This game blends open-world exploration with fast-paced hack-and-slash combat, sending you across diverse landscapes, from forests and caverns to treacherous, storm-swept regions. Along the way, you’ll battle goblins, monsters, and other foes determined to wipe out the last dwarves. Our draw hero is wielding a range of weapons and skills, highlighting the game’s dynamic and customizable fighting styles.

Beyond combat, Regions of Ruin: Runegate emphasizes rebuilding and community. As you journey, you’ll meet dwarven allies in need of help, offering aid to recruit them to your cause. By gathering resources like ore and timber, you can construct new facilities, unlock advanced technologies, and create a safe haven for your kin. The trailer revealed glimpses of base-building mechanics, showing how you transform barren lands into thriving settlements.

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Drawing inspiration from “rubber hose” animation of classic cartoons like Mickey Mouse, Tom and Jerry, and early Looney Tunes, Into the Unwell immerses you in a cartoonish dream. The game’s visual elements also craft a psychedelic world filled with anthropomorphic enemies and bizarre environments. Unlike Cuphead, which shares a similar retro influence, Into the Unwell features 3D combat and platforming, offering a fresh take on the genre with dynamic movement and intense battles.

Additionally, expect boss fights and environmental challenges. You can dive into this chaos solo or team up with four friends in co-op as you battle waves of enemies. The gameplay leans into the quirky and wild, with Coffee Stain describing the combat as “as bizarre as it is belligerent.” This mix of cooperative action and unpredictable challenges ensures each playthrough feels unique.

The post Psychedelic Roguelike Into the Unwell Debuts at Summer Game Fest first appeared on IndieGames.

In VOIN, you are an elemental warrior created by a mysterious mage, tasked with cutting through a plague-ravaged dark fantasy world to cleanse it of corruption. The Permafrost expansion throws you into the Athenium, a vast blizzard-swept region of snow-covered mountains and ice giants. “This place doesn’t offer a warm welcome,” Sozidar says in his devlog, and the trailer’s glimpses of towering enemies and treacherous terrain undeniably confirm this.

A major highlight is the new character progression system, centered on the Reflected Tree of Talents—a literal tree located in the Hall of Reflection. By collecting “Soul Fruits” during missions, you unlock passive skills, such as sprinting. In other words, you’ll have a wide array of combinations to experiment with within the game.

The post Hack & Slash igra VOIN uskoro će dobiti veliko Permafrost proširenje first appeared on IndieGames.

You’ll be following three robots trying to find their own way in a pretty bleak, future world. If you’re into games like NieR: Automata or Devil May Cry, this one might be right up your alley as it’s promising some serious action wrapped in a story that could really stick with you, or so the Steam page hints. You also get support drones, called V-Units, that can shoot up close or from far away, so you’ve got options when you’re swarmed by bad guys.

The story in V.A Proxy sounds like it’s got some weight to it, with different ways it can end and choices that actually matter. It’s set in this dark, sci-fi future but also seems to be digging into some deeper, philosophical ideas. The new demo on Steam showed off some new stuff like a “dream mechanic,” new weapons to play with, and some revamped boss fights.

You can really see the love and effort solo developer PyroLith has put into how V.A Proxy looks. He’s even getting some support for the game through Patreon. The visuals have this really specific vibe, it reminds me a bit of the lonely, mechanical feel of Kenshi, mixed with the sort of worn-out, almost bruised look you see in The Signal from Tölva.You can really see the love and effort solo developer PyroLith has put into how V.A Proxy looks. He’s even getting some support for the game through Patreon. The visuals have this really specific vibe, it reminds me a bit of the lonely, mechanical feel of Kenshi, mixed with the sort of worn-out, almost bruised look you see in The Signal from Tölva.

The post V.A Proxy Promises Fast-Paced Combat in a Unique Decaying World first appeared on IndieGames.

It’s been a while since I enjoyed a roguelite game that’s more than just wandering and watching the game play itself. Hordes of Hunger has some of that, but it’s much more engaging. This title drops you into a dark fantasy world where survival depends on defeating relentless waves of monstrous enemies and while it has some great moments, being in Early Access means some aspects could definitely use polish and improvement.

Fidget spinner type of gameplay

You play as Mirah, a warrior and the last hope against this evil, tasked with defending her homeland and saving others from different enemy types that can attack you from close or from afar with repetitive guardians that kill the fun. Unlike Vampire Survivors, which leans on passive gameplay, this game puts you in direct control of combat. You manually attack enemies, though an experimental mode lets you focus on movement while your character auto-attacks.

