r/IndieGaming • • 16h ago

Made a funny lil game based on the ugliest man in the world

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394 Upvotes

We're working on Flame Hunter, a game about the legendary ghost hunter, Zhong Kui. According to legend, on his first day as an imperial minister the emperor fired him on sight for being too ugly. He had a heart attack and died.

Now he's reincarnated in a new job; a shapeshifting ghost hunter. Still ugly, but with powers!

Core Mechanic: You can shapeshift into any enemy you can catch and use their abilities in combat and puzzle-solving. You can only hold one enemy at a time, but you can shapeshift back and forth at will, making combat fun and dynamic.

steam link


r/IndieGaming • • 11h ago

Thalassophobia warning! The only thing scarier than the ocean... is the ocean at night. Just released a new short teaser for my ocean survival horror game: Open Waters.

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392 Upvotes

No generative AI was used!


r/IndieGaming • • 14h ago

How I make capsule art for my game! Witch & Dragon: Hope of Elements

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76 Upvotes

After testing 4 different capsule artworks during Steam Next Fest, I got lots of helpful feedback from the community. Thank you all!

I'm sharing a little behind-the-scenes look at how I draw and put together my capsule art, from the initial sketch to the final illustration.

There's still a lot to improve, but now I have a clearer direction to work toward!

Hope you enjoy this little peek into my art process!

Witch & Dragon: Hope of Elements is a turn-based tactical roguelite centered around elemental reactions, featuring 5 elements, 20 elemental reactions, and randomized maps. The Steam Demo is now available if you'd like to try it yourself!


r/IndieGaming • • 2h ago

After disappointing results at Next Fest, we're trying to figure out what's wrong with our indie game, Fields of Aaru

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71 Upvotes

Fields of Aaru is a farming life sim set in the Ancient Egyptian afterlife. There are two of us developing it full time, and we've worked on it for 3.5 years. The demo has been out since June, we just wrapped up Next Fest.

The people who play it are nice about it (100% on Steam after 28 reviews), but they mostly praise how it looks. We think the gameplay isn't really drawing people in, and it's been very hard to get traction on social media, which signals that the game just isn't appealing to people the way he hoped it would.

- If you watched the trailer or looked at the Steam page, what looks boring or is confusing? Is it clear what kind of game it is without looking at the genre tags?
- What would make you more interested, and what kind of unique gameplay experiences would you want from a game like this?

For those who've played it before and are interested in trying out the latest update: we've added irrigation channels, villager gifts, more character creation options, an enhanced graphics mode and six new languages.

Demo: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4665870/Fields_of_Aaru_Demo/

No need to be nice! Give us brutally honest feedback.


r/IndieGaming • • 23h ago

A YouTuber changed the future of my indie game. Now it’s getting its biggest update yet.

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60 Upvotes

A while ago, my wife and I released Harvest Dice Profit, a little incremental farming game we made as an indie team.

Sales were slowing down, and honestly, I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep developing it.

Then DangerouslyFunny made a video about it.

The video brought a huge wave of players to the game and helped me cover the cost of development. More importantly, it gave me the chance to keep working on the game instead of moving on.

So that's what I did.

Since then, I've been fixing performance issues, improving the game, and working on new features. Today, I'm releasing the biggest update Harvest Dice Profit has ever received, featuring a Prestige system, more dice, new AOE tools, performance improvements, and more!

If you watched DangerouslyFunny's video or played the game back then, thank you.

And if you're curious about how far the game has come, I'd love for you to check out the update!

DangerouslyFunny's video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5Wn8Au6eGM&t=343s

Harvest Dice Profit on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4583230/Harvest_Dice_Profit/

AI disclosure: No AI was used in the development of this game.


r/IndieGaming • • 9h ago

We made a game where monsters only move when you BLINK, detected by your own Webcam!

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26 Upvotes

A survival horror game where you explore an abandonded lab filled with monsters who can only move when they cannot be seen. A single BLINK could be fatal... Using your own webcam, your real-life blinks will translate to the game world.

You can wishlist it on Steam :) https://store.steampowered.com/app/5277990/DONT_BLINK/


r/IndieGaming • • 12h ago

ah yes, the "unfortunately" game publisher experience...

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24 Upvotes

This is a mix of emails from a while ago I think this is our classic "Unfortunately we are not interested in [YOUR GAME] at the moment"

My game has changed a lot, so feel free to play the demo and let me know what you think!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3256450/Cards_of_Prophecy/


r/IndieGaming • • 16h ago

After 9 years I QUIT my job and went FULL INDIE. I have now released my games demo. It's out there and people are playing it. IT FEELS UNREAL! Wish me luck!

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22 Upvotes

Okay! I can FINALLY share something! After 9 years in the games industry, while prototyping and making small games as a hobby, with the dream to be an indie dev one day I've finally, kind of, become one.

