In Bambas!, the streets of a lively coastal town become your playground, just like when you were a kid and every sidewalk or puddle sparked an adventure. The game’s unique controls let you move each sneaker on its own using your gamepad’s sticks and triggers. But it’s not just about strolling. You’ll need to dodge crosswalks, kick cans, balance on curbs, and nail tricky jumps to complete hundreds of challenges.

Each success unlocks a wardrobe of customizable sneakers, letting you style your kicks with flair as you leave your mark on the town. The game’s story unfolds naturally through environmental storytelling: graffiti, forgotten objects, and meetings with characters.

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The Vanished Soul leverages all the capabilities of Unreal Engine 5 in an impressive way. It’s fascinating how detailed and graphically advanced this title is. It’s not just surface-level, when you open a fridge, for example, there’s plenty to see; everything is so intricately crafted that you can clearly distinguish every item or read text without zooming in. The same goes for all the books and objects around the house, with special attention drawn to pictures of Belmin from his wedding, adding a really charming touch.

Stunning Graphics Accompany You Throughout the Game

The story revolves around unsettling mysteries hidden in the fictional town of Novazenica and its surroundings. It weaves a personal and emotional narrative exploring themes of memory, guilt, and connection with loved ones. Expect various jump scares, like sudden disappearances of people in front of you or a hand popping out unexpectedly. Though it might sound cheap, these elements are skillfully implemented; early in the game, while running from a room, a girl suddenly appeared in front of me, giving me a genuine fright since it was totally unexpected.

This isn’t a classic horror but leans toward an atmospheric approach. As you solve puzzles, you’ll constantly hear footsteps and various sounds around you, sure to send chills down your spine. In other words, the game gradually builds discomfort through carefully crafted light and sound effects. Besides horror, there are puzzles, which are fairly simple but will test your resourcefulness and creativity since solutions aren’t always obvious. The game is linear, as expected, so you can simply focus on following the given objectives.

The Vanished Soul stands out with two key aspects, the first being the importance of choices, already noticeable in the demo. Your responses in conversations, such as the early phone call with your wife, will likely influence the story’s ending, especially since the goal is to reach her. Moreover, your actions and the paths you choose can shape the narrative, revealing different perspectives, outcomes, and consequences.

No True Horror Moments, Atmosphere Influences Everything

The second key aspect is the dynamic fear system. As Belmin highlighted on Steam, no playthrough is the same when it comes to scary moments, aiming for maximum replayability with randomly generated elements from predefined locations. The demo version might not have showcased this well, but there’s plenty to look forward to if it delivers.

Let’s revisit the puzzles. They range from simple tasks like moving boxes to activate a platform to more complex challenges where you connect electrical circuits to progress. However, it’s not overly difficult. Unfortunately, you can only pick up marked items in the game. I was disappointed with the jump and landing sounds on wooden floors or carpets—they don’t quite fit well. Still, the horror sound effects are generally well-crafted.

You can still play the demo during Steam Next Fest until Monday evening. While the exact release date for the full game isn’t known, the demo lasts a full hour. If you enjoy longer horrors or just atmospheric scares, The Vanished Soul is definitely worth a try.

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An Interactive Experience Beyond Adventure

ENA: Dream BBQ takes place in a wild and surreal universe. We follow ENA, a humanoid character, on her mission to find the Boss that everyone wants to be. During our adventure we are able to explore environments filled with hidden secrets and oddities, meet peculiar characters who want us to run errands for them and use odd tools to solve unusual problems.

It seems to me that it would be more fitting to describe ENA: Dream BBQ as an interactive experience rather than adventure game – not only because of its bizarreness, but also the way it exceeds our expectations. The first chapter did more than simply bending the rules of video games; in fact, it looked like they were put aside entirely, which resulted in a chaotic, but quite intriguing story.

The first chapter is a blend of many different ideas, themes and references. The setting draws inspiration from surrealist art, post-apocalyptic fiction and worldwide culture, especially from Peru and Japan. We can hear dialogues in various languages such as Japanese, French, Russian and Italian. The artstyle combines 2D and 3D animation, utilizing webcore aesthetic, pixelated imagery and the style of Picasso’s abstract paintings. So yeah, it’s pretty avant-garde project.

A Promising, Imaginative Journey

The same mix of everything applies to the characters and the plot. There is a thin line between accessible and inaccessible parts, which can make you start wondering: was I supposed to make that jump to the other side? Did that character serve any purpose in my task? How did I trigger that event? As far as I can tell, the point of the game is not to undertand ENA’s world, but to just go along with it. Although some solutions are quite confusing and take time to figure them out, the comedic tone and pure craziness of the outcome are worth the trouble.

