June 2022 looks to be shaping up nicely for indie games. Here’s 13 indie games to get excited about in the month ahead.
June is usually a weird month for video game releases. Historically, this is a month filled with innumerable game announcements but is unusually quite for actual game launches. This changed a few years ago – hello COVID – when games started to launch as surprises during the many virtual conferences that happened around E3 time. We were all at home, staying in doors and some bright sparks took full advantage of that. I can’t blame them.
Looking at the release schedule for the indie games launching in June 2022 and it feels like we’re getting the best of both worlds. There’s likely going to be shadow drops during the virtual conferences but the month is already shaping up to be a great one for indie games based purely on the strengths of those games we already know about. There’s indie games for everyone here, from eerie horror titles, creepy shooters and new platforms for some absolute gems.
Without further ado, here are 13 indie games to get excited about in June 2022.
Silt by Spiral Circus – June 1st
Silt was one of my favourite indie games on show during EGX 2021 and has been high on my “most anticipated” list ever since. A monochromatic puzzle adventure game, this title has you exploring a surreal oceanic void full of dangers and obstacles. In order to navigate this world, you have the ability to possess the aquatic beings you’ll come across in order to use their abilities. The art style for this game looks fantastic with an incredible attention to detail that brings the spooky world of Silt to life. We won’t have long to wait to play Silt as it is launching on PC via Steam, EGS and GOG as well as PlayStation and Xbox consoles on June 1st, 2022.
Behind the Frame by Silver Lining Studio – June 2nd
When Behind the Frame originally released back in August 2021, it received some glowing reviews including a rare 5/5 Platinum rating from Pocket Gamer UK. A vivid interactive fiction about an aspiring artist on the cusp of finishing their final piece of her gallery submission, the game comes complete with chilled vibes and an easy listening soundtrack to take a break with. You’ll be tackling low-pressure and easy to solve head scratchers centred around the artist’s life with their cat and a brusque neighbour. Behind the Frame is now finding a new canvas to paint on with PlayStation consoles and Nintendo Switch when it launches there on June 2nd. If you’re looking for a short pallet cleansing experience between the shooting and looting, this will likely fit the bill.
Card Shark by Nerial – June 2nd
On the surface, Card Shark looks a lot like the wave of deck building indie games that have been hitting the market recently. In actual fact though, this game is more of an adventure game than a card game. The old Poker saying goes that “You should play the players, not the cards” and that’s something that feels apt here. That’ll include using card marking, false shuffles, deck switching, false deals and more swindles to stack the deck in your favour. Don’t get caught however. If you do, you might find yourself drawing swords with some aggrieved gamblers. The previews of Card Shark from earlier in 2022 were really positive, praising its “glorious use of color and divinely mesmerizing animations” which is why it has found its way onto this indie games list. It’s shuffling onto PC and Nintendo Switch on June 2nd, 2022.
Broken Mind by 2Bad Games – June 21st, 2022
From the maker of Brutal Rage and 2urvive, Broken Mind is the passion project of the one man team at 2Bad Games. A combination of 90’s horror games like Alone In The Dark and cel shaded first person shooters, all portrayed through a narrative heavy structure, it’s quite a unique game to release on the 2022 landscape. In it you play as Frank Morgan, an agent with a troubled past who’s investigating the disappearance of a teenage girl. Broken Mind is launching on PC and all consoles on June 21st, 2022.
Cloud Gardens by Noio / Thomas van den Berg – June 16th
Cloud Gardens has already been available on PC for 6 months so we know it’s one to be excited about. This puzzle game has you reclaim a dystopian future by covering the crumbling ruins of our world with plants. Dualshockers called it “utterly charming and well thought out”. Hey Poor Players said that Cloud Gardens is a “hypnotizingly meditative experience and perhaps one of the best chill games [they’ve] played all year”. If you’ve yet to play it, you’ll be able to make your own mind up about this game when it launches on Nintendo Switch on June 16th.
Super Perils of Baking by Lillymo Games – June 3rd, 2022
I remember playing the original Perils of Baking back in 2018 when it first launched. I wasn’t prepared for its old school SNES inspirations and it utterly kicked my ass. Who knew that there were so many perils to baking? A few years later and that original experience has been completely remade from the ground up. Coming with much more appealing visuals and some game play tweaks, Super Perils of Baking is written entirely in verse with a storybook-like presentation that tells the tale of a talented baker who’s attempting to stop his brother who has been possessed by a cursed chef’s hat. You’ll be pulling off precise platforming on June 3rd when Super Perils of Baking launches on PC via Steam and PlayStation consoles.
