This year’s list of indie games and interactive fiction is a little different from previous “What You May Have Missed” entries I have written. For one thing, I have included fan games on the list, as I felt they were excellent, both as video games and as demonstrations of the power of transformative media. The other, more important thing, is that I have made an intentional push to include games that either were, or are likely to be, impacted by the efforts of conservative lobbyists pushing their queerphobic, anti-porn beliefs onto payment processors, making it even more difficult for indie game developers.
I believe adult video games, and games that touch upon sensitive and discomforting subject matter, should exist, and that people should be able to make and play those games. I love that video games have been able to give people the tools to talk about their experiences, whether they are positive or negative. Silencing those voices in the name of “comfort” and “decency” is abhorrent. So, with that in mind, I have made my list. I hope you find at least one new game on here that interests you.
All Ages
A promotional image for the video game “My Friends the Monster Trainers” by Celia & jamwitch. It features a red tablet-like device in the foreground, with the image of an indigo, cat-like creature called “Sinestella” with purple energy converging around its tail on the display. In the background is text from a letter. The game’s title is written on a blue banner on the bottom of the image.
My Friends the Monster Trainers
Developers & Publishers: Celia & jamwitch
While Avery can’t go on a journey to become a monster trainer, they can still learn about pet monsters, and complete their Monster Tracker, with the help of their friends. Using word-based puzzles akin to Return of the Obra Dinn and the Duck Detective series, My Friends the Monster Trainers offers a unique twist on both the investigation and creature collector genres to create a fun and charming game. Available to play on a web browser (such as Google Chrome, Firefox, etc.) through itch.io.
Content warnings: Mild instances of children in peril, monster battles typical of the creature collector genre
A screenshot from the video game “The Round-About Orchard: A Tiny Over the Garden Wall Game” by Julia Minamata. It shows Greg next to an apple tree, while Wirt is sitting inside the tree’s hollow. There is also a wooden shed, a robin sitting in a nest, and a dirt path. Surrounding the scene is a UI that resembles a wood carving, including action commands displayed through stylized four images: a leg for movement, an eye to look, a hand to grab, and a word balloon to talk.
The Round-About Orchard: A Tiny Over the Garden Wall Game
Developer & Publisher: Julia Minamata
Deep within the Unknown Greg and Wirt are trying to find their way back home, only for Wirt to get stuck in an apple tree. A very tiny and charming adventure game, which brought back several crew members from Over the Garden Wall, this makes me nostalgic for the Humongous Entertainment games of my youth, and glad to see the amount of love dedicated to this world and its characters. Available to play on a web browser through itch.io.
Recommended Source Material Familiarity: Knowledge of Over the Garden Wall is not required, but it does make it all the more charming to see staff from the original series collaborate once again to make something new in this world
Content warnings: Mild instance of children and animals in peril, photosensitivity for sudden white screens near the end of the game
Adolescents
A screenshot from the interactive fiction “bilingual language diary” by Bagenzo under the pseudonym white mage valsu. In the foreground is a drawing of a young woman in a dress, standing on a grassy field without shoes, gazing at the horizon, holding a long thin stick in her left hand, her back facing the player. In the background is a photograph of a highway with a city on the horizon, coloured in black and white. The title and developer’s pseudonym are written in black text on the screen.
bilingual language diary
Developer: Bagenzo
Publishers: Bagenzo & DOMINO CLUB
An experimental autobiographical interactive fiction about identity, language, childhood, and family bilingual language diary is deeply impressive, for its effective collage of multimedia materials to replicate nostalgia and how we recall our childhood memories. Available to play on a web browser through itch.io.
Content warnings: Discussions of bigotry, bullying and child abuse, Christian imagery
Promotional art of the game “Medusa” by Hidden Vale and Ether. It shows a pixelated forest, with ancient Greek pillars, an altar bowl in the center, and a path leading up to the bowl. The colours are two different shades of green. The game’s title and developer’s itch.io address are written on the grey banner near the bottom of the image.
Medusa
Developers & Publishers: Hidden Vale & Ether
A short, personal rumination on “monsters” and what it means to be different from the status quo, Medusa resonated with me on multiple levels. A story of hope, making your own stories, and embracing what makes us “monstrous”. Available to play on web browser, or as a downloadable file, via the developers’ itch.io account, or to digitally or physically purchase as part of Indiepocalypse zine issue #66.