I’d also like to point out that despite randomness, the game is consistent in its content. There are tutorials, quests and items necessary for advancing the story, which we know well from other video games. In Chapter 1, we only get to visit the world of the Lonely Door, with its jobs and inhabitants, however the other doors we will have to go through are already present, teasing our future adventures.

As subsequent chapters are still in development, we’ll have to wait in order to learn the rest of the story – while I’m not fully convinced what to make of it yet, I have to admit that from what I’ve seen this chapter succeed in catching the interest of gamers and stimulating their imagination, If you’re up for a bizzare adventure, then this might be something just for you.

The post [PREVIEW] ENA: Dream BBQ – One of the most unique games ever made first appeared on IndieGames.

Set billions of years after the universe’s demise, Necrophosis places you in a realm where death dominates, yet even death itself can perish. The titular curse, Necrophosis, inflicts decay on everything, from the crafted landscapes to the cursed inhabitants who embody rot. Every step and breath in this macabre world reveals the relentless grip of decay, immersing you in a journey where death is an ever-present reality.

Beyond its striking visuals, Necrophosis offers a deep narrative experience driven by poetry and haunting narrations. Each puzzle you encounter is woven into a larger, enigmatic story, challenging wits while unveiling layers of mystery. The game’s mechanics encourage discovery and introspection, with every solved puzzle and unique event leading to deeper revelations.

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If we’re going to talk about a short horror game where you pilot a tiny submarine, it would be a crime not to mention the most prominent title: Iron Lung. This minimalist, yet dread-driven game from David Szymanski quickly became an indie horror gem, resulting in a rise of similar productions centered around submarines. Although Hell Dive is clearly inspired by above-mentioned title, it surely present itself as its own thing, focusing more on atmospheric exploration, supernatural encounters and resource management.

We all live in a spooky submarine

In Hell Dive we play as Daniel, a maritime operative who works alone in his submarine. He is given a mission to revive COLONY 1265, an abandoned deep-sea mining and research facility. With the help from AI companion VIRGIL, he must navigate seven interconnected facilities scattered across the ocean floor and reactivate their systems. However, each step brings closer a chilling truth hidden in the darkness. Something is watching as you descent deeper into the unknown.

What I found interesting about this game is how rapidly my expectations keep changing during the gameplay. At the very beginning we are introduced to the mechanics of navigating the submarine through tight underwater tunnels in order to find forgotten stations, much like in Iron Lung. However it quickly turned out that piloting a submarine is only small portion of the actual gameplay, which is majorly based on entering those facilities, exploring them and fixing their systems.

For that matter, we need to keep track of the flashlight’s battery, fuel and other supplies, which implies that it’s more of a resource management type of game. Nevertheless, that impression also didn’t last long, as after the first station I realized that running out of necessary materials is highly unlikely – if you’re brave and observant enough, you will be able to gather more than you need from each level.

The rules of exploration are straightforward and predictable: every station turns into a labyrinth that you have to traverse in search of inactive engines. The objective is always the same, while the setting changes every time – we investigate places such as slaughterhouse, mine, hospital, nursery, and even the hotel from The Shining. The horror themes in this game are relatively common, not to say clichéd, however the scares are both well-placed and well-timed, especially when you didn’t notice there’s a threat going after you (got startled for good at the first chase, not gonna lie.)

Terrors hidden beneath

Hell Dive, despite its simple and a little unpolished graphics, has an atmosphere comparable to the unsettling aura of The Backrooms. The similarities concern not only eerie spaces, but also different creatures haunting them, which guarantee unique challenges on each level. Although I wouldn’t necessarily call it a “psychological horror” game – it feels more like a “walking simulator”, resembling classic horror productions. This impression is also enhanced by fairly simple rules and mechanics, as well as a short duration of this title, which can be completed in one hour or so.

One thing I had issues with since the very start of the game was… the brightness. I know, something so trivial can easily be changed, however the default settings make it almost impossible to see anything. Another aspect that in my opinion would use an improvement is the overall story of the game – the background of the main character and his mission could be more clarified and crucial for the ending, which gets cut abrupt too suddenly.

Ending thoughts

Hell Dive is a solid title for anyone interested in a short, but strong experience. It mixes some original ideas with references to already known stories, which results in an interesting blend of genres and themes. While it’s still quite rough around the edges, the game offers an enjoyable adventure that can be finished in one sitting. Whether you’re a fan of deep-sea horrors or not, you definitely won’t get bored while diving into Hell Dive.

