Image: Raw Fury
Halloween is over, which means the world has decided it’s basically the winter holiday season. And, naturally, you can expect an endless amount of seasonally themed sales to sift through. While you might already be looking out for deals on some of this year’s best games in hopes of catching up on what’s hot, there are always a plethora of smaller indies equally worth your time.
To that end, PlayStation is currently holding an indie sale that slashes prices on these hidden gems. Perusing the sale, you’ll find that there’s a lot to choose from. To make things easier, I’ve done the sifting for you and plucked out seven diamonds in the rough that you shouldn’t overlook. Don’t wait too long though, the sale ends on November 13.
Few mashups have worked as successfully as the combination of fishing simulator and lovecraftian horror that Dredge pulls off. Taking inspiration from the unsettling fishing towns constantly present in Lovecraft’s work, Dredge casts you as a fisherman in strange lands trying to make a living while slowly descending into the madness brought on by the monsters that lurk in the depths as well as in the town’s you make port in. With a thrilling horror story to unravel and a tightly designed fishing mechanic at its core, Dredge will hook you in and never let go. Dredge’s deluxe edition is currently $16.19.
As a perennial entry on every list about the best cozy games, A Short Hike feels like a warm hug. Living up to its name, this short adventure game is a lo-fi adventure in which you summit a mountain. Along the way you’ll get roped into the lives of the people you meet along the way, as A Short Hike tells a touching story about connection that will warm your heart just as the weather starts to turn chilly. You can get A Short Hike for just under five bucks!
As good as games writing can be, the two places the medium typically struggles the most are comedy and romance. Haven, the 2020 narrative adventure game, focuses on the relationship between protagonists Kay and Yu. The two live a secluded life as fugitives from their home, which means that most of the game occurs through conversations between the two over the little things in life. The exploration and combat of Haven isn’t much to write home about, but the game’s depiction of the central romance feels so real that it’s worth it just to get to know Kay and Yu. As a bonus you can play in co-op and choose the gender of each protagonist. Haven is currently half off, which will cost you $12.49,
Rather than a short hike, Jusant is a long climb. Built around an intricate climbing system that requires you to press and hold a series of inputs for every single hand and foot hold, Jusant tasks you with reaching the top of a sheer tower. While so many games take movement for granted, the constant need to focus on the minutiae of how you move through the world of Jusant makes it a particularly gripping experience. It’s well worth the $15 you can currently get it for.
Alongside Kentucky Route Zero, NORCO may be the great American video game (if we had to pick one). A literary point-and-click adventure, NORCO uses magical realism to tell a story about the climate crisis and its effect on one small town in Louisiana. Exploring its dystopian yet early-familiar setting and unraveling the lives of those who call it home, NORCO is a game that thrives on its excellent writing to depict a truly lived world. At $5.79, you’d be a fool not to grab it.
Pikmin, Nintendo’s franchise about controlling a bunch of adorable little guys, is delightful but has one major flaw—It’s a Nintendo exclusive. Tinykin fixes that problem by taking the mechanics of the franchise wholesale and dropping it into a charming indie package available on other platforms. You still get to control little guys and run around a beautifully rendered world straight out of Honey I Shrunk The Kids. What’s not to like? It’s also a steal right now for just over six bucks
We Are OFK will feel achingly relatable for anybody trying to pursue a career in art. It’s a musical narrative adventure about a group of queer friends in L.A. all struggling to find that big break. The stylish animation and dreamlike music scenes that punctuate each chapter round out a grounded story. While We Are OFK has some pretty cliche things to say about found family and the purpose of making art, it never loses focus on the game’s wonderful main cast. Pick it up now for nine dollars during the sale.
Of course these picks just scrape the surface of the sale. If you’ve already played through my picks then congratulations for having great taste. You could also check out Xbox’s indie sale for another great selection of smaller games to entertain you.
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