Deliver Us The Moon from KeokeN Interactive – June 23rd, 2022
I don’t need to speculate about whether Deliver Us The Moon is one of June’s exciting indie games. “Non-violent yet regularly thrilling, [Deliver Us The Moon] has a surprisingly powerful story that takes a little too long to draw you in, but eventually pays off. The vast majority of the puzzles, mostly based on scouring the environment for clues and thinking outside of the box, are well designed to offer just enough of a challenge without feeling over complex. Visually appealing with sound effects and music to match, Deliver Us The Moon is a cosmic trip worth your consideration“. That’s how I described this game when it initially launched on PS4 in May 2020 in my review. After a few delays, this game is touching down on PS5 and Xbox Series consoles on June 23rd. This version comes with 4K visuals and ray traced shadows and reflections, faster load times and, on PS5, use of the unique Dualsense features. Oh, and if you own the last-gen version of the game, this upgrade is free.
Neodori Forever by Strobetano – June 23rd
Retro inspired racers are hot stuff these days but very few of them have looked as enjoyable as Neodori Forever. A retro inspired, endless arcade 3D racing game inspired by the beloved old classics, this game features more than 25 unique cars to race through more than 10 environments. Its features aside, Neodori Forever looks like a whole lot of fun as you compete against other racers while avoiding traffic and escaping the law. We’ll be able to head to the starting line on June 23rd when the game launches on PC via Steam.
Escape Academy by Coin Crew Games – June 28th, 2022
Of all the indie games on this list, Escape Academy is probably my favourite. The escape room genre of video game has exploded over the past few years with the likes of Operation: Tango, Superliminal, Maquette, The Room and the ‘We Were Here’ series really pushing the boundaries of what these games can be. I personally love these games, getting that satisfying “eureka” moments as you unfurl the self enclosed mysteries. Escape Academy is taking that one step further by splicing hand crafted puzzles with a visual novel-esque narrative and character development. It looks like a really interesting premise and I’m looking forward to checking this out when it launches on PC via Steam on June 28th. A console release is also planned for later in 2022.
FOBIA – St Dinfna Hotel by Pulsatrix Studios – June 28th, 2022
In FOBIA – St Dinfna Hotel, you play as an amateur journalist called Roberto Leite Lopes. Having had a tip off about mysterious and supernatural goings-on happening at Treze Trilhas, he journeys to the site to investigate. Here he finds a camera that reveals different timelines, a fanatical cult, human experiments, and scary apparitions roaming the halls. While indie horrors are plentiful right now, the time switching aspect of this game, and having the narrative play out from two different perspectives certainly gives it a unique edge that I’m personally looking forward to investigating myself. FOBIA – St Dinfna Hotel launches on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series, PS4 and PS5 on June 28th. You can pre-order now.
Samurai Riot Definitive Edition by Wako Factory – June 1st
5 years after the release of the much heralded original PC version, Samurai Riot Definitive Edition is arriving on Switch and PC on June 1st. Now featuring 60 fps game play with pixel perfect stability and optimization (10 times lighter than the initial version), alongside new background images, this edition of the game is really ramping up the visuals. What’s more, the game play has been tweaked too with new dialogue options and easier-to-pull-off combos. The core beat-’em-up meets branching narrative core remains however, promising co-op, 8 endings and high replayability. Samurai Riot Definitive Edition is launching onto PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch on June 1st, 2022.
Born Punk by Insert Disk 22 – June 22nd
Certain games really “get” Cyberpunk, not just as an aesthetic choice but as a thematic one too. Born Punk is a game that seems to really “get” it. The story synopsis says it all really: A former combat hacker, a corporate CEO and a malfunctioning android get possessed by mysterious, otherworldly entities and must band together to save themselves and uncover the entities’ origins. Heavily influenced by the point-and-click classics, Born Punk is presented as a traditional adventure game but with a modern day edge. For example, there’s vocals for every line of dialogue and there are more than one way to overcome some puzzles, resulting in different effects. Born Punk is launching onto PC on June 22nd, 2022. I’m really quite excited for it.
Please Fix The Road by Ariel Jurkowski – June 10th, 2022
I first caught sight of Please Fix The Road because of a tweet that was going viral. It was a transition between levels where the world flips over like ribbons being swooped over and it was just about the nicest touch of polish I’ve ever seen. Digging a little deeper, it quickly became clear that this game is packed with those little touches that, I imagine, will make it an incredibly satisfying game to play. Just watching it was soothing. As the title of the game suggest, in this game you’re fixing roads. A colourful, minimalistic, laid-back and casual puzzle game, you’ll be inserting, destroying, rotating, copying, swapping, raising, lowering, pushing or moving different segments of roads, rivers, paths or railroad tracks to fix the roads. It’s beautiful and we’ll be able to play it on June 10th, 2022 when it launches on PC via Steam, GOG and Itch.io.
So, there’s our choice of 13 indie games to get excited about in June 2022. Have we missed out on your favourite? Hit up the comments section and drop us a link.
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