Review copy provided by the publisher

2.8

The post Hell Dive – A haunting past of an ocean first appeared on IndieGames.

Dreamcore offers a unique and surreal gaming experience that prioritizes atmosphere, exploration, and a sense of unease over traditional gameplay mechanics. This first-person adventure takes place in a fragmented dreamscape, where your main objective is to piece together its eerie world and cryptic narrative. While Dreamcore excels at crafting an unsettling atmosphere and vivid, otherworldly environments, its unconventional design may not appeal to players seeking a more structured or action-driven experience.

At times, Dreamcore feels less like an immersive, interactive art piece. There are no enemies, no tutorials, and no challenges in the conventional sense. It’s just you, the eerie atmosphere, and your task of finding the exit as you wander through disorienting corridors. The pacing is deliberately slow, with environmental storytelling taking center stage. The game currently features two distinct areas: Dreampools and Eternal Suburbia, with additional zones planned in future updates.

Two maps, two haunting experiences

Dreampools is a sprawling labyrinth of surreal swimming pools, twisting corridors, and disorienting spaces. Inspired by the Liminal Space and Backrooms aesthetic, this area offers one of the largest maps in the game. To progress, you’ll need to locate a flashlight, which becomes essential as you venture deeper into the pitch-black basement corridors. The lack of clear direction heightens the sense of unease, leaving you to uncover the world’s secrets at your own pace.

This second area, Eternal Suburbia, contrasts sharply with the enclosed, maze-like feel of Dreampools. Instead, it presents a sprawling and haunting suburban neighborhood. The seemingly endless rows of identical houses hide subtle, eerie details: a flickering TV in an empty room, an abandoned tricycle on a foggy street, or distant whispers echoing through the night. The map is more open, and the transition between day and night happens quickly, adding to the surreal atmosphere.

I initially expected enemies to appear, or at least something to keep me on edge, but they’re not part of the experience. Running through the same-looking corridors and doors does start to feel bland after a while. There aren’t even jump scares or similar elements to break the monotony. To me, Dreamcore feels like a movie you’re supposed to watch blindfolded. It perfectly captures that sensation of expectation, something you’re sure is coming but never arrives. You feel unsettled, even spooked, but nothing explicitly scares you.

Visually, this game is stunning

One of my favorite features in Dreamcore is the ability to customize how the world looks. The visuals lean heavily into nostalgic degradation, mimicking the fuzzy, grainy aesthetic of early ’90s VHS tapes. VHS Tape Mode adds a slightly blurry, aged effect, while CRT TV Mode offers a cleaner yet still retro-inspired look. It’s entirely up to the player to choose the visual style that best complements their experience.

The sound design is another standout aspect of Dreamcore. Subtle environmental audio, like the sound of dripping water, distant footsteps, or the faint hum of fluorescent lights, builds a sense of unease during quieter moments. Occasionally, orchestral or jazz music cuts through the silence, creating a stark contrast that adds a layer of surreal unpredictability to the game’s atmosphere.

There are also several puzzles to be found, such as finding a key or a statue, but they do not have a significant impact on the gameplay itself; rather, they mainly serve as part of achievements. Additionally, Dreamcore's environments are filled with cryptic and unsettling moments. One particularly striking scene is a large yellow ball with a cheerful emoji, placed in an otherwise empty hallway. Such moments do not pose a real threat during gameplay, but they leave a strong feeling of discomfort.

Ending thoughts

At this stage, Dreamcore feels like a work in progress. The current content offers about two to three hours of gameplay, centered around exploration and discovery. While the fragmented narrative invites you to piece together its meaning, the lack of depth leaves the experience feeling incomplete. Those expecting a more cohesive or expansive story may find themselves unsatisfied.

Future updates promise additional areas and expanded story elements, which could address some of the current shortcomings. Players who value replayability or clearly defined objectives may find the absence of traditional gameplay mechanics frustrating.

Review copy provided by the publisher

3.5

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Once Alive is an impressive project, especially considering it was developed over three years by a beginner solo developer. While it may not deliver a spectacular experience, the game offers a solid foundation with a clear sense of direction. It’s a walking simulator with a few minor puzzles, primarily following a linear structure where players gradually unravel the story. That said, it’s best to approach the game with lowered expectations.

At the center of the story are two brothers. The younger brother is trying to find their missing father, while the older brother later decides to join the search. It is in his role that you embark on a journey that leads you to a hidden place called HaustVille, filled with secrets. Besides the linear narrative, the game occasionally introduces elements of mystery that further enhance the atmosphere.

