Mina The Hollower, The Sims Alternative And Other New Indie Games Worth Checking Out
Long awaited Me the Hollower from Yacht Club Games (Knight of the spade) finally arrived this week and the reviews have been glowing. This is an action-adventure game in which you play as a mouse named Mina. He can burrow underground to be temporarily invincible and emerge from the ground to cross short gaps.
Me the Hollower it looks like an 8-bit Game Boy Color game and is clearly inspired by classic Zelda top-down adventures. It has a gothic horror tone and a Souls-like progression. It is also a broadcaster. So, there’s a lot going on here. The world seems appropriately crowded with secrets hidden throughout the shop.
I will definitely need to find time to try this. Me the Hollower is out now on Steam (Windows, Mac and Linux), Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2 and PS5. It costs $20.
It took seven years for lead developer Alex Massé and the team at Paralives Studio to release their game, but Paralives it has finally arrived, albeit a little early. Available on Steam for Windows and Mac (regularly $40, 10 percent off until June 1).
Paralives is a life sim in the vein of The Sims. It’s an attempt to create a viable alternative to what EA has been offering with its long-running franchise. As you might expect, you’ll create characters, build homes, explore the town, meet NPCs, try different jobs and all that jazz.
Masé and the team are waiting Paralives to stay in early access for a few years, during which time they’ll add a weather system, pets, houseboats, cars, the option to create a village, a garden, pools (no word yet on whether you’ll be able to remove the ladder after the character jumps), an event calendar and much more. I bet they’ll have bugs too – I enjoyed the release trailer’s acknowledgment that the early access version isn’t completely polished.
Meanwhile, players will be able to create their own mods. Like The Sims, you can expect some of those mods to be quite spicy.
Here’s another game that just got early access. Effort Star’s Enter the Chronosphere is a turn-based roguelite out on Steam (Windows and Mac). It’s usually $15, but it’s 10 percent off until June 8.
This is a hell of a game with a twist — nothing moves until you do, including the projectiles you shoot. That gives you a chance to anticipate incoming attacks and plan your movements. You can also see where the enemies will move.
I played a few rounds Enter the Chronosphere and I’m enjoying it so far. It reminds me a bit Flick Shot Roguesis a turn-based game that captured all of my attention for a while last year.
Maps! Who doesn’t love maps? I really like maps, so I would like to play Map Map – A Game About Maps. Here, a small team hunts for a lost treasure hidden somewhere in the archipelago. As a staff cartographer, you’ll use real navigation techniques and equipment – including a compass, telescope and sextant – to help find loot.
A map of the map it sounds educational and looks lovely. This game from Pipapo Games and partner publisher Rekoup is out now on Steam for Windows (normally $15, 10 percent off until June 11).
If you’re looking for something chaotic to play with friends this weekend, you might want to consider it The Crashout Crew. This is a cooperative game where up to four players work together to fulfill orders in the warehouse while battling security breaches like faulty wiring that causes lights to flicker and cacti to explode to stop you.
I haven’t had a chance to play it yet, but as a player Overcooked fan, The Crashout Crew seems to be my cup of tea. Developer Aggro Crab has a strong recent track record as well. The studio was behind brilliant Another Crab Gem and was the promoter of The toplast year’s hit song.
Its latest game is out now on Steam (Windows), Xbox Series X/S and Xbox for PC. It’s normally $8, but it’s 38 percent off until June 7. The Crashout Crew it’s also on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
