8 Hidden Indie Gems of January 2023
Welcome to the first half of my dive into January’s indie release schedule to find the games you might not know about, but really should.
Scrap Riders
Scrap Riders somehow makes the mix of Point and Click and Beat’em up gameplay work in this endearing tale, where Rast tries to survive in the wasteland with his trusty robot friend 50n1. Ride your motorcycle, meet members of your gang, and carry out missions to rise on top of the other Scrap Riders.
With a demo available to play, Scrap Riders releases on the 9th of January on Steam and Nintendo Switch
Encoded War
Here is your CONTRACT to get your son back. You MUST BECOME A MORSE SENDER to LEAD DEUTSCHLAND TO VICTORY!!
WE HAVE SPOKEN
A morse code take on Papers Please occurring in Germany. You are forced to join the ranks to get your son back. If you serve your country well, you will see him in 5 years….you hope.
Encoded Wars releases on the 11th of January on Steam
Children of Silentown
A new entry in the Daedelic entertainment franchise, by the creators of Little Briar rose, comes this eerie point and click adventure.
People disappear at night, that has always been a given. But Lucy is finally old enough to investigate why, or so she thinks.
DO NOT ENTER THE FOREST.
Learning to sing different pieces will be crucial if Lucy wants to survive the night.
With a prologue already available to play for free, Children of Silentown releases on the 11th of January on Steam.
Kandria
The old world is gone- the future is up to you.
Pulled between the two remaining factions of the valley, Hack and Slash your way through the world as an outsider, scavenging and fulfilling missions to survive. Trust is hard to come by, and ever harder to earn. Explore this new world freely, as the only factor is your skill with a sword.
Or stop and craft your own world to share with the community.
Kandria releases on the 11th of January on Steam.
Aquatico
Everything is better under the sea, including cities.
In this city building simulator, face all the challenges that a submerged city faces. Protect your buildings from water and the wild life, discover exotic biomes and resources, and build your technology to give your citizens the best underwater life.
With a demo available to play, Aquatico releases on the 12th of January on Steam and on the 19th of January on the Epic Store.
Vengeful Guardian Moonrider
Fall back into the golden age of 16-bit action games in this old school side scrolling action platformer.
As the Moonrider, you are a ninja-warrior tasked to protect the totalitarian state, but to get revenge against your creator, you manage to overcome your programming and become an unlikely hero of hummanity.
With a demo available to play, Vengeful Guardian Moonrider releases on the 12th of January on Steam, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch.
Lone Ruin
An ancient city corrupted and full of secrets, its residents driven mad and twisted by the very magic that once sustained them. Hearing the legend, you gather your courage and spells to find the secrets that reside in the center of the city… if you can get there.
A heavily stylised Roguelite in which you can carefully choose your spells to adapt to your playstyle, and find combos to defeat hellish bosses in this grim adventure.
Lone Ruin releases on the 12th of January on Steam.
Zombie Admin
It’s the zombie apocalypse, but your boss couldn’t care less. The only change in your life is new clauses in your employee handbook:
-Your Health Is Important To Us-
Doing your job (or getting bitten by your coworkers) can be stressful. Be sure to drink enough coffee to keep you going. If you become aware that all that drinking is beginning to negatively affect your productivity, we are legally obligated to inform you that you are free to use any of the multiple bathrooms available on each floor.
-Safety First-
A safe work place is a happy work place, this is why we have placed multiple firearms on each floor of the office. Feel free to use them if you have to—your coworkers can be replaced.
Zombie Admin releases on the 13th of January on Steam.
Author Spotlight
I'm Leeze, an aro ace content creator/ musician from France. I've been playing games my whole life with a special interest in Indie games as I grow more and more tired of the state of AAA companies. I love to feel the passion indie studios put in their work and I want to do my part to help them grow and flourish.
