Tag: Free Games

Game Service Roundup – February 2023

Hey everyone! This is a round up of the games entering and leaving a variety of Game Services throughout the month, as well as free game giveaways that have been available throughout.

I like to try to keep track of what is coming and going in the world of game subscriptions but it is hard to find a singular place that does that, so I thought I would give it a go myself. I am going to trial it for a couple of months and see how it feels, whether I would like to add things and so on. Having it all in one place means that you can scroll to see if anything catches your eye, or you can Ctrl+F to whichever service it is that interests you.

Disclaimer: Sometimes dates aren’t announced and surprises are thrown in. I will do my best to make sure the information is as accurate as possible!

PlayStation Plus is Sony’s subscription service for PlayStation consoles. The service is split into three tiers. ‘Essential’, ‘Extra’ and ‘Premium’.

PS Plus Essential

‘PlayStation Plus Essential’ is the cheapest tier. This is the tier that is closest to what PS Plus used to be. When you are subscribed, you get access to playing games online and instant access to the PS Plus collection*. Additionally, Essential offers 3 monthly games**. If you claim them during that month then they are yours to play for as long as you have a PS Plus Essential subscription. If you drop your subscription then you will lose access, but they will still be on your account ready for the next time you subscribe. The monthly games get revealed on the final Wednesday of every month. They are then made available to add to your library and play on the first Tuesday, replacing the previous months games. The games offered occasionally vary by region.
* PS5 Only.
** Occasionally there will be more or less.

⚠ The PS Plus Collection ends in May. If you have any tier of PS Plus and a PS5 then make sure to add the games to your library before it’s too late. As far as I can see, they have taken all traces of the collection from the PlayStation website already so you may have to manually search for each game. Please do take a look because there are many worthwhile games on there.
Here is a list of the games that you need to add to your library before May if you haven’t already –

February PS Plus Essential Games | Available to claim from Tuesday 7th February 2023 – Monday March 6th 2023
  • Evil Dead: The Game (PS5/PS4)
  • OlliOlliWorld (PS5/PS4)
  • Destiny 2: Beyond Light (PS5/PS4)
  • Mafia: The Definitive Edition (PS4)
March PS Plus Essential Games | Available to claim from Tuesday 7th March 2023
  • Battlefield 2042 (PS5/PS4)
  • Code Vein (PS4)
  • Minecraft Dungeons (PS4)

PS Plus Extra/Premium

‘PlayStation Plus Extra’ and ‘PlayStation Plus Premium’ are the next two tiers of PS Plus above Essential. They include everything that you get with Essential plus other benefits.
PlayStation Plus Extra – Extra is the middle tier and allows you access to a catalogue of games, available to play on your console. New games get added to the service part way through each month and stay for an unknown amount of time. Games also leave regularly and it isn’t always communicated well so it is worth checking when you are deciding what to play.
PlayStation Plus Premium – Premium is the most expensive tier. As well as giving you access to the Extra catalogue, it also has it’s own benefits. There is an extended catalogue available as Premium also includes ‘Classics’ – a seperate collection of games from older generations. In addition, game trials and cloud streaming are some more benefits to this tier.
You can find a full breakdown of the benefits here.

February 2023 PS Plus Extra Game Additions | Available from Tuesday 21st
  • Borderlands 3 (PS5/PS4)
  • The Forgotten City (PS5/PS4)
  • Horizon Forbidden West (PS5/PS4)
  • Outriders (PS5/PS4)
  • The Quarry (PS5/PS4)
  • Resident Evil VII: Biohazard (PS5/PS4)
  • Scarlet Nexus (PS5/PS4)
  • Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown (PS4)
  • Earth Defense Force 5 (PS4)
  • I Am Setsuna (PS4)
  • Lost Sphear (PS4)
  • Oninaki (PS4)
  • Tekken 7 (PS4)
February 2023 PS Plus Premium Game Additions | Available from Tuesday 21st
  • Destroy All Humans (PS4)
  • Harvest Moon: Back to Nature (PS1)
  • The Legend of Dragoon (PS1)
  • Wild Arms 2 (PS1)
March 2023 Announced PS Plus Extra/Premium Additions | Available from various dates
  • Tuesday 21st March – Tchia (PS5/PS4)
  • Immortals Fenyx Rising (PS5/PS4)
  • Rainbow Six Extraction (PS5/PS4)
  • Ghostwire Tokyo (PS5)
  • Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection (PS5)
Games that left PS Plus Extra/Premium in February 2023
  • Agatha Christie – The ABC Murders
  • The Book of Unwritten Tales 2
  • Grand Theft Auto: Vice City – The Definitive Edition
  • Metro: Exodus
  • Pure Farming 2018
  • Rad Rogers
  • Saints Row: The Third Remastered
  • Sine Mora EX
  • SkyDrift Infinity
  • Sparkle Unleashed
  • The Turing Test
  • Whispering Willows
Games leaving PS Plus Extra/Premium in March 2023 | Dates Vary
  • WWE 2K22 (March 13th)
  • Danger Zone
  • Dungeons
  • Ghost of a Tale
  • Monster Energy Supercross – The Official Videogame 5
  • Override 2: Super Mech League
  • The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
  • Velocibox
  • Victor Vran Overkill Edition

