You’ll race through diverse levels and cityscapes like Sonic, battling various enemies along the way. You'll have to utilize flashy, genre-typical directional attacks, master combo moves, and an eight-directional dash mechanic to overcome obstacles. The developer calls this fluid movement system “schmovement,” combining jumping, wall-running, and standard dashing.

The game’s stunning cyberpunk-inspired pixel art and futuristic aesthetic will immediately grab your attention. While inspirations from Mega Man Zero and Celeste are visible, Neon introduces fresh elements through its platforming and combat, along with character personalization options for Neon himself.

The post Lightning-Fast Platformer Advent Neon Arrives on Steam Next Month first appeared on IndieGames.

In SHADE Protocol, a rogue AI force is pushing the world towards total destruction, and you’re the key to stopping it. You’ll control a woman who can switch between two forms: DAWN and SHADE. Each form completely changes your combat style and abilities. Imagine DAWN as quick and agile, perfect for precise attacks, while SHADE unleashes raw, destructive power.

Your weapons, called Instruments, are anything but ordinary – every weapon is tied to a musical theme, making every fight feel like a symphony. The Protocols system is a true game-changer, letting you completely recode your playstyle and even enemies. You can combine specialized code fragments to tweak your attacks, defenses, or abilities, while also being able to hack foes to alter their behavior.

The post Cyber-Fantasy Metroidvania SHADE Protocol Revealed New Trailer, Set for 2026 Release first appeared on IndieGames.

In an interview with Game Rant, producer Yang Bin shared insights into the game’s creative direction, specifically highlighting the decision to use a cel-shaded visual style. Despite its clear soulslike influences, AI Limit introduces innovative mechanics, such as the “Sync Rate” system instead of the traditional stamina bar, making combat more dynamic and rewarding precision.

The post-apocalyptic world of AI Limit comes to life through cel-shading, creating striking visuals. Bin explained that this choice was partly inspired by the manga BLAME! but also motivated by practical reasons—this art style is popular among younger audiences and was also a cost-effective solution for the studio’s first project with a limited budget.

While BLAME! played a key role in shaping the game’s aesthetic, Bin also noted influences from other iconic titles such as Mad Max, Borderlands, BioShock, Fallout, and Metro Exodus. The fusion of these elements helps AI Limit establish a unique identity, blending soulslike combat with deep narrative themes and a visually striking world.

Instead of a traditional stamina system, AI Limit introduces the “Sync Rate” mechanic—the more you attack without taking damage, the stronger you become. This encourages players to closely observe enemy movements, reflecting the development team’s preference for tactically demanding combat systems. While clearly a soulslike game, AI Limit’s innovations ensure it is not just another copy of existing formulas.

As Bin concludes, every game carries the imprint of its creators’ experiences. In the case of AI Limit, this results in a dark cyberpunk atmosphere, intense combat, and a narrative that questions technology’s role in society. This blend of elements is expected to attract both hardcore action game fans and those who value storytelling and strong visual identity.

The post Soulslike AI Limit Explores the Deep Ethics of AI Technology first appeared on IndieGames.

SPINE brings a cinematic cyberpunk single-player action adventure with an exciting story and engaging Gun-Fu combat reminiscent of a blend of The Matrix, John Wick, Max Payne, and Sifu.

The latest trailer reveals thrilling new locations, combat scenes, and spectacular finishing moves, including a boss confrontation in a mechanical suit. It also showcases the main heroine, Redline, using a paint-splashing technique to blind enemies before eliminating them with powerful attacks. The innovative camera system is intriguing, bringing us closer to the action and providing cinematic sequences without interrupting gameplay.

Game director Dmitry Pimenov explained the vision behind SPINE: “Our goal is to make every exciting moment a part of the gameplay. Through our intelligent camera system, we create cinematic angles inspired by iconic films like John Wick: Chapter 4 and Oldboy. Players will feel like they are in their own action movie.”

