Games for Your Summer Escape: Indie Selects for July 2025 Post a Comment Category: ID@Xbox July 30, 2025 Games for Your Summer Escape: Indie Selects for July 2025 Raymond Estrada, Steven Allen, Joe Olk, Oscar Polanco, Deron MannID@Xbox Travel Agents Summer is a fun time for a great vacation. Whether you’re flying solo to disconnect or trekking a full minivan full of your favorite people, you’re likely looking for a change of scenery this month. But what if you can’t get away in real life? Well, you’re in luck because the ID@Xbox team has handpicked six Indie Select titles for July that could be your ideal getaway. We can get you booked for a luxury vacation planet that might have a slight robot revolt to contend with. We have some incredible views on our island-hopping city building packages. What about a stay in the wintery North American wilderness filled with hired guns for some therapeutic guerilla warfare? Nothing says family like jumping into a random portal in New York City with three of your closest people to rescue your rodent father figure. If you prefer to manage your vacation more precisely, how about a trip to the theater where you choose the outcomes of everyone involved? Otherwise, a staycation can be filled with romance where you least expect it. Act now and book our Monthly Selects for your latest dream destination. Here’s what we’ve got for you this month (in no particular order): I Am Your Beast The latest game from Strange Scaffold is a shortform covert revenge thriller FPS. However, more specifically, it’s the video game equivalent of yelling “I’m fine!” while sprinting through a dense forest full of laser tripwires and heavily armed guards. You play as Agent Alphonse Harding—a man with a past, a knife, and a serious grudge. Once a top-tier assassin, Harding’s been living off-grid in a frozen forest, trying to forget the things he’s done. But when his old handler, Burkin, shows up with the classic “one last job,” Harding refuses. Bad move. Burkin retaliates. Worse move. Harding “snaps”—his word, not mine—and what follows is a comic-book-style rampage of sweet rebellion and stylish vengeance. The game doesn’t ease you in—it kicks down the door, hands you a blade, and says, “Figure it out.” And honestly? I loved every second of it. The mechanics are tight, fast, and unforgiving in the best way. Every level is a high-speed puzzle of movement and timing. One of my proudest moments? Sliding under a laser, catching a guard off-guard (pun intended), flinging their weapon into another enemy’s face—then catching it mid-air and using it to shoot a third. It felt like I was auditioning for an action movie no one asked for, but everyone would absolutely watch. But what really surprised me was the emotional weight behind the chaos. Between the synth-heavy soundtrack and the stylized carnage, there’s a surprising amount of heart—thanks in large part to the stellar voice acting. Harding’s narration is delivered in a gravelly, deadpan tone that somehow manages to be both hilarious and quietly devastating. There’s a heaviness behind every line, like he’s not just angry—he’s tired of being angry. After one particularly brutal encounter, he mutters, “I’m not angry. I’m just disappointed… in everyone.” It’s absurd, yes—but it hits. If you’re into games like Superhot or Ghostrunner, and you enjoy feeling like a one-person demolition crew with a flair for the dramatic, I Am Your Beast is your next obsession. Just don’t be surprised if you start narrating your grocery runs in a gravelly voice. – Steven Allen I Am Your Beast Strange Scaffold ☆☆☆☆☆ 50 ★★★★★ $19.99 Get it now Hunt the military-industrial complex across stylish comic book micro-sandboxes in this fast-paced covert revenge thriller FPS from the developers of El Paso, Elsewhere. Date Everything! We’ve all been lonely, but have you ever been lonely enough to date your coffee table? Well, to be precise you’re dating the “concept of a table” – there’s a difference, trust me. On the surface, Date Everything! is a quirky dating simulator where each object in your house has a distinct and lively personality, but it only takes a few minutes in the intro to realize something else entirely is going on, something sinister and corporate. Your contacts in the human world seem more disembodied than the inanimate objects you’re beginning to form bonds with and, believe me, that’s entirely the point. As the protagonist your goal is not simply to discover how to get your bed into bed (a thought that is absolutely 100% part of it), but to unravel the complex nature of the personalities around you, to truly understand the situation and world you exist within. And that’s what makes Date Everything! so incredibly compelling; the characters that exist within it are so rich, and the world so filled with loose threads just begging to be pulled. By doing so, you are rewarded with strange tales and lovely bits of steamy dialogue written so pitch perfectly and delivered by an absolutely stunning cast of voice actors. That is the gasoline that fills the engine of the game’s loop. The engine itself is simple and effective; you wake up each morning and have a limited amount of battery life to talk with objects around your house, all the while receiving curious and sometimes desperate messages from your human contacts over your phone. You repeat this process, and a puzzle begins to form in front of your very eyes, each piece slotting into