Game Pass is Microsoft’s game subscription service. It is split into three different types. ‘PC’, ‘Console’, and ‘Ultimate’. I will currently only be covering ‘Game Pass for PC’.

Game Pass For PC

Game Pass for PC and for Console are seperate subscriptions but are very similar, they just work on different machines. They have their own slightly different catalogues but function the same. Game Pass grants you access to a library of games on your platform of choice. They are then available for you to play as for as long as you have a subscription or as long as they are on the service.
Game Pass Ultimate combines the two, allowing your account access to the service on both PC and Console, along with more perks including XBOX Live Gold.
You can find a full breakdown of the differences here.

February 2023 Game Pass for PC Additions
  • Darkest Dungeon
  • HOT WHEELS UNLEASHED – Game of the Year Edition
  • SD GUNDAM BATTLE ALLIANCE
  • Madden NFL 23
  • Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord
  • Shadow Warrior 3: Definitive Edition
  • Atomic Heart
  • Merge & Blade
  • Soul Hackers 2
  • F1 22
March 2023 Announced Game Pass for PC Additions | Available from various dates
  • Friday 3rd March – Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
  • Tuesday 7th March – Guilty Gear -Strive-
Games that left Game Pass for PC in February 2023
  • Wednesday 1st February – Donut County
  • Wednesday 1st February – Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master!
  • Wednesday 1st February – Telling Lies
  • Wednesday 1st February – Worms W.M.D
  • Thursday 16th February – Besiege
  • Thursday 16th February – Infernax
  • Thursday 16th February – The Last Kids on Earth and the Staff of Doom
  • Thursday 16th February – Recompile
  • Thursday 16th February – Skul: The Hero Slayer
Games leaving Game Pass for PC in March 2023 | 1st & 16th of the Month
  • Wednesday 1st March – Alien: Isolation
  • Wednesday 1st March – Crown Trick
  • Wednesday 1st March – Dragon Ball FighterZ
  • Wednesday 1st March – FAR: Changing Tides
  • Wednesday 1st March – Lightning Returns: FFXIII
  • Wednesday 1st March – Madden NFL 21
  • Wednesday 1st March – Octopath Traveler
  • Thursday 16th March – Goat Simulator
  • Thursday 16th March – Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition
  • Thursday 16th March – Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
  • Thursday 16th March – Paradise Killer
  • Thursday 16th March – Undertale
  • Thursday 16th March – Young Souls
  • Thursday 16th March – Zero Escape: The Nonary Games

A lot of people do not realise that included in an Amazon Prime subscription is access to Prime Gaming. Not only does this get you a free subscription to a streamer of your choice on Twitch, they also give away free weekly games and other perks. The difference with this service is that often the games are for different launchers. Some are for Amazon Games, but they also give codes for Epic Games, GOG and more. The best part? As far as I can tell – you get to continue playing the games you have claimed after your subscription has ended.
You can claim your games here.

