updates have been at best average, but the proposed features are impressive. As is, it is an incredibly fun game with a lot to explore.
5) ARK: Survival Evolved
Have you ever been a human being, and wished that there was a game where you could fight and train dinosaurs? Of course you have. That’s why ARK: Survival Evolved is easier to get your friends to play than a rousing game of “talk about the hottest person you fucked.” ARK is expansive and deep, but also simple. You can figure out how to play the game quickly, and layers of complexity are added on in a manageable way. This game would be ruined if it was too obtuse for newcomers, but luckily the people behind the project get this. It is intuitive, fun, and offers a ton of content for those that want to delve more into it. Another must have.
6) The Long Dark
Have you ever been trapped in the frigid Canadian wilderness, and wished the wolves weren’t just so damn friendly? Well, then The Long Dark is here provide you with a canine conundrum. Foregoing the monster claws for bestial ones, the enemy in The Long Dark is mother nature herself. It isn’t uncommon now for survival games to come out that make you weather the elements, but this is one of the few where the elements are the focus. There are no zombies lurking in the dark, and no creepers waiting to blow up your base. Hunger and cold are your greatest foes, and animals just as hungry as you compete for the scant remaining resources. This is the apocalypse, but not the Fallout one. This is more like The Road, where crippling starvation and cold provide all the terror you need. It’s difficult to learn, but worth the commitment.
7) Stasis
Have you ever been living your life, all happy and free, and wished it was more hopeless and hideously depressing? Well, Stasis is here to grant your dark wishes. While technically not upcoming, it is a recent enough release to deserve a place on the list. Adopting the isometric view of classic games like Fallout, Stasis is a callback to a long dead day when games still required you to use your imagination to fill in the graphical gaps. That isn’t to say that the game doesn’t look gorgeous, but just requires you to have an appreciation for a distant, building dread rather than an in-your-face splatterfest. The deaths are still entertaining and graphic, and you will see them. A lot. This game does not hold your hand. While short, you will die several times before crossing the finish line. It is quintessentially old school, and a serious nostalgia trip.
8) Darkwood
Have you ever wished that Silent Hill was a top-down survival game and unforgiving as fuck? Well, Darkwood is here to test the limits of your sanity. From the start, it is clear that this is not your average survival/adventure game. A darker, more surreal environment awaits you. Survival is practical, but your foes are not. How can one hope to beat back the horrors of the dark with mere mortal arms? It’s a struggle, rewarding to those that muster through it. Oh, and I might add too that the game is actually fucking terrifying. It has an excellent use of blind spots and narrative pacing, which makes the package so much more than the sum of its parts. Top that off with responsive devs that care about their game, and this is well worth the $15 asking price.
9) Layers of Fear
Have you ever been a 19th century artist, and wished they would make a horror game about your psychological struggles? Well, immortal highlander, let me tell you about Layers of Fear. In an industry inundated with walking simulators, and as someone who is thoroughly over the whole genre, it is remarkable for me to be recommending one on this list. This is a game that pushes the boundaries of visceral fear. This isn’t a jump scare gallery, nor a dull “the world is the tragedy” exhibit. This is an exhibition of a different beast, a pure form of slow build, hard hitting terror that doesn’t let up once it has hold of you. For the Blooper Team SA, this might very well be a magnum opus.
10) Killing Floor 2
Have you ever been playing Killing Floor, and wished it was better? Well, Killing Floor 2 is here to basically do that. This is one of those odd “Early Access” games that is basically complete, and disguises free content as “updates”. Not that I’m complaining! It’s a hell of a lot better than charging for every DLC pack. It’s an indictment of the modern gaming industry that this has become a surprising oddity. The game is dumb, fast, and a hell of a lot of fun. If you haven’t given the series a try, it takes a bit of reprogramming to catch up with the moving objectives and ramping difficulty. After a few matches, you’ll know if you’re hooked. An incredibly engaging PVE shooter with variable difficulty, this game raises the bar for cooperative fun.
11) Black Mesa
Have you ever been one of those poor souls that never played Half-Life, and wished you weren’t such an unfortunate slob? Well, Black Mesa is here to fill that terrible void in your empty soul. A remake of the title that put Valve on the map and made Steam what it is today, Black Mesa is proof that some games have quality that doesn’t fade. It is the Mario of shooters, the Tetris of sci-fi, and the Hamlet of modern PC gaming. Back and better than ever, this is the Half-Life fans deserve. Since Valve seems so keen on making us wait for Half-Life 3, it might very well be the only one fans get, too.
12) Sunless Sea
‘Ave you evah been travaling ‘da unforgiving waves of ‘da zea, and vished zat everzing was… more eldrich? Vell, fear not, brave travelah, for za Sunless Zea is hea’! Sunless Sea is the second game on this list that is in full release, but deserves a spot anyways. A mix between Sid Meier’s Pirates! and Cthulhu, this game is brimming with so much personality that it would win a Miss Congeniality award. Another game that is difficult to start but satisfying to master, this one has possibly the most content to offer of any on the list. It can be a bear to wrap your mind around all of the “resources”, but the ubiquity of the system does a lot to give the game manageability in the long run. A unique, and ultimately very fun experience.