In Hordes of Hunger, you fight with light attacks, heavy “Beyblade spin” attacks, dodges, parries, and special abilities. You can choose from various weapons like swords and hammers to create fun builds, such as a vampire build that heals while dashing and killing enemies, an elemental build with thunder, fire, or holy magic, or a speed-focused build boosting attack and movement.

There’s plenty to explore, but the gameplay can feel repetitive since there’s not much content currently available, with some play styles, like the overpowered vampire build, being far stronger than others. While you have multiple ways to fight, dashing and dodging are quick and effective that also come with great upgrades. Parrying, however, is trickier. You time a yellow circle to hit enemies, although fairly easy to land, but if you miss, it leaves you stuck for two seconds in one place, making you vulnerable to enemy attacks, meaning dodging is a much safer and stronger choice.

As you level up, you choose one of three randomized abilities – physical (like extra strikes), elemental (like lightning auras), or magical (like divine contracts) – to boost your combat skills. The environments also provide tactical options, such as chokepoints, high ground, and breakable structures, but these have little impact since monsters tend to swarm openly.

“In Hordes of Hunger, you fight with light attacks, heavy ‘Beyblade spin’ attacks, dodges, parries, and special abilities.”

Early Access = Missing content

In each run, you complete objectives like killing enemies, escorting donkeys, or destroying nests to advance toward a boss fight, with only two boss types available so far. After objectives, a short break lets you collect EXP or healing items and find chests that give unique rewards, offering a moment to strategize. However, the objectives can feel very repetitive, and the limited boss variety reduces the hopes of getting a proper challenge. Runs end with either victory or death, sending you back to the Sanctum, a hub where you use feathers (a permanent currency) to buy stat boosts or new weapons.

The gameplay in Hordes of Hunger is highly satisfying, packed with dynamic action that keeps you on edge, constantly spamming attacks and abilities to survive. This kind of intense, engaging combat hooks you instantly. However, the more you play, the less likely you are to return because the game currently offers only two maps. Each map section and its story take about 30-40 minutes to complete, including objectives and the boss fight. While finishing everything takes around 4-5 hours, with some failures if your build isn’t the best, the game feels short on content.

In the Sanctum, you interact with NPCs like Father (offering perks), Mother (providing food and buffs), and the Workshop (for weapon crafting), while advancing the story through quests and rescues. The story feels mysterious, with characters like the prisoners hinting at deeper lore. However, in the Early Access build, the lack of cutscenes or a clear narrative arc leaves dialogues feeling disjointed and contextless. Repeated conversations between Mirah and the father also become slightly annoying. Additionally, the codex helps by providing text explanations of the game’s elements, letting you explore its world.

My biggest issue with Hordes of Hunger is the awkward camera, with Mirah positioned too high and off-center, making panning feel clunky. The game needs significant polish: loading times are noticeable, character movements feel stiff, and menus, especially the weapon crafting interface, lack clarity. Voice-subtitle desync and grainy resolution also hurt the experience. While the voice acting is decent, the repetitive dialogue, as mentioned earlier, really drags down the overall experience. The game also experiences slight stuttering at the highest resolution and graphics settings, which feel poorly optimized.

“The gameplay in Hordes of Hunger is highly satisfying, packed with dynamic action.”

Definitely worth a try

Having played the demo before, I knew what to expect, but Hordes of Hunger still needs more content to enhance the gameplay experience. Its responsive swordplay, Dark Souls-inspired visuals, and varied objectives form an addictive loop that fans of Vampire Survivors will enjoy, making it a promising roguelite title. Plus, its budget-friendly price makes it an appealing choice for genre enthusiasts.

Review copy provided by the publisher

3.8

The post [Early Access] Hordes of Hunger – Obećavajuća survivor-like roguelite igra first appeared on IndieGames.

In Hordes of Hunger, you play as Mirah, a brave warrior defending her homeland from the Beast, a sinister force, and its monstrous hordes. Rising from the sea, this ravenous evil has ravaged the land. Mirah uses powerful weapons and abilities to fight, save survivors, and uncover the source of the evil. The game mixes fast-paced third-person hack-and-slash combat with a rich story and high-quality production, standing out in its genre.

A new Steam demo is available, showcasing expanded skill trees, weapon upgrades, and deeper character growth. It also features a smoother parry system with better animations and clear cues. In the full game, you will be able to create unique builds with varied weapons and attacks, from swift swordplay to heavy hammer blows. Environments like castle keeps and ruined villages include strategic spots like choke points, high ground, and destructible objects.

Each run in Hordes of Hunger increases the challenge with tougher enemy waves. You can level up to unlock powerful abilities, like flaming sword attacks, lightning-charged landings, or divine powers to defy death. Beyond fighting, you also take on quests to save survivors and complete missions, revealing stories of characters like a guilt-ridden father, a hesitant prisoner, and a battered mother.

