Welcome to 2026. We’ve officially defeated 2025 and moved on to the next level, and if life really is the ultimate co-op game, we’re sure there are plenty of boss battles waiting for us. As always, a new month means a fresh batch of indie games to get excited about, and January is bringing a seriously varied line-up.

Here are some of the coolest indie PC games launching this month.

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StarRupture – 6th January

This month’s survival game comes with some serious visual flair. StarRupture drops you onto a constantly changing alien planet where you’ll gather resources, build up a base, and fend off enemies in FPS combat. It feels like a mash-up of Satisfactory and Sanctum 2, which is a pretty exciting combination. It’s also from the team behind Green Hell, and that alone makes it worth keeping an eye on.

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BrokenLore: UNFOLLOW – 16th January

BrokenLore: UNFOLLOW is a psychological horror game exploring isolation and the darker side of online culture. Expect eerie environments, unsettling imagery, and a heavy focus on atmosphere. It looks like the kind of horror experience that sticks with you long after you stop playing.

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Tailside: Cozy Café Sim – 21st January

Tailside: Cozy Café Sim puts you in the fluffy paws of a fox running a café for the locals. Brew coffee, make latte art, decorate your space, and keep customers happy as you go about your day. It’s charming, laid-back, and exactly the kind of cosy game you might want to kick the year off with.

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Nova Roma – 22nd January

Hooded Horse are once again coming for your free time with Nova Roma. This city builder has you managing your people, supplies, and even the gods themselves as you shape your empire. There’s a surprising amount of depth here, too, including systems like running water, letting you get as detailed as you want with your city planning.

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The Spirit Lift – 27th January

The Spirit Lift is a horror-tinged roguelike deckbuilder set in a haunted hotel. It’s packed with creepy enemy designs, strong ’90s vibes, and plenty of mysteries to uncover. You’ll choose from classic character archetypes to build your team and see how long you can survive the horrors waiting inside.

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Steel Century Groove – 28th January

Steel Century Groove is a rhythm-RPG where giant mech battles play out to the beat. Timing your moves is key as you unleash stylish attacks and try to outplay your opponents. Between battles, you’ll get to know your team, tackle mini-games, and work your way toward the big leagues.

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Cairn – 29th January

Cairn is all about the climb. This survival-focused game has you carefully scaling a massive mountain, managing stamina and planning every move along the way. There’s no combat here – just you, the rock face, and the constant risk of falling if you make a mistake.

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I Hate This Place – 29th January

Closing out the month is I Hate This Place, an isometric survival horror game dripping with ’80s vibes. Based on a comic book series, it fully leans into that style with on-screen sound effects and bold visuals. Spend your days scavenging and crafting, then fight for your life each night as the real horrors come out to play.

The post Indie Video Games Round-Up – January 2026 appeared first on Green Man Gaming Blog.

It’s been a truly incredible year for indie games, with an almost absurd number of releases and more than a few genuine all-timers among them. Nearly every month in 2025 has delivered a new indie game that completely captured players’ attention, and the indie scene has felt more creative, ambitious, and exciting than ever before.

We’ve somehow narrowed things down to ten of our favourite indie games of 2025, which unfortunately means plenty of phenomenal titles didn’t make the cut. We’re also refusing to rank them, because choosing between favourites feels cruel and unnecessary. You wouldn’t ask us to do that. Legally, you can’t ask us to do that. Anyway, let’s get into the list.

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Blue Prince

Blue Prince had players everywhere slipping into detective mode and learning how to think in entirely new ways. Honestly, notebook and Post-it note sales must have skyrocketed as people tried to connect the dots in this brilliant puzzle game. The constantly shifting manor at the heart of Blue Prince is an absolute joy to explore, and it regularly has you bouncing between feeling incredibly clever and painfully foolish. That balance is the hallmark of a truly inventive puzzle experience.

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Skin Deep

Skin Deep let us loose in one of the coolest immersive sims we’ve played in years. You creep around a beautifully designed spaceship, using your wits, the mysterious power of cats, and whatever else you can get your hands on to outsmart a crew of space pirates. You can also dispose of the pirates’ floating heads in a bin, which is reason enough to recommend it on its own.