Amazon Prime Games | February 2023 | Weekly on Thursdays
  • Thursday 2nd February – The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind GOTY Edition (GOG)
  • Thursday 2nd February – Onsen Master (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 9th February – Aerial_Knight’s Never Yield (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 9th February – Divine Knockout (Epic Games)
  • Thursday 16th February – One Hand Clapping (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 16th February – BATS: Bloodsucker Anti-Terror Squad (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 23rd February – Space Crew: Legendary Edition (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 23rd February – Tunche (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 23rd February – Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator (Amazon Games)
Amazon Prime Games | Announced for February 2023
  • Thursday 2nd March – Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 9th March – Adios
  • Thursday 9th March – I Am Fish
  • Thursday 16th March – Faraway 3: Arctic Escape
  • Thursday 23rd March – Book of Demons
  • Thursday 23rd March – Peaky Blinders: Mastermind
  • Thursday 30th March – City Legends: Trapped in Mirror – Collector’s Edition

Ever since its inception, the Epic Game Store has offered free games to all. All you need is an account. Every Thursday at 4pm UTC at least one title will be set to ‘free’ and next weeks game/s will be revealed. All you have to do is log in and add it to your library while it is free if you would like to play it in the future. If you miss the window then there is nothing that you can do but you have a whole week to do it. Unlike the services above, you do not need a subscription to claim these games.
You can check out the Epic Game Store here.

Free Epic Games | February 2023 | Must claim in the timeframe
  • City of Gangsters (February 2nd – February 9th)
  • Dishonoured: Death of the Outsider (February 2nd – February 9th)
  • Recipe for Disaster (February 9th – February 16th)
  • Warpips (February 16th – February 23rd)
  • Duskers (February 23rd – March 2nd)
Free Epic Games | Announced for March 2023*
  • Rise of Industry (March 2nd – March 9th)
  • Call of the Sea (March 9th – March 16th)

*These games are announced one week in advance so you will need to check on the Epic Store weekly if you don’t want to miss out. Alternatively, I do always try to post them in my discord server.

I may add new sections as I go but for now, this section is for any other give-aways or notable deals that I come across in the given month.

GOG Giveaways | February 2023
  • Alien Breed Trilogy
  • Biing!: Sex, Intrigue and Scalpels
Steam Giveaways | March 2023
  • Figment (Claim by Thursday March 9th)

If you have found this helpful please consider sharing on social media or with a friend. You could also check out my other work on the blog, YouTube and Twitch, and/or sign up to get posts delivered into you inbox below. Finally, you could consider becoming a member, where you can financially support me and stay up to date with my work as CtrlAltNoob.

Sign up now to stay up to date with the latest posts!

Game Service Roundup – January 2023

Hey everyone! This is a round up of the games entering and leaving a variety of Game Services throughout the month, as well as free game giveaways that have been available throughout.

I like to try to keep track of what is coming and going in the world of game subscriptions but it is hard to find a singular place that does that, so I thought I would give it a go myself. I am going to trial it for a couple of months and see how it feels, whether I would like to add things and so on. Having it all in one place means that you can scroll to see if anything catches your eye, or you can Ctrl+F to whichever service it is that interests you.

Disclaimer: Sometimes dates aren’t announced and surprises are thrown in. I will do my best to make sure the information is as accurate as possible!

PlayStation Plus is Sony’s subscription service for PlayStation consoles. The service is split into three tiers. ‘Essential’, ‘Extra’ and ‘Premium’.

PS Plus Essential

‘PlayStation Plus Essential’ is the cheapest tier. This is the tier that is closest to what PS Plus used to be. When you are subscribed, you get access to playing games online and instant access to the PS Plus collection*. Additionally, Essential offers 3 monthly games**. If you claim them during that month then they are yours to play for as long as you have a PS Plus Essential subscription. If you drop your subscription then you will lose access, but they will still be on your account ready for the next time you subscribe. The monthly games get revealed on the final Wednesday of every month. They are then made available to add to your library and play on the first Tuesday, replacing the previous months games. The games offered occasionally vary by region.
* PS5 Only.
** Occasionally there will be more or less.

⚠ Due to the first Tuesday of the month falling on the 7th, the announcement wasn’t made until February 1st.
⚠ The PS Plus Collection ends in May. If you have any tier of PS Plus and a PS5 then make sure to add the games to your library before it’s too late. As far as I can see, they have taken all traces of the collection from the PlayStation website already so you may have to manually search for each game. Please do take a look because there are many worthwhile games on there.
Here is a list of the games that you need to add to your library before May if you haven’t already –

