A sidescrolling roguelite platformer, Steam Deck air hockey and other new indie games worth checking out

Plus, the Steam Summer Sale is under way. Doinksoft/Devolver Digital Welcome to our latest roundup of what's going on in the indie game space. If you're looking for something new to play this weekend, we have several options for you to check out. We've also got news to bring you about upcoming games, including one with sword-wielding dinosaurs. Heck yes. First, though, there's the small matter of the Steam Summer Sale, one of the biggest annual events on the PC storefront. Despite already having more games in my various libraries than I can ever conceivably play, I'm sure I'll at least pick up a few things from my wishlist. I don't think it's a coincidence that Valve is starting the reservation process for the Steam Machine just as the Steam Summer Sale gets under way — it runs until July 9. While the Steam Machine is pricey for what's essentially a fairly low-spec Linux system, that initial investment could be offset by the money players can save in the frequent sales on PC storefronts, as prices are often lower than on consoles. Valve should start shipping the Steam Machine before the sale ends. It's worth bearing in mind that, unlike on the current consoles, you don't need to pay for a subscription to play games online on PC. There's also the option to build your own version of a Steam Machine using various PC parts and SteamOS. If you have a spare AMD GPU, you can do that right now, but you might need to wait until 2027 for NVIDIA driver support. I joined the lottery for each Steam Machine configuration, just to see if I could make it into the reservation queue. I didn't really intend to buy one. However, as I write this, I just got an email saying I'm in the queue. And it would probably be useful to have one so I can write about how well certain games run on it. I guess I'm going to have a decision to make very soon. In other news, it was reported this week that Douze Dixiémes, the studio behind this year's MIO: Memories in Orbit, has shut down. The Metroidvania looks gorgeous and it debuted to positive reviews, but it didn't quite break out in a very crowded market. Meanwhile, Ratatan — a spiritual successor to the Patapon series — has been delayed from its previous release date of July 16. The console versions and Steam 1.0 build will instead arrive on October 15. The development team says it needs more time to polish the game. Developer: Doinksoft Publisher: Devolver Digital Platforms: Steam (Windows; playable on Steam Deck), Nintendo SwitchPrice: $10, with a 10 percent discount on Steam until July 5 and free copies of Gunbrella and Gato Roboto included in select territories I've mostly enjoyed my time with Dark Scrolls, though I don't think it quite adds up to more than the sum of its parts. The title is pitch perfect for a side-scrolling platformer that's influenced by FromSoftware games. I dig the Master System-style visuals and shoot-'em'up feel. It's nice that there's local and online co-op support, but I haven't tried that yet. Keeping in with the old-school vibe of Dark Scrolls (as well as FromSoft games), there isn't a tutorial to speak of. You'll figure out the characters' abilities through experimentation. Alternatively, you can pick up your phone in real life and call a hotline that Doinksoft set up, just like the game helplines of old. Cute. The review guide sent out to journalists also evoked classic game manuals. I enjoyed that very much. I like the variety of heroes as well. You have access to three at the jump — the ax-throwing, ground-pounding Grizz suited my playstyle well — and you'll unlock others as you progress. The first of those is likely to be an adorable pup named Biscuit with a bark that's more powerful than its bite. Alas, I couldn't quite get to grips with Biscuit. I died far more rapidly as the dog than with other characters. You earn coins from chests and defeating enemies, and use these to buy perks that you can employ throughout your run. Perks are tied to your character's star level and, from what I've seen so far, they each last for a short time. Still, that could be enough to quickly destroy a boss if you have the bomb perk. Star levels reset when you trigger your special ability. In Grizz's case, that involves firing a bunch of axes in multiple directions at once. However, the roguelite aspect is where Dark Scrolls falls short for me. Many of the perks — such as a rocket jump — are fun, though the upgrade economy is brutal. Each level has a shop where you can buy upgrades, but the prices increase dramatically between stages. I get what Doinksoft is going for. Every time you level up your character in, say, Elden Ring, it costs more. That approach doesn't quite work here given the linear format of the levels and the randomization of chests. You can't exactly farm coins from enemies whenever you like. Developer: Geert Verhoeff Publisher: Sumatras Studios Platform: Steam (designed for Steam Deck) Price: $1, with a 10 percent discount until July 8 Gee

A sidescrolling roguelite platformer, Steam Deck air hockey and other new indie games worth checking out

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