Read our Skin Deep Mini-Review here.

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BALL x PIT

BALL x PIT is sublime, blending brick-breaking, base-building, and roguelike mechanics into a game that’s dangerously hard to put down. You combine balls to create stronger ones, evolve them into devils, suns, and other wild forms, and mix different characters to create entirely unique playstyles. It’s endlessly satisfying, and the soundtrack absolutely rules.

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Megabonk

Megabonk was everywhere at launch, thanks to its ridiculous memes, overpowered builds, and pure chaotic fun. This Vampire Survivors-style indie game stands out by being fully 3D, which might sound like a small change but dramatically alters how it feels. The ability to jump transforms the chaos, making the action feel fresh and dynamic, and it’s no surprise that plenty of players are still coming back to it daily.

Read our Megabonk Mini-Review here.

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Abiotic Factor

It’s been a standout year for indie co-op games, and Abiotic Factor is right near the top. This survival game has you and your friends trying to stay alive inside a research facility that has gone very, very wrong. You’ll explore multiple strange realms to gather resources and fend off escalating threats. The modernised N64-inspired visual style gives it a distinctive and nostalgic charm.

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Monster Train 2

The original Monster Train was already exceptional, and Monster Train 2 somehow improves on nearly every aspect. Alongside a brand-new set of clans, you’ll face new enemies, experiment with additional card types, and unlock even more strategic depth. Eventually, the original clans return as well, opening the door to an absurd number of builds and combinations that deckbuilding fans will love.

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Haste

Haste is essentially a Sonic the Hedgehog roguelike, built entirely around mastering momentum and movement. You need to flow through levels at high speed, avoiding hazards while chaining abilities to maintain your pace. Even landing jumps correctly matters, and the whole experience feels like a classic arcade game in the best possible way. The music is outstanding, too.

Read our Haste Mini-Review here.

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PEAK

PEAK is, fittingly, peak chaos. While it’s another co-op experience, this one is mostly about surviving your friends rather than the environment. The goal is simple: climb and explore breathtaking locations. In practice, it’s a disaster, and you’re all going to fall constantly. It’s silly, stressful, and hilarious, evoking the same energy as Overcooked as it turns cooperation into chaos and laughter.

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StarVaders

StarVaders takes the roguelike formula and applies it to a new genre: turn-based Space Invaders. That pitch might sound strange on paper, but the execution is phenomenal. It’s one of the most inventive roguelikes in recent memory, packed with deep build variety, clever enemy design, and boss fights that constantly force you to rethink your strategy.

Read our StarVaders Mini-Review here.

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Goodnight Universe

Finally, Goodnight Universe comes from the team behind Before Your Eyes, a genuinely stunning indie game you should absolutely play if you haven’t already. Like its predecessor, Goodnight Universe is deeply inventive, using your webcam to let you control a psychic baby facing the unique challenges that come with psychic powers. It’s beautiful, heartfelt, and emotionally powerful. Don’t miss this one.

The post The 10 Best Indie Games of 2025 You Need to Play Right Now appeared first on Green Man Gaming Blog.

Some roguelikes let you fight with preset weapons, but a small sub-genre lets you invent your own, turning every run into a playground of spells and chaos. Noita is a great example, letting you play with the world’s physics by freely mixing and matching effects. Magicraft does something similar, but with a more traditional roguelike viewpoint, and becomes pure chaos once a run really gets going. Both demand sharp reactions, but Arcane Trigger approaches things a little differently.

Arcane Trigger has you playing as an arcane gunslinger, combining different bullet types and spells to unleash massive chains of firepower against a strange realm encroaching on your own. It begins simply, as most roguelikes do, but escalates very quickly, eventually letting you fire dragon eggs and even meteors. The key difference is that everything here is turn-based.

