Just like in the Victoria series from Paradox Interactive, you command a chosen nation, guiding it through diplomacy, industrialization, and warfare to achieve global dominance. The game’s world is alive and interactive, letting you place cities, railways, and buildings anywhere on the map, shaping your nation’s growth with precision.

Hooded Horse CEO Tim Bender stated: “We love grand strategy games, and Gilded Destiny is shaping up to be one of the most exciting titles in the genre.” Aquila co-founder Kenneth Mei added: “Partnering with Hooded Horse will gild the road ahead, helping us realize our vision for a living world with deep military and economic systems.”

Funded by a Kickstarter campaign that raised over $150,000 from 2,300 backers, Gilded Destiny is targeting an Early Access launch in late 2026.

The post Grand Strategy Gilded Destiny To Be Published By Hooded Horse first appeared on IndieGames.

Positioned as a competitor to The Sims, it promises a cozy, creative, and highly customizable experience where players craft characters, build homes, and manage their lives in an open-world town. Think of it as a spiritual successor to early Sims games, focusing on detailed building, storytelling, and daily life with a softer, painterly art style.

Unlike The Sims’ expansive DLC model, Paralives commits to no paid DLC, offering free updates post-launch to expand features. However, as the studio stated on their Steam page, it will be priced at 39.99$ for Early Access, with a planned price increase after the initial phase.

Everything we can expect from its features

Paralives Early Access version will have a solid foundation but not all planned features:

• Live Mode: Core systems like relationships, interactions, emotions, and daily needs (hunger, hygiene) for Parafolk. You’ll manage their lives, from work to socializing, in an open-world neighborhood.
• Build Mode: Highly flexible tools for home construction, featuring curved walls, customizable furniture, and precise resizing/coloring options, and allows freeform building.
• Paramaker: Deep character creation with extensive customization for appearance, clothing, and personalities.
• Mod Support: Day-one modding tools, encouraging community creations.
• Content: A variety of furniture, decor, and family types (single parents, large families, platonic groups), with a focus on diversity and queer inclusion.

However, some features will be missing at launch, to be added via free updates:

• Babies and toddlers (though older children are included).
• Pets.
• Advanced relationship mechanics (complex family dynamics).
• Expanded career and world interactions.

Should You Look Forward to it?

After years of The Sims dominating the market, with inZOI just starting to gain traction, Paralives offers a new perspective. It features charming, cozy aesthetics and focuses on fundamental building and storytelling. Its open-world town and tactile build mode feel like a tribute to early Sims fans. Other that, Paralives doesn’t really feel artifical like the Sims.

A major draw is the promise of free updates, a welcome change from The Sims’ costly expansion packs. Paralives’ build mode does offer proper flexibility with curved walls, custom sizing, and detailed decor, outshining many competitors. If you love designing homes, this could be a dream sandbox. The developers have also built trust through six years of transparent updates via Patreon and social media.

However, you should still be wary of the game. As with any Early Access title, Paralives won’t be complete at launch. Missing features like babies, pets, or refined relationships might disappoint some. Unlike The Sims’ massive EA backing or inZOI’s Krafton resources, Paralives Studio is a small indie team. While their passion is evident, content depth and polish may take time to match larger competitors.

Early Access often brings technical issues. If you’re sensitive to glitches, you might prefer waiting for post-launch patches. Paralives isn’t aiming for The Sims’ scope but a more focused, cozy experience. If you crave expansive gameplay (like complex careers or world events), it might feel limited at first. Remember, Early Access means it’s still a work in progress.

The post Paralives Is Releasing in December 2025, Should You Look Forward to It? first appeared on IndieGames.

You play as a sorcerer from a forbidden line of horticultural mages, returning to your family’s abandoned castle in Chandley village. Here, gardening isn’t ordinary: you’ll grow everyday plants like runner beans and turnips alongside mystical ones like thunder-calling taran. Your goal is to restore the castle’s tangled grounds by placing garden beds, decorations, and cozy spots, nurturing both mundane and magical plants from seed to harvest.

