Running an 1930s newspaper, foreseeing martial arts fights and other new indie games worth checking out

8 hours ago7 min read4 comments

The indie game scene is absolutely popping off right now, and if you're not paying attention, you're missing some seriously wild stuff. Let's dive into the latest drops that have hit Steam and beyond.First up, there's this ancient beast, Torn, a text-based online RPG that's been running since 2004. Can you believe it? Over 4 million players have jumped into this digital sandbox where you can become a doctor, run a hair salon, or just go full crime lord.The devs just dropped some insane stats for its 21st anniversary: over 3. 6 billion criminal offenses committed, but only 52 million prison sentences handed out.That's some seriously chaotic energy, and I'm here for it. The fact that more than 1,200 players from the 2004 launch are still active is just mind-blowing; it's like a digital time capsule that's somehow still thriving.Now, onto the fresh releases. News Tower from Sparrow Night and Twin Sails Interactive is the management sim I didn't know I needed.You're running a newspaper in 1930s New York, right after the stock market crash, with mobsters literally smashing up your newsroom. You hire reporters, build offices, and assemble your weekly paper while dealing with power-hungry groups trying to influence your coverage.It's like if The Newsroom had a baby with SimCity, and it's got this killer feature where assigning different reporters to a story—like a crime-focused one versus a politics geek—changes the angle entirely. That's next-level depth for a management game, and as someone who's spent way too many hours in these sims, it's a game-changer.Then there's Forestrike, published by Devolver Digital, a 2D martial arts roguelite that's giving me major Katana Zero vibes. You practice combat encounters endlessly, but you only get one shot to execute it perfectly in the real run.Lose, and it's game over; win without using the foresight feature, and you score an 'ultimate victory. ' It's this slick blend of puzzle and action that forces you to think before you leap, and at $10 on Steam, it's a steal for anyone craving that 'just one more run' fix.For a chill session, Umami is your go-to. It's a puzzle game where you build dioramas of cakes and food towers with virtual blocks.No stress, just laid-back beats and satisfying clicks as you figure out how everything fits together. It's the perfect palate cleanser after a rage-inducing session with something like A Pinball Game That Makes You Mad, which is exactly what it sounds like—a precision platformer where you guide a dude trapped in a pinball using one button.The demo made me want to throw my keyboard, so props to the devs for nailing the 'mad' part. And hey, we've got another dog game in the mix: Samurai Academy: Paws of Fury.You play as Hank, a dog samurai in a world of cats, with platforming and tower defense elements. It's based on some animated movie I haven't seen, but it looks charming as heck and reminds me I need to get back to Ghost of Yōtei.Looking ahead, Erosion is a twin-stick roguelike where every death advances time by a decade, changing the post-apocalyptic Wild West setting. You're rescuing your kidnapped daughter, and if you die too much, she'll be an old lady by the time you find her.The voxel art is crisp, and with over 100 skills and destructible environments, it's set to hit early access in 2026—mark your calendars. Also, Thank Goodness You’re Here! is finally coming to Xbox in December, and if you haven't played this hilarious comedy adventure, you're missing out.And then there's Drywall Eating Simulator. Yeah, you read that right.It's a physics-based 3D adventure that simulates the 'delights of late capitalist life,' where you unwind by munching on drywall after dealing with mind-numbing small talk. It's bizarre, relatable, and dropping on Steam soon. The indie space is just killing it with creativity right now, from deep management sims to absurd satires, and it's a goldmine for anyone tired of the same old AAA formulas.

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#Umami

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