place but opening another space for yet another piece to fit. It is a sprawling tangle of emotions and personalities all caught within the walls of a house, while you glance suspiciously at the outside world. So go ahead, I beg of you, learn about your lamp’s burgeoning streaming / influencer business and your fridge’s ice cream restaurant; and remember to treat them well, because objects are people too. – Joe Olk Date Everything! Team17 ☆☆☆☆☆ 82 ★★★★★ $29.99 Get it now Date Everything! brings an exciting new twist on the dating simulator genre. Your BFA in customer service unfortunately goes to waste as you lose your job to AI. But… a mysterious stranger sends a gift – magical glasses called 'Dateviators' – which make your house come alive and dateable! Each dateable object will open up, have their own stories and potentially become your lovers, friends, or enemies. With an exhaustive Who's Who of voice actors keeping you company on your journey! Features: • 100 Datable Characters • Fully Voice Acted • Branching Narratives • At Least 3 Endings Per Dateable Character • Puns Galore! Robots at Midnight Robots at Midnight is a retro-futuristic, soulslike action-RPG that combines storytelling with atmospheric worldbuilding and skill-based combat. You play as Zoe, a stowaway onboard her father Michael’s spaceship orbiting their home planet Yob, a luxury vacation world. When a sudden emergency breaks out and the ship’s robotic crew turns hostile, Zoe, believing she’s the only human left, sets out with her robot companion Phlite to find an escape capsule. Along the way, she discovers the Mobile Impulse Traversal Technology (MITT), a relic of the Space Walkers used for space exploration. The gauntlet-like device adds depth to combat and exploration, granting Zoe a booster dash, overcharged punches, and charged energy shots. After a chaotic battle and multiple turns of events, you arrive on Yob, where the tone shifts. Once a beautiful, idyllic place, it’s now lonely and in ruins. From there, the game unfolds into a carefully crafted narrative full of secrets and eccentric, yet endearing, characters. What I love most is how the game pulls you in emotionally through small, quiet moments. Conversations with forgotten robots, the haunting stillness of abandoned places, and Zoe’s unwavering hope all create a world that feels deeply personal. You feel invested in helping her get the answers to the mysteries. The story is layered but not convoluted, with each encounter, memory fragment, and clue feeling purposeful. You’re not just hacking through enemies; you’re uncovering questions left unanswered. What drove the machines to revolt? Where is her father, and why was he spared? The sound design amplifies the tension with retro synths that echo isolation, wonder, and occasional dread. The world feels both abandoned and alive, and every interaction – whether it’s an offbeat robot or a strange remnant of the past – adds personality to the setting. The soulslike combat is never punishing; there’s a rhythm to each encounter that rewards patience and creativity, especially as you unlock new abilities and uncover new layers of the MITT’s potential. If you’re drawn to story-driven RPGs with atmospheric exploration, strong companions, and combat that complements rather than overshadows the narrative, Robots at Midnight is one to watch. It’s a haunting and heartfelt journey that asks you to think, feel, and fight with just one warning: be sure to be home before midnight… – Oscar Polanco Robots at Midnight Snail Games USA ☆☆☆☆☆ 29 ★★★★★ $19.99 Get it now Robots at Midnight is a retro-futuristic Action RPG set on the planet Yob, a world left in ruins and haunted by the machines once built to serve it. After twenty years in cryo-sleep, Zoe wakes to find a world she barely recognizes. To survive and to save what’s left, she must track down her missing father, lost during the cataclysmic event known only as The Blackout. Along the way, she’ll take on gangs of corrupted robots, confront towering bosses, and uncover long-buried truths about Yob. Just be home before midnight. [Combat with Fluid Movement] The MITT is a powerful piece of old-world tech made for Space exploration, now repurposed for survival. Launch off enemies, soar through the air, and smash through bots with momentum-based combat that keeps you constantly moving. Whether in battle or traversal, fast, fluid movement is your greatest weapon. Find your rhythm. Sharpen your skills. Discover what you’re really made of. [Choose Your Challenge] Whether you’re new to action RPGs or a seasoned fighter, Robots at Midnight adapts to your playstyle. Hero Mode offers a more forgiving, story-driven experience, while Master Mode pushes your reflexes and tactics to the edge with high-stakes combat. Whichever path you choose, prepare for a fight. [Explore and Uncover Hidden Lore] Waking up on a ruined planet isn’t the hard part, figuring out what happened is. Step into Zoe’s sneakers and investigate the mystery behind Yob’s downfall. Discover lost technologies, unravel the threads of the past, and determine your place in a future that moved on without you. Islanders: New Shores Sometimes you just know before you even hit the start button when something is going to be your jam. The sequel to the critically acclaimed title that launched on Xbox back in 2021, Islanders: New Shores is a calm, welcoming, minimalist, island-hopping city builder that is, in my