Content warnings: Discussion of discrimination and bullying
A screenshot of the video game “The Beekeeper’s Picnic – A Sherlockian Adventure” by The Wonder Room. It shows Sherlock Holmes, wearing a red housecoat, walking towards a blackboard in an attic. A circle with various action commands is over the blackboard: a magnifying glass for seeing, a hand for touching, a gear for using, and a gramophone for talking. On the bottom of the screen “Make use of Blackboard” is written. Next to the blackboard is a sign with a picnic basket, a bottle, and a seaside view depicted on it. On the wall of the attic are portraits of various different people, with John Watson’s picture being the only one in a circular frame.
The Beekeeper’s Picnic – A Sherlockian Adventure
Developer & Publisher: The Wonder Room
Sherlock Holmes, the famous consulting detective turned beekeeper, is enjoying his retirement in a quiet village in Sussex when his dear friend, Dr. John Watson, has just returned from his military service. Overjoyed to see his lifelong companion again, Holmes plans to put together a picnic for them to enjoy, but comes across a variety of unexpected obstacles along the way. A sweet, queer-friendly point-and-click adventure game, this is a treat for fans of the genre and the characters of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. Available on Steam and itch.io for Windows and Linux.
Content warnings: A character gets wounded by a gunshot during the prologue, a pet cat is stolen and later rescued
A screenshot from the video game “The Mold” by Zhanko. It shows a white, abstract pixelated figure on a teal bridge-like structure with a square crevice. The black text box on top of the screen reads: “I needed to fit in”.
The Mold
Developer & Publisher: Zhanko
The Mold is a short, personal tale about feeling pressured to conform, expertly utilizing sprites to express the emotional state of its protagonist. Available to play on a web browser through itch.io.
Content warnings: Implied racist discrimination towards the player character
Teenagers
Promotional art for the video game “Connect the Dots” by unnamed game developers. It shows a pencil drawing of a frame of animation on yellow paper, depicting a girl with short shoulder-length hair who is asleep, her mouth slightly agape. On the top left of the frame is the timing for the scene. On the bottom left of the frame is the game’s title and logo, with a number sequence from one to four and the words “Dot to Dot/ Join the Dots/ Follow the Dots” beneath the numbers.
Connect the Dots
Developer & Publisher: Unnamed game developer(s)
A girl wakes up in a world devoid of colour, with no memory of who she is and how she arrived in this bizarre location. Gradually, she begins to learn about the circumstances that led her there, but can she figure everything out before the story’s end? One of my favourite video games from last year, Connect the Dots is a wonderfully constructed narrative about the nature of stories, what happens to them with the passage of time, and what transformative media can accomplish. A delight from start to finish. Available on itch.io for Windows and macOS.
Content warnings: Implied past attempted sexual assault, obsessive behaviour, existential dread
Recommended Material Familiarity: Knowledge of the source material is not required. If anything I would highly encourage the player to not look anything up about the source material until after playing it for the best gameplay experience
My Real and Sincere Apology to Moral Crusaders
Developer & Publisher: Naarel
An important message about the ongoing censorship of “adult content”, My Real and Sincere Apology to Moral Crusaders pulls no punches calling out the harm that occurs when the voices of those who speak up about their experiences of sexual violence and assault are silenced in the name of “morality” and capitalism. Available to play on a web browser through the developer’s website.
Content warnings: Discusses sexual violence and assault, victim blaming, and suicide. Casual ableism
A screenshot from the video game “Ravening” by Runa Liore Winters. It depicts the interior of rich a old European estate, with a hall with several open doorways, and a chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Sunlight is coming in from the left side of the screen. The text box on the bottom of the screen reads: “This very morning, indignant with my father’s failure to send even a letter in reply to the simplest of my queries, I made up my mind to leave the manor and walk across the moors to settle my acrimonious temper.”
Ravening
Developer & Publisher: Runa Liore Winters
A diary, hundreds of years old, is uncovered near a peculiar, labyrinthian estate. Its entries relay the account of a person deeply connected to the mysterious structure and why it was constructed. A haunting tale of ever encroaching dread, Ravening effectively utilizes its limited assets to tell a chilling horror story of isolation. Available on itch.io for the three major PC operating systems.
Content warnings: Not recommended for claustrophobic players. Solitary confinement, unreality, body horror, discussions of death is game’s description
A screenshot from the video game “taking my Dark Knight Girlfriend to the corner store” by ForeverFuture Games. It shows a woman wearing circular glasses with black hair in a bob, having her face caressed by another woman wearing green and red armour. The woman in glasses is slightly flushed and her mouth is slightly agape. They are standing in a corner store, with a slushie machine and shelves full of various goods in the background. The text on the bottom of the screen reads “It’s cold, and even within just that thumb is enough power to destroy me. But she doesn’t.”
taking my Dark Knight Girlfriend to the corner store
Developer & Publisher: ForeverFuture Games
Dana has been living an ordinary, unremarkable life, until a portal opens up in the sky and Brunhilde, a powerful Dark Knight, emerges from it on a quest to find and slay the Gray Wizard. Hilarious one minute and poignant the next, this short romance visual novel is an utter delight, as two women find themselves forging a deep love and connection in the most unlikely of places. Available on Steam and itch.io for the three major PC operating systems.
