Echoes of the End follows Ryn, a young woman with unstable magical powers, on a desperate quest to save her brother as an empire teeters on the brink of war. Alongside Abram Finlay, a troubled scholar, Ryn uncovers a conspiracy that risks unleashing an ancient conflict and plunging Aema into chaos. The story, driven with themes of trust, sacrifice, and redemption, unfolds across ten hand-crafted chapters filled with cinematic moments, memorable characters, and choices.

Powered by Unreal Engine 5 and full performance motion capture, Echoes of the End comes to life with a talented cast, including Aldís Amah Hamilton as Ryn and Karl Ágúst Úlfsson as Abram. Combat blends magic and steel, letting you master fast-paced swordplay with Ryn’s powerful magical abilities to face human enemies and monstrous foes.

Epic boss battles call for strategy and skill, while Ryn’s powers also help solve puzzles and overcome environmental challenges by manipulating gravity, casting illusions, and reshaping the world around her.

The post Cinematic Adventure Echoes of the End Brings Iceland’s Magic to Life, Launching This Summer on PC and Consoles first appeared on IndieGames.

Rescue Ops: Wildfire places you in control of an authentic fleet of firefighting vehicles, including fire engines, helicopters, and water bombers. You’ll navigate to incident sites, rescue trapped civilians, clear forests with specialized equipment, and tackle flames head-on using immersive water hose systems. Every decision matters as you coordinate tactical support, such as calling in aerial water drops or setting up defense lines to contain the fire’s spread.

The game features two modes: campaign and sandbox. The campaign mode drops you into fire season with diverse wildfire scenarios across vast, real-world-inspired locations. In sandbox mode, you can test your skills against bigger, unscripted wildfires. Exkee has big plans for the Rescue Ops franchise. Wildfire is just the beginning, with the studio looking to expand into urban fire operations and other emergency rescue jobs.

Rescue Ops: Wildfire is set to release in late 2025 for PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, and Xbox consoles.

The post Rescue Ops: Wildfire might just be the game to ignite a new era of firefighting sims first appeared on IndieGames.

For starters, Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is an isometric, narrative-driven puzzle game that is set to release on July 15, 2025, for PC (Steam, Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, and is currently running its demo version during Steam Next Fest. Set in the fictional Nordic-inspired city of Eriksholm in the early 1900s, the game follows Hanna, a young orphan, and her allies Alva and Sebastian, as they unravel the mystery behind her brother Herman’s disappearance.

The stealth gameplay is solid and enjoyable

The demo for Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream lets us play through the first two chapters, introducing us to Hanna. She’s a nimble, slender protagonist who can take down police officers with poison darts. With a freely adjustable camera for scouting, you have ample freedom to approach stealth scenarios and learn enemy patrol patterns. The game balances slow-paced stealth, allowing you to explore and find collectibles, with fast-paced moments that demand quick reactions.

Environmental cues are crucial in this game. Noisy grates, breakable lights, and loud doors all demand your attention, while character abilities are key to remaining undetected. Levels, though fairly linear, offer multiple solutions. Context-sensitive elements, like guard chatter, provide vital hints for stealth routes: you can eavesdrop to learn patrol patterns or create distractions, like scaring off birds from a specific spot. The game’s deliberate pacing rewards patience and planning over direct action, but it does occasionally stretch out, making some levels feel a bit sluggish.

Eriksholm is far more than just gameplay; its narrative and story take center stage. This is brought to life through pre-rendered cutscenes featuring motion-captured performances, complemented by engaging in-game NPC interactions and rich environmental storytelling. Even the clothing in the game is handcrafted, and every visual detail is rendered with such care that the game practically begs you to pause and admire its world. The subtle facial shifts and fluid, human-like movements are a clear testament to the quality of the motion-captured performances.

Visually stunning, thanks to Unreal Engine 5

In-game dialogue also integrates into exploration, with NPCs providing casual banter or subtle quest hints. Townsfolk might crack jokes or simply chat with Hanna, suggesting a world where everyone knows her. While dialogue choices are limited, you can dive deeper into the lore by reading scattered letters and checking your journal. The English voice acting is great too, offering believable performances, though some secondary NPCs could use more vocal variety.