opinion, the ultimate stress relief. The core of the game is pretty straightforward: slowly build a small civilization on a procedurally generated island in the most efficient way possible, with a limited amount of buildings. When you build up enough points, you can move on to the next island whenever you’re ready. No big rush. You collect points based on how you lay out your buildings. Certain buildings interact with aspects of the environment or other buildings in specific ways. Sawmills next to trees, bonus points. Seaweed farm set up next to a body of water, bonus points. City center next to other homes, bonus points. However, there are deductions to your points if certain buildings are next to elements that don’t gel. The UI is not only very pretty, but very intuitive. There’s a lot of trial and error, but there’s no massive consequences for any errors. It was easy to pick up quickly and learn how to access the information I needed to make the right choices. Suddenly, you just keep going, earning more point tiers and landmarks as you start learning the synergies and, before you know it, you’re offered the chance to build a new civilization on a different island. And when I say different, I mean different. The island types don’t just offer a color palette swap but completely different environments with different city builds. You can go from a warm tropical paradise to an aviary-focused island with a carrier pigeon network, to a barren rock surrounded by lava. Along the way you’ll unlock special boons that can create some powerful combos, allowing you to copy a building, gain a point multiplier, or shrink building sizes that can lead to a massive point gain. However, by the third or fourth island, you’ll start to feel the challenge of the higher point requirements and smaller landmasses. If the challenge starts to be more than you want to experience, don’t worry – you begin the game in High Score mode, but you can just as easily slide into Free Build mode allowing you to customize the island shape, size, climate and buildings at your whim. This game feels like cross between a zen garden and roguelike, and I found myself up late at night with straining eyes saying to myself “just one more run.” It has such a chill and pleasing soundtrack and aesthetic that I found myself at peace. However, as simple as the game is, it’s not exactly easy either. Overall, there’s just something about finding that one pixel of space to create a crazy point bonus that is unreasonably satisfying. I’d recommend this for anyone that enjoys turn-based strategy and roguelikes, but just needs a night to chill out. I’ll be playing this for a while. – Raymond Estrada ISLANDERS: New Shores Coatsink, Thunderful Publishing ☆☆☆☆☆ 5 ★★★★★ $9.99 Get it now The next chapter in the beloved minimalist city-building franchise is here. ISLANDERS: New Shores invites you back to a world of tranquil creativity, now reimagined with expanded gameplay, stunning visuals, and a host of fresh features that build on the charm of the original. Whether you're a longtime fan or a newcomer, prepare to explore, build, and strategise like never before. Build Your Dream Cities Across 50 Unique Levels Explore over 44 building types across 6 diverse biomes, each available in 4 vibrant colour variations, letting you customise your strategy and create truly unique cities. Choose your mode of play; High Score Mode for those who love a competitive twist, or Sandbox Mode to let your creativity run wild. Experience a World of New Features Photo Mode – Capture and share your stunning island creations with customisable filters and a turntable camera. Expanded Soundtrack – Enjoy 75 minutes of original music that sets the perfect mood for your building adventures. Dynamic Scoring Systems – Master innovative scoring methods – such as line of sight, distance bonuses, and inter-island strategies – to enhance your gameplay. Boons – Unlock single-use power-ups that give you unique tactical advantages as you progress. Twitch Integration – Streamers can now engage their audiences directly with interactive features built into the game. A Visual Overhaul That Elevates the Experience With a complete reimagining of the minimalist aesthetic, ISLANDERS: New Shores delivers a visual feast that complements its deep, strategic gameplay. Whether you’re here to relax or to challenge your building skills, every new shore offers a fresh canvas for creativity. Key Features – Two modes: High Score and Sandbox (with separate saves) – 44 unique building types and 7 island properties – 50 dynamic island generators offering endless variety – Photo Mode with filters and a turntable camera – 75 minutes of original, immersive music – Boons: new one-time power-ups for strategic gameplay – Advanced scoring systems that reward clever tactics – Twitch integration for an interactive streaming experience ISLANDERS: New Shores – where every island is a new adventure, and every build is a chance to create something extraordinary. Bad End Theater Part-visual novel, part-puzzle adventure, Bad End Theater asks you to you make decisions for each of its characters, with every choice affecting everyone’s path through the story –, which all seemingly lead towards a bad ending. The ensemble for this tragedy includes the Hero, the Maiden, the Servant, and Demon Overlord, and the overall theme takes on morality, fate, and finding yourself despite the fear of what could happen. The game