Indie developers have declared August the universal month of coziness. It seems they've conspired to wrap players in blankets until next summer. But if you dislike tranquility, don't rush to throw off the blanket — this selection has something else too. Cooperative horror, a "Souls-like in reverse," and Lovecraftian nightmares at a lighthouse will nicely diversify the therapeutic simulators. And we've also found a cozy post-apocalypse. Yes. It exists.
Most Popular Indie Games of August
Tiny Bookshop
Tiny Bookshop is one of those projects that won't offer you epic battles or serious challenges. Instead, it will immerse you in the atmosphere of a bookshop on wheels, traveling through the small seaside town of Bookstonbury.
Here, time flows slowly, and the main task and feature of the gameplay is to choose the right book for each customer. Formally, it's based on management, but according to player reviews, the economic mechanics are more symbolic and serve as a backdrop for the other elements.
The developers paid special attention to the narrative, which organically combines with the "bookish" theme. Each visitor comes with their own story. Their character is revealed through dialogues and requests, and your task is to find the book that suits them. If you approach the matter seriously, the selection of literature becomes akin to a role-playing game.
Judging by player reviews, Tiny Bookshop turned out to be very "cozy" for many. It calms and reduces anxiety for some, while others see it as a kind of literary haven. Yes, not everything is perfect. This is especially noticeable in the Russian localization: you can be 100% sure that you have chosen the book correctly, but the guest will remain dissatisfied. Translation difficulties and unsuccessful analogues in the titles affect this.
Like all cozy adventures, Tiny Bookshop is suitable not for those who want to play, but for those who just want to be in a pleasant place among pleasant people. So why not spend this time in an old van with books?
- Compatibility: Windows, MacOS.
- Russian language: interface, subtitles
- Reviews: overwhelmingly positive (96% of 2762).
- Price on Steam: 699 ₽.
Is This Seat Taken?
"Is This Seat Taken?" by Poti Poti proves that puzzles can also be cute. However, unlike many other "cozy" games, you will still have to use your head here.
According to the plot, the main character, Slava, is inspired by a film and goes on a journey — sometimes he finds himself on a bus, sometimes in a wedding hall, where he has to seat guests.
The format is simple: you need to arrange the characters so that they satisfy all their requests. Someone wants to sit by the window, someone needs a place next to a child, and if one can't stand perfume and the other abuses it, they should be placed further away from each other. Sounds simple.
But with each new level, the characters' desires conflict more and more often, so sooner or later you will have to think for real.
Each location is a new level. The developers did not start to tighten the complexity to the maximum: there are no timers, penalties or time limits here. You remain alone with the room, chairs and colorful characters. Yes, the characters are a bit cartoonish, but lively, and the atmosphere is generally cheerful. This is what players like about the project.
Only some repetitiveness in the later stages is annoying, as well as the excessive simplicity of individual puzzles (although not all).
The price of the game is symbolic, but it definitely allows you to have a good time. So, fans of simple, but cute and atmospheric puzzles should definitely take a look at this game.
- Compatibility: Windows, MacOS, SteamDeck, Switch
- Russian language: interface
- Reviews: overwhelmingly positive (97% of 2413)
- Price on Steam: 395 ₽.
Whisper of the House
Whisper of the House from the Chinese studio GD is a cozy pixel puzzle where unpacking boxes turns into a ritual and meditation. This gameplay shot in its time in Unpacking. It also set the style for imitators. Pixel cuteness and many items that must be unpacked and find a place for them. The right place.
At the same time, in Unpacking, as in the new Whisper of the House, the developers do not just offer you to arrange things in one location or another, but also try to tell a story through them. Of course, you can simply ignore it, performing routine operations and enjoying it. In this game, the developers decided to go further for both.
For those who are looking for stories behind objects, here each thing is a hint and a fragment of a common mosaic. And each level is a puzzle for attentiveness: it is important not just "where to put it", but "where it is logical", "where it is beautiful", "where it is according to mood".
For others, there is interactivity. Click on the gramophone - a melody will play. Slap a rubber duck - it will squeak. But the main thing is more than 1800 items, repainting furniture, ten layouts. A perfectionist's dream.
Players are generally delighted with the atmosphere, sound, details. But almost everyone says one thing: not enough! Only 7–10 hours of gameplay. Another disadvantage is the lack of Russian. Yes, the context is clear, and the complex is translated in a second. They also note minor technical roughness, such as bugs and the lack of filters in the inventory. Flipping through hundreds of chairs can be tiring.