Content warnings: Death, descriptions of violence, transmisogyny, possible blasphemy
A screenshot from the video game “This Winter of Ours” by VARIA. In the background are two young women, the one of the left with short white hair and blue eyes wearing a light violet coat, and the one on the right with long dark purple hair and yellow eyes wearing a purple winter coat. They are standing in a snow-covered forest, snowflakes slowly falling. In the foreground the text reads: “Most days were filled with peace, almost to the point of mundanity. Those are the days best suited for appreciating the simples pleasures of what lies right in front of oneself. A warm hand, a trusted companion, a friend. A perfect day to take in the world around you and share a tale from long ago, whether one read from a book or one experienced firsthand.”
This Winter of Ours
Developer & Publisher: VARIA
This Winter of Ours is a yuri visual novel focused on two young women who are brought together through a chilling first encounter, which soon grows into a warm and sustaining bond that teaches them both what it means to be alive, rather than simply surviving. Sweet and poignant, this is a well crafted romance which allows both leads a chance to grow and learn from each other. Available on Steam and itch.io for the three major PC operating systems, and Android via itch.io.
Content warnings: Death of humans and animals, described self-harm, near-death experiences, survivor’s guilt, emesis, alluded to familial abuse, mild flashing lights
Mature and Adult Audiences
A screenshot from the video game “a dialect for two” by lacunova. It depicts a woman with short white hair, lovingly holding another woman’s hand to her chest. She is wearing a brown bra and her mouth is slightly agape. On the top right of the screen is a reel of film. The text on the top of the screen reads: “Tetra. Tetra has always been Tetra. She saw no reason to change it. Four, a quaternion, a denotion of something real, like she feels she has always been. Like a swarm of colourful fish, where each unit is free and unique, but they still choose to cooperate and swim together.”
a dialect for two
Developer & Publisher: lacunova
a dialect for two is one of those stories that sticks with you long after you finish it. Focusing on the lives of two android women working together to determine what it means to love and be loved, the sincerity on display is something that stuck with me long after reading the credits. The narrative is woven in a manner that is masterfully crafted, and the sprites and sound design show a deep understanding and appreciation for the medium of visual novels. Highly recommended, especially for those who love character focused stories. Available on itch.io for Windows and macOS.
Content warnings: Game’s narrative focuses on the protagonists working together to find a form of love and sexual intimacy after experiencing sexual trauma in the past. Said sexual trauma, abuse and exploitation are alluded to but not graphically depicted. Contains sex (no visuals), consensual pseudo-voyeurism, violent sexual fantasies (not acted on), and discussion of forced social conditioning towards a marginalized group
A screenshot from the video game “Char’s Ennui” by masha. It depicts Char Aznable, wearing a white housecoat, lying on a bed, his eyes scrunched, and Amuro Ray, wearing a blue jacket and jeans, holding a piece of tissue paper to the right side of Char’s neck, frowning. They are sitting in a guest room, with a green lamp lit on the bedside table. The textbox on the bottom of the screen reads: “He corrects himself plainly, staring up at nothing in particular on the ceiling.”
Char’s Ennui
Developer & Publisher: masha
To prevent war from breaking out, ace mobile suit pilot Amuro Ray has been placed in the custody of Neo Zeon’s leader Char Aznable. Already unsure of what his future will hold as a political prisoner, Amuro receives a bizarre and unexpected request from Char. A wonderfully crafted character study, this visual novel shows a deep respect for the source materials to create a believable alternate universe. The best kind of tense and awkward scenario to play through. Available on Ko-fi for the three major PC operating systems. Japanese and Korean translations are also available.
Content warnings: Mild gore and blood, mild mutilation, possible abuse of authority, sexually suggestive content
Recommended Source Material Familiarity: Best enjoyed if you’ve watched enough of Gundam’s Universal Century timeline up to, and including, Char’s Counterattack, but you can theoretically enjoy it without doing so
Promotional art for the interactive fiction “Harmony Bisection” by Air Gong. It depicts the game’s title, with each word cut in half. Next to the words is an abstract black and white pixelated image that looks like it has several lines cut through it.