emphasizes replayability much like a roguelike –every mistake isn’t necessarily a failure, but a necessary choice that could unlock a new path. When you start out, you’re asked to lead these 4 charcaters to their doom. You lead each of them through their storylines, making a few choices until they reach their horrible conclusion (usually, they die). After each run, you’ll unlock new traits that can alter their paths and lead them to dozens more bad endings. Each character has their own story and dilemma that intersects with each other character. A decision made for one character’s path can alter the direction of another character. You’ll constantly hop between each character, all seeing the same events, but from a unique perspective, which forces you to rethink character intentions, and what is ultimately the “right” choice. As a kid, I loved “choose your own adventure books,” mainly because 90% of the endings were, “you chose poorly so they died.” But the point of those books was to illustrate how any of our choices can lead us astray from our true path. This game really illustrates this, as you will see your characters die a lot. However, as you continue your little experiment, you’ll learn more about the Bad End Theater and the bigger picture this game is ultimately painting. The game is a snack-sized experience in terms of length, but it’s a great snack to go back to again and again, offering 40 different endings. I highly recommend it to anyone that loves puzzles, as this is definitely a game that rewards curiosity and experimentation. – Raymond Estrada BAD END THEATER Serenity Forge ☆☆☆☆☆ 20 ★★★★★ $9.99 Get it now "Welcome to BAD END THEATER! Select your protagonist and explore a variety of terrible fates! The decisions you make in one story will affect the others. You can toggle these behaviors to open up new paths! Unfortunately, every path leads to a bad ending… Can you find a way to save this unlucky cast?" Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate This is what you get when you combine all the charm of an iconic franchise with the popular – and quite frankly, addictive – action-roguelike genre. Players will find the gameplay reminiscent of other roguelike favorites like Hades but with 1-4 player co-op and featuring the rich story and characters of the TMNT universe. The game begins with Leonardo (my favorite turtle) getting ambushed by Foot Soldiers – a staple enemy to the Turtles and loyal grunts of the universe’s main antagonist, Shredder. However, after clearing these henchmen, you are faced with an unwinnable fight (either you’re supposed to lose or I’m bad… or both). You then learn that Shredder, or someone even darker than him, has not only kidnapped Master Splinter, but possesses some powerful, portal creating, world altering…thing, and it’s up to the gang to save their master and stop the mastermind behind this plot. What I love most about it is how the developers retained key components of the genre, incorporated TMNT lore and design, and managed to make things feel fresh, fun and engaging. Fans of the franchise will appreciate seeing the Turtles’ hideout repurposed as the central hub for upgrades, pizza being the symbol for health pickups, the ability to unlock Casey Jones, fights against Leatherhead or Rocksteady, and your chats with April or Slash. The developers even went as far as adding dialogue to in-run upgrades that are themed after other characters. There was a point where I chose an ability that was themed after Mikey, and Leo said something along the lines of “I hope it doesn’t come with the bad puns.” It’s classic Turtles and whether you’re a diehard fan or novice to that fandom, it’s charming to see and easy to appreciate – Ralph can get irritating sometimes, but that’s canon. – Deron Mann Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate Super Evil Megacorp ☆☆☆☆☆ 39 ★★★★★ $29.99 Get it now Unleash Turtle Power! Grab your friends, pick your favorite Turtle and jump into an adventure to save Master Splinter from the Foot Clan! Master ninja skills, unite in bodacious online and local co-op gameplay, and conquer iconic NYC locales. Bodacious Co-Op Gameplay Brace yourself for fast-paced, roguelike action where no two runs are the same. With randomized power-ups, room layouts, and boss modifiers, the excitement never ends. Take control of all four Turtles, each wielding unique powers, and team up with friends for bodacious co-op gameplay. Explore iconic NYC locations, upgrade your Turtle powers, and prepare to face off against formidable enemies. Build Your Power Master the powers of water and fire, utrom and ooze, light and darkness, and -most importantly- Ninja to create unique and bodacious builds for your Turtles. Every run brings new challenges and opportunities – explore and perfect your favorite builds, and combine them with allies to conquer your enemies. A Thrilling Story When Splinter is kidnapped by Shredder, mysterious portals appear across NYC and the Turtles will battle to recover their father from the clutches of the Foot Clan. However, an even greater threat lingers in the shadows… With additional settings, balance and tuning enhancements for PC, Splintered Fate promises to keep you engaged in the FIGHT, ADAPT, REPEAT portal loop. Be ready to restore peace to the city! The post Games for Your Summer Escape: Indie Selects for July 2025 appeared first on Xbox Wire. source https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2025/07/30/xbox-indie-selects-july-2025/ Location: Share : Post a Comment for "Games for Your Summer Escape: Indie Selects for July 2025"
