I was first introduced to Indiepocalypse the same way I’ve been introduced to many unique creations: through the itch.io ‘Latest Games’ feed. Having been an obscure game streamer for years prior, it was refreshing to find someone shining a spotlight on otherwise ‘unmarketable’ games through such a cool medium.
The Tale of the ADHD Dinosaur (Indiepocalypse #21)
The Tale of the ADHD Dinosaur narrowly edged its way on this list while I was replaying past issues in preparation. While coming to grips with my recent diagnosis of ADHD, this quirky 2D platformer accurately describes the internal struggles and societal pressures faced by the neurodiverse on a daily basis.
I Was Always Filled With Anger (Indiepocalypse #9)
By Raphaël Dely, Axel Rannou & Max Romain
Poetry and perspective trickery converge in I Was Always Filled With Anger, a deeply bleak but endlessly beautiful experience. This is ergodic literature made digital, using typographical, water reflection and parallax scrolling techniques to breathe life into each line.
Meta Form (Indiepocalypse #12)
By Aesth
Meta Form is a surreal point-and-click adventure game which offers a unique take on the ‘verb menu’ of its earlier days. Objects in the environment and your inventory are all represented as a single word, and actions are done by combining two of these words. Nouns become verbs. Verbs become nouns. This game uses the asinine nature of the English language to its full advantage… so the word play game is strong here.
talking to my dad (Indiepocalypse #29)
By Hatim B
I’ll be honest… the first time I tried to play talking to my dad, I couldn’t get through it. This game about long car trip conversation with your dad started to hit too real, and I mentally needed to take a break. I managed to finish the game the following day, but I’d be lying if I said the return trip was any easier. Regardless of your upbringing, we all carry a bit a familial trauma and guilt, and talking to my dad knows the right moments to twist the knife.
Lil Flutie 3D: Director’s Pandemic Edition (Indiepocalypse #17)
Three words: DEDICATED. PISS. BUTTON.
Want some more words? Oh, okay.
Lil Flutie 3D: Director’s Pandemic Edition is what happens when you combine a late-90s collect-a-thon 3D platformer with fever-induced hallucinations. The Drum & Bass soundtrack is also a total bop.
Little Dronich Inside Putin’s Palace (Indiepocalypse x kuš!)
By Nikita Lavretski x thecatamites
Literally any game from Indiepocalypse x kuš could have made this list. This collaboration between Indiepocalypse and Latvian comics publisher kuš! made for amazing games. In Little Dronich Inside Putin’s Palace, you play as an adorable sentient drone as it records the contents of the Russian dictator’s secret billion dollar palace. Nikita Lavretski’s art style just compliments the absurdity of thecatamite’s perfectly.
Fuzz Dungeon (Indiepocalypse #20)
I’ve been a fan of Jeremy Couillard’s work for some time now, to the point where I briefly speedran his previous creation JEF. When I heard Fuzz Dungeon was getting the Indiepocalypse treatment, I was beyond excited for more people to be introduced to this developer. Fuzz Dungeon will hook you with its 15 levels of visual overload as you try to locate the sasquatch sex amulet that absorbed the only way back your mundane existence under capitalism.
12 Labors (Indiepocalypse #30)
By Brendan McLeod & Garrett Steele
12 Labors is a 30-minute emotional gut punch of a game about an internal struggle to forgive and love oneself after a seemingly unredeemable fuckup, with a pinch of generational trauma for good measure (I’m starting to notice a pattern in my picks). Through reflection and landscaping, this game manages to cover incredibly heavy topics with just the right amount of tact.
Textreme 2 (Indiepocalypse #8)
By Ash K, Amber Fiddlemouth, Maks Loboda
If you struggle to stay on task with writing, Textreme 2 might be just the tool for you. Its playful cutout birdhouse aesthetic and pleasant typing sounds provide a steady dopamine drip that’ll satisfy even the most wandering minds.
What do you think I wrote this list with?
CONURBATION (Indiepocalypse #3)
By Caique Assis
The moment I was asked if I would do a writeup for Indiepocalypse, I knew this game was going to be on it. CONURBATION represents the point when I realized that this monthly game zine I stumbled upon was truly something special. CONURBATION is an assault on the sense, to the point where my first playthrough nearly resulted in an anxiety attack… yet I keep coming back to it year after year.