Indies to Catch in August 2025!

Woo-wee, how the time passes! It was barely just the beginning of 2025, and now it's already August? That's the way the cookie crumbles, I guess. Time flies, and yet we stay forever young - and playing more games. As always, quite a few games are coming out in this sweetest of months (first harvest! Local farmers' markets are overflowing with delicious goods...), so let me show you a few that I am excited to put my paws on. Let's roll!

MAKEROOM | 7th August

I am always in the market for finding the next cosy game to soothe my evening with. For me, they always have a relatively short shelf life. By that, I mean, I expect one title to hold my interest for a few evenings and then part my ways with it on peaceful terms. My itch fulfilled, the game did its job. MAKEROOM feels like a great addition to my ever-expanding shelf of small and sweet games of such type. It has this sharp focus on what it is all about, which I like. It doesn't act like it has some shoehorned narrative, doesn't try to spiff up its simple premise with some lofty ideas or peculiar mechanics. It's a game in which you make little dioramas of interiors. Rooms, gardens, camper vans, you name it. With over 1000+ objects to play with, it promises quite a set of knick-knacks to make a space truly your own.

I can appreciate that. The artstyle also helps here, as every little bit reminds me of those real-life models of tiny spaces. Crafted from wood, wire, and stickers, the tiny dioramas you can assemble in your spare time make a cutesy little thing to put on a shelf. But thanks to its digital form, MAKEROOM will let me dive into that entertainment with limitless space to play with! And so, if your internal interior designer is calling up to you from the depths of your soul, please take a look at this title. I am sure I'll have a solid few evenings of fun with it. And it seems like a title I might constantly reinstall later down the years to just have a few extra evenings of soothing fun.

THE ROYAL WRIT | 7th August

Now this one I am quite excited about since the fantastic demo. It is a very strange game - sure, on the surface it's Yet Another Dekbuilder Roguelike, like the billions of them coming every year. But... THE ROYAL WRIT has that special something. It might be the utterly unhinged and whimsical art style, a medieval book illustration vibe with funny, armed animals. It might be the fun mix of unusual mechanics, with the royal writs indeed playing a big role. Or, of course, it might be due to the very narrow scope of your deckbuilding - you never have too many cards to play with, and each of your cards sort of changes and evolves during a run. Each card becomes, in a way, its own story.

It is a strange game, to be sure, standing out from the crowd with both the unusual art style and what feels like a pretty fresh take on the systems hiding beneath the cards. Part of its charm, for me, stemmed from the fact that nothing I learned in playing a hundred other deckbuilders translated to this game! The scoring, the combat, the tiny deck, the influence I have on the cards and their persistent states made it feel so... fresh. And so, my hopes are high for a truly unique deckbuilder experience; I just hope the depth of options and deckbuilding opportunities will be there - it might be a tough thing to achieve with such a small pool of cards you usually play your run with, but we'll see how it goes.

DICE GAMBIT | 14th August

DICE GAMBIT caught my attention recently with its slickness. Just by watching the trailer, I got a peculiar tingling, a vibe that whispered to my brain, "What if HADES was turn-based and also operated by wacky dice?". Not sure how such a thought will carry over into the actual game, but let's just say I was intrigued. A tactical, dice-driven combat with a pretty sharp art and damn slick execution felt promising! Didn't manage to play the demo yet - coming next week for sure for the DEMO DIVE - but I am still having my hopes up for this one.

All I've seen from the game so far shows something I really cherish in game of this kind - it seems to have quite a depth of content to it. There is this whole family-building mechanic of finding new fighters for your team based on that family tree expansion. The dice themselves can be melded in action to unleash powerful abilities. Your home base grows with you or, perhaps, there's a solid bit of customization to how it develops. The biomes have some variety to them, and the whole game has quite a visual flair, set in a very fun-looking setting - a fantasy-like near-future, a blend of medieval action with more contemporary aesthetics. A shield and sword-wielding techno warrior running through an open office was just an image that stuck in my mind - the right way. I am sure to give this one a proper try.

THE DARK QUEEN OF MORTHOLME | 15th August

I already played this one, but I am bringing it here, to your attention, because I firmly believe you should play it too. It is a small game. A short one. It is also, technically, a pretty pre-determined game in its outcome. But the premise is superb, and the fun in going through it was an experience to behold.

I am a DARK SOULS fan. Played and completed each of the mainline titles, smashed through ELDEN RING, and consumed plenty of other souls-like, always starving for that punitive gameplay loop. But this game asks a question - what if your perspective shifted and you became that one nasty, superbly powerful boss that a daring adventurer must bash their head in over and over again? How would it feel to have a little pest constantly coming back for their regular dose of punishment? How annoying it would be to see them slowly but surely grow more competent? Reading your attacks. Learning your combos. Overcoming your power through sheer stubbornness?

This is THE DARK QUEEN OF MORTHOLME. A game in which you can live that very scenario, thwarting a bold adventurer over and over again, as they relentlessly come back, incrementally stronger. Smarter. And more annoying. And, best of all, on top of the constant growth of their skill in combat, they chat you up about your role in this play. Your determination. Your growing frustration with their endless attempts. It's quite a ride.

DISCOUNTY | 21st August

What if STARDVEW VALLEY, but you're a corporate rat in a franchise of discount markets? I know, I am not too kind with those simplified comparisons, but I cannot stop my mind from making them. The pixel-art style, the vibes, it all looks like it takes the core concept and flips it on its head a little. Nothing wrong with that! If anything, I am looking forward to DISCOUNTY - the game has been cooking for quite some time, and everything I've seen so far makes it look like it will be a very generous offering when it comes to content.

This is the good part of borrowing ideas from hugely successful games - don't get fooled by the simple premise of 'running a small market'. There is, clearly, a lot more going on. Growing relationships with the locals, be it good or bad. Exploring the town for various secrets and great deals to put into your store. I can sniff multiple plotlines being baked in there, too, based on the little hints in teasers and trailers. And it seems not everyone in the lil town of Blomkest is excited to have your shop grow and thrive, so that's another angle to look up to!