January PS Plus Essential Games | Available to claim from Tuesday 3rd January 2023 – Monday 6th February 2023
  • Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (PS5/PS4)
  • Axiom Verge 2 (PS5/PS4)
  • Fallout 76 (PS4)
February PS Plus Essential Games | Available to claim from Tuesday 7th February 2022
  • Evil Dead: The Game (PS5/PS4)
  • OlliOlliWorld (PS5/PS4)
  • Destiny 2: Beyond Light (PS5/PS4)
  • Mafia: The Definitive Edition (PS4)

PS Plus Extra/Premium

‘PlayStation Plus Extra’ and ‘PlayStation Plus Premium’ are the next two tiers of PS Plus above Essential. They include everything that you get with Essential plus other benefits.
PlayStation Plus Extra – Extra is the middle tier and allows you access to a catalogue of games, available to play on your console. New games get added to the service part way through each month and stay for an unknown amount of time. Games also leave regularly and it isn’t always communicated well so it is worth checking when you are deciding what to play.
PlayStation Plus Premium – Premium is the most expensive tier. As well as giving you access to the Extra catalogue, it also has it’s own benefits. There is an extended catalogue available as Premium also includes ‘Classics’ – a seperate collection of games from older generations. In addition, game trials and cloud streaming are some more benefits to this tier.
You can find a full breakdown of the benefits here.

January 2023 PS Plus Extra Game Additions | Available from Tuesday 17th
  • Back 4 Blood (PS4/PS5)
  • Jett: The Far Shore (PS4/PS5)
  • Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition (PS5)
  • Dragon Ball FighterZ (PS4)
  • Devil May Cry 5 (PS4)
  • Erica (PS4)
  • Just Cause 4: Reloaded (PS4)
  • Life is Strange (PS4)
  • Life Is Strange: Before the Storm (PS4)
  • Omno (PS4)
January 2023 PS Plus Premium Game Additions | Available from Tuesday 17th
  • Hot Shots Golf 2 (PS1)
  • Star Wars Demolition (PS1)
  • Syphon Filter 3 (PS1)
Games that left PS Plus Extra/Premium in January 2023
  • Bound By Flame
  • The Council – Complete Season
  • Electronic Super Joy
  • Enigmatis: The Ghost of Maple Creek
  • Jumpjet Rex
  • The Last Tinker: City of Colors
  • Leo’s Fortune – HD Edition
  • Masters of Anima
  • Seasons After Fall
  • Shiness: The Lightning Kingdom
  • Space Hulk: Tactics
Games leaving PS Plus Extra/Premium in February 2023 | Dates Vary
  • Agatha Christie – The ABC Murders (Tuesday February 21st)
  • The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 (Tuesday February 21st)
  • Grand Theft Auto: Vice City – The Definitive Edition (Tuesday February 21st)
  • Pure Farming 2018 (Tuesday February 21st)
  • Sine Mora EX (Tuesday February 21st)
  • SkyDrift Infinity (Tuesday February 21st)
  • Sparkle Unleashed (Tuesday February 21st)
  • The Turing Test (Tuesday February 21st)
  • Whispering Willows (Tuesday February 21st)
  • Metro: Exodus
  • Rad Rodgers
  • Saints Row: The Third Remastered

Game Pass is Microsoft’s game subscription service. It is split into three different types. ‘PC’, ‘Console’, and ‘Ultimate’. I will currently only be covering ‘Game Pass for PC’.

Game Pass For PC

Game Pass for PC and for Console are seperate subscriptions but are very similar, they just work on different machines. They have their own slightly different catalogues but function the same. Game Pass grants you access to a library of games on your platform of choice. They are then available for you to play as for as long as you have a subscription or as long as they are on the service.
Game Pass Ultimate combines the two, allowing your account access to the service on both PC and Console, along with more perks including XBOX Live Gold.
You can find a full breakdown of the differences here.