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CyberCorp is a top-down shooter game that combines looting, cyberpunk aesthetics, and fast-paced isometric gameplay with co-op features. It has some good ideas but also has issues that hold it back. You play as the Agent, a former worker of the shady CyberCorp, now trying to reveal its wrongdoings. Using a robotic body called a Synth, you complete missions from a distance, fight enemies, collect items, and upgrade your gear.

The Synth is highly customizable. You can switch out its body parts like the head, torso, and legs, as well as its weapons like guns and melee attacks. Instead of unlocking new abilities by gaining levels, you find them while you play. You can get skills like teleportation, healing, making shield zones, or even having a turret to help you. But just having these skills isn’t enough for combat. You also need to keep track of your health, shields, and stamina to get through tougher missions.

Familiar Mechanics with a Few Bright Spots

The game mechanics are simple and not overwhelming, but not every part of combat is enjoyable. The melee fighting is disappointing, it’s not very powerful, and the attacks feel awkward. Instead of being useful, melee attacks mostly serve as a way to break containers. This is a missed chance to make the game more strategic. No matter how strong my melee weapon was, the only good part was executing enemies, which had cool animations that made you invulnerable for a short time and sometimes healed you, depending on their special perks.

The shooting mechanics are also easy to understand. You can choose from a variety of guns and carry two of them during a mission. There are many options, including small pistols, submachine guns, sniper rifles, and rocket launchers. It’s important to note that not every weapon is good for every mission; sometimes you need a stronger gun to break through enemy shields, while other times you need something that can quickly take down many enemies at once. This part of the game is well designed.

The quick-time event reload mechanic introduces a strategic element that rewards precision and penalizes carelessness, but the overall combat loop becomes repetitive. Despite the variety of weapons and their unique reload timings adding some interest, the core gameplay remains static, lacking significant evolution in strategy. While the game sticks to a tried-and-true formula, it ultimately feels safe and uninspired.

RNG Reliance Hurts Progression

The quick-time event reload mechanic introduces a strategic element that rewards precision and penalizes carelessness, but the overall combat loop becomes repetitive. Despite the variety of weapons and their unique reload timings adding some interest, the core gameplay remains static, lacking significant evolution in strategy. While the game sticks to a tried-and-true formula, it ultimately feels safe and uninspired.

While missions provide a plethora of white and green items, the rare red equipment quickly becomes ineffective as upgrading older gear grows increasingly difficult at higher levels. Their superior stats often get overshadowed by the randomly generated white and green gear from the very next missions. Although white, green, and blue items can be enhanced with additional bonuses through card inserts, red items are fixed and unmodifiable.

CyberCorp uses two types of in-game currency to purchase items and customize equipment with cards. However, although you can accumulate a significant amount of currency, the in-game store often only offers white and green items that do not differ significantly in statistics from those obtained in missions. While there is enjoyment in testing different skills and upgrading them, the upgrade system feels incomplete. While collecting the other currency is relatively easy, the options for quality upgrades are scarce, limiting creativity and diversity in character building.

Ending thoughts

Exploration plays a crucial role in acquiring better weapons and armor, as the game rewards players for venturing off the main path to discover hidden loot and currency. Missions are diverse, ranging from run-and-gun action to stealth-oriented tasks, and everything functions smoothly. However, the story feels underdeveloped, as the text-only conversations between the Agent and Operator lack voice acting, which could have enhanced the narrative by adding personality and emotional depth to the interactions.

The game’s HD-2D art style matches its cyberpunk theme well, providing clear and interesting environments. The designs of characters and enemies are creative, adding to the game’s feel. The music fits the cyberpunk vibe nicely, balancing between exciting and calm moments that improve the experience. Unfortunately, the game has a story that’s easy to overlook and hard to care about.