The game takes an unforgiving, stealth-first approach: detection means instant game over. However, lenient checkpoints help mitigate frustration. While repeating certain sequences can be a bit annoying, the game is fair, quickly getting you back into the action and better prepared for the next attempt. Additionally, Eriksholm is surprisingly forgiving with its detection cues. It feels more like a real-world experience than a UI-clogged screen, allowing you to play and strategize in your own unique way.

Eriksholm is visually stunning, thanks to Unreal Engine 5’s MetaHuman technology and Lumen lighting, which create cinematic cutscenes and incredibly detailed environments. The game’s Nordic-inspired city, modeled after 1900s Gothenburg, Stockholm, and Malmö, truly shines with its streets, dreary undergrounds, and atmospheric lighting. This is where the game excels, even though I did experience some FPS drops from time to time so optimization is decent for now.

Reasons to be cautious

Despite its promising visuals and decent stealth in the demo, I’m still quite cautious about Eriksholm. My main concern is that the gameplay might become repetitive or overstretched. It’s also unclear how significant other characters will be, or if our choices will genuinely impact the ending. Also, I didn’t stumble upon on any bugs during my playthrough.

While the demo is an excellent test drive, I’m still wondering how Eriksholm will perform on a wider range of PCs. Playing on maximum graphical settings was stunning, but I suspect it might be a challenge for lower-end systems. Regardless, with its Nordic inspiration and Nordcurrent Labs as publisher, this game clearly has immense ambition. I can’t wait to see the full product.

The post [PREVIEW] Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is a brilliant stealth game with pre-rendered cutscenes first appeared on IndieGames.

In Infinitesimals, you play as the leader of an elite alien ship, stranded on a mysterious planet. Reduced to bug size, you navigate a massive landscape where ordinary plants like mushrooms become significant barriers. Unlike Obsidian’s Grounded, which focuses on surviving against bugs, Infinitesimals introduces a broader range of dangers.

Beyond the local wildlife, you’ll face Hunter Gatherers, enemies dominating the planet. As you search for missing team members and uncover the fate of a lost colony, the game weaves a tale of survival and exploration. Cubit Studios, debuting with this project, draws clear inspiration from sci-fi classics. Additionally, the advanced robotics of an alien civilization add a layer of intrigue; some machines will attack, while others hint at deeper mysteries.

The post Sci-Fi Action from a Bug’s Perspective Infinitesimals Releases in 2026 for PC and Consoles first appeared on IndieGames.

The reveal trailer introduced you to Cel, a young combat technician. Her task is to unravel the mysteries of an underground facility. As Cel navigates this abandoned world, you’ll face monstrous creatures and a haunting environment where nothing is human. Survival demands adaptability, with tense combat and a system for upgrading gear to battle twisted horrors. Much like Little Nightmares, End of Abyss prioritizes exploration, but it sets itself apart with branching pathways and hidden areas that deepen the game’s eerie allure.

End of Abyss stood out during the showcase, grabbing attention with its unique top-down FPS view. This style has drawn comparisons to Playdead’s Inside. It is set to release in 2026 on PC via the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.

The post End of Abyss Revealed Official Trailer Following Multiple Teases at Summer Game Fest 2025 first appeared on IndieGames.

In Out of Words, you control Kurt and Karla, two friends on the brink of romance who have mysteriously lost their ability to speak. Their mission is to find these lost words to save their relationship and the strange world they inhabit. The game demands teamwork, requiring cooperation to solve puzzles and overcome platforming challenges. Whether playing through online crossplay or local couch co-op, the experience emphasizes synergy, with every moment testing coordination and trust.

The game’s presentation is outstanding, featuring handmade visuals brought to life with stop-motion animation. This 2D adventure bursts with personality, with every environment and character carefully crafted to evoke the charm of picture books. The nonverbal narrative relies on expressive animations and an uplifting soundtrack to convey emotional depth, creating an experience that touches you without a single spoken word.