Category: ID@Xbox July 30, 2025 Games for Your Summer Escape: Indie Selects for July 2025 Raymond Estrada, Steven Allen, Joe Olk, Oscar Polanco, Deron MannID@Xbox Travel Agents Summer is a fun time for a great vacation. Whether you’re flying solo to disconnect or trekking a full minivan full of your favorite people, you’re likely looking for a change of scenery this month. But what if you can’t get away in real life? Well, you’re in luck because the ID@Xbox team has handpicked six Indie Select titles for July that could be your ideal getaway. We can get you booked for a luxury vacation planet that might have a slight robot revolt to contend with. We have some incredible views on our island-hopping city building packages. What about a stay in the wintery North American wilderness filled with hired guns for some therapeutic guerilla warfare? Nothing says family like jumping into a random portal in New York City with three of your closest people to rescue your rodent father figure. If you prefer to manage your vacation more precisely, how about a trip to the theater where you choose the outcomes of everyone involved? Otherwise, a staycation can be filled with romance where you least expect it. Act now and book our Monthly Selects for your latest dream destination. Here’s what we’ve got for you this month (in no particular order): I Am Your Beast The latest game from Strange Scaffold is a shortform covert revenge thriller FPS. However, more specifically, it’s the video game equivalent of yelling “I’m fine!” while sprinting through a dense forest full of laser tripwires and heavily armed guards. You play as Agent Alphonse Harding—a man with a past, a knife, and a serious grudge. Once a top-tier assassin, Harding’s been living off-grid in a frozen forest, trying to forget the things he’s done. But when his old handler, Burkin, shows up with the classic “one last job,” Harding refuses. Bad move. Burkin retaliates. Worse move. Harding “snaps”—his word, not mine—and what follows is a comic-book-style rampage of sweet rebellion and stylish vengeance. The game doesn’t ease you in—it kicks down the door, hands you a blade, and says, “Figure it out.” And honestly? I loved every second of it. The mechanics are tight, fast, and unforgiving in the best way. Every level is a high-speed puzzle of movement and timing. One of my proudest moments? Sliding under a laser, catching a guard off-guard (pun intended), flinging their weapon into another enemy’s face—then catching it mid-air and using it to shoot a third. It felt like I was auditioning for an action movie no one asked for, but everyone would absolutely watch. But what really surprised me was the emotional weight behind the chaos. Between the synth-heavy soundtrack and the stylized carnage, there’s a surprising amount of heart—thanks in large part to the stellar voice acting. Harding’s narration is delivered in a gravelly, deadpan tone that somehow manages to be both hilarious and quietly devastating. There’s a heaviness behind every line, like he’s not just angry—he’s tired of being angry. After one particularly brutal encounter, he mutters, “I’m not angry. I’m just disappointed… in everyone.” It’s absurd, yes—but it hits. If you’re into games like Superhot or Ghostrunner, and you enjoy feeling like a one-person demolition crew with a flair for the dramatic, I Am Your Beast is your next obsession. Just don’t be surprised if you start narrating your grocery runs in a gravelly voice. – Steven Allen I Am Your Beast Strange Scaffold ☆☆☆☆☆ 50 ★★★★★ $19.99 Get it now Hunt the military-industrial complex across stylish comic book micro-sandboxes in this fast-paced covert revenge thriller FPS from the developers of El Paso, Elsewhere. Date Everything! We’ve all been lonely, but have you ever been lonely enough to date your coffee table? Well, to be precise you’re dating the “concept of a table” – there’s a difference, trust me. On the surface, Date Everything! is a quirky dating simulator where each object in your house has a distinct and lively personality, but it only takes a few minutes in the intro to realize something else entirely is going on, something sinister and corporate. Your contacts in the human world seem more disembodied than the inanimate objects you’re beginning to form bonds with and, believe me, that’s entirely the point. As the protagonist your goal is not simply to discover how to get your bed into bed (a thought that is absolutely 100% part of it), but to unravel the complex nature of the personalities around you, to truly understand the situation and world you exist within. And that’s what makes Date Everything! so incredibly compelling; the characters that exist within it are so rich, and the world so filled with loose threads just begging to be pulled. By doing so, you are rewarded with strange tales and lovely bits of steamy dialogue written so pitch perfectly and delivered by an absolutely stunning cast of voice actors. That is the gasoline that fills the engine of the game’s loop. The engine itself is simple and effective; you wake up each morning and have a limited amount of battery life to talk with objects around your house, all the while receiving curious and sometimes desperate messages from your human contacts over your phone. You repeat this