In fact, all you really need to do is click the fire button. You don’t need to move at all, just pull the trigger. That doesn’t mean there’s no depth, though. The order of your bullets matters, as do your upgrade choices. You’ll be aiming to collect three of a kind to fuse bullets together, lean into specific elemental synergies, or ban certain bullets entirely so you can focus on a single strength. When it comes to combat execution, however, it’s still just one button.

As a result, this is a roguelike where your reactions don’t need to be constantly tested. Instead, you’re free to take your time crafting and refining your attacks. As you progress, you’ll develop a stronger understanding of how different builds work, and you’ll also unlock other gunslingers to experiment with. It’s an incredibly easy game to play, but a difficult one to master, and it’s refreshing to experience a roguelike that embraces a slower pace for once.

The post Arcane Trigger Mini-Review: Big Spells, One Button appeared first on Green Man Gaming Blog.

Looking for the best games like Crimson Desert to keep you busy until the highly anticipated action RPG launches? You’re not alone. With its stunning visuals, fast-paced combat, and expansive open world, Crimson Desert has quickly become one of the most anticipated fantasy games in development.

Although we haven’t played Crimson Desert yet, its flashy combat, cinematic presentation, and crafting-heavy gameplay strongly resemble several popular games already available. If you’re searching for open-world fantasy RPGs like Crimson Desert, the titles below are your best options right now.

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Black Desert

Black Desert is the MMORPG that started it all for Pearl Abyss. Featuring fast, combo-driven combat, gorgeous visuals, and a massive open world, it’s the closest experience to Crimson Desert currently available. While Black Desert is multiplayer-focused, many of its mechanics—combat, world design, and visual flair—clearly inspired Crimson Desert’s direction.

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Elden Ring

If you’re looking for a dark fantasy world filled with danger, Elden Ring is one of the best games like Crimson Desert in terms of exploration and challenge. Its open world is packed with deadly enemies, hidden secrets, and breathtaking environments. The combat builds on the Dark Souls formula, offering more flexibility and playstyle variety than any previous FromSoftware game.

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Sonic Frontiers

At first glance, Sonic Frontiers may seem like an odd comparison, but it shares several key similarities with Crimson Desert. It places high-speed combat and boss battles into a large open-world setting, encouraging exploration and skill chaining. Add in its memorable soundtrack and cinematic moments, and it offers a surprisingly fitting alternative.

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Atlas Fallen: Reign of Sand

Atlas Fallen: Reign of Sand is an open-world action RPG centred around magical weapons, massive monsters, and fast-paced traversal. Sand surfing lets you move across the world at high speed, while combat emphasises flashy abilities and fluid movement. With optional co-op play, it’s a strong choice for fans of cinematic fantasy combat.

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Enshrouded

While Enshrouded leans into survival crafting, it offers deep fantasy RPG elements that fans of the genre will appreciate. Playing as a Flameborn, you’ll explore a dangerous world consumed by a mysterious fog, battling bosses and uncovering secrets. It supports solo and cooperative play, making it one of the best fantasy survival games available.

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Dragon’s Dogma 2

Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a high-fantasy open-world RPG filled with dynamic combat, memorable monsters, and meaningful player choice. The world reacts to your decisions, ensuring that each playthrough feels unique. Its flexible combat system and emergent gameplay make it an excellent alternative.

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While the wait for Crimson Desert may feel long, there’s no shortage of incredible open-world and fantasy RPGs to keep you busy in the meantime. Whether you’re drawn to fast-paced combat, vast worlds to explore, or deep progression systems, the games above each capture a different aspect of what makes Crimson Desert so exciting. Until its release, these titles offer plenty of epic adventures to dive into – and may even become favourites in their own right.

The post Best Games Like Crimson Desert to Play While You Wait appeared first on Green Man Gaming Blog.

Death Howl is ambitious simply for the two genres it tries to fuse. Deckbuilders are almost always roguelikes, and Soulslikes are almost always action-heavy. The idea that you could blend these systems in a way that not only makes sense but actually feels good to play seems almost absurd. Yet Death Howl pulls it off, all while telling a moving, heart-wrenching story about grief.

