Photographic adventures, chaotic shepherds and other new independent games to discover

Volume 2

Developer: Something we created
Editors: Something we did, Popagenda
Platforms: Steam (Windows, Mac, SteamOS/Linux; Steam Deck verified), PS5, Switch, Switch 2
Price: Usually $20, with a 15% discount through October 13 (PlayStation Plus required for PS5 discount)

If you are looking for a game to relax this weekend, Volume 2 could do the trick. The rest of 2021 Toem: a photographic adventure puts in your hands an improved camera with new accessories to help you solve its puzzles. There is a new group of characters to meet and help. As you complete quests, you’ll fill a journal with stamps that serve as both a reminder of your journey so far and a way to open the next region.

There’s also a platform here: you’ll move around the environments to find hidden paths and viewpoints where you can take great photos. The first game is really charming, and the follow-up seems like another good way to spend a few hours.

Small herd

Developer/publisher: No Brakes Games
Platforms: Steam (VR only), Meta Quest
Price: Usually $19, with 21% off on Steam until October 13

The studio behind the huge success Human fall flat is back with more physics-based mayhem, but Small herd This looks like a much cuter game. The goal here is to herd a small flock of sheep through diorama-style levels. You can move objects to form bridges and cross environments to create new paths, as you can interact with anything in the environment. The Meta Quest version also supports manual tracking and relaying.

“After the success of Human fall flatand some early VR experiences along the way, we wanted to give ourselves a new challenge, so we thought we’d try something that would utilize all of our favorite features of VR, like tactile physics, two-handed interactivity, and interesting game verbs that you can play with in space,” said Tomas Sakalauskas, CEO and co-founder of No Brakes Games. “Selfishly, I also wanted to create a game that my whole family could enjoy. My child even designed a few puzzles and recorded voice lines while prototyping. “I love that Sakalauskas’ kid helped create the game. It’s adorable.

Keep driving

Developer: YCJY Games
Publishers: YCJY Games, Kepler Ghost
Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Switch. Already available on Steam
Price: $18

This roadtrip RPG (or should that be caRPG?) was met with a very positive reception when it debuted on Steam last year, and it’s now available on consoles. Mod support has also just gone live in the Steam version.

It’s a business simulation set in the early 2000s in which your character drives across the country to attend a festival. You’ll have to overcome challenges, such as sheep blocking the road, using a version of turn-based combat. Maybe you’ll pick up hitchhikers and do odd jobs during your trip. You can also customize, repair and upgrade your vehicle. There are multiple endings, and it’s said to take between one and four hours to see each one.

I didn’t play Keep drivingbut the atmosphere in the trailer is great. It’s currently 30% off on Steam until October 8 as part of that storefront’s Big Fall Sale.

Endless rails

Developer: Studio Monoblok
Publishers: Studio Monoblok, Maple Whispering Limited
Platform: Steam (Windows; playable on Steam Deck)
Price: Usually $7, with 30% off until October 13

Endless rails is a mix of survivor style action and tower defense game. In this roguelite, you will take charge of auto-firing drones that protect a moving train from enemies. At each station, you can improve your drones and your train, in particular by merging the cars and their attributes in the latter case. You will continue this loop until the train suddenly and permanently stops. Before you head out on your next run, you can unlock permanent upgrades.

Studio Monoblok designed Endless rails with short gaming sessions in mind. Journeys between stations will only take around 20-30 seconds each. This might be a good fit for Steam Deck, so I think I’ll give it a try there.

Dog in the machine

Developer: Studio Chahut
Publisher: Goblinz Publishing
Platform: Steam (Windows, Mac)
Price: Usually $18, with 20% off until October 13

Here we have a turn-based tactical roguelite that looks like Into the breachexcept you control a robot dog. The AutoDog in your charge is trying to escape a “dystopian mecha-city” and join his humans in exile. The mechanical puppy will have to defeat a group of enemy guardians to escape.

Each stage is designed to help you set up chain reactions that damage a group of bad guys in a single turn. Before committing to a move, you can preview how it will unfold. You’ll spec your AutoDog on the fly as you progress through a race, including combining tricks into killer combo moves. Normally this wouldn’t be my type of game (I bounced on Into the breach very quickly!), but the robot dog and the funny title caught my attention.