Simple gameplay focused on narration

The gameplay in Once Alive is straightforward and minimal. You navigate through various environments, ranging from rooms to houses, while exploring letters and texts. Occasionally, shadowy fragments of past events appear, interpreting key moments of the story, often tinged with sadness. The primary objective is to uncover what happened to the town’s vanished residents, understand the mysterious disease plaguing them, and determine if a cure exists.

While the story is interesting, it sometimes feels shallow, as if certain sections were hurried to maintain momentum. Unfortunately, the gameplay lacks depth. The only truly thrilling moment, a tense escape from crows early in the game, is memorable but fleeting, leaving a sense of missed potential for similar adrenaline-filled scenes. Although the map is richly detailed with impressive décor and architecture, it feels empty due to the absence of characters.

With a completion time of about two hours, the game is ideal for fans of walking simulators seeking a laid-back experience. In this genre, game length is less important than the narrative, which here occasionally wavers. At times, you’ll find yourself reading letters; at others, solving small puzzles like uncovering a door’s password. Later, more intricate mysteries emerge. The game doesn’t dwell too long on any single element, offering casual yet effective explanations of its key aspects.

Technical Difficulties and Visual Impression

Once Alive uses Unreal Engine 5, which despite all its capabilities, shows certain imperfections. The graphics are very good, but suffer from occasional performance drops, stuttering, and even game crashes. Although the developer continually updates the game to optimize it, it is not fully executed in the best way, so if you do not have a very good computer, it will be very difficult to maintain a stable fps.

On the other hand, the animations are minimalist and often unfinished. Cut-scenes and conversations between characters feel unnatural – the synchronization of lip movements and subtitles is inaccurate, and technical issues such as the disappearance or sudden appearance of objects further diminish the impression. Also, from the player's perspective, the lack of hands or interaction makes the game feel more static than it should be.

The technical imperfections of the game can be tolerated, but the optimization problem, which is not at the desired level even a month after release, raises the question of whether Unreal Engine was the right choice in this case. An additional challenge is the voice acting – although the voice of the main protagonist is well done with a good balance of sound volume, the dialogues among other characters, particularly the shadows, are often quieter, which diminishes the overall gaming experience.

Ending thoughts

Despite this, as a debut project, Once Alive can be considered a success. Positive reviews on Steam attest to the game, while the fact that it belongs to a niche genre further highlights its contribution. However, the game is not ambitious – the developer did not venture into experimentation, but rather stayed within safe boundaries. The result is a solid, yet average title that, despite technical difficulties, justifies the time spent on its creation and play.

Review copy provided by the publisher

3

The post Once Alive – Impresivan projekt solo developera first appeared on IndieGames.

Go Home Annie left mixed feelings. Certain aspects of the game are well thought out, but if you're expecting a horror game, you're in the wrong place. Although the atmosphere contributes to that feeling, it is a puzzle game and walking simulator that follows a story with various plot twists, and there are also SCP creatures we encounter during gameplay. The game can be divided into two parts: in the first, we meet Annie, the main protagonist, and the SCP Replication Division where she works, while in the second, the story takes on a completely new shape to reach a certain climax.

Yes, it is a game that features pronounced Croatian motifs, such as sausage and kulen, and even includes stickers you receive during a house blessing. The setting is located in the Žumberak, and that environment is quite prevalent. Unfortunately, the game does not utilize the rich potential of the SCP universe enough, which is otherwise extremely intriguing. However, Go Home Annie manages to present diverse anomalies in an interesting way, from a bathtub and water that communicate with you, to a red bucket that causes chaos, a mutilated deer, and a machine that transforms objects.

If you are not very familiar with the SCP universe, Go Home Annie can serve as an interesting introduction to its secrets. The game manages to show how SCP can be anyone or anything, but, as already mentioned, the limited number of creatures presented is not enough to satisfy curiosity. If the game had gone in the direction of a more detailed exploration of SCP anomalies, focusing on the first three hours to get to know them, as well as a deeper development of Annie and her friends who have too few scenes, the overall experience would have been significantly better.

Excellent voice acting, but the story gradually loses quality as the game progresses.

The detail in the description of these creatures is truly impressive, encouraging us to explore every corner of the world. However, interaction with the anomalies themselves is limited, except in the case of the bathtub and its water, which play an important role in the story. As in the demo version, the game begins by exploring your own house, while the director repetitively harasses you to uncover something obvious. Although Annie initially doesn't seem special, that soon changes when visions of her father begin to surface.