process, and a puzzle begins to form in front of your very eyes, each piece slotting into place but opening another space for yet another piece to fit. It is a sprawling tangle of emotions and personalities all caught within the walls of a house, while you glance suspiciously at the outside world. So go ahead, I beg of you, learn about your lamp’s burgeoning streaming / influencer business and your fridge’s ice cream restaurant; and remember to treat them well, because objects are people too. – Joe Olk Date Everything! Team17 ☆☆☆☆☆ 82 ★★★★★ $29.99 Get it now Date Everything! brings an exciting new twist on the dating simulator genre. Your BFA in customer service unfortunately goes to waste as you lose your job to AI. But… a mysterious stranger sends a gift – magical glasses called 'Dateviators' – which make your house come alive and dateable! Each dateable object will open up, have their own stories and potentially become your lovers, friends, or enemies. With an exhaustive Who's Who of voice actors keeping you company on your journey! Features: • 100 Datable Characters • Fully Voice Acted • Branching Narratives • At Least 3 Endings Per Dateable Character • Puns Galore! Robots at Midnight Robots at Midnight is a retro-futuristic, soulslike action-RPG that combines storytelling with atmospheric worldbuilding and skill-based combat. You play as Zoe, a stowaway onboard her father Michael’s spaceship orbiting their home planet Yob, a luxury vacation world. When a sudden emergency breaks out and the ship’s robotic crew turns hostile, Zoe, believing she’s the only human left, sets out with her robot companion Phlite to find an escape capsule. Along the way, she discovers the Mobile Impulse Traversal Technology (MITT), a relic of the Space Walkers used for space exploration. The gauntlet-like device adds depth to combat and exploration, granting Zoe a booster dash, overcharged punches, and charged energy shots. After a chaotic battle and multiple turns of events, you arrive on Yob, where the tone shifts. Once a beautiful, idyllic place, it’s now lonely and in ruins. From there, the game unfolds into a carefully crafted narrative full of secrets and eccentric, yet endearing, characters. What I love most is how the game pulls you in emotionally through small, quiet moments. Conversations with forgotten robots, the haunting stillness of abandoned places, and Zoe’s unwavering hope all create a world that feels deeply personal. You feel invested in helping her get the answers to the mysteries. The story is layered but not convoluted, with each encounter, memory fragment, and clue feeling purposeful. You’re not just hacking through enemies; you’re uncovering questions left unanswered. What drove the machines to revolt? Where is her father, and why was he spared? The sound design amplifies the tension with retro synths that echo isolation, wonder, and occasional dread. The world feels both abandoned and alive, and every interaction – whether it’s an offbeat robot or a strange remnant of the past – adds personality to the setting. The soulslike combat is never punishing; there’s a rhythm to each encounter that rewards patience and creativity, especially as you unlock new abilities and uncover new layers of the MITT’s potential. If you’re drawn to story-driven RPGs with atmospheric exploration, strong companions, and combat that complements rather than overshadows the narrative, Robots at Midnight is one to watch. It’s a haunting and heartfelt journey that asks you to think, feel, and fight with just one warning: be sure to be home before midnight… – Oscar Polanco Robots at Midnight Snail Games USA ☆☆☆☆☆ 29 ★★★★★ $19.99 Get it now Robots at Midnight is a retro-futuristic Action RPG set on the planet Yob, a world left in ruins and haunted by the machines once built to serve it. After twenty years in cryo-sleep, Zoe wakes to find a world she barely recognizes. To survive and to save what’s left, she must track down her missing father, lost during the cataclysmic event known only as The Blackout. Along the way, she’ll take on gangs of corrupted robots, confront towering bosses, and uncover long-buried truths about Yob. Just be home before midnight. [Combat with Fluid Movement] The MITT is a powerful piece of old-world tech made for Space exploration, now repurposed for survival. Launch off enemies, soar through the air, and smash through bots with momentum-based combat that keeps you constantly moving. Whether in battle or traversal, fast, fluid movement is your greatest weapon. Find your rhythm. Sharpen your skills. Discover what you’re really made of. [Choose Your Challenge] Whether you’re new to action RPGs or a seasoned fighter, Robots at Midnight adapts to your playstyle. Hero Mode offers a more forgiving, story-driven experience, while Master Mode pushes your reflexes and tactics to the edge with high-stakes combat. Whichever path you choose, prepare for a fight. [Explore and Uncover Hidden Lore] Waking up on a ruined planet isn’t the hard part, figuring out what happened is. Step into Zoe’s sneakers and investigate the mystery behind Yob’s downfall. Discover lost technologies, unravel the threads of the past, and determine your place in a future that moved on without you. Islanders: New Shores Sometimes you just know before you even hit the start button when something is going to be your jam. The sequel to the critically acclaimed title that launched on Xbox back in 2021, Islanders: New