You play as a mother who has lost her son and refuses to be consumed by the despair threatening to overwhelm her. Instead, she steps into the spirit world to search for him and bring him home. The writing is excellent, and the quieter, emotional moments between the violence are genuinely powerful. It hits especially hard if you’re a parent, but the struggle to push back against grief is something most of us understand in some way.

As for how it plays, you explore the world, interacting with objects to uncover new knowledge and gather items that can be turned into cards. You can refresh the spirit realm by resting at special stones, which restore your health but also revive the spirits, forcing you to push through them again.

Combat is turn-based and unfolds on a grid, with you and your enemies jockeying for position while you manage mana to play moves that attack, defend, or trigger entirely different effects. It’s a delicate balance and one that often feels stacked against you, but that only makes each victory more rewarding.

The challenge in every encounter reinforces the strength of the protagonist and her relentless fight to recover her son. Expect an uphill climb and a world that isn’t afraid to land emotional blows as you push forward.

The post Death Howl Mini-Review: A Genre-Bending Journey Through Grief appeared first on Green Man Gaming Blog.

As a known lover of card games, it wasn’t especially surprising that Cross Blitz really appealed to me back when I first tried its Early Access launch. Two whole years later, does it still feel as good now that it’s fully released? To put it simply, yes.

Look, we’re all busy people, I’m not going to lead you on, so if that’s all you wanted to know, then you’re done here, but do feel free to leave the page open for a few minutes to help our metrics, and maybe open a couple of other articles too. Thanks!

Cross Blitz is an RPG deckbuilder with multiple modes and multiple stories to play through as campaigns, thanks to its cast of different characters. Each of these characters have their own starting decks, and different potential build options as you progress as well. You’re bound to find a character or two you love the most, but at the end of the day, I think they’re all very well-designed and a lot of fun. It’s incredibly cool to nip around maps getting not only upgrades, but also more story about them all as well.

Along with that though, there’s also a roguelike mode, and it’s what can give Cross Blitz a near unlimited lifespan, whether you’ve finished the stories and find yourself wanting a bit more, or just want to snack on the gameplay and aren’t in the mood for reading. Yes, reading is very good for all of us, but some of us get four hours sleep, work too much, and just wanna demolish some enemies, you know?

One thing that didn’t quite hit me in with the Early Access release is just how much Cross Blitz feels like a really polished Game Boy Advance game. I think it’s the visual style mostly, but the whole vibe could easily have been from 20 years ago, and I mean that as a truly gargantuan compliment. Cross Blitz just feels like it’s laser-focused on its core gameplay and deck-building, doing a lot without wasting excess tech on stuff it doesn’t need. It masters mechanics to allow you to min-max, and it wants you to do so to push through some of the hardest battles as well.

Cross Blitz is an even better game now as it has even more to do, which is usually how these things go. The full release brings with it a new story campaign, which is in a similar vein to what’s come before, and it remains a lot of fun. The result is a more complete experience with even more cards and mechanics to mes around with, and just so much variety. It feels like you’re getting into the weeds with a really good TCG, but you don’t need to pay for all of it.

We did it, people. We made it to the end of 2025. December is always an interesting one for games. Plenty of folks will be picking up new titles thanks to holiday gifts and those glorious end-of-year sales, but it’s also one of the quieter months for actual releases.

Even with the slowdown, we’re still getting some incredible-looking games. A few of these might even catch you off guard. But let’s stop beating around the bush (presents need wrapping, food needs digesting) so let’s dive into the list. Consider this your cheat sheet for what to ask for money to buy when someone has absolutely no clue what to get you.

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MARVEL Cosmic Invasion – 1st December

Marvel Cosmic Invasion is the latest beat ’em up from the powerhouse genre publisher Dotemu. Instead of reviving a single beloved classic, this one comes swinging with 15 different heroes to choose from. Then? It’s time to throw down against the forces of evil with pure comic-book chaos. Look, we’re not expecting the story to rewrite our world views, but the action and artwork look ridiculously good.