The game’s open world is alive with uncanny spirits and old powers in which you’ll also meet a cast of various villagers, each with their own stories. Evening activities include reading ancient books by candlelight, cooking new recipes, or drinking tea with the god in your chimney. However, the world follows the Covenant of the Hearth: lights go out at night, and the Mara, otherworldly beings, rule the darkness.

The post Mandrake is a blend of Mirthwood and Perennial Order, but it's a true fantasy farming sim first appeared on IndieGames.

Forget The Sims and Inzoi for a moment; Small Spaces offers a different kind of creative gameplay. Jokes aside, while it’s not as advanced for structural building, it provides a charming and cozy interior design experience. You’ll fill pre-made spaces and rooms, selecting furniture, decorations, and layouts to optimize limited areas. The game looks amazing, and you unlock more items as you play. Early Access currently includes three room styles, ranging from industrial to Japanese, along with a shop to acquire new items.

Simple building process

When I mention “progress,” it means completing client requests for each of the nine apartments. These are loose objectives, like adding a workspace or a cozy reading nook. Clients might also ask for specific items, such as a sofa, a TV, or even a painting collection, to earn stars that you use in shops. The biggest plus is that there’s a huge catalog of furniture and decor, ranging from beds and sofas to plants, kitchen utensils, and sewing accessories.

Items are placed using a simple drag-and-drop interface, with options to rotate, paint, and adjust them for tight spaces. A “snap-to-grid” system ensures precise placement, and a one-click painting tool handles walls, floors, and surfaces. The game emphasizes modular design, letting you create clever solutions like loft beds or foldable tables to maximize functionality. You can even fit objects inside each other, such as an oven in a cabinet or a stove on top of it.

You can personalize spaces further with indirect lighting, plants, or wall art, creating unique layouts like open-plan kitchens. My biggest complaint, however, is that while redesigning apartments with different styles adds replayability, the lack of a sandbox mode at Early Access launch limits freeform creativity. You can’t truly make your own small spaces and homes from scratch, essentially forcing you to complete the game before fully enjoying all unlocked items.

“There’s a huge catalog of furniture and decor, ranging from beds and sofas to plants.”

Cozy and relaxing, though it has some bugs

Small Spaces does have its share of bugs. For instance, I got stuck in a doorway when switching from top-down to first-person view, and opening doors felt clumsy. Another bug I encountered involved items getting stuck, making them impossible to properly select and delete. Beyond the bugs, some players might find their PC struggling with the game’s graphics as the 3D-rendered apartments are richly detailed, with realistic wood grains, fabric patterns, and metallic finishes.

While highly advanced and realistic, there’s also some visual clutter, such as odd lighting on flat surfaces. The UI also feels clumsy; when you delete an item, you’re not returned to the menu of clicked objects, forcing you to re-click and scroll, which is a bit annoying. Finally, there’s a day and night cycle, but I couldn’t find a way to change it automatically.

Let’s be honest, the progression system feels sparse; you can unlock everything rather quickly, in about two hours, without much effort. While there’s no story, the Early Access version shows great potential for future additions, from a larger catalog of objects to even modding possibilities, which might allow players to add their own creations.

“While highly advanced and realistic, there’s also some visual clutter.”

Worth it if you’re fan of cozy games

If you’re not into cozy games or want more than just decorating, this game isn’t for you. Its gameplay is purely relaxing and engaging, offering a satisfying creative experience for those who enjoy spatial design. In the end, Small Spaces is totally worth it and fun to experiment with. It could truly become a proper hidden gem if it fulfills all its Early Access plans.

Review copy provided by the publisher

4.2

The post Small Spaces – Cozy and relaxing interior builder first appeared on IndieGames.

Whether you play solo or with friends, Farever encourages cooperative play. You can assemble a party to tackle enemies, clear dungeons, and face dynamic world events like Rift Invasions, where hordes of foes test your teamwork. Content scales with group size and roles, ensuring balanced and engaging battles against bosses or invasions.

Farever’s combat is fast and highly customizable, launching with 10 character classes (four in Early Access) across tank, support, and DPS roles. With over 100 weapons, each tied to unique skills, you can create countless personalized builds.

