Indie Selects for May: Games We’ve Played and Think You’ll Love

The ID@Xbox team had a hard time picking games this month since there were so many great titles to choose from. We ended up selecting a wildly varied set of unique games. We were blown away by a “love letter to retro survival horror,” while at the same time we were immersed in sims that let you do everything from build an aquarium to rebuilding after a war. We’ve also got a retro action platformer, an intense party game and even a cozy vampire life sim.  Here’s the list (in no particular order):

Crow Country

People say this is a love letter to the classic age of mid-’90s survival horror like Resident Evil and Silent Hill… and that it is – so if that’s your thing, why are you not already playing this? Even if you’re not looking for a jaunt down a haunted memory lane you should still buy a ticket to the macabre, twisted theme park that is Crow Country. It sports vintage, ’90s-style controls but they have been pleasantly updated to remove the, well, most “annoying” aspects of things like tank control. The theme park itself is a wonder to explore, and it’s as delightful as it is terrifying to meet the mutilated inhabitants and guests. The thematically appropriate puzzles are challenging, varied and even occasionally funny, and the soundtrack is amazing. You’ll likely fly through Crow Country in six or so hours, and you’ll love every minute of it.

Brocula

You’re new in town. Time to get to work. You have to take on part-time jobs, explore the surroundings, meet new people, earn some money, and fix up the old homestead. And by homestead, I mean castle. Did I mention you’re a vampire? You’ve woken up after centuries and it’s time to come into your own as a vampire and secure your legacy. Brocula is a relaxing, cozy game that oozes charm. Building on the life sim experiences of games like Stardew Valley and Moonlighter, the twist of being a vampire while you’re going through life tasks makes Brocula feel fresh and comfortably familiar at the same time.

Pummel Party

Remember all of those friends you used to have? Before you played Pummel Party? Yeah, this is one of those games. It’s all about destroying your friends, and possibly your friendships. It’s great, though. You can play online or via local co-op in split screen, and you can play against your friends or, once you lose all of your friends, against bots. What makes Pummel Party stand out is the variety of game modes and wacky items you can use, like the Remote Controlled Eggplant, along with all the crazy characters you can choose from. Lots of the mini games are “jump right in” fights with everybody on a single screen, while Board Game Mode mixes up the experience with expanded environments.

WW2 Rebuilder: Cites From The Ashes

World War 2 has ended and your job is to re-build. That’s the simple, yet monumental premise of WW2 Rebuilder. Ostensibly a building and architecture sim with “clean up” mechanics, WW2 Rebuilder also lets you delve in to the history and stories of the civilians who lived through the tragic events of the war. While the building game loop is well done, and new building challenges and mechanics are added with each new city you encounter, it’s not designed to be a meticulous and difficult builder. Instead, the gameplay is relatively relaxing, which gives you the space and freedom to really immerse yourself in the world, people and stories.

Candle Knight

You’re a knight and, well, you have a candle on top of your head. Never let the light go out! Candle Knight is a 2.5D action platformer that excels at the basics of the genre with really crisp, tight gameplay. But what we loved were the unexpected touches like being able to jump into paintings and explore the surreal worlds within. Beyond the gameplay, Candle Knight is visually stunning right from the start, with fantastic art, music and design that really invites the player to pause and take it all in.

Aquarium Designer

This game is exactly what the title says. Create and design an aquarium. The “contracts” can be completed quickly and there’s no story to distract you. Instead, it’s a simple, cozy, Zen experience with realistic feeling aquariums, and a wide variety of fish and fixtures. While we loved making and enjoying our aquariums, the real reason we’re recommending this game is that we found it to be as entertaining for our cats as it was for us.