Shores is a calm, welcoming, minimalist, island-hopping city builder that is, in my opinion, the ultimate stress relief. The core of the game is pretty straightforward: slowly build a small civilization on a procedurally generated island in the most efficient way possible, with a limited amount of buildings. When you build up enough points, you can move on to the next island whenever you’re ready. No big rush. You collect points based on how you lay out your buildings. Certain buildings interact with aspects of the environment or other buildings in specific ways. Sawmills next to trees, bonus points. Seaweed farm set up next to a body of water, bonus points. City center next to other homes, bonus points. However, there are deductions to your points if certain buildings are next to elements that don’t gel. The UI is not only very pretty, but very intuitive. There’s a lot of trial and error, but there’s no massive consequences for any errors. It was easy to pick up quickly and learn how to access the information I needed to make the right choices. Suddenly, you just keep going, earning more point tiers and landmarks as you start learning the synergies and, before you know it, you’re offered the chance to build a new civilization on a different island. And when I say different, I mean different. The island types don’t just offer a color palette swap but completely different environments with different city builds. You can go from a warm tropical paradise to an aviary-focused island with a carrier pigeon network, to a barren rock surrounded by lava. Along the way you’ll unlock special boons that can create some powerful combos, allowing you to copy a building, gain a point multiplier, or shrink building sizes that can lead to a massive point gain. However, by the third or fourth island, you’ll start to feel the challenge of the higher point requirements and smaller landmasses. If the challenge starts to be more than you want to experience, don’t worry – you begin the game in High Score mode, but you can just as easily slide into Free Build mode allowing you to customize the island shape, size, climate and buildings at your whim. This game feels like cross between a zen garden and roguelike, and I found myself up late at night with straining eyes saying to myself “just one more run.” It has such a chill and pleasing soundtrack and aesthetic that I found myself at peace. However, as simple as the game is, it’s not exactly easy either. Overall, there’s just something about finding that one pixel of space to create a crazy point bonus that is unreasonably satisfying. I’d recommend this for anyone that enjoys turn-based strategy and roguelikes, but just needs a night to chill out. I’ll be playing this for a while. – Raymond Estrada ISLANDERS: New Shores Coatsink, Thunderful Publishing ☆☆☆☆☆ 5 ★★★★★ $9.99 Get it now The next chapter in the beloved minimalist city-building franchise is here. ISLANDERS: New Shores invites you back to a world of tranquil creativity, now reimagined with expanded gameplay, stunning visuals, and a host of fresh features that build on the charm of the original. Whether you're a longtime fan or a newcomer, prepare to explore, build, and strategise like never before. Build Your Dream Cities Across 50 Unique Levels Explore over 44 building types across 6 diverse biomes, each available in 4 vibrant colour variations, letting you customise your strategy and create truly unique cities. Choose your mode of play; High Score Mode for those who love a competitive twist, or Sandbox Mode to let your creativity run wild. Experience a World of New Features Photo Mode – Capture and share your stunning island creations with customisable filters and a turntable camera. Expanded Soundtrack – Enjoy 75 minutes of original music that sets the perfect mood for your building adventures. Dynamic Scoring Systems – Master innovative scoring methods – such as line of sight, distance bonuses, and inter-island strategies – to enhance your gameplay. Boons – Unlock single-use power-ups that give you unique tactical advantages as you progress. Twitch Integration – Streamers can now engage their audiences directly with interactive features built into the game. A Visual Overhaul That Elevates the Experience With a complete reimagining of the minimalist aesthetic, ISLANDERS: New Shores delivers a visual feast that complements its deep, strategic gameplay. Whether you’re here to relax or to challenge your building skills, every new shore offers a fresh canvas for creativity. Key Features – Two modes: High Score and Sandbox (with separate saves) – 44 unique building types and 7 island properties – 50 dynamic island generators offering endless variety – Photo Mode with filters and a turntable camera – 75 minutes of original, immersive music – Boons: new one-time power-ups for strategic gameplay – Advanced scoring systems that reward clever tactics – Twitch integration for an interactive streaming experience ISLANDERS: New Shores – where every island is a new adventure, and every build is a chance to create something extraordinary. Bad End Theater Part-visual novel, part-puzzle adventure, Bad End Theater asks you to you make decisions for each of its characters, with every choice affecting everyone’s path through the story –, which all seemingly lead towards a bad ending. The ensemble for this tragedy includes the Hero, the Maiden, the Servant, and Demon Overlord, and the overall theme takes