Myst and Riven remakes, the return of Bubsy and other new indie games worth checking out

Plus, a puzzle platformer inspired by mental health challenges and turning failures into progress. Fabraz/Atari Welcome to our latest roundup of what's going on in the indie game space. As always, we've got some new games (as well as remakes) for you to check out this weekend if you're so inclined, along with news and updates for some upcoming projects. Given how many games arrive every single week, we can't possibly cover all of them (not to mention all of the trailers and announcements for upcoming titles). However, I'd like to highlight a couple that previously slipped below my radar before we get into the incredibly busy Summer Game Fest period. Fail Fail Succeed landed on Steam last week for $10. This is a puzzle platformer in which you'll have to sacrifice your character several times in order to clear a path to your goal, which is petting your dog. When you perish, your character transforms into blocks that help you on your way. The pixel art look is charming and I dig the concept, but it's the backstory that really caught my attention here. Solo developer Martin Zetterman based the game on his "experience with mental health and with cycles of manic highs and depressive lows, turning 'failure' into literal progress," according to a press release. His dog, Eira, is said to have helped him through tougher times. This reveal trailer for Ferra debuted a couple of weeks ago, but I simply had to mention this after it popped up for me. It looks so dang cool. This is a first-person shooter set in a future version of Japan. You'll parkour your way through highly stylized environments and take out enemies using an upgradable arsenal that includes firearms and katanas. You'll also be able to morph into a kitsune (or fox-like) form and attack baddies with your claws. According to the Steam page, you can "use the Bite System to regenerate health by literally tearing into your enemies' throats." Sick. I love it. Ferra is the first game from EllipsisWorks, which is said to be a small team working with no budget. At first glance, it reminds me of other high-octane shooters like Doom Eternal, I Am Your Beast and Ghostrunner. Instant wishlist addition. It's been a long, long time coming, but remakes of two all-time classic puzzle adventure games hit PS5 and PS VR2 this week. Cyan Worlds released this version of Myst on Meta Quest headsets in 2020; PC, Mac and Xbox in 2021; and iOS in 2022. PlayStation had been an outlier until now. It's available for Sony's console and VR headset (usually $35, 20 percent of for PlayStation Plus members until May 26) The remake of the sequel, Riven, debuted on PS5, PS VR2, Xbox Series X/S and the Microsoft Store on PC as well (also $35, but with a limited-time discount). The PS5 Pro versions of both games have "better view distance, foliage, textures, post-processing and shading," per the PlayStation Blog. I've never played Myst, but Riven was one of the first games I had on PC as a kid. I remember it looking very pretty back then, unlike any game I'd seen before. Alas, I never made much progress. If I recall correctly, I couldn't figure out what some of the various handles and levers I found in the opening section actually did and I quickly gave up. Perhaps I'd have more success in Riven (and Myst) now, even if puzzle games aren't necessarily my forte. Speaking of being an idiot as a child, I spent a lot of time playing Bubsy in: Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind when I was young. I really liked it at the time, but in hindsight that game is not good. I mention this because Bubsy 4D — the first Bubsy game since 2019 and the first one in 3D in 30 years — dropped this week. The quippy bobcat is back thanks to Fabraz (Demon Tides) and publisher Atari. In this platformer, Bubsy sets out on a mission to recover a Golden Fleece from the technologically enhanced sheep that stole it — I'm not going to try to explain the lore beyond that. Bubsy has some new tools at his disposal, like being able to roll into a ball form and move faster. That should help players who want to finish levels as quickly as possible as claw their way up the online leaderboards. There'll be a nostalgia factor for a lot of players here. Honestly, it's strangely comforting to me that Bubsy sounds as annoying as ever. Bubsy 4D is out now on PC (Steam, GOG and Epic Games Store), PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. It'll typically run you $20, though there's a 10 percent launch discount on GOG. Thick as Thieves is a game that we've had our eye on for a while, and it's had an interesting journey toward hitting Steam this week ($5). This was originally planned as a multiplayer heist game from a team that includes two stalwarts of the immersive sim and stealth genres in Thief and System Shock 2 veteran Paul Neurath and Deus Ex creator Warren Spector. The idea was that players would battle each other to steal valuable items in a 1910s setting that featured magic and nascent tech

Myst and Riven remakes, the return of Bubsy and other new indie games worth checking out

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