13) Monstrum
Have you ever been Ted Hentschke, and wished that not every Slender clone sucked? Well look no further, me, because Monstrum actually kicks ass! Unlike other “avoid the monster” games, Monstrum mixes it up with variable monsters and win conditions. Waking up on an abandoned ship, players scavenge for supplies used to open doors, provide light and distractions, or build towards one of the game’s win conditions. Each of the three monsters has different behavior and hunting patterns, so figuring out which one it pursuing you is crucial. It’s a game of trial and error, and not for the impatient. The AI is genuinely unique, and the cramped corridors make every corner a potentially deadly turn. I’m not a fan of the genre, and even I had a good time with Monstrum.
14) Phantasmal
Have you ever been playing a roguelike shooter, and wished it was entirely insane? Well, Phantasmal is here to warp your definition of reality. This game almost didn’t make the list. It is incredibly buggy, and comes together like a wet jigsaw puzzle with no corners. The models all have that distinctive Unity sloppiness, and hits don’t really seem to connect in any physical way. Still, the game is incredibly unique, and drew me in past the first few runs just to see what it was all about. It’s incredibly difficult, but a forgiving progression system never makes a death feel too frustrating. Package that with the genuinely unique scares you’ll see with each run, and you’ve got yourself a well spent weekend.
15) Dead Realm
Have you ever been hanging around with a group of friends, and wished you were a malicious spirit bent on devouring their souls? Well, Dead Realm is here to fulfil your unspeakable dark desires. At the beginning of each round, one out of the five players will be selected as the monster, who will then seek to reap the souls of the four remaining human players. There are some kinks to work out in the balance, and there are only two game types, but overall the experience is unique enough to warrant a look.
16) Narcosis
Have you ever wondered why you frankly would not have heard of a game if not for meeting the dev team at E3 2015? Well look no further, because Narcosis is criminally underrepresented. A VR designed game involving a man trapped in a dive suit, Narcosis brings a welcome twist to the walking simulator genre. While the dive suit is an impenetrable tank, it is also your coffin. As you move through the underwater locations, you are slowly running out of air. It isn’t the giant crabs that will get you, but the horrors that lurk in the shadows of your own mind. Panic increases oxygen consumption, making your humanity your biggest nemesis. My hands on with the game was a standout of the event, and I was shocked by how gorgeous a game with so small a team looked. It’s a shame that the playable demo was only available at an off-site indie game showcase. This game deserves your attention.
17) Nevermind
Have you ever wanted a game that appreciates how much it is making you feel? Well Nevermind certainly knows when it is scaring you. Like a lover learning your kinks, Nevermind uses biofeedback sensors to determine if you are keeping your cool. In the most badass therapy session ever, you must enter into the minds of traumatized people and keep your calm while their psyche throws their deepest repressed fears at you. It’s light on the action, so think more The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, but with more surrealism.
18) P.A.M.E.L.A.
Have you ever wished your utopian apocalypse still had smatterings of the utopia still left amongst all the apocalypse? Well, P.A.M.E.L.A. is here to bring some actual color to your dark and depressing wasteland. Taking place in the fallen city of Eden, things would be alright if not for the bloodthirsty and mutated Afflicted. The denizens of Eden are at various stages of mutation, making not every encounter a fight to the death. Areas can be secured and repowered, giving the game a sense of permanence beyond just scavenging and surviving (though that plays a pretty big role, too.) The game is still in the pre-Alpha state with a release date of TBA 2016, so there’s still a lot more info to come. It’s a hell of a long time to wait, but looks like it’ll be well worth it.
19) Space Beast Terror Fright
Have you ever been playing Space Hulk, and wished it was a badass FPS? Well look no further, because Space Beast Terror Fright is here to mesh alien smashing fun with tense survival. One of the more “alpha” games on this list that is still playable, SBTF is one of those endearingly retro games that still has the various mode types and loadouts all in the pre-level launch screen. The name of the game is deadly, as every threat can down you in a single blow. One of the crawling aliens manages to get to you from an unexpected angle? Boom, game over. Accidentally stand in front of one of your deployed defenses? Better get ready for another gun. The goal of the game is to hit a number of “download” points so that you can activate the ship’s self destruct. Each download point gives you an upgrade, giving you a fighting chance against the alien threat. However, the only thing unlimited in this game is the enemies, so you better make your way fast before they overwhelm you. This game is pure, unadulterated fun, and updated frequently. Check it out if you want to test that whole idea of if people can hear you scream in space.
Honorable Mention:
There is a game that lost its spot on the main list due to an uncertain release status. There have been too many promising projects either released too early or not at all, and it would be remiss of me to mention this title without the heavy caveat that I do not know when or if it will be available. I’d love to be totally hyped for this game, but can’t be until I see more.
Routine
I remember when Routine stirred up a crazy amount of hype back around 2012. A gorgeous sci-fi atmosphere with an Alien aesthetic, dynamic lighting, menacing clunky androids, and plenty of lurking horrors turned just about everybody’s head. With dynamic exploration and permadeath, Routine was a shoo-in for the then nascent Greenlight scene. After three years, we have nothing to go on. Their last status update was in March, and it largely just stated that they were not in fact all lost in the woods. With this long of a wait, I don’t hold out a lot of hope for Routine. Still, with games like SOMA and Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs being released after long silences, maybe there is a chance.
Well Readers, that’s it for my list of the upcoming indie games you should check out. Most of the games on this list are playable now on Steam’s Early Access program, so give it a look and see if you agree. Let me know what games you are excited for below, and let me know if you want to play a few rounds of “Eat Your Friends Souls” in Dead Realm!