The post Hordes of Hunger Slashes Onto Steam Early Access In Two Weeks first appeared on IndieGames.

Get ready for the fight of century! 🎮 Slain is BACK!

We are excited to announce our partnership with @MrAwolf to bring you the latest chapter in this intense, metal saga.

Stay tuned and don't forget to Wishlist to receive the latest updates! ⚔️🐺🌕https://t.co/L75PcmOWqY pic.twitter.com/qYF7oq0Da7

— Silver Lining Int 🦊 SOTN2 out 8 May (@silverliningint) April 16, 2025

In Slain 2: The Beast Within, you play as Prince Akran, the last of the Wolf Knights. Armed with a magical sword named Bathoryn, you’ll fight to save a dying kingdom from evil forces led by the demonic Lord Vroll. It is a hack-and-slash adventure, which means you’ll be slicing through enemies with attacks and using special powers like fire and ice.

The story takes you through three big quests, each with its own creepy locations like haunted castles, ghostly seas, and cursed catacombs. You’ll face off against terrifying enemies, from ancient spirits to giant monsters, in a world that feels straight out of a gothic fairy tale. The game’s art style is stunning, with detailed pixel art that brings the dark landscapes and creatures to life.

Slain 2 brings some fresh mechanics to the table. The werewolf transformation is a big addition, giving you a new way to fight as a ferocious beast. The sentient sword Bathoryn also adds depth, letting you use elemental powers to take down enemies in style. The game’s world is bigger and more detailed, with places like the shadowy streets of Wolftown and misty highlands to explore. Every area is filled with traps and challenges, so you’ll need to stay sharp to survive.

Another new feature we have in Slain2. To make your lives easier or your friends life hell.
Is Player 2 mode. Akran can now free spirits to fight alongside him. Allowing a second player or an A.I to join the Mosh.
Couch Co-op though. Player 2 will take all forms depending on… pic.twitter.com/npZfgtwKcK

— Andrew Gilmour (@MrAwolf) April 17, 2025

The post Merciless New Adventure Awaits in Slain 2: The Beast Within, Coming in 2026 first appeared on IndieGames.

You can now venture into the Vortex to explore the dangerous Obsidian Sanctuary biome, where you’ll face a formidable new boss and its Sentinel minions. This challenging area comes with unique locations, hidden secrets, and original music composed by electronica artist Danger.

To unlock the Obsidian Sanctuary, you must complete a new multi-step quest by helping Carlos, a brand-new character introduced in this update. Carlos not only grants access to the biome but also sheds light on the Ark’s past and its inhabitants, adding new lore to Windblown’s world. This quest is the first of many planned to deepen the game’s story.

The update also brings four new weapons: the Fishing Rod, Sharp Sisters, Sentinel Wings, and Elder Sword. Each weapon offers unique attacks, and critical techniques for you to master. Alongside these, a new Chronos Catch Trinket slows down enemies and projectiles, encouraging you to experiment with creative character builds. For those who love customization, a new Obsidian skin lets Leapers stand out in solo or online co-op.

A new Remains System allows you to recover valuable resources like Cogs, Memonites, and Encrypted Memories lost in previous runs. These can be used to unlock permanent upgrades for future expeditions into the Vortex, but failing to retrieve them means losing them forever. The update also includes new permanent upgrades and quality-of-life improvements, such as enhancements to Revenge mode for online co-op.

The full Sanctuary Update patch notes are available here.

The post Windblown Sanctuary Update Brings New Content and Upgrades first appeared on IndieGames.

Willow Guard is a single-player, story-driven action RPG, set in the fantasy world of Tersa, a land of anthropomorphic animals abandoned by their gods. The game blends hack-and-slash combat, light deckbuilding, and choice-based interactive fiction. You play as Ghweros, a veteran Willowguard tasked with protecting sacred Willow trees and investigating monstrous invasions tied to the fallen Moon Goddess, Louksna.

Story Choices Outweigh Bland Combat

It is split between intense dungeon-crawling battles and slower, dialogue-heavy exploration in the village of Woikos, where choices shape the story and Ghweros’s personality. It offers a 10-20 hour campaign with a branching narrative, plus a story-free Dungeon Run mode for combat-focused play. The core combat is retro-inspired, real-time, but not so challenging. The game is built around slashing, dodging, and casting spells against over 10 enemy types.

However, no matter how different each enemy might be, Willow Guard’s combat quickly becomes repetitive, even after just two hours. The combat is neither unique nor imaginative, and the minimal animations ruin much of the fun. Watching the same basic slashes while enemies remain overly static genuinely ruins the experience. Likewise, the dungeon design feels bland, with a monotonous layout that quickly becomes tedious to navigate. The mini-map only indicates how many zones remain.

There’s little need to time dodges carefully, as enemy attack patterns become predictable after a short while. The game also includes a “Honeybadger Mode”, which slightly boosts stats after deaths to help newcomers, but in truth, it’s unnecessary. Healing plants and skills are plentiful, stamina for card abilities refills quickly, and dying is not punishable enough. The only real threat comes from accidentally stepping on traps, but even then, it’s not a true game over. Instead, you’re simply teleported to the start of the map, forced to redo everything.

As mentioned, the game features a card-crafting system where you equip and upgrade ability cards. While this mechanic is a welcome addition, it suffers from poor explanation, mostly leaving you uncertain how to optimize it properly. The shared resource pool also adds to the further frustration, as Focus is used both for crafting cards and scanning the environment for hidden clue.

Pixel Art Meets Deep Story

Progression is non-traditional: instead of leveling up, you upgrade gear and expand your deck using materials gathered from enemies, dungeons, or quests. But the biggest issue is the unpredictable loot system. Since materials drop randomly from enemies, progression is sometimes baed on luck. You might clear entire dungeons and walk away with almost nothing, only to later stumble into a windfall of rare materials by sheer luck. This inconsistency can leave you stranded, unable to upgrade cards or craft new ones simply because the game refuses to cooperate.

Outside of combat, Willow Guard does have its strengths. The game excels in accessibility, offering smooth and easy navigation as traversal remains effortless whether exploring by day or night. There’s a huge amount of animal NPCs like wolves, badgers, and foxes that you can properly meet through dialogue trees. The Inclination system tracks your choices across four philosophies (empathetic, creed-bound, instinct-driven, or detail-obsessed), shaping Ghweros’s personality and story outcomes. Maintaining good relationships with NPCs is crucial, as your affinity level directly impacts how they treat you. Higher affinity can lead to better rewards, including more gold and improved loot opportunities.

The clue-and-item gathering mechanic adds detective-like depth. You collect hints from conversations or environments to unlock new locations, characters, or secrets, making exploration feel rewarding. The narrative is lore-rich, weaving a tale of absent gods, uplifted animals, and eldritch horrors inspired by the Voynich Manuscript and Cthulhu mythos. However, the sheer amount of reading required may feel overwhelming. While the story itself is merely passable, not particularly gripping or worth investing much time in, it’s surprisingly well thought-out compared to the uninspired combat system.

Willow Guard boasts a hand-drawn, pixel-art style that’s both nostalgic and lush, reminiscent of 16-bit classics like Secret of Mana but with modern polish. However, the game struggles to impress in this department. The color palette often feels dissonant and unappealing, while environmental designs lack variety, many zones blend together with little to distinguish them from one another. The soundtrack is simple, uses chiptune-inspired melodies to set the mood, shifting from serene village themes to tense battle tracks which change from time to time.

Ending Thoughts

Ultimately, Willow Guard is difficult to recommend. In today’s saturated ARPG market filled with higher-quality alternatives, this title settles for being merely “good enough”. While the world-building shows promise outside of combat, the repetitive gameplay loops and underwhelming battle system drag the experience down. The boss fights offer some refreshing moments of creativity, but they can’t compensate for the good storytelling.

That said, genre enthusiasts looking for a authentic indie ARPG experience will find this a worthwhile purchase at its price point. Despite its flaws, Willow Guard offers substantial content; the art style grows on you, the deck-building mechanics reward experimentation, and the NPC relationships develop surprising depth for those willing to invest the time. While not without its rough edges, there’s enough content here to merit a spot on your wishlist for when you’re craving a story-driven adventure.

Review copy provided by the publisher

3.5

The post Willow Guard - Retro Vibe With Shallow Combat Loop first appeared on IndieGames.

Morbid Metal delivers a frenetic action experience where you can switch between four different characters in real time. Each character possesses unique abilities and stylized attacks, allowing for dynamic combos and visually spectacular combat against waves of enemies. The quick-swap mechanic adds fluidity to the battles and requires strategic thinking.

Set in a post-apocalyptic world, the game’s environments range from tech-ravaged ruins to overgrown remnants of human civilization. The levels are semi-procedurally generated, making each run unique. With a wide variety of enemies and powerful bosses, Morbid Metal offers a high level of challenge.

As a classic roguelike, the game combines permadeath with persistent upgrades. While each failure sends you back to the beginning, unlocking new abilities and enhancements ensures that every new attempt feels a bit easier and more powerful.

The post Hack-and-Slash Action Morbid Metal Enters Early Access on Steam This Summer first appeared on IndieGames.