January 2023 Game Pass for PC Additions
  • Stranded Deep
  • Mortal Shell: Enhanced Edition
  • Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition
  • Persona 3 Portable
  • Persona 4 Golden
  • Monster Hunter Rise
  • Hi-Fi Rush
  • JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R
  • Inkulinati
February 2023 Announced Game Pass for PC Additions | Available from various dates
  • Darkest Dungeon (Thursday 2nd February)
  • HOT WHEELS UNLEASHED – Game of the Year Edition (Tuesday 7th February)
  • Atomic Heart (Tuesday 21st February)
Games that left Game Pass for PC in January 2023
  • Iron Harvest
  • Immortal Realms Vampire Wars
  • Tropico 6
  • Scarlet Nexus
  • Secret Neighbor
  • Outer Wilds
  • Gorogoa
  • The Pedestrian
  • Embr
  • The Anacrusis
  • Trigger
  • Nobody Saves the World
  • Pupperazzi
  • Windjammers 2
Games leaving Game Pass for PC in February 2023 | 1st & 16th of the Month
  • Donut County (Wednesday 1st)
  • Worms W.M.D (Wednesday 1st)
  • Telling Lies (Wednesday 1st)
  • Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master! (Wednesday 1st)
  • Recompile (Thursday 16th)
  • Skul: The Hero Slayer (Thursday 16th)
  • The Last Kids on Earth and the Staff of Doom (Thursday 16th)
  • Besiege (Thursday 16th)
  • Infernax (Thursday 16th)

    A lot of people do not realise that included in an Amazon Prime subscription is access to Prime Gaming. Not only does this get you a free subscription to a streamer of your choice on Twitch, they also give away free monthly games and other perks. The difference with this service is that often the games are for different launchers. Some are for Amazon Games, but they also give codes for Epic Games, GOG and more. The best part? As far as I can tell – you get to continue playing the games you have claimed after your subscription has ended.
    You can claim your games here.

    ⚠ Prime Games are being made available on a weekly basis from February 2nd rather than the usual bundle at the start of the month. They have renamed the tab on the website ‘Weekly Games’ so I presume this is their new model going forward.

    Amazon Prime Games | January 2023
    • Faraway 2: Jungle Escape (Amazon Games)
    • The Evil Within 2 (GOG)
    • Beat Cop (GOG)
    • Chickon Police – Paint it RED! (Amazon Games)
    • Lawn Mowing Simulator (Amazon Games)
    • Breathedge (Amazon Games)
    • Dishonored 2 (GOG)
    • SNK 40th Anniversary Collection (Amazon Games)
    • The King of Fighters 2003 (Amazon Games)
    • Twinkle Star Sprites (Amazon Games)
    • The Last Blade (Amazon Games)
    • The Last Blade 2 (Amazon Games)
    • Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers (Amazon Games)
    • Metal Slug (Amazon Games)
    • Metal Slug 3 (Amazon Games)
    • Metal Slug X (Amazon Games)
    Amazon Prime Games | Announced for February 2023
    • The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind GOTY Edition (GOG) (February 2)
    • Onsen Master (Amazon Games) (February 2)
    • Aerial_Knight’s Never Yield (February 9)
    • Divine Knockout (February 9)
    • One Hand Clapping (February 16)
    • BATS: Bloodsucker Anti-Terror Squad (February 16)
    • Space Crew: Legendary Edition (February 23)
    • Tunche (February 23)
    • Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator (February 23)

    Ever since its inception, the Epic Game Store has offered free games to all. All you need is an account. Every Thursday at 4pm UTC at least one title will be set to ‘free’ and next weeks game/s will be revealed. All you have to do is log in and add it to your library while it is free if you would like to play it in the future. If you miss the window then there is nothing that you can do but you have a whole week to do it. Unlike the services above, you do not need a subscription to claim these games.
    You can check out the Epic Game Store here.

    Free Epic Games | January 2023
    • Dishonoured – Definitive Edition
    • Eximius: Sieze the Frontline
    • Kerbal Space Program
    • Shadow Tactics – Aiko’s Choice
    • Divine Knockout
    • First Class Trouble
    • Gamedec – Definitive Edition
    • Epistory – Typing Chronicals
    • Adios
    • Hell is Others
    Free Epic Games | Announced for February 2023*
    • City of Gangsters (February 2nd – February 9th)
    • Dishonoured: Death of the Outsider (February 2nd – February 9th)
    • Recipe for Disaster (February 9th – February 16th)

    *These games are announced one week in advance so you will need to check on the Epic Store weekly if you don’t want to miss out. Alternatively, I do always try to post them in my discord server.

    I may add new sections as I go but for now, this section is for any other give-aways or notable deals that I come across in the given month.

    GOG Giveaways | January 2023
    • Haven Park

    If you have found this helpful please consider sharing on social media or with a friend. You could also check out my other work on the blog, YouTube and Twitch, and/or sign up to get posts delivered into you inbox below. Finally, you could consider becoming a member, where you can financially support me and stay up to date with my work as CtrlAltNoob.

    Sign up now to stay up to date with the latest posts!

    Indie Showcase 1-50 – Top 10

    It is slightly late but upon looking back over my Indie Showcase so far, I thought it would be fun to pick out some favourites. I originally planned to do this when I reach 100 videos, but picking out the 10 best is already proving to be difficult so I am going to go ahead and do it now!

    For those who don’t know, during my weekly Indie Showcase series I try out an indie game for give or take an hour. It started as short, free to play games but evolved into demos, bundle games and games that I received a code for. I wasn’t sure how long it would last but as it turns out, I already have over 50 more games lined up! So, here are my top 10 highlights from my first 50 weeks, in alphabetical order so that I don’t actually have to rank them.

    The Cast of the Golden Idol [Demo] – Color Gray Games

    ‘A new kind of detective game that allows you to think and investigate freely. Discover clues surrounding 12 strange and gruesome deaths and build your own theory. Pick your suspect, deduce the motive, unmask the awful truth.’

    I love being a detective. I love murder mysteries, figuring out the order of events, solving deaths, and this game is chock full of that. Recommended by Lucas Pope (Papers, Please and Return of the Obra Dinn developer) for people who enjoyed Obra Dinn, I agree that this is very worth playing. Each case had references and call backs to the other cases I worked, leading to a feeling that the full game is going to have a larger overarching story. Based on the demo this is going to be a fun game for logic puzzle enthusiasts and budding detectives alike.

    ‘Coming soon’ on Steam but you can Wishlist it here.

    Cloud Climber [ Free to play] – Two Star Games

    ‘A surreal first person walking sim about the end of humanity. Explore magnificent sky-bound ruins, and learn why they were built.’

    This one is a short, simple walking sim set at the end of an apocalyptic world. The atmosphere, setting and story were all enjoyable to me from the start and I would love to see more of this world. The unique art style only added to the experience, making me explore every nook and cranny of this small world. A solemn experience that I think is worth having.

    Cloud Climber is free to download on Steam now.

    Dagon: by H.P. Lovecraft [Free to play] – Bit Golem

    ‘Face unspeakable horrors. Succumb to madness. Welcome to a free daemonic narrative experience inspired by H. P. Lovecraft.’

    I played other games that I enjoyed that were more involved than this one, but I just couldn’t bump it from the top 10. While the reasons are really subjective, I may not be the only one to have this experience and I would love to encourage others too. I am not familiar with Lovecraft’s works. I know of Cthulhu. I know that it is supposed to be mind-bending horrors. But the only experience I have had with any of his work is through games that have shared themes. This game is a short, point and click version of one of his stories, Dagon. In this visual novel, the story is told through a stunning set of scenes where the player can look around and click on interactable objects. Not only is the story presented to you, but there are collectibles that give you some insight into the history of Lovecraft himself. I had a great time getting to know some background about the guy who inspired so many works for so many years beyond him. It’s not the most interactive game or the longest, but what it does, it does really well and I encourage anyone who doesn’t know where to start with Lovecraft to give it a try.

    It is totally free to play here on Steam.

    Firework [Demo] – Shiying Studio

    ‘An accidental fire at a funeral forces the police to re-investigate a closed case of massacre. Lin Lixun participates the re-investigation by chances. As the investigation goes deeper, the past of the victims gradually emerges. However, the case becomes more bewildering.’

    Firework is a Chinese horror puzzle game. Wait.. Horror you say? And Noob played it? This game had the perfect amount of horror for me. It was spooky, I was filled with dread about what might happen next, but none of it was too much. I managed to not only complete the demo, but wish to finish the rest of the game too. Playing games with a different culture to your own will always introduce a new flavour and it left me wanting more.

    The full game is available on Steam now for £7.19.

    Inscryption [Demo] – Daniel Mullins Games

    ‘Inscryption is an inky black card-based odyssey that blends the deckbuilding roguelike, escape-room style puzzles, and psychological horror into a blood-laced smoothie. Darker still are the secrets inscrybed upon the cards…’

    I can’t believe I still haven’t played the full game. Not only is this a mash-up of a spooky escape room amongst other things, the card game presented in this demo was so much fun. Everyone that I know that has played the full game has recommended it. The only thing I am aware of is that there might be some surprises. But what they are.. I have absolutely no idea. Though, the demo hooked me well enough that I would like to find out.

    Inscryption is available for £16.79 on Steam here.

    Larry The Unlucky [Free to play] – Strongshell Software

    ‘Follow Larry’s life to find the source of his lack of luck. Discover his intriguing story and solve puzzles to understand how his life plays out.’

    I am so glad that I stumbled upon this game. Heavily inspired by the Rusty Lake series, the first two games in this series are free and they both contain three chapters each. I enjoyed them so much that I will definitely be buying the third. In case you don’t know Rusty Lake, think – weird and morbid but humorous point and click puzzles, comparable to escape rooms. I don’t have a lot else to add except if that sounds appealing to you then they are definitely worth a playthrough.

    You can find Part 1 here and Part 2 here on Steam, completely free!

    Storyteller [Demo] – Daniel Benmergui

    ‘With Storyteller you are the one writing the stories! Start with a title, characters and settings and create your own twist on stories familiar and new.’

    This charming puzzle game was really fun to play. It is a game where the wrong answers can be even better than the right ones. The game tells a selection of short stories through storyboards. Your job as the player is to fill these storyboards with the correct characters and scenarios in order to complete the story. It is simple but deep, as placing the wrong person can change the entire course of the story. This was a very fine demo and I would love to play more. The release date is TBD and there has been no news for a long time, but it is being published by Annapurna Interactive so we can trust that it will be release when it is ready.

    In the meantime, you can Wishlist the game here.

    Strange Horticulture [Demo] – Bad Viking

    ‘Strange Horticulture is an occult puzzle game in which you play as the proprietor of a local plant store. Find and identify new plants, pet your cat, speak to a coven, or join a cult. Use your collection of powerful plants to influence the story and unravel Undermere’s dark mysteries.’

    In the Strange Horticulture demo, I really enjoyed having an adventure and a business from the comfort of my own workspace. You can organise it how you see fit and have different panels for you desk and your shelves that you can see at nearly all times, as well as drawers to hide things in. It is a fantasy botany identification simulator with an overarching story. I enjoyed the balance of ‘exploration’ and figuring out which plant was which, hoping you got it correct so you don’t poison your loyal customer.

    The full game released in January and is £12.99 on Steam here.

    SuchArt: Creative Space [Free stand-alone demo] – Goose Minded

    ‘Paint on any surfaces with numerous tools in Creative Space — a free sandbox version of SuchArt: Genius Artist Simulator. Create masterpieces, complete commissions, and decorate your studio in the most advanced artist sim!’

    Considering this is basically a demo, it contains so much content. Use the paint physics and tools to fulfil commissions and decorate your studio in literally any way you see fit. I had a great time playing around with paint, seeing what all the different tools do, and completing my masterpiece with absolutely no disasters at all. Just take a look at the steam page to see the type of art people have made. It really is a sandbox for the imagination. This demo is so packed full of stuff that it makes the prospect of the full game very exciting.

    Both are available on Steam now!

    Temple of Snek [Code received] – Aetheric Games

    Temple of Snek [Code recieved] – Aetheric Games

    ‘A snaky tile-based puzzle dungeon adventure. Defend the temple, monch the infidels, and grow and grow and grow…’

    They managed to turn the classic snake (I am just realising that we are past the generation that grew up with snake being their first portable game) into a puzzle game with moving parts. Not only that, but they have done it with style. Part rhythm puzzle game, part dungeon escape game, you can gladly bob your head as your Snek swallows her foes whole, growing into the goodest, long, fiercest mama. Since I played they have added decorating your Snek too – ‘Mek-a-Snek’ – you can’t go wrong with some wonderfully customisable Snek fashion. I would love for more people to see this game becasue it really is a cool one. Just be careful not to touch your Snek with your Snek. Snek only knows what the consequences would be. Snek is such a great word. Snek.

    Currently in Early Access, it is £9.99 on Steam here.

    It was so difficult to narrow this down. There were games that I really liked that just didn’t make it onto the list. There is so much fantastic Indie content out there and it is all thanks to creative developers that take that step to turn their visions into reality. I thank them so much, and ask them to keep up the excellent work (but only at a healthy pace of course). All being well I will be back in another year to evaluate the next 50 and showcase some more highlights!

    If you would like to discover more Indie games or stay up to date with the series, here is the entire playlist!

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