The gaming industry has had another rough year, with mass layoffs, risk-averse franchises trying to be everything to everyone, and larger production houses struggling to hold on to their margins in a world of rising budgets and inadequate sales.
Partly because of these factors, it has also been a year in which independent games have shone. These offerings have been varied and inventive, harking back to a time when videogames were fun, invited you in and didn’t try to pick your pocket while you were there.
Here are my favourite indie releases from 2024.
* Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
One of the first games I ever bought was called The 7th Guest, back in the mid-1990s. It was a haunted-house mystery in which one had to solve puzzles to understand what was going on in the mysterious mansion of a long-disappeared toymaker named Stauf.
I hadn’t thought of The 7th Guest for nearly 30 years, until Lorelei and the Laser Eyes was released by Simogo and Annapurna Interactive in May.
It’s a throwback and an update. The player is the titular Lorelei, invited to the mysterious Hotel Letztes Jahr for a filmmaking project. One must solve puzzles to progress and uncover the true story of what happened here.
Expect excellent storytelling, a stunning experience (the game is dark and spooky), and a dog you can pet.
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* Dungeons of Hinterberg
Imagine a game that combines aspects of Monster Hunter and Stardew Valley, illustrated by Tintin’s Herge. That’s what Dungeons of Hinterberg (Microbird, Curve; July) feels like.
Step into the shoes of Luisa, a burnt-out trainee lawyer taking a break in the Austrian Alps.
Hunt monsters by day, and hang out and build (vital) relationships with townspeople in the evenings. The aesthetic is colourful and vibrant, reminiscent of the Jo, Zette and Jocko stories. There are hub zones where players can meet, pick up different styles of magic, and gather perks, abilities and gear. And, there’s another pet dog.
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* Tactical Breach Wizards
This one’s set in a modern-day world, but with militarised magic. One fights with assault staffs and silenced wands. There’s a further twist. In this grid- and turn-based tactical game, the aim is to find interesting ways to throw one’s enemies out of a window.
Tactical Breach Wizards (Suspicious Developments; June) is part of the so-called Defenestration Trilogy.
Helpfully, it allows players to rewind at will during their turn, to undo actions and preview outcomes. And while the writing has its flaws, I found it hilarious. (One way to be revived is if a necromancer puts a bullet in your head.)
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* UFO 50
This set of 50 offerings released by Mossmouth in September is a sumptuous treat for the nostalgic gamer. The games have the look and feel of the earliest ones ported from arcade to PC in the 1990s: think, Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Zeliard.
Even for those who never cared for such things, the set makes for an absorbing experience. Nearly every genre is represented, with an excellent mix of action and strategy. The games differ in length and complexity, ensuring there’s something for everyone. Some are straightforward and score-focused, perfect for quick-play sessions. Others are story-driven experiences that require time and skill. About half the games also offer local multiplayer modes, both competitive and cooperative, adding to the fun.
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* Mouthwashing
The premise of Mouthwashing (Wrong Organ, Critical Reflex; September) is familiar: A massive spacecraft crashes in a remote corner of the galaxy, leaving its small crew stranded and slowly descending into madness as they wait for rescuers that will never come.
In this instance, adding to their troubles is their cargo: millions of gallons of high-alcohol-content mouthwash, which the desperate and deeply flawed castaways inevitably begin to misuse.
Mouthwashing is a short but powerful psychological horror, dealing with themes that range from sexual assault to addiction, in an atmosphere of paranoia helped along by deliberately primitive graphics that evoke the early Silent Hill offerings.
You will never look at mouthwash the same way again.
(Agree? Disagree? Email narayan.krishnaswami@gmail.com)
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