The post Touching Co-op Adventure Out of Words Unveiled at Summer Game Fest first appeared on IndieGames.

Mixtape follows three friends on their final adventure, guided by a perfectly curated playlist of 80s and 90s hits featuring iconic bands like DEVO, Roxy Music, The Smashing Pumpkins, Joy Division, and Siouxsie and the Banshees. This soundtrack fuels a series of dreamy vignettes, each highlighting key teenage moments: first kisses, late-night mischief, skateboarding, fireworks, and sneaking into abandoned theme parks.

The trailer, packed with amazing visuals, captures the era’s spirit, blending nostalgic realism with dreamlike, fantastical moments that evoke the emotional highs of adolescence. Echoing Life is Strange, the game uses abstract storytelling to amplify the pivotal moments shaping its characters. The distinctive style of Beethoven & Dinosaur, seen in the psychedelic flair of The Artful Escape, shines through in this title as well.

The post Nostalgična ’80-ih tinejdžerska avantura Mixtape ukrala je pozornost na ovogodišnjem Summer Game Festu first appeared on IndieGames.

The announcement wasn’t a complete surprise, as there had been prior rumors about a game tied to the Wu-Tang Clan. As early as 2021, Jeff Grubb mentioned a project codenamed “Project Shaolin” in his leak, describing it as a hip-hop-inspired action game with dungeon crawler elements involving the Wu-Tang Clan, reportedly initially linked to Xbox Game Studios.

In Wu-Tang: Rise of the Deceiver, you enter a surreal, afro-futuristic version of Shaolin, a dream world under siege by a corrupting force known as the Deceiver. Led by Ghostface Killah, up to three players team up to rescue Wu-Tang Clan members, using their mystical powers to battle enemy creatures across increasingly challenging levels.

The game emphasizes customization, letting you create unique combat styles and outfits with powerful abilities. Additionally, the soundtrack features reimagined Wu-Tang classics like “C.R.E.A.M.” alongside new tracks, dynamically shifting with the action.

The post Hip-hop action RPG Wu-Tang: Rise of the Deceiver debuted at Summer Game Fest first appeared on IndieGames.

The game aims to capture the tactile joy of connecting LEGO bricks, letting you control two bricks on a mission to save an abandoned spaceship while navigating colorful environments. Its nonverbal story explores themes of friendship and imagination, paired with a soothing atmospheric soundtrack.

The goal is to team up to solve puzzles and overcome platforming challenges, meaning LEGO Voyagers supports both local split-screen and online play. The trailer also highlighted a Friend’s Pass, allowing anyone to join the full co-op experience for free if one player owns the game. Intuitive mechanics, like flipping and building with LEGO bricks as you move, bring the playful spirit of iconic LEGO bricks to life.

The post Charming Co-op Adventure LEGO Voyagers Releases Later This Year for PC and Consoles first appeared on IndieGames.

Growing up in a Croatian household and watching Turkish TV series like One Thousand and One Nights and Suleiman the Magnificent with my mother and grandmother made me realize the beauty of the language and the richness of Turkish culture. This connection is even deeper as Croatian has many words borrowed from Turkish, a legacy of our centuries-long history with the Ottoman Empire and its cultural influence. So when I heard about Ertugrul of Ulukayin, well, let’s just say I was intrigued.

Ertugrul of Ulukayin is a game that takes you back to 13th-century Anatolia, specifically the Ahlat region. It follows Ertugrul, Turgut, and Meryem, warriors of the Kayı tribe, as they defend their people against Mongol invasion, a secretive corrupt order, and mythical creatures. All while seeking Ertugrul’s missing brother and the “Key of the World”, an artifact tied to justice or ruination.

It aims to be a cinematic third-person action-adventure with RPG elements, but it didn’t convince me it’s worth getting right now. It feels very much like an Early Access title, perhaps too early. The game is plagued with bugs, stiff animations, and clunky combat and movement. After finishing the first chapter, I was dissapointed. While it looks good and genuinely tries to charm you with its cultural elements and full Turkish voice acting, it’s simply not a complete game yet. It’s a mess.