Despite its flaws, if you enjoy looter shooters with a cyberpunk theme and don’t mind some grinding, CyberCorp is worth a shot. It may not change the genre, but it provides a fun experience and lays a good foundation for future games from Megame. The game also has multiplayer co-op, so you can team up with friends for missions. While the grind might not appeal to everyone, it’s great for short gaming sessions, and you’ll likely return to it occasionally. Overall, it’s a solid game, but it doesn’t take many risks, so don’t expect anything truly unique.

Review copy provided by the publisher

3.4

The post CyberCorp – Early Access first appeared on IndieGames.

In DEFECT, you join one of three competing factions (matches with 16 players divided into four teams) in a sprawling cityscape ruled by The System, an AI that maintains a harsh, oppressive control over society. You can choose to play as The System’s feared police forces, rogue officers, or violent gang factions, each fighting for dominance in a world on the edge of collapse.

The gameplay centers around squad-based, objective-driven combat, with each match featuring multiple objectives and different finales. Teams will tackle tasks like smuggling weapons, assassinating targets, and apprehending suspects. You can expect to outfit yourself with cutting-edge weaponry and futuristic technology, enhancing the odds of survival as you fight to complete objectives and overpower rival factions.

The game is now available to wishlist on Steam, with a first reveal trailer showcasing early gameplay and intense close-quarters combat.

The post New Cyberpunk Shooter DEFECT Promises Intense Faction Warfare in a Futuristic Dystopia first appeared on IndieGames.

In Neon Inferno, players step into a dystopian future where New York City is engulfed in internal conflict. The city is divided among criminal syndicates that control most of the boroughs, battling each other and the corrupt New York Police Department for dominance. Amid this turmoil, players will take on the role of an assassin working for a fledgling crime family striving to gain power in this fractured metropolis.

The game’s setting ranges from the devastated slums of the Bronx, where gang wars and police violence rage, to the opulent, neon-lit gardens of Inner Manhattan, where the elite live in relative peace—though not for long. As players navigate through these contrasting environments, they will encounter intense combat scenarios in both foreground and background, combining the mechanics of side-scrollers with gallery-shooters.

Neon Inferno features a distinctive 32-bit pixel art style that captures the essence of its sci-fi cityscape, accompanied by an evocative soundtrack. The game supports two-player cooperative play, allowing friends to tackle the city’s dangers together. For those seeking a challenge, there is an Arcade Mode designed to test even the most skilled players, alongside a more accessible easier mode for a satisfying experience.

The post Neon Inferno, a run-and-gun adventure set in a dystopian New York City, has been announced first appeared on IndieGames.

In Disco Samurai, your and your enemies’ actions are synchronized with the rhythm of the music. As a samurai, you must respect your enemies – pay attention to their attack indicators and alternate between parrying, blocking, and dodging to wear them down. Don’t hesitate to take the initiative and attack or use special abilities, such as throwing your opponents into environmental hazards to deal extra damage.

If you happened to miss it, the demo of this game debuted at Steam Next Fest, which is still available on Steam. The developers revealed that the game will be released next year for PC and consoles. You can learn more about it in our interview.

Where did the idea and concept come for Disco Samurai?

We are huge Sekiro fans and we wanted to make something inspired by it, but with an indie twist. Sekiro is basically a rhythm game in its own right and it didn’t take us long to take this concept further and turn its combat based on parrying and counter attacking into a literal rhythm game.

Tell me about the idea behind this odd combination with cyberpunk aesthetics, dystopian Pennsylvania, city Disco, and samurai culture?

We had enough of the trope where everything is a matter of life and death and heroes save the world from villains. Characters of the story are mostly young people struggling to find their place in the modern world and they are using Disco Samurai – a cyberpunk metaverse – to fulfill their fantasies as their badass alter egos. As for the aesthetics, we wanted to have a futuristic world full of neons that would match the pumping electronic music. Since the game is about swordfighting, throwing in elements from traditional Japanese culture sounded like a fun mix.

Can you tell us more about the main character Fox? Her character development, her personality and history?

