We’re nearing the end of the year now, and with game releases grinding to a halt, this will be the final indie game roundup for the year. Nonetheless, we’ve got three excellent games for you to try over this holiday period. Hopefully, they’ll tide you over until 2021 when things will no doubt be back with all cylinders firing.
So to end the year, we’ve got an adventure game about exploring a beautiful island where you’ll attempt to locate your lost husband (probably didn’t read a map or ask for directions, typical man), a George Orwell adaptation, and a platformer about trying to get home – but nothing’s ever easy these days, is it?
Call Of The Sea
If you’re looking to get away from it all and enjoy wandering around a lush island in the South Pacific, then this could be the place for you. With stunning scenery and a nice relaxed feel, Call Of The Sea could be the kind of game that’ll help you sit back and relax.
Of course, it’s not just an island you’ll be having a look around, this isn’t actually a sightseeing tour, despite how beautiful everything is. Instead, you’re going to be looking for your husband, who’s gone missing along with his expedition crew. It’s not an ideal situation for getting a suntan on the beach, and it also means you’ll have to actually do some work. Maybe this isn’t a holiday at all?
On your journey you’ll have to solve puzzles, investigate ruins and get to grips with an incredible world filled to the brim with surprise and beauty. If that sounds like a good time to you, then you should definitely check out Call Of The Sea.
Call Of The Sea is available now on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S
Orwell’s Animal Farm
There’s a non-zero chance that you’ve read George Orwell’s Animal Farm at some point. It’s one of those books that a lot of people have to read in their youth at school, and it’s got a message which can basically be summed up as “sometimes people are bad,” which might seem reductive – and that’s because it is.
Whether you like the book or not, there’s a game coming out based on it, and it could be one of the more intriguing games coming out this week. You take control of a farm – playing as the animals themselves – in a bid to keep it running. You’ll be responsible for not just how the farm operates, but also for churning out the propaganda that aims to keep you in power.
It’s an interesting idea for the game, it and it’ll no doubt be the first exposure some people have had to the political ideologies at the core of the tale itself. Whether or not it ends up as a good game is a completely different issue, but you have to respect the effort that has gone into this endeavour.
Orwell’s Animal Farm is available December 10 on PC, Mac and mobile
Unto The End
Unto The End tells the story of one person’s adventure to make it back to their family. It’s a classic idea for a story, but the thing that makes Unto The End so special is its combat systems. It focuses on what the dev’s call “read-react combat”, which basically means you’ll need to keep a close eye on what’s going on in each fight if you want to win. It also means it’s likely going to be very hard, and each battle will be a brand new chance to get your head cut off, your body impaled, or some other kind of horrible fate.
It’s all wrapped in a beautiful minimalist art style that helps deliver the hard times of the main character. The game is made by a husband and wife team too, which makes this game decidedly indie, and an excellent one to finish our list of games off on.
Unto The End is available now on PC, Mac, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch