August looks set to be one of the strongest months for top-tier indie games not only this year but possibly in the last few years. Regardless of what genre you are a fan of, you are going to have something incredible to look forward to this month.
There were some many options for the month that we’ve actually had to cut a few really cool games from our list. Regardless, it’s still longer than normal though so let’s get right into things with the best indie games for August.
Kitsune Tails is first on our list, and it looks delightful. The game has you old-school platforming your way through a land inspired by Japanese mythology as a kitsune with amazing abilities. Along with the truly perfect old-school graphics, there are also plenty of outfits to unlock, special mechanics to master, and a wealth of characters to meet as well. As we said, delightful.
Good lord, this game looks good. Realm of Ink is an action roguelite game where you take control of a swordswoman called Red, who has to try and break free from the chains of her destiny within a book. The setting means that every aspect of the game looks as though it was created using a calligraphy brush but it’s not just got amazing visuals, the gameplay looks incredibly slick as well.
Creatures of Ava is a game all about saving wildlife as you’re placed on a strange planet and have to try and stop the spread of a horrifying infection. You’ll not only have to save the creatures but also study them and figure out how to tame them so that they can lead you to where you need to go. It looks wonderful, and we can’t wait to play it.
Despite its premise, the Cat Quest games are genuinely a lot of fun, especially if you’re a younger gamer or a parent playing with your kids. The next game in the series, Cat Quest III takes the series and puts it into the realm of pirates, which means notably more seafaring, but still plenty of the usual cat puns and combat to enjoy. The split-screen co-op is what really helps make this series special though, so we’re glad to see it making a return in the latest entry. It’s going to be a-meow-zing.
The SteamWorld series has been a constant gift to gamers, bringing a huge range of well-made, genre mash-ups that look amazing and are just as great to play. SteamWorld Heist 2 is the latest entry in the SteamWorld-verse and the good news for fans of the first title in this particular series is this one looks to build on the same turn-based tactical fights that made the original so much fun but add to it with more mechanics and plenty of new characters to love.
Extraction games are about to become one of the most interesting genres out there. They’ve been constantly building since Escape from Tarkov and Hunt: Showdown really kicked things off, and Level Zero: Extraction looks to be the next true contender for the top spot. It takes the natural tension of the genre and turns it up by adding in actual horror elements, thanks to its terrifying monsters. The cool twist though, is that you can play as one of the aliens and actively hunt other players – let’s see you do that in Tarkov!
Streets of Rogue 2 is a serious contender for game of the year, provided it delivers on being better than the first game. For the uninitiated, Streets of Rogue 2 is the sequel to a game which was basically what happens when you splice the immersive nature of Dishonored with the humour of long-form improv. The result is a roguelike where the answers are infinite and with a far larger world, more classes and more mechanics to play, we are excited. It’s also fully co-op, although fair warning, you may end up feeling more like enemies than friends.
What if you could command a unit of elite wizards as they took out bad guys while breaching high-tension situations? Well, good news, because that’s exactly what Tactical Breach Wizards is all about. This turn-based game has you guiding your group of wizards through tactical situations to try and take out a conspiracy plot. You’ll need to mix and match spells and clever tactical decisions to come out on top, but hey, at least you can rewind time.
Finally, we have Core Keeper. Core Keeper has been in Early Access since early 2022, but even in the state it launched in, it was already a wonderful take on Terraria-style survival games. It’s evolved substantially since then, and the full release adds in extra goodies including new spellcasting mechanics and classes. It’s also co-op with up to eight players, and it’s rare we get to mess around in a world with so many of our friends without it being in an MMO. This is definitely one to watch.
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