Indie Showcase: A Marvel Brawler, a Decade-Long Horror Wait, and Genre-Defying Gems

10 hours ago7 min read1 comments

This week delivers a compelling array of independent games, proving the scene remains a hotbed for innovation and nostalgic charm alike. Leading the pack is **Marvel Cosmic Invasion**, a vibrant beat-'em-up from Tribute Games and Dotemu.Channeling the spirit of 90s cartoons and the studio's own *Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge*, it offers chaotic, co-op friendly brawling with a clever character-swap mechanic. Priced at $30 and available on Steam, Switch, PS5, Xbox, and Game Pass, it's a polished, accessible homage perfect for shared play.After a staggering 13-year development cycle, the survival horror title **Routine** has finally arrived. Lunar Software's debut is a tense, atmospheric experience set on a retro-futuristic moon base, trading traditional HUDs for immersive diegetic interfaces to masterfully cultivate dread.It's available now on PC and Xbox, including via Game Pass. For a different flavor of horror, **Sleep Awake** from Eyes Out (Cory Davis and Robin Finck) presents a psychedelic nightmare where a phenomenon called The HUSH erases people in their sleep.This $30 title crafts a uniquely audio-visual brand of terror. At the truly experimental edge lies **Tingus Goose**, a 'cozy body horror idle game' where players cultivate bizarre growths in patients.Its surreal, unsettling premise is currently available for under $6 on Steam. Not all indies trade in tension.**Log Away** provides a serene $10 counterpoint as a cozy cabin-building and decoration sim, complete with pets. RPG enthusiasts should note **Effulgence RPG**, a party-based dungeon crawler boasting a striking 3D ASCII art style, now in early access for $10.Looking forward, several promising titles have dates: the hyper-stylized, movement-centric arena shooter **Don't Stop, Girlypop!** launches January 29 on Steam, while the chaotic physics-based party game **Limbot**—where four players control one cardboard robot—promises to test friendships. Also on the horizon is **Zlin City: Arch Moderna**, a distinctive diorama-style city builder from Czechia using 3D scanning to recreate 1930s architectural inspiration. This diverse lineup underscores the indie sector's vitality, delivering compelling experiences across genres and price points.

#indie games

#Marvel Cosmic Invasion

#Routine

#survival horror

#new releases

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#gaming roundup