The game also offers non-combat activities. You can take on jobs like blacksmithing or cooking, gathering rare resources across Siagarta to craft powerful gear, accessories, and unique weapons. Exploration is equally rewarding, with platforming challenges, environmental puzzles, and dangerous dungeons scattered across the world.

The post New Co-Op RPG Farever Announced by Wartales and Northgard Devs first appeared on IndieGames.

In Renown, up to 100 players per server compete in a medieval world where every resource and stronghold is up for grabs. You’ll start with basic tools and scavenge materials to build everything from simple shelters to fortresses. You’ll also craft siege weapons like catapults and battering rams to break through enemy defenses. The game’s skill-based combat, inspired by titles like Chivalry 2, demands precision in both one-on-one duels and large battles.

Customization is a core part of Renown’s appeal, letting you personalize your experience down to the smallest details. You can modify everything from your weapons and armor to your strongholds with unique patterns, emblems, skins, and colors, crafting a distinct identity for yourself and your clan. This freedom also extends to combat, where an array of period-accurate weapons like swords, axes, and bows offer diverse playstyles.

The post Medieval Survival Game Renown Just Dropped a New Trailer first appeared on IndieGames.

Combat in Netherworld Covenant demands precision, not button-mashing. You’ll need to master parries, dodges, and an Ethereal Dash to avoid incoming attacks, aiming for critical hits at just the right moment. This risk-reward system punishes mistakes, making stamina management crucial against varied enemies like beast hunters, archers, and even soul-devouring ones.

The Soul Companion system allows you to summon allies such as Swordsmen, Rangers, Guardians, or Rogues. Each companion has unique abilities, letting you bypass obstacles, ambush enemies, or evade powerful attacks. With over 100 skill combos, 15 main weapons, and five sub-weapons, you have plenty of options to craft diverse builds that match your preferred playstyle.

Exploration in Netherworld Covenant happens within procedurally generated labyrinths. The Early Access version features four distinct chapters: Dungeons, Village, Coastal Fishing Hamlet, and Black Tower. Each chapter boasts unique landscapes, two elite bosses, and a final chapter boss. Defeating bigger enemies, such as giant beasts or fallen heroes, grants temporary boosts and resources, helping you improve your progress.

Between runs, you’ll return to a borderland camp where you can craft demon-blood weapons, gather supplies, and form new spectral allies. Developers at MadGoat Game Studio plan to add new chapters, weapons, relics, and difficulty levels while fixing bugs.

The post Soulslike Roguelike Title Netherworld Covenant Deserves Your Attention first appeared on IndieGames.

Whether tackling the mess solo or teaming up with up to three friends online, the game has a touch of mischief, you can accidentally (or not-so-accidentally) make things messier. Dungeons are dark and dangerous, filled with active traps and roaming monsters, so stay alert while using tools like the slime-topped mop, mimic or slime dispensers to clean blood from floors and ceilings.

Additionally, you’ll repair broken objects like barrels and crates, placing them back to keep the dungeon’s authentic vibe. Resetting traps is essential, but watch out, some stay active and can surprise careless goblins. You’ll also respawn creatures, clear their remains, and handle monsters, while refilling treasure chests with loot prepares the dungeon for future adventurers.

Team17 producer Louis Reeve said: “Crisalu Games has been great to work with, and their passion for delivering a fun dungeon-cleaning experience shines through! We’re thrilled for players to dive into Goblin Cleanup and start their shift — just watch your step!” A Kickstarter campaign in October 2024, backed by over 3,000 supporters, unlocked rewards like a custom boombox, photo mode, and themed dungeons.

The post Chaotic Co-Op Game Goblin Cleanup Launches in Steam Early Access This August 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.

Set in a post-apocalyptic quarantine zone ravaged by the Zeno-29 virus, DREADZONE has players gathering resources, crafting tools, building shelters, and battling zombies, mutants, animals, and other humans in a harsh open world. With first-person combat, base building, and co-op multiplayer, it offers a tense and atmospheric experience.

The post Dreadzone Got Delayed Again, Now Releasing in July first appeared on IndieGames.