PROXIMATE is a brilliant blend of cosmic horror, corporate satire and very clever gamedesign. The navigation mechanic ramps up the tension, complemented by sharp writing and immersive sound design. Short but impactful, it’s a funny, haunting experience that lingers.

Lucas Pope’s Moida Mansion is a retro-inspired, hyper-stylistic, first-person adventure that’s free to play in your browser. Set in a spooky mansion, you must rescue friends while dodging a lurking “monsta.” It’s a massive throwback to my time growing up with LCD handheld games - that boot screen really took me back! It’s short but satisfyingly tense, offering a fresh spin on Pope’s knack for puzzle design - perfect for a quick escape around Halloween - even if it doesn’t reach the depth of his more substantial work.

[Early Access] Windblown brings Hades-style combat and Dead Cells’ progression into a fresh 3D roguelike package. Super fast-paced and responsive gameplay makes for satisfying combat, the world is cool, items and unlocks are fun, and co-op is awesome. The potential is clear, as it evolves through early access, and fans of the genre are guaranteed to appreciate its smooth mechanics and solid challenge.

Neva is gorgeous to look at and… “fine”, but doesn’t quite meet the high standard set by GRIS. While its art style and sound design are captivating, the story and gameplay mostly feel a little derivative. The narrative lacks coherence, and a surprisingly simplistic theme is ultimately underwhelming. Combat and puzzles add variety but feel underdeveloped. Ultimately, Neva impresses aesthetically but lacks the thematic depth and compelling drive that made GRIS so good.

Fish, sell, upgrade, dress-up: simple enough, but there’s a quiet charm here that’s hard to resist. Just you and a few strangers, casting lines and chatting if you feel like it - the exact right kind of lowkey. No pressure, just good vibes, plenty of fish, and maybe even a new friend.

From Tom van den Boogaart of the Sokpop Collective, masters of short but often dense indie titles, Grunn may look tailor-made for gamedev Twitter gifs, but it’s… actually good! Beneath its quirky, relaxing gardening sim veneer lies a well-designed mystery with multiple paths, secrets, and great vibes.

ODDADA is a relaxing, sandbox-style music game where you create songs using toy instruments in a whimsical, minimalist world. The experience is massively tactile, encouraging childlike play, with randomised ‘levels’ and no pressure of time limits. Obviously not for everyone, but very neat.

In Egg Squeeze, one embarks on a journey that mirrors the human condition. Balancing fragility and strength, desire and restraint. The egg, a symbol of potential, demands our patience, our steady hand. Yet, in the moment of release, we confront our own mortality. It is not merely a game; it is a dialogue between player and object, an inquiry into control, vulnerability, and the very nature of existence. Each squeeze, an act of trust. Each fracture, a reflection of our inherent limitations. Memento mori. Egg.

I recently revisited N++, and it’s still awesome. Truly an OG, its fast-paced, minimalist platforming with smooth controls and addictive, challenging levels require precision and foster mastery. Its sleek, uncompromising design, tight gameplay and community focus make for an all-time classic.

Squirrel with a Gun delivers a zAnY, sandboxy experience where you control a gun-toting squirrel causing chaos in a suburban neighbourhood. It’s got some clever platforming and puzzle mechanics, and for a short time is a light-hearted, fun gameplay loop. Its absurd premise is the selling point, and you’ll know if you’ll enjoy it after seeing like 10 seconds of any gameplay.