on morality, fate, and finding yourself despite the fear of what could happen. The game emphasizes replayability much like a roguelike –every mistake isn’t necessarily a failure, but a necessary choice that could unlock a new path. When you start out, you’re asked to lead these 4 charcaters to their doom. You lead each of them through their storylines, making a few choices until they reach their horrible conclusion (usually, they die). After each run, you’ll unlock new traits that can alter their paths and lead them to dozens more bad endings. Each character has their own story and dilemma that intersects with each other character. A decision made for one character’s path can alter the direction of another character. You’ll constantly hop between each character, all seeing the same events, but from a unique perspective, which forces you to rethink character intentions, and what is ultimately the “right” choice. As a kid, I loved “choose your own adventure books,” mainly because 90% of the endings were, “you chose poorly so they died.” But the point of those books was to illustrate how any of our choices can lead us astray from our true path. This game really illustrates this, as you will see your characters die a lot. However, as you continue your little experiment, you’ll learn more about the Bad End Theater and the bigger picture this game is ultimately painting. The game is a snack-sized experience in terms of length, but it’s a great snack to go back to again and again, offering 40 different endings. I highly recommend it to anyone that loves puzzles, as this is definitely a game that rewards curiosity and experimentation. – Raymond Estrada BAD END THEATER Serenity Forge ☆☆☆☆☆ 20 ★★★★★ $9.99 Get it now "Welcome to BAD END THEATER! Select your protagonist and explore a variety of terrible fates! The decisions you make in one story will affect the others. You can toggle these behaviors to open up new paths! Unfortunately, every path leads to a bad ending… Can you find a way to save this unlucky cast?" Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate This is what you get when you combine all the charm of an iconic franchise with the popular – and quite frankly, addictive – action-roguelike genre. Players will find the gameplay reminiscent of other roguelike favorites like Hades but with 1-4 player co-op and featuring the rich story and characters of the TMNT universe. The game begins with Leonardo (my favorite turtle) getting ambushed by Foot Soldiers – a staple enemy to the Turtles and loyal grunts of the universe’s main antagonist, Shredder. However, after clearing these henchmen, you are faced with an unwinnable fight (either you’re supposed to lose or I’m bad… or both). You then learn that Shredder, or someone even darker than him, has not only kidnapped Master Splinter, but possesses some powerful, portal creating, world altering…thing, and it’s up to the gang to save their master and stop the mastermind behind this plot. What I love most about it is how the developers retained key components of the genre, incorporated TMNT lore and design, and managed to make things feel fresh, fun and engaging. Fans of the franchise will appreciate seeing the Turtles’ hideout repurposed as the central hub for upgrades, pizza being the symbol for health pickups, the ability to unlock Casey Jones, fights against Leatherhead or Rocksteady, and your chats with April or Slash. The developers even went as far as adding dialogue to in-run upgrades that are themed after other characters. There was a point where I chose an ability that was themed after Mikey, and Leo said something along the lines of “I hope it doesn’t come with the bad puns.” It’s classic Turtles and whether you’re a diehard fan or novice to that fandom, it’s charming to see and easy to appreciate – Ralph can get irritating sometimes, but that’s canon. – Deron Mann Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate Super Evil Megacorp ☆☆☆☆☆ 39 ★★★★★ $29.99 Get it now Unleash Turtle Power! Grab your friends, pick your favorite Turtle and jump into an adventure to save Master Splinter from the Foot Clan! Master ninja skills, unite in bodacious online and local co-op gameplay, and conquer iconic NYC locales. Bodacious Co-Op Gameplay Brace yourself for fast-paced, roguelike action where no two runs are the same. With randomized power-ups, room layouts, and boss modifiers, the excitement never ends. Take control of all four Turtles, each wielding unique powers, and team up with friends for bodacious co-op gameplay. Explore iconic NYC locations, upgrade your Turtle powers, and prepare to face off against formidable enemies. Build Your Power Master the powers of water and fire, utrom and ooze, light and darkness, and -most importantly- Ninja to create unique and bodacious builds for your Turtles. Every run brings new challenges and opportunities – explore and perfect your favorite builds, and combine them with allies to conquer your enemies. A Thrilling Story When Splinter is kidnapped by Shredder, mysterious portals appear across NYC and the Turtles will battle to recover their father from the clutches of the Foot Clan. However, an even greater threat lingers in the shadows… With additional settings, balance and tuning enhancements for PC, Splintered Fate promises to keep you engaged in the FIGHT, ADAPT, REPEAT portal loop. Be ready to restore peace to the city!
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