Intriguing concept, but the story feels confusing and unclear

The core gameplay and world of Ertugrul of Ulukayin are already in place, offering a glimpse of what to expect from the full release. Early Access will undoubtedly help the game grow through player feedback. It features a semi-open world, both melee and ranged combat, crafting, and cinematic cutscenes that blend folklore with reality. While this is clearly a passion project, having played a vast number of indie games, I believe this title is far too ambitious and broadly scoped for a smaller studio.

Honestly, the cinematic cutscenes are terrible. The mouth movements don’t match the spoken dialogue. While some voice acting is good, other parts, especially when multiple characters are screaming or singing, are not. The audio itself is poorly aligned, with some moments too quiet, others too loud, and sometimes the music drowns out the dialogue. The animations are incredibly stiff, lacking any dynamic movement; everything feels pre-coded and simply doesn’t look good. The same applies to optimization. A game running at 40 FPS on “Very High Settings” is a big red flag for me.

Furthermore, most in-game scenes make no sense whatsoever. One moment you’re riding a horse through a forest, collecting plants for healing (the crafting system, by the way, often fails to work or open), and then suddenly there’s a massive stone hill? Out of nowhere, Mongols appear on the other side, and despite seemingly sneaking up on them, there are no stealth moments – just instant, illogical fighting. In the end, the story feels disjointed and poorly paced.

“The animations are incredibly stiff, lacking any dynamic movement.”

Combat feels unmemorable

I’m not expecting an Assassin’s Creed-level open world, but the game’s obstacles, climbing, and movement feel purposeless. For example, you might encounter a stack of boxes you’re forced to destroy to proceed, even when a clear path through nearby blankets is inexplicably blocked. This game would be significantly better with more freedom, rather than forcing you to blindly follow a linear story. Adding to the frustration, nothing is properly explained; you’re just thrown in, expected to know characters and relationships without any context.

Ertugrul of Ulukayin features light and heavy attacks, blocks, and dodges, with each character having special abilities. However, these abilities feel pointless; it’s unclear when or how they’re charged. The combat, while functional, is forgettable. There’s a lack of dynamic interaction. Heavy attacks must be dodged, and light attacks can’t be properly parried. Despite facing human enemies, you can’t “stun” them out of attacking. Since attacks are color-coded, and even kicking them doesn’t stop their momentum, you don’t have much combat freedom.

To make matters worse, you often face scenarios with 100 Mongols attacking you while your allies stand idle. Combat could have been great if it were more fluid and dynamic, but it isn’t. You can simply spam light attacks to win, and once hit, it’s impossible to escape damage. Currently, it’s merely functional, with special final attack scenes that look flashy but are ultimately unsatisfying, as enemies are simply “ghosted” through rather than dismembered.

“Features light and heavy attacks, blocks, and dodges, with each character having special abilities.”

Needs more work to be truly enjoyable

Chapter One doesn’t do the game justice. There’s no emphasis on crafting or side quests; you’re simply pushed through the story. Some interesting ideas, like a precise button-press mechanic, are used only several times and then abandoned. Imagine how much better a complete cutscene built around that concept could have been.

I can see that the game is packed with historical, mythological, and cultural details, with authentic Turkish voiceovers and unique characters. However, these positives are overshadowed by numerous issues. Some Mongols are bald with no hair, text is missing in certain sequences, and there are huge blocks of text crammed into one space. The negative aspects far outweigh the positive ones.

Ultimately, I don’t think this title is worth your time right now. It’s very rough around the edges, more like a vertical slice than a proper Early Access title. While it clearly aims to secure income for development, it’s an incredibly ambitious project, and I’m concerned it may not reach the quality needed to compete with other games in its genre. It’s a great passion project, but right now, it’s simply too early.

“Packed with historical, mythological, and cultural details, with authentic Turkish voiceovers.”

Review copy provided by the publisher

2.5

The post Ertugrul of Ulukayin – Ambitious yet underwhelming Turkish action-adventure first appeared on IndieGames.