It’s been a great summer for indie games – here are some of the best games

With a few notable exceptions, there haven’t been many blockbuster games this summer – but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty to play. In fact, sometimes it feels like there’s an endless torrent of fascinating indie games thanks to games like this Arranger, animal well, crow countryand Lorelai and Laser Eyes.

It’s nearly impossible to keep up, but we’ve played most of the games and have settled on a few recommendations that offer a range of experiences. There’s everything from shadow jumping puzzles to comedy platformers to games that might help fill in the gaps. silk songA shaped hole in your heart.

Here are some of our favorites.

smash house is one of those rare games that capitalizes on the goofy potential of reality TV. The game is partly a resource management simulation game. Advertisements make my boss happy but my audience is uninterested. Another part was like a first-person shooter, requiring me to run around the house with my camera trying to capture the best moments. But I’ve always hated the production drama of reality TV, so I had the most fun working on the most boring shows. I haven’t been fired yet, but I have a feeling it’s coming. –Associated Press

This is a bio collection Pokemon But not all fighting. Plus, you can fly. group Just to gather a group of cute little animals. You get to ride on the back of a giant bird, soaring through idyllic landscapes and looking for every animal you can (all animals are equally capable of flying). Every time you discover something new, you have to help figure out what it is, and while the game gives you some easy objectives, you’re largely free to explore on your own. Even better: While flying solo is peaceful, you can also explore with friends. —AW

mini shooting adventure A mix of twin-stick barrage shooter and top-down shooter The Legend of ZeldaAdventure in style. Seriously: As a cute spaceship, you’ll explore dungeons and collect little keys and heart pieces. It sounds weird, but it’s a genre mashup that totally works. —JP

nine soles will feel familiar hollow knight Fans: This is a Metroidvania-like game with great style and intense combat. nine soles Actions reward patience and parrying, which makes for a fun challenge; expertly parrying attacks and following up with finishing moves is incredibly satisfying. The game’s heavy text, while fun, can get in the way of the great action, but if you’re still wearing clown makeup silk song, nine soles May relieve itching. —JP

gesture Essentially “the floor is lava” translated to video games. But instead of sitting on your mother’s loveseat, you’re jumping between the shadows of people and objects, exploring the world. It’s a clever game that uses simple things like perspective to create complex platforming puzzles that are satisfying to solve. At one point, when I got stuck, I let out an “Aha!” When I realized I could create the shadows I needed by having a traffic light and changing the signal to free up a bunch of patient cyclists. gesture Having the strategic thinking that I strive for. –Associated Press

Ten years have passed since the original work steam world robbery Expands the Robots series with some fantastic turn-based pirate action. In the original game, you would recruit a team of robots and go on missions to collect loot and fight various enemies. While the first game took place in space, the sequel takes a nautical turn, with vast oceans to explore, plenty of machines to fight, and shipwrecks to loot. The action is similar – meaning you’ll carefully plan every move and attack as you strategically explore the levels – but this time it feels more polished, driven by beautiful 2D visuals and a surprisingly deep storyline. of encouragement.

This is probably the weirdest game I’ve ever played. You play as a big-headed little guy with only two moves: jumping and slapping. a bit like Untitled Goose Gamebut also a lot of Even stranger. You’re tasked with helping the people of a quaint English village (they all exclaim “Thank God you’re here!” when you arrive), but things almost always turn into some weird chaos. You’ll collect bird soldiers, explore a small grocery store specializing in rats, and explore everything from underground pipes to premium hams. Along the way, you’ll slap a lot of bums and be mesmerized by Matt Berry’s sweet vocals. —AW