Steam is having its annual Winter Sale! Along with being able to open up a cabin… thing(?) to get emoticons and other small items for Steam, you can take a look at all of the games they have on offer. With so many indie games to look out for, we picked a few you should go grab!
Phantom Halls — 25% off at £11.61
Note: Phantom Halls even has a winter update. You can take on zombie santa and his elves, killing them and gaining new achievements along the way.
Never before has the experience of exploring a haunted house been one so fun to do! The various missions are super funny — it is just like teenagers to risk their lives for prom dresses and better respect from their coach. If you don’t want to manage the entire party yourself, you can even grab another controller and play with a friend — just to double your chances to stay alive.
Pinstripe — 50% off at £5.49
Pinstripe is a story wrapped up in a riddle, wrapped up in a mystery, inside an enigma. The story, mechanics and style are all really well done, and while it may not be great for kids, or as a party game, it is a supremely good title, and one I highly recommend if you like games that make you think… and feel.
Sundered: Eldritch Edition — 75% off at £3.87
When it comes to innovation I have to look at the baseline of features. Sundered does plenty of things right to make it stand toe to toe with most Metroidvanias. Especially with its art and over the top boss fights. However, when it comes to making itself stand apart from them it doesn’t really do anything all that unique. The horde system, skill trees, and procedural blocks are nice but nothing that blows my mind. That being said Sundered is a solid game and very well made.
Dead Cells — 20% off at £17.59
Dead Cells’ pixel-art’s beauty combined with a chilling soundtrack — that is both fitting and well-rounded — showcases a fine attention to detail and gives a nod to the games it borrows from. Dead Cells is certainly worth picking up if you are interested in the genre or diving into something new, and hopefully is the stepping stone for more games to follow.
Read our full feature, focusing on Dead Cells’ art.
Northgard — 50% off at £11.89
Note: Northgard has had a holiday update, with a new festive map and an event.
Set squarely within Norse mythology, Northgard sees you chasing down your father’s murderer across the newfound, titular continent. You must defeat all in your way as you strive to bring about both justice and revenge, all while retrieving your birthright and proving yourself a worthy king.
Slime Rancher — 50% off at £7.49
Note: Slime Rancher has an event going on called Wiggly Wonderland, where you can find a rare Twinkle Slime.
If you are looking for a game that is relaxing, fun, and doesn’t take itself too seriously then you need to check out Slime Rancher. The game is brilliant, cute and I highly recommend it. Oh and unlike other Early Access games, they didn’t jack up its price on release. Kudos.
The Adventure Pals — 34% off at £7.25
Every jump spews confetti out behind Wilton, the rambunctious youngster players control. The screen shakes and your controller rumbles with every bash of an enemy as you string together combos. And nearly every character and object have a bouncing animation when they stand idle. In a word, it’s pure fun.
Mini Metro — 50% off at £3.49
In this world of ever-increasing graphically complex games, designed to be as stunning and as lifelike as possible, it’s always nice to get back to what actually matters about playing games – the game play. Like all the best games (in my opinion), Mini Metro is so very simple to pick up, and yet so very difficult to master.
Descenders — 20% off at £15.59
Note: Descenders has a Christmas update which contains a winter themed overworld and some winter unlockables.
It could often feel less like the miracle of landing, but more of an overload. Descenders reminded me of what I enjoyed about the Skate games, in which landing a clean trick was more of a challenge rather than a simple button press. My most memorable combos in Skate are three to four tricks long, and are barely linked, rather than the rigid, ollie trick, grind manual ollie trick grind ollie grind, of the Tony Hawk series.
Little Bug — 50% off at £3.59
In all, Little Bug is a polished platformer that will charm speedrunners, completionists and casual players alike with a distinct aesthetic and intuitive mechanics. Following Nyah’s adventures is a wonderful treat that no indie enthusiast should miss out on.
Dimension Drive — 50% off at £4.99
As a fan of the shoot-’em-up genre, Dimension Drive is a breath of fresh air to experience such a unique take on the concept. Its beautiful character art helps define the story and the gameplay stays fresh to the very end. It’s not terribly hard for a newcomer to the genre, but it’s certainly worth checking out if you like top-down space shooters.
Dude, Stop — 40% off at £7.19
Note: Dude, Stop has had a holiday update that adds Christmas-themed decorations and more.
Listening to the narrator get more angry and frustrated as I continued to mess up the clearly perfect world they were trying to create was a real highlight in Dude, Stop! The voice acting and general feeling of the narrator is perfectly done — the whole game begs you to do stuff incorrectly and even rewards you with junk items to look at.
Love is Dead — 34% off at £5.93
I think that Love Is Dead is made with a lot of love. It’s a really charming little game to pick up, whether that be because you’re just a fan of puzzles games or you’re after a fun game to play with a friend or a loved one. The story is cute and the level design is appealing and fun to circumnavigate — it will have you laughing with one another rather than screaming at one another, although that really depends on what you’re both like!
The Gardens Between — 30% off at £10.84
The Gardens Between has been dazzling audiences with its preview content, showcasing its gorgeous artwork and simple, fluid mechanics through both websites and conventions alike. With the help of a review key, I was able to put the rest of the game to the test, and suffice to say, it didn’t disappoint.
My Time at Portia — 20% off at £12.79
My Time at Portia wears its inspiration on its sleeve. You will feel comfortable with this game and you know this game but it does offer some unique ideas to make it stand out. I just hope those ideas keep up and don’t get diluted with trying to do everything. If there is no farming, fine but make sure that the construction aspect is as deep as the relationship system, fishing, etc. Things can certainly become diluted if they tried to add farming on top of everything. It’s an ambitious game but from what I played is going to be well worth the time, wait, and effort that is going into it.
Disclaimer: Jupiter Hadley, one of the website owners, is an Adept Game Wizard for Armor Games. You can read more information on our disclaimers here.