We have released the demo for our upcoming game Rowan Needs Shinies!

I'm Sammie (one half of soft void with my partner)

Here is my short pitch about the game:

Rowan Needs Shinies! is a cozy, atmospheric incremental game inspired by games like Lyca and Shelldiver, combined with the story-telling and worldbuilding of games like Strange Horticulture, In Stars and Time, The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood, and Animal Well.

Unlike many incremental games, Rowan Needs Shinies doesn't have a traditional skill tree. Instead, the skill tree is built depending on the choices you make. There's multiple endings to discover depending on which upgrades you choose to get, so that every playthrough feels unique.

It still feels unreal.

A bit of our backstory:

I really did quit my job in the games industry after 9 years as a Unity developer. I was in a toxic, extremely stressful job that was taking a toll on both my physical and mental health.

Originally the plan was to take some time off then find a new job, but it felt like a rare opportunity that both me and my partner were unemployed, with enough savings to last us for a while. We figured that if the game does well, we can keep going as indie developers.

We're both pretty risk averse, we tend to play it safe and do the standard thing. BUT THIS TIME we felt that this was a risk worth taking. We don't have any kids yet, we are living in an affordable place, this was the perfect time to take a year off to try and make our own game. We really wanted to do it, and so we did.

I am really excited about what we have made and what comes next. It's a bit scary to not know how things will go, but I think that's normal.

Thanks for reading, and feel free to ask me any questions ^^


r/IndieGaming • • 7h ago

The king had no army left. So he sent one peasant to reclaim 100 islands.

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11 Upvotes

From one peasant to an army: here’s Island Crusade in action

Click monsters, recruit knights, and free 100 pixel-art islands. Discover the Underside, a blood-soaked mirror of the kingdom where a second army fights alongside your crusade.

No offline progress: your armies fight while the game is running. Recruit reinforcements, turn iron into relics, and build your power through successive crusades.

Steam page (wishlist): https://store.steampowered.com/app/5455700/Island_Crusade/

Demo available here : https://neovalpox.itch.io/island-crusade

AI disclosure: All the graphics come from human-made pixel-art packs (Tiny Swords Pack by Pixel Frog, Super Pixel Effects by unTied Games) and the music from human composers on OpenGameArt (credited in game). No AI-generated images, animation, code or music. AI is used to translate the game's texts into other languages only.


r/IndieGaming • • 3h ago

after 3.5 years, and one huge genre pivot later, our zelda-inspired mmo is finally out!

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10 Upvotes

r/IndieGaming • • 5h ago

Finally found the time to improve our capsule art! What do you think of the new one?

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10 Upvotes

Our game started as a gamejam, and capsule art was done quite quickly (I am the main visuals person in the team, and did all the capsule variations). After quite a successful itch release, we decided to make it into a full steam game, and the old capsule art was just not feeling right:

The game is an incremental where you (a snail) turn a desert into a lush forest, and then keep optimizing everything to insanity and darkness, and actually very little of that was shown in the initial capsule art!

So we set the objective for the new one to:

  1. Show the core fantasy (snail regreening desert)
  2. Show the main mechanic of the game (planting)
  3. Give some hints of the darkness / humor the game proposes

How did you think it went?

Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4362170/Feed_The_Forest/


r/IndieGaming • • 19h ago

Leave Them Outside – fixing the generator in a Cold War shelter: read the manual, cut the power, take the right tool

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9 Upvotes

I’m making Leave Them Outside, a survival drama set in a Cold War-era bunker beneath Istanbul.

In this clip, the generator breaks down. You read the maintenance manual, diagnose the problem, grab the right tool from the workbench, shut off the power and start unscrewing the battery cover.

One detail I’ve spent a lot of time on: the manual and even the writing on the walls appear in the player’s selected language. They’re part of the world, not just UI text.

GenAI disclosure: AI was used for voice acting and translation. All visuals shown in this clip are handmade.

Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/5281900/Leave_Them_Outside/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=bakim_2610_indiegaming

Would you actually read a maintenance manual like this in a survival game, or would you rather have the game guide you through the repair?


r/IndieGaming • • 4h ago

The same moment in our typing game, in the old art and in the new 320x180 pixel look

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5 Upvotes

The Way Home is a small typing game: Emily walks home on a path of letters, and every key you type lays the next block under her feet. My brother designed it while teaching in Japan, and I helped him build it in Unity

This update puts the whole game on one 320x180 grid with one 32-colour palette: the forests, the letter blocks, Emily, the bosses, the keyboard and the menus. The clip switches between the old and new art every two seconds on the same moment. F10 does the same in the game, so the original look is still there if you prefer it.

Also in the update: menus in seven languages, and two typing modes where you type Chinese characters or Japanese kana through their Latin spelling.

Is there anything that reads worse in the new look than in the old?


r/IndieGaming • • 5h ago

new trailer for our horror game, now in 9 languages so everyone can catch the vibe. does it make you want to play?

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6 Upvotes

we finished the new trailer for The Apartment and made it in all 9 languages the game supports, so everyone can catch the vibe in their own language. english, russian, german, spanish, polish, japanese, korean and chinese

on steam it just plays in whatever language your steam is set to, which is kind of cool

the game is a psychological horror about a tiny apartment and something behind the door that keeps wanting more. if you liked MiSide or No, I’m Not a Human it’s kind of that vibe

demo is coming really soon, it’s 6 days in game and there are 3 endings

would love to hear what you think before the demo drops. does it make you want to play? anything confusing? too slow? be brutal, we can take it (probably)

steam link in the comments. and please don’t open the door :)


r/IndieGaming • • 7h ago

My Surreal Puzzle Adventure in an Eerie Desert Health Resort. A Chill Halloween Pick.

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5 Upvotes

A missing cousin. A strange desert resort. Secrets that should have stayed buried. Step into the unsettling world of Rattle Spring and play the demo!

Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4671010/Rattle_Spring/

Also web demos:
https://oddgingergames.itch.io/rattle-spring-basement
https://oddgingergames.itch.io/rattle-spring-overture
https://oddgingergames.itch.io/the-crows-room


r/IndieGaming • • 8h ago

Showcasing some new skins I've added to my indie game, The Last Sphere!

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5 Upvotes

I've been working on new unlockable skins for The Last Sphere. Here's a quick showcase of some of them!

Demo for our upcoming game: The Last Sphere


r/IndieGaming • • 9h ago

Zombies kept breaking through my doors, so I added a door kick

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5 Upvotes

Close the door and they break it down. Kick it first and they go flying. Free demo on Steam if you want to try it.


r/IndieGaming • • 12h ago

We made a party game about risk, revenge, and the dangerous business of holding a blunt

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4 Upvotes

Congratulations, you're holding the blunt. You're also in trouble!

We're making Pass the Blunt, a party card game for 2-6 players about risk, revenge, and ruining your friends' plans.

We're currently in closed beta on Steam. If it looks like your kind of chaos, a wishlist helps us a ton: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4962440/Pass_the_Blunt/


r/IndieGaming • • 12h ago

We designed this skeletal dragon NPC for our game. Any thoughts?

6 Upvotes

r/IndieGaming • • 4h ago

Finished my game’s 6th biome - here’s a small recap

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3 Upvotes

Hello everyone!

My third metroidvania (after Super Roboy and Grumpy Jack), set in Japanese folklore, is coming along alright, and I figured I’d post a little update.

You can wishlist the game here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4534260/Kodama_Slumber_of_the_Gods/

The game focuses on fluid platforming, melee combat, and has a (very skippable) mythological story.

Thanks, and have a lovely day!


r/IndieGaming • • 8h ago

Made a cozy lil game where cats run a café on your desktop

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3 Upvotes

Me and my friends are making Cat Caffeine, a game where you run a little cat café right on your desktop 🐱☕

You can decorate your café, hire cats, unlock upgrades, pet your cats (very important), and watch your little business grow while you work or do other stuff on your PC.

We're also adding an in-game phone where you can read reviews from your cat customers, complete decoration tasks to attract reviewers, and even use a Pomodoro timer to help you focus while working!

Basically, a little café full of cats keeping you company while you do your thing.

Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4681680/Cat_Caffeine/


r/IndieGaming • • 9h ago

PIAST — a Slavic medieval RTS about building a settlement and its economy.

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5 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I'm a solo developer creating PIAST, a medieval RTS inspired by Slavic history.

You start with a small settlement and gradually develop it by gathering resources, building production chains and managing workers. I'm currently working on roads, carts and a more meaningful economic system, where logistics help determine how efficiently your settlement grows.

The free demo is available on Steam, and I'd love to hear what you think!

🎮 Play the demo: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4830280/Piast/

I'm especially interested in feedback on the gameplay, visuals and what would make the economic side more engaging.


r/IndieGaming • • 10h ago

A new street has been added to the game

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4 Upvotes

r/IndieGaming • • 12h ago

In the lead-up to Halloween, I added a Cemetery level to my nature places cleaning sim

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4 Upvotes

r/IndieGaming • • 15h ago

Our cozy co-op cooking game Pao Pao is out now on Steam: fish for ingredients, run a restaurant, and explore a night city with up to 3 friends

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4 Upvotes

Hey r/IndieGaming! After a long time in development, Pao Pao has launched. You play as a fluffy chef (cat, fox, raccoon, cow, wolf...), catch your own ingredients, cook through a nonstop daytime rush, and unwind in an open-world city at night. Solo or 1-4 player online co-op.

Enjoy the trailer :)

Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3024130/Pao_Pao/

Happy to answer any questions about the game or how we made it!