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LET IT DIE: INFERNO – 3rd December

Let It Die has been a weird ride ever since 2016. The second game ditched the hack-and-slash to go battle royale, but Let It Die: Inferno looks like a return to its roots: ridiculously over-the-top roguelike brawling. Both earlier entries had potential but never quite delivered. So yeah, we’re hoping this one finally sticks the landing and gives us something satisfyingly chaotic to bite into.

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Night Swarm – 4th December

Night Swarm is a vampire-flavoured Survivors-like, which is hilarious considering the genre’s most famous entry avoided vampires for an uncomfortable amount of time. The formula should feel familiar, but the twist here is more character interaction between the carnage. There’s a stronger emotional throughline and deeper character building. It’s different, it’s bold, and we genuinely can’t wait to see if it actually works.

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Cloudheim – 4th December

Cloudheim is an absolute looker. It throws you into a post-Ragnarok world where your job is to beat back ancient gods and creeping corruption. Sure, there’s plenty of action, but there’s also a ton of crafting to sink time into. The heavy combo focus should make character-action fans very happy, and the fact it’s co-op? That just sweetens the deal.

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FEROCIOUS  – 4th December

FEROCIOUS is a survival-FPS set on a hostile, uncharted island full of jungles, ruins, and carnivorous problems. The twist? Dinosaurs don’t just chase you; you can hijack their brains with the Dino Control Device and make them work for you, too. Attack, scout, haul gear, sneak past mercs — it’s basically prehistoric freelance labour, but with teeth. It’s tense, loud, violent, and looks like pure holiday wish-list fuel.

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Skate Story – 8th December

Skate Story drops you into a surreal Underworld as a glass-bodied demon on a skateboard. Ollie, grind, and blast through warped streets, rescue tortured souls, and skate your way to freedom. Dreamlike visuals, psychedelic soundtrack, and chaotic skating make this one a wildly stylish, existential ride.

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UNBEATABLE – 9th December

In Unbeatable, you play as Beat, leading her band toward freedom in a world where music is rebellion. It blends rhythm gameplay with story-heavy decisions, and the soundtrack is genuinely stellar. If you want to stick it to authority without real-world consequences, this is your moment.

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Death Howl – 9th December

Death Howl is a dark, turn-based card-battler where you play Ro, a grieving mother fighting through the afterlife to save her son. Battle spirits, summon totems, and make every move count in a grim, atmospheric world. Tactical, haunting, and full of weight – this one hits hard.

The post Indie Video Games Round-Up – December 2025 appeared first on Green Man Gaming Blog.

If you’re already gearing up to smash heads with friends and the anticipation for MARVEL Cosmic Invasion is hitting critical levels, then there’s only one real fix: more beat ‘em ups. The genre has evolved in all the best ways, and it’s genuinely lovely to see something so deeply satisfying back in full force.

If you want a few games to dive into ahead of launch, we’ve rounded up the best titles like MARVEL Cosmic Invasion below. This list has some incredible picks, both new and old, so let’s hop into it.

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Castle Crashers

Castle Crashers is getting on a bit now, but it remains wonderfully charming and a huge amount of fun anyway. A wave of post-launch content expanded its look and piled on even more bonkers brawls. You’re technically saving a princess, but really, it’s about being the most slapstick heroes the kingdom has ever seen.

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Young Souls

Young Souls puts you in control of two rebellious twins battling their way through an entirely different world. It boasts a lovely art style, brilliantly interesting characters and an exceptional combat system too. The only downside is that it sticks to local co-op, but if you’re playing with someone at home, that’s hardly an issue.

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Absolum

Absolum is an absolutely incredible beat ‘em up roguelike that has a lot going on. Not only is the story sublime, but there’s also a frog warrior who surfs on their own staff. The depth here is absurd, and if you want the most modern possible take on hitting things a lot, this is it.

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Lost Castle 2

Lost Castle 2 is massively slept on, despite being one of the coolest 2D action games in recent years. It has you carving through wildly cool monsters and levels to reach the titular castle, though the stronghold itself remains tantalisingly out of full reach while development continues. Combat lands somewhere between a 2D Monster Hunter and pure build-crafting chaos, with every weapon offering a totally different feel and some frankly absurd endgame setups.