Fox is a student who wants to make a name for herself in the world of fine arts. She’s an individualist who goes against all trends and decides to use Disco Samurai as a platform to promote her art, which eventually gets her in trouble. The story will throw a lot of challenges and even real life danger her way, so her character will have a lot of space to grow.

How are you picking music for the game? Who is your composer? How did you decide on the synthwave and rock soundscape?

We both have our own visions for the soundtrack but these visions more or less overlap – so each of us just picks some music references and then we keep only references that we both like. These references together with short descriptions of the mood go to our composer Andrzej Strzemżalski (from We Dig Games) and he does all the magic.

Players have the option to load custom music into the game after completing levels. How is this feature going to function, and how do custom tracks impact the gameplay experience?

We still have to think about how exactly it will work, but the main idea is that after completing a level you will be able to play that level again with custom music. Ideally you would just pick a song from your drive and the game would automatically detect the BPM. Then you can play that level with the music you love and you can also ramp up the difficulty if you pick a song with a faster BPM.

More on the sound design, how picky are you with the effects; like sword clashing, parrying, gun shots, are you going for a direction that everything has a meaning?

To be honest we don’t really have the budget to be picky here. We just try to make the best we can with what we have from asset packs and with the help of our musician. But since It’s a rhythm game we do have to be a little more mindful about sound effects because a badly chosen SFX can disturb the feeling of the rhythm. And of course the opposite is also true – well chosen SFX will help the player keep the rhythm. So that’s something that we think about and It requires us to adjust the sound effects we use to make sure they are snappy and don’t have any delays.

How did you approach syncing combat mechanics with the music, and what were some of the challenges you faced during development?

The main idea sounds simple – we just make sure the player and enemies can perform actions only on the beat of the music. But that is a serious limitation for the combat, because to keep the result of your action predictable – regardless if you press input 100ms early or 100ms late – we have to delay evaluation of enemy attacks to the moment the player presses a key. This means that our game is basically a turn-based game, but in real-time. And this is basically the same concept as in Necrodancer, but in Necrodancer the turn-based nature is much clearer.

And this also has consequences regarding character animations, because we can’t just have the enemy swing a sword in such a way that it hits player on beat – because if the player parries an attack 100ms late then it looks as if player parried the attack that already went through. To solve that we separate attack animations into two parts – “prepare” and “attack”. The “prepare” part is just an enemy taking a stance which indicates the type of attack. And when the player executes any input the enemy then performs the “attack” part, which usually is pretty fast to make it responsive to the player input – we are talking like 2 animation frames until the sword hits the target. And on top of all that we also have to speed up/slow down some of the animations at runtime, so that they match the beat – that helps the player keep the rhythm.

Parries, dashes, and special abilities are essential in combat. What was your design philosophy behind the fluidity of movement and the combination of these mechanics?

The essence of all rhythm based games can be boiled down to “press and/or hold the correct button in the correct moment”. Enemies in Disco Samurai have different types of attacks and they all have to be deflected by either pressing or holding specific buttons. That’s why deflecting enemy combos is fluid and fun, because doing it is like playing a simple melody with your controller. Same goes with combining your own attacks and abilities.

In the game, you can use environment to deal extra damage to enemies. Can you tell us more about this mechanic and is it always viable?

Different chapters of the game will feature different interactive environment objects. For example some levels will have glass bottles you can throw at enemies to interrupt their attack sequences, other will feature cars driving by from time to time and running over anyone in their way – you and your enemies alike. This way not only each chapter feels fresh, but the combat has more depth beyond mere swordfighting.

Can you reveal more about the bosses? How many we can expect and how strong will they be?

There will be three boss fights in the game and they will be difficult. Generally speaking the game will let you experiment with different playstyles, but the bosses will force you to utilize all tools at your disposal.

Just to touch on the pixel graphics, is this something you wanted from the beginning? When it comes to the level design, do you plan on keeping things simple or experiment more?

