The Best Indie Games of EGX 2018
3. Life Is Strange 2
The latest adventure into the Life is Strange universe opts to take us in a new direction following the story of brothers Sean and Daniel Diaz. In the demo we played you take control of older brother Sean as he readies himself for a Halloween party. The familiar interaction and dialogue system has returned in the sequel with the game having a clear, heavy focus on narrative and the relationships of the characters.
It’s clear DONTNOD weren’t afraid to take risks here, moving away from the characters the series is known for is a bold and risky move, but there’s no indication this won’t work. One thing that does remain a mystery however is how Sean’s ‘supernatural power’ will be used in the game, as Max’s ability to manipulate time was certainly a crucial part of the original.
What really interested us was the chance at discovering a new story and the potential that further expanding the Life Is Strange universe has to offer. It seems like the sequel will carry just as much emotional clout as the original and help establish a new cast in the popular series. Life Is Strange 2 is releasing on PC, PS4 and Xbox One 27 September.
2. Inmost
No matter how dark our world seems right now, it could always be darker. Inmost is proof of that. Currently in development by the two-man team at Hidden Layer Games, this puzzle platformer is dredged with a suffocating atmosphere.
Tonally, Inmost feels reminiscent of Limbo and INSIDE, though with more of a gothic slant. The final game will be structured around three different characters and their intersecting narratives, but the demo we played mostly featured a bearded man exploring some ruins.
Death is a frequent occurrence, from coming into contact with deadly slime to falling down high ruin walls or jumping into fiery lanterns (we did the latter an embarrassing amount). Sometimes, the black goo will morph into terrifying creatures which chase you down with startling ferocity. Inmost won’t be a pleasant journey, but one worth taking nonetheless. Look out for it releasing at some point next year.
1. Untitled Goose Game
If there’s one game that stole everyone’s heart at the show and maybe a farmer’s hat or two it was Untitled Goose Game by House House. We got our hands on the Nintendo Switch demo and weren’t disappointed in our endeavours to annoy a local farmer by stealing his stuff, nicking his crops and drenching him in water. It turns out there’s something quite satisfying about being a nuisance.
Honking at people, biting them and running away with their stuff is all part of the daily mission of our resident hero as they try to complete the tasks the game sets before them. It never takes itself too seriously but there is a bit of light stealth work involved in some of your escapades. It’s pretty hilarious to watch the constantly annoyed locals trying to get their stuff back or dry their soaked clothes. It feels good to be bad in such a playful way.
The game has a lovely art style as well, with smooth animation and soft pastel colours that almost makes all these hijinks relaxing. I don’t know about you but I can’t think of any way better to blow off steam than to roam around a town as an annoying goose. Untitled Goose Game is set to release on PC and Switch in 2019.
So, there you have it, the best of this year’s indie games from EGX 2018. Let’s hope next year features as many interesting titles. If you’d like to see more from the show then why not check out our top picks from the Leftfield Collected, an area dedicated to experimental indie games or, if you’d like to find out what indie games are hot this month, check out our 7 Best Upcoming Indie Games of September 2018.
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