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The Last Friend

The Last Friend stands apart because it mashes beat ‘em up action with tower defence, and also, you get to save a bunch of dogs. You’ll lay down multiple defensive lines of towers before wading into battle to rescue as many fluffy friends as you can using your fists. It’s cute, fun and a brilliant change of pace.

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Streets of Rage 4

Streets of Rage 4 is the de facto classic beat ‘em up with a sharper, more modern edge. It played a huge role in reviving genre appetite for so many players. Dotemu’s signature flair—both visually and in combat—cements it as one of the best the genre has ever seen. If you’re craving over-the-top violence in a grounded, more realistic setting, nothing scratches the itch quite like this one.

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Whether you’re here for couch co-op chaos, ridiculous weapon builds, or just the primal joy of hitting things a lot, the beat ‘em up genre has more than enough to keep you busy until MARVEL Cosmic Invasion arrives. From slapstick castles and frog-surfing roguelikes to genre-reviving classics, there’s something here for every kind of brawler fan. So grab a buddy, clear some screen space, and dive into the mayhem — because if anticipation hits hard, these games hit harder.

The post Top Games Like MARVEL Cosmic Invasion You Can Play Right Now appeared first on Green Man Gaming Blog.

Gross-out games are a bit of an oddity for me. I usually get the ick from them, and playing them is something I just can’t abide, but for whatever reason, the grossness of SWAPMEAT ends up entertaining me instead. The core idea is simple: it’s a third-person shooter with missions spread across different planets, and to survive, you steal body parts from defeated enemies to gain new abilities, mixing and matching them however you want.

The result is that you might wind up with a flying saucer for legs, a ninja for a head, and an eyebeam laser for a torso, plus your guns, helping you cut through the chaos. As you complete side objectives on each world, you level up and steer yourself toward a build focused on an elemental damage type, a swarm of fly companions, or just an absurd amount of health.

Each world has a main objective, but also a pile of side tasks you’ll stumble across as you explore. None of this is revolutionary design, but it’s all pretty fun, and it makes each run feel a bit like Helldivers… if Helldivers was drenched in meat. It’s a supremely silly concept and a supremely silly game, but it’s also immensely replayable.

It helps that it has co-op, meaning you and some friends can jump into the mess together and fend off the endless tide of meat and gore threatening to swallow the galaxy. Also, there’s a non-zero chance you’re actually working for the villain, which adds a fun layer to poke at and figure out.

The post SWAPMEAT Mini-Review: Vile, Repugnant, and a Blast to Play appeared first on Green Man Gaming Blog.

The thrill of mining and upgrading has been explored countless times in games, but the recent surge of roguelike twists on the formula has kept it feeling fresh. Wall World 2 is the latest to dig into that space, returning to the series’ towering vertical landscapes for another round of satisfying excavation.

Each run sends you delving into mines, unearthing resources, upgrading your digging tools or the combat systems of your wall-climbing spider mech, and chasing specific objectives. As you work, hazards emerge and the timer ticks up, until waves of monsters descend, forcing you to pause your mining and defend your mech in tense bursts of action.

The core challenge lies in timing and upgrade choices. It’s usually smart to improve your weapons first, though relics you uncover can completely shift your priorities. These relics grant powerful temporary abilities, like buzzsaw drones, deployable turrets, or the power to smash through rock with ease, and while they vanish at the end of each run, adapting your playstyle around them keeps every attempt engaging.

Despite its roguelike nature, Wall World 2 feels purposeful. Each run contributes to broader progress across distinct zones and objectives, gradually unravelling the mystery at the heart of the sequel. The mix of permanent upgrades, meaningful goals, and that eerie, almost eldritch atmosphere makes Wall World 2 an endlessly entertaining and surprisingly atmospheric ride.

The post Wall World 2 Mini-Review: An Eldritch Mining Joy appeared first on Green Man Gaming Blog.