Harmony Bisection
Developer & Publisher: Air Gong
A personal tale of two different relationships at two different moments in time, Harmony Bisection expertly tells two simultaneous narratives and brings them together to make something powerful. Available to play on a web browser or download on itch.io.
Content warnings: Description of sexual assault, an abusive relationship, recreational drug use, intentionally loud/unpleasant audio at some points
A screenshot from the video game “Lovely Lonely Apparition” by gaybreast. It depicts a scene coloured entirely in purple and black, with a humanoid mech shooting at a starry, wisp-like being. The text on the screen reads: “Something that is a lack of space and yet a reflection of it and also everything else around it. Something that shouldn’t exist A thing we were made to destroy I see Red pull out the gun settled into her leg and I do the same. I aim away from whatever she’s gunning down, shoot past Green. He understands, thank god, and moves out of the way Beams of light cleave through the mass and both dissolve into spectacular spots of color”
Lovely Lonely Apparition
Developer & Publisher: gaybreast
One of the most emotionally devastating and well-crafted visual novels of the year, Lovely Lonely Apparition follows the lives of four mech pilots who are all trying to live and survive in a toxic workplace that does not care about them and actively abuses them. The few moments of reprieve make the persistent feeling of despair all the more effective, and the way each pilot’s perspective is depicted is exceptionally well done. Available on itch.io for the three major PC operating systems.
Content warnings: Death, sex (both consensual and non-consensual), typical mecha genre violence, self-harm, victim blaming, transphobia and misgendering, dehumanization and sterilization, abuse of authority, pseudo-pregnancy, unreality, flashing lights
A screenshot from the video game “maintain’n’fuck” by solflo. It depicts a metal surface with several bolts. Two pixelated lime green arrows are on the left and right side of the screen. The text on the top of the screen reads: “you caress the panel.” The top right of the screen has diagnostics for the machine “CPU: 23%. TEMP: 32C”
maintain’n’fuck
Developer & Publisher: solflo
Exactly what you expect it to be. An eroge about performing maintenance on your robot lover, while both of you also have a good time. Both well written and well executed in terms of UI, I am deeply impressed with what the developer was able to accomplish with so few words and assets. Available to play on a web browser and to download for the three major PC operating systems on itch.io.
Content warnings: Sex, photosensitivity in the form of sporadic glitch effects which can be toggled off
A screenshot from the video game “the language bodies speak” by basicbean. It depicts two young women with short hair, wearing navy blue combat uniforms and carrying guns, standing in the middle of the forest. The image is intentionally obscured with VHS scanlines and “snow”. The text on the bottom of the screen reads: “they were ignorant by design knowledge of intimacy and intimate acts restricted per the MISSION-STATEMENT they were raised with strict supervision trained to be soldiers in an eternal war against an other because an enemy must always exist they were still human and old enough to”
the language bodies speak
Developer & Publisher: basicbean
In a dystopian future where people are taught to solely follow the MISSION-STATEMENT, two soldiers find themselves re-learning a long forgotten language, as their bodies call out to touch and be touched. An effective use of the medium in a remarkably short amount of words, the language bodies speak is a phenomenal visual novel. Available to play on a web browser through itch.io.
Content warnings: Sex and implied authoritarian government as the setting. Has intentionally loud audio. VHS “snow” effect throughout may cause some players difficulty to play the game or read the text due to either photosensitivity or obstruction
A screenshot from the video game “We Can’t Keep Doing This” by TheLoveIandFrogWoman and Cecilia Penifader. It depicts the interior of a cave, with a pool of water in the center and several tear blue bioluminescent mushrooms on the stone floor. The text box on the bottom of the screen reads “You have foraged for food in the past, perhaps some of the mushrooms here are edible?”
We Can’t Keep Doing This
Developers & Publishers: TheLoveIandFrogWoman and Cecilia Penifader
A woman is sealed in a cave by her community for unknown crimes against the church, resolves to escape and survive. An excellently crafted experience, especially for what is presumably the developer’s first video game, We Can’t Keep Doing This is a bleak, chilling narrative that I was deeply impressed by. The way the game showcases its seven endings was clever, and the gradual reveal of the love interest was haunting. Available on itch.io for the three major PC operating systems.
Content warnings: Not recommended for claustrophobic players. Death, descriptions of severe injuries, solitary confinement, religious trauma, hallucinations, drowning, obsessive behaviour
Image Sources: All images of these video games belong to their respective developers. Creators are free to contact me if they wish to have an entry discussing their work edited, removed, or to have any image descriptions changed for clarity.