Pixel style is a funny topic, because when we were prototyping the game David suggested that we go for the pixel style, but I remember saying that I don’t think It will work. Fast-forward about a year later and here we are – we have a game where pixel graphics is Its identity and a selling point. It really worked in our case because It’s simply easy to work with – if I want a white color I pick a white color – compare It to more realistic styles where you also have to deal with lights, shading, textures – It’s just a lot to handle if you are not an artist.

Since we settled on small minimalist dioramas we didn’t have much room to experiment with fancy level design. Tight corridors didn’t work well at all, so almost all arenas are rectangles with plenty of room to move around. What’s different between them gameplay wise are the environment objects and obstacles we mentioned earlier.

What kind of feedback have you received from early playtesters or people that played the demo? Is it positive or negative?

Most of the feedback was positive but there were also negative opinions. A lot more people than we expected have difficulties with keeping the rhythm. And people mainly complained that the game was frustrating – and we don’t blame them, It indeed was a problem and since Next Fest we made some changes to address this problem. We still want the game to be difficult, but we want the difficulty to come from pressing correct inputs rather than from keeping the rhythm. And we definitely want to have a challenging game rather than a frustrating one.

How successful was the Steam Next Fest for you? Do you think you rushed it, considering the game is releasing next year or?

I think It went pretty well – we gained over 2k wishlists if I remember correctly. And maybe we could have waited more, but Next Fest is not only about wishlists – it also helps to gauge an interest in the game, so we can then adjust the amount of time/resources we put into it. And on top of that we get a lot of feedback which allows us to make changes to the game while It’s still relatively easy to change..

The demo is still playable on Steam, when can we expect the release date? Will it be available on consoles?

Predicting release dates is not our strong suit – we expected to release the game at the beginning of 2024 so you can judge for yourself. So we don’t want to get any more precise than 2025.

Regarding consoles – It will be released both on Xbox, Playstation and Switch – actually you can already wishlist the game on Playstation Store. The game should also be playable on Steam Deck.

Can you share any upcoming updates, features, or content that fans of the game can look forward to in the future, something you haven’t talked about yet?

One thing we haven’t really teased yet are the motorcycle levels. They will feature a different kind of gameplay, but still rhythm based of course. It won’t be particularly complicated, we just wanted to spice things up and not make our game about combat from start to finish.

The post Exclusive interview with the developers of the game Disco Samurai first appeared on IndieGames.

Set in the neon-lit streets of Neo Barcelona, Altered Alma follows Jack, an ex-mercenary battling ruthless gangsters and mechanical foes. Kickstarter backers will receive exclusive rewards and help bring the game to life. Developed by 2Awesome Studio, the game promises an intense, visually stunning adventure with a deep narrative crafted by renowned writers Antony Johnston and Emma Beeby.

In the game, players will acquire powerful upgrades, discover new routes, and recruit crew members while customizing and upgrading the Esperanza — Jack’s spaceship and base of operations. The combat is fast-paced and stylish, requiring mobility, skill, and powerful abilities to fend off relentless enemies.

The demo on Steam offers a first look at the game’s combat, story, and romance options. Altered Alma is set to launch in Q4 2025 on Steam, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and PlayStation platforms.

The post The Metroidvania game Altered Alma was funded on Kickstarter in under six hours first appeared on IndieGames.

In Simulakros, players will use advanced combat androids to infiltrate CORP facilities and battle deadly robots. The game features three distinct characters, each with unique weapons and playstyles. Players can expect fast-paced action and randomly generated levels. A demo is also available now on Steam for those eager to try the game early.

Sirio Games, a small team of friends with backgrounds from CD Projekt Red, Reikon Games, and Milestone, is making their debut with Simulakros. The game combines classic action with modern features like deep customization and progression systems. Players will face fresh challenges with each run, aided by a mysterious hacker ally as they take on the world’s largest corporation.

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