The beginning of the story offers meaningful and coherent development, but after leaving the SCP base, the narrative begins to lose quality. The plot accelerates and becomes increasingly incoherent. From initial research and maintenance of anomalies, the game is reduced to solving puzzles inspired by other games. The driving sections are particularly problematic – long, tedious, and exhausting, which easily makes you question whether it all makes sense. Go Home Annie also at one point takes on an emphasized supernatural tone that abruptly shifts the direction of the story by 360 degrees.

What certainly stands out throughout the game is the voice acting, which is at an exceptionally high level. It is incredible how well it is performed. Graphically, the game looks very appealing – the ambiance and details are carefully designed, creating a chilling visual atmosphere. However, the animations sometimes do not keep pace with the rest of the game, especially when entering and exiting the car or climbing the radio tower with ladders. In those moments, it gives the impression that the budget has run out, as the quality varies in several instances.

Puzzles are interesting, but the quality of the animations is inconsistent

The focus of the game lies in the mystery – who is Annie, what is the purpose of the camera, and why is it where it is? This sense of the unknown enhances the interest in the story. Puzzles particularly contribute to the development of this theme, and their full significance comes to light in the second part of the game. For example, you will need to find an identical childhood picture to unlock the path to the puzzle you need, assemble holograms of memories, and face less inspiring obstacles, such as sliding a card through a wall opening to navigate more easily through the SCP facility.

The camera also plays a crucial role – it opens dimensions from another world and helps solve certain mysteries. However, the game also has a short stealth segment that is disappointing. It lasts about 20 minutes, during which you need to avoid cameras that move in specific directions. Crouching, you can pass by guards who won’t notice you even from a distance of 10 meters, which further undermines the sense of tension in those parts of the game.

It is already known that Croatian studies often resort to puzzles to encourage players to think. Although they are fundamentally well-designed, Go Home Annie feels somewhat scattered due to the variety of elements it tries to incorporate. The story would have a greater impact if it progressed gradually, rather than suddenly bombarding the player with information about the main protagonist. Annie as a character is well-developed, but the rest of the narrative seems abrupt, for example, entering a house that suddenly opens up the possibility of changing dimensions or transitioning from a warm room to a space filled with water where you float.

Ending thoughts

Overall, Go Home Annie is not a bad title and has many positive aspects. The puzzles are particularly impressive and provide satisfaction in solving them, paving the way to the game's conclusion. However, due to the constant changes and mixing of the story, it is difficult to maintain continuity and a deeper connection with the narrative. If you decide to play, you probably won't regret it, but don't expect a classic horror experience; the game is more focused on mystery and puzzle-solving than on creating tension and fear.

Review copy provided by the publisher

3.6

The post Go Home Annie first appeared on IndieGames.

The game focuses on exploration, where players navigate through various levels in search of the right path. Along the way, they uncover hidden insights and subtle clues that drive the story. As you progress, key interactive objects deepen the narrative, enriching the experience that goes beyond mere walking. Every interaction, whether with nature or personal memories, brings Jim closer to understanding what he has missed in life.

The game's beautiful visuals perfectly complement its serene atmosphere. Each level is designed to immerse players in Jim's world, while subtle changes in the environment reflect his emotional growth. The landscapes gradually reveal their inner beauty, symbolizing Jim's journey toward peace and inner balance.

Path to Serenity can be wishlisted on Steam today.

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As Milly Sommerville, a detached and impassive tattoo artist of Nortown, you are entrusted with capturing the essence of the neighborhood through your designs. Yet, carrying the weight and bitterness of your troubled history, you’ve long abandoned attention to the world around you. Once-vibrant community, now faces imminent demolition to make way for a bustling commercial hub. Its residents must find new directions for their lives.

Inkression invites you into a first-person exploration of a familiar urban landscape initially depicted in monochrome. Traverse the streets of Nortown, reconnect with old acquaintances, and unravel their personal struggles. Witness Milly’s journey as she faces questions about the depth of our perceptions and gradually rediscovers the vibrancy of her surroundings.

As Milly, you will record, remember, and refamiliarize yourself with the people of Nortown through her impressions. Each interaction with residents, shop owners, or visitors reveals their unique decisions and stories, helping Milly create meaningful tattoo designs that capture the essence of their lives. Inkression features over ten distinct characters, each with a unique storyline. Additionally, location-based minigames highlight the inner lives of each character, offering deeper insights into their experiences.

You can play the demo version of this game here, and it will available for PC via Steam 31st December 2025.

The post Inkression looks amazing and offers a compelling narrative about a tattoo artist first appeared on IndieGames.