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.

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.

Arco blends tactical RPG gameplay with a striking, South American-inspired art style. Its narrative is moody and compelling. Combat is unique, strategic and engaging. Lots of secrets and meaningful choices. Really, really cool game.

Frostpunk 2 expands on the original’s brutal city-building survival beyond it’s citybuilding roots into grander strategy. The increased scale and deeper political mechanics make it more complex but just as engrossing. For me, a little overwhelming, and you definitely have to be in the mood, but it’s undeniably cool. Loooove the music, sound design, art, visual and UI design.

At first glance, Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers feels inspired by Balatro (but for blackjack), but it’s important to note that it was announced first. While the concept is creative and compelling, I struggled with dense card and mechanic descriptions - an area where Balatro excels in succinct clarity. Very cool and indeed fun, but sometimes overwhelming.

shapez 2 builds on the original’s addictive factory automation with more complexity, creativity and a new third dimension. The introduction of 3D shapes and an upgraded tech tree adds fresh layers of challenge and progression. If you’re into optimisation/factory games, it might just be a must-play.

SCHiM is a unique puzzler where you navigate exclusively on shadows while solving puzzles. Its minimalist design and core mechanics are fresh, progressing creatively. It’s a delightful and refreshing take - and at times has quite poignant moments - but it’s hard to not feel like it peaks quite early, despite it’s short playtime.

An intriguing clicker game with an immediately captivating, minimalist aesthetic and subtly unsettling story. Number-goes-up satisfaction is at the forefront, but there are definite nods to factory automation, which rewards optimisation. Love the sound design, music, and unique take on the genre - but wish it leant harder into automation.

Cute! Duck Detective is a delightful and tightly designed deduction game that won’t have you sweating over a scrawly notepad like Golden Idol or Obra Dinn, but I think that’s the point. There’s one case made up of charming and funny characters, everything is voiced, the art and music are terrific. If you’re into detective games, you’ll finish it in a few hours and have a great time… quacking the case.