Whisper of the House is ideal for perfectionists in general, as well as fans of Unpacking in particular.
- Compatibility: Windows, MacOS
- Russian language: not supported
- Reviews: overwhelmingly positive (96% of 1643)
- Price on Steam: 550 ₽.
OFF
OFF is a cult indie JRPG, born in 2008 by the Frenchman Mortis Ghost on RPG Maker. Years later, it was resurrected by the publisher Fangamer and carefully brought to mind. But it's still the same game: dark, surreal, imbued with biblical allusions and humor, which can scare an unprepared player. The project is strange, but in its time it influenced many independent developers, including Toby Fox, the author of Undertale.
The remaster does not radically remake the game. It is, rather, made to release the game on modern platforms and on Steam, in order to attract an audience. So there are not many graphic changes. Pixels, simple animation remained. The combat system has been slightly redesigned, and locations have been added. At the same time, the authors sought to preserve the crazy atmosphere of the original, which made the game cult.
The gameplay is a typical Japanese role-playing game. Which, however, is not surprising, since the roots of the project, born on the RPG Maker engine, have not gone anywhere.
The reaction of fans is ambiguous. Of course, many are grateful for the opportunity to return to one of the iconic indie games on a modern platform. But every other review regrets that the old soundtrack was replaced with a new one. Yes, the original sounded cheap - and that was part of the magic of the game. In the remaster, the music was rewritten by Toby Fox and other authors - the sound became cleaner, more professional. But something was lost in the process of recording. And the game is no longer perceived as so holistic. However, mods with the original soundtrack should appear soon for fans of old school.
But no one argues about the cult status and quality of the remaster. Almost every review notes that the remaster was made with love.
Recommending OFF is pointless. The game is not for everyone. If you are repelled by the style or pixels, no cult status will help. But if you are looking for a game that speaks to you in the language of madness and you understand (and accept) this language, then the remaster is your project. In our opinion: it's worth a try.
- Compatibility: Windows
- Russian language: not supported
- Reviews: overwhelmingly positive (96% of 1614)
- Price on Steam: 500 ₽.
Worth Paying Attention To
Artis Impact
Artis Impact is a melancholic, slowed-down, strangely cozy post-apocalypse. Stylistically, it has echoes of NieR: Automata, but without space, metaphysics and real-time action. Instead, they added pixels, silence and everyday life. It may seem strange to you to do "ordinary" things when there is a post-apocalypse around. But those players who have tried to do this are somehow delighted.
Here you will not be forced to participate in great battles for human survival, but you will be offered small joys. You play as Akana - a warlike girl who fights ancient combat robots - ghosts of forgotten wars. Nearby is Bot, an AI in the form of a floating cube. As it should be in such situations, he is dry, cynical and caustic.
The developer calls the project a "simplified JRPG" and, judging by the reviews, this is really so. The game does not have insanely long grinding, oppressive mechanics, endless dialogues. Simple turn-based battles in terms of mechanics, but not without tactical elements. It is possible to "level up" if you are stuck: in the gym, reading books, cooking and even sweeping the floor. The world of the game is linear, but the developers tried to revive each location so that it was not just a passing screen - and they succeeded. It's just nice to spend time in some of them.
For some, Artis Impact is a masterpiece. Such players note the chic atmosphere, humor and even depth. There is something to think about. But those who like more active gameplay note the weak balance. The superficial plot is also criticized, as well as the crooked Russian translation - some jokes are lost, dialogues grate on the ears. And in general, the game is small, but it is revealed in detail.
If you like such things and you are not afraid to drown in them, then Artis Impact may be an interesting game. Yes, "cozy post-apocalypse" - sounds like an oxymoron. But maybe that's why you should pay attention to Artis Impact. And if you want action, then there are projects that are more interesting.
If you still doubt, read our review!
- Compatibility: Windows
- Russian language: interface, subtitles
- Reviews: very positive (83% of 1528)
- Price on Steam: 500 ₽.
Discounty
Discounty is a village supermarket simulator from Crinkle Cut Games with a light detective touch.
Welcome to Blomkest - a dilapidated port town where a mysterious Aunt Tellar handed you the business, and she herself disappeared into the shadows. Now your task is to lay out the goods, earn money, and in between sales, walk around the provincial town and reveal its secrets.
According to the developers, Discounty is at the intersection of Stardew Valley and a store simulator. And the idea to a certain extent works as it should. Many followers of Stardew Valley are also loved by players for the interesting gameplay, as is the original.
Let them say that the basis of such gameplay is routine. But it is the repetitive, routine actions, so familiar and simple, that are great for relaxing: receiving goods, laying out on shelves, cleaning. Cash register and counting money - with a real calculator - yes, this also produces dopamine! And if you add a pinch of an interesting story to such game mechanics, then the hit is ready.
So after the shift, we talk with the residents of the town - or, as wittily noted in one of the reviews, we pester everyone in a row - we make acquaintances and fulfill orders. After all, the town is not so simple, and as we develop, we should be more and more fascinated by it. And our shop eventually turns into the center of life.
Of the obvious disadvantages - a small time to complete and the lack of Russian localization. English is simple, but not convenient for everyone. Some players compare the current state with "early access": there is little content, and the development is predictable.
Don't expect a "Stardew Valley killer". The scales are incomparable. But if you are bored on the farm - change the setting to a store. Spend a couple of dozen hours among shelves with vegetables, and then - return to your pumpkins. If you are not familiar with the original, then it is better to take a closer look at Stardew Valley. There is enough content there.
- Compatibility: Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch
- Russian language: not supported
- Reviews: mostly positive (79% of 1307)
- Price on Steam: 710 ₽.
Whisper Mountain Outbreak
Whisper Mountain Outbreak is a cooperative horror from the Indonesian studio Toge Productions, known for A Space for the Unbound and Coffee Talk.
According to the plot, in 1998, miners awakened an ancient evil under layers of stone and time. Now the city is shrouded in fog, monsters crawl out of the darkness, and we have to fight them. And it is "we". In single-player mode, Whisper Mountain works so-so. And it's not about the technical condition.
This game is a hybrid of a zombie action game and an escape room. So you will have to not only shoot and chop - it is equally important to solve puzzles, look for keys, collect resources and work in a team. It is almost impossible to survive alone. At the same time, the developers tried to make sure that this very main feature was easily turned on - through Friend's Pass: one buys - three join for free. This is an ideal option for a co-op party.
The gameplay is based on a balance of exploration, survival, cooperation and battles. And if you have ever been to an escape room, then the atmosphere meticulously accurately corresponds to such entertainment. Here, however, the developers tried to "into the atmosphere" under VHS horror films. Players have six classes to choose from, three to choose from at the beginning of each attempt - each with its own bonuses. There is also a voice chat, which is a must-have program for a cooperative project.
The most serious problem with the game is exactly one and it is called "early access". Classes do not really help replayability if the quest room does not change. In fact, the game is now "one-time". After a few hours, you are left with an open ending. But besides this, there are also unpleasant features. Most of all, players are annoyed by the lack of saves. So now the game will have to be completed in marathon mode.
But there are also enough advantages. The atmosphere is good, and Friend's Pass is cool. In a good context, the project is compared to "Resident Evil: Outbreak". And the genre of network cooperative with quests does not often spoil with new products.
- Compatibility: Windows
- Russian language: interface, subtitles
- Reviews: very positive (81% of 1242)
- Price on Steam: 320 ₽.
The Dark Queen of Mortholme
The Dark Queen of Mortholme is a short but atmospheric indie game in which the player finally finds himself on the other side of the battle: you are not a hero making his way through dungeons, but the Dark Queen herself. The final boss. All-powerful, tired and a little lonely.
The action takes place in a classic fantasy setting, rethought through the prism of the loop: every time you destroy an impudent hero, he returns again, unharmed, with new weapons and determination.
The game clearly draws inspiration from Souls-like projects and Metroidvanias, but turns them upside down. The gameplay boils down to a series of repeated battles with a hero who levels up after each death and becomes more and more dangerous - gets a bow, a holy sword, a shield, improves his reaction. You, on the other hand, despite the status of "the strongest", remain unchanged.
In fact, the game is the same battle in a mini-arena. There is limited space, several phases and the need to read the movements of the "player". However, the mechanics of The Dark Queen of Mortholme are controversial. Many players note that the hero seems to have "plot armor". The "player" is able to parry even those attacks that you have not yet used against him. Of course, maybe he has read the "guides", but this breaks the immersion a little.
But it is in this unequal struggle, according to the developer, that the meaning lies: you are the boss, which means you must be defeated, even if you are "invincible" according to the canon.
Actually, the combat gameplay is just a "seasoning" to the main course, namely the dialogues between the hero's runs. They are full of irony, fatigue and hints that these endless battles have become a form of communication, a ritual for the Queen. Several endings depend on the choices in the dialogues.
The Dark Queen of Mortholme is not a game in the traditional sense. You will have time to complete it before the time for a refund in Steam comes out. This game is the author's statement, an attempt to look at games through the eyes of a game character. Who is really a slave to their role? Who is the villain here? Do you want to look at yourself through the eyes of a game character?
And if you want more philosophical games from the same developer - we have a whole selection!
- Compatibility: Windows
- Russian language: interface, subtitles
- Reviews: mostly positive (78% of 1236)
- Price on Steam: 240 ₽.
OVIS LOOP
OVIS LOOP is a pixel roguelike from LIFUEL. You are Omega, a combat robo-sheep, leading a herd against an army of wolves and their annoying leader, Doctor Wolf. OVIS LOOP is inspired by fast 2D roguelikes and action games, but adds its own twist: after each kill, you "download" and upgrade skills - passives or active combos.
The developers (there are only three of them) are honest: the project is in early access. But the main gameplay is already well-tuned and readable. Screenshots simply do not convey the crazy dynamics of OVIS LOOP. In the trailer, the heroine is almost invisible - the "hack and slash" does not stop for a second.
Fights are high-speed, enemies come in waves: from dogs to biomechanical giants. Combat system with a hint of depth. There are dodges, blocks, combos and a variety of weapons. Skills are the core of the combat system. They not only strengthen the heroine, but also allow you to assemble your build with your combos. The developers promise "endless" possibilities. Roguelike fans will probably argue with this statement. There is almost always "that very" build. But another feature of OVIS LOOP is unusual. According to the developers, bosses adapt to your style of play. Do you like to attack? They will retreat, will fight back competently. And vice versa, if you play from defense, you will have to hold on until the end.
Dynamics and style are obvious advantages of the novelty. In the reviews, players also praise the music and the concept itself. The project has good potential, but it has not yet been revealed - little content, shaky balance. The price raises questions. For early access and the amount of content is too high. There is a Russian language, the translation is sometimes dry, but you can understand everything. The main thing is that the developers listen, update, show progress.
- Compatibility: Windows
- Russian language: interface, subtitles
- Reviews: very positive (89% of 737)
- Price on Steam: 700 ₽.
Static Dread: The Lighthouse
Static Dread: The Lighthouse is a psychological horror from solarsuit.games. The routine of a lighthouse keeper slowly turns into a Lovecraftian nightmare. Formally, it is a simulator in the spirit of Papers, Please: you fill out forms, plot routes, check documents. But at its core, it is a story of loneliness, madness and ancient evil, awakened by the Northern Lights, which paralyzed the world.
You are John, sent to the Blomkest lighthouse. Your goal is not to save ships, but to keep your mind while darkness erases the line between reality and delirium. The tasks are simple: turn on the lighthouse, answer the radio, conduct ships. Later they become more complicated: you need to check the draft, calculate smugglers, and most importantly decide who to believe. At the same time, you will have to monitor energy, speed and your own mind. There is even fishing - primitive, but soothing.
Symbols on the walls, falling lamps, whispers - signs of the invasion of otherworldly forces. You should not ignore them, because there is a risk of going crazy. The main source of fear and atmosphere is sound. Designers are trying to scare players with whispers, creaks, blows and the hum of the radio, and Lovecraft fans praise the atmosphere. Here, tension is born not by screamers, but by anticipation.
But the complication of the original Papers, Please game mechanics did not fully benefit the game. By the middle of the passage, endless running around, erasing symbols and turning on the light can begin to annoy, and the gameplay becomes too monotonous. Some mechanics seem superfluous, and the economy is strange.
But the game accurately conveys isolation and madness, and your decisions change the ending.
- Compatibility: Windows, MacOS
- Russian language: interface, subtitles
- Reviews: very positive (91% of 609)